News

Merging Art and Nature: Local Artists Protect Important Wildlife Habitat with Conservation Easement

by jen

Driven by their commitment to conservation, two local artists secured a conservation easement today on a property that provides a vital link for wildlife movement. Darrell and Lael Gray partnered with Flathead Land Trust to safeguard their vibrant 20-acre forested property at the base of the Swan Mountains east of Bigfork. Located near extensive areas of the Flathead National Forest, the Gray’s lush property, rich with diverse woodlands, springs, creeks and wetlands, provides habitat for a wealth of wildlife migrating through thousands of acres of nearby public land.

Originally owned by a photographer for “Wild Kingdom,” the larger 160-acre parcel encompassing the easement was utilized for wildlife filming. “I purchased our piece in 1990. I was in awe right from the start,” Darrell recalls. Serving as part of a critical wildlife travel corridor between the Swan Range and Swan River, the property is visited by grizzly bear, black bear, mountain lion, moose and gray wolf. Within the forest-wetland mosaic on the parcel, numerous other animals find refuge and resources. Kingfishers, osprey, geese, ducks of all kinds and great blue herons are regular visitors. Frogs, snakes and dragonflies are abundant. Two ponds and a network of several creeks running through the property provide essential water for wildlife. “The ponds are a magnet for wildlife,” the Grays report.

The property radiates a magical feel, clearly enjoyed by both wildlife and humans. Darrell’s whimsical sculptures stand watch over his artfully crafted ponds and grounds. Occasionally a bear or otter will take a swim among these inanimate guardians. A mile of personal walking trail is as likely to harbor boot prints as a steaming pile of mountain lion scat. Together, the Grays have set up a studio onsite, where Darrell spends many hours creating his large-scale multi-media sculptures while Lael paints. “Living in such a beautiful natural area gives me an endless amount of inspiration and subject matter for my paintings,” Lael, former owner and designer at Northwind Shirt Company in Whitefish, expressed. The majority of the property remains as undeveloped open-space, however, allowing for undisturbed wildlife use within the mixed coniferous forests, wetlands and riparian areas.

Conserving the Gray property through a land protection agreement strengthens the ecological integrity of the entire region. This easement, nestled within a large interconnected network of open space critical habitat, plays a crucial role in maintaining the health and water quality of the Swan River watershed. As a vital piece of the region’s forest and wetland mosaic, it will serve as an enduring oasis for both wildlife and humans.

Darrell was interested in protecting the wild nature of the property since he purchased it. “From the beginning it was very important to be a knowledgeable and good steward of the land. We strive to integrate with the forest and keep our impact light.” Today, with securing a conservation easement, the Grays have cemented their profound commitment to stewardship, a legacy that will endure for generations.

Map of the Gray Conservation Easement and surrounding public and protected lands

News

A Tribute to Lex Blood

by jen

The conservation community has lost a truly extraordinary champion. Lex Blood, Influential conservationist and educator, passed away on February 13, 2025. Lex’s influence on his community and local conservation organizations was immeasurable, and his impact on Flathead Land Trust was paramount, from the very beginning.

Lex was instrumental in the formation of Flathead Land Trust, and became a dear friend and benefactor. He attended many of the first community meetings when a local land trust was only a budding thought in the early 1980’s. From the beginning forward, he was instrumental in sustaining our work. Lex continued to play a crucial advisory role with Flathead Land Trust until the very end, providing invaluable insights and guidance that significantly shaped the organization. Flathead Land Trust recognized his invaluable contributions with a Conservation Leadership Award in 2025.

Dr. Lex Blood was a trained geologist, long-time Flathead educator, and a leader and invigorator of conservation efforts across the Flathead for many years.  One would be hard-pressed to find a conservation or educational nonprofit or initiative in the Flathead that Lex did not significantly impact.

Lex retired from a distinguished teaching career as a Geology/ Geography/Earth Science instructor at Flathead Valley Community College, and an adjunct professor of Natural Resources at the University of Montana. He was co-founder, president emeritus, executive director, and instructor for the Glacier Institute and is the founder of the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem Education Consortium (COCEEC). He also began the Flathead Nonprofit Development Partnership and was the managing director for The Sustainability Fund, which offered grant funding to sustain nonprofit and conservation efforts throughout NW Montana. The Sustainability Fund was a considerable financial supporter of Flathead Land Trust for over 15 years, and was instrumental in our success. Lex also worked as a geological consultant, and provided Flathead Land Trust with mineral reports for numerous projects. 

It is with great gratitude that we remember Lex Blood, as an incredible human and supporter. His leadership, involvement, generous support through the Sustainability Fund, and passionate dedication to our mission all were vital to our conservation achievements. His contributions have enriched the lives of all within this community. He will be profoundly missed.

Read more about the life of Lex Blood in these Daily Inter Lake articles:

“Friends, family reflect on the legacy of Flathead Valley conservationist ‘Lex’ Blood“

“Obituary: William Alexander ‘Lex’ Blood, 91”

News

Celebrate Our 40th Anniversary With Us!

by jen

For 40 years, Flathead Land Trust has collaborated with a wide range of partners on a multitude of community conservation projects! We would love to celebrate this milestone with you.

Please visit our Events Calendar for details on each event as they unfold (scroll to the bottom of the page to Upcoming Events).

News

Key Link in Mission Valley Wildlife Corridor Protected

by jen

A vital wildlife haven in the Mission Valley was protected today through a conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust. This easement serves as a crucial link, connecting the Mission Mountain Wilderness to a vast network of over 18,000 acres of previously conserved lands, including the Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge.

The 40-acre property provides critical habitat and a travel corridor for grizzly bears and a wide range of wildlife species. Mollman Creek, meandering through the parcel for a third of a mile, and several pothole wetlands provide crucial water sources and riparian habitat. The landowners have observed frequent visits from grizzly bear, black bear, and white-tailed deer along with bobcat, mountain lion, elk, and a myriad of other mammals and birds.

Near the Kicking Horse Waterfowl Production Area and Ninepipe National Wildlife Refuge, an Important Bird Area designated by Montana Audubon, the property significantly enhances critical bird habitat.

The landowners have observed 116 bird species on-site including 11 species of concern, such as a great grey owl pair that raised their young on the property. Northern goshawk also utilize the property. This easement provides essential nesting and wintering grounds as well as resting and refueling habitat. It lies within a major stopover site in the Intermountain West portion of the Pacific Flyway.

Northern goshawk, a Montana species of concern, photographed on the conservation easement.

The conservation easement also safeguards a unique habitat and a rare plant species. A skunk cabbage-dominated wetland, similar to a habitat type listed as “imperiled” by the Montana Natural Heritage Program, forms part of the diverse riparian mosaic along Mollman Creek. Nestled within a few of the wetlands is a rare Impatiens species.

This conservation project was made possible through funding from the Cinnabar Foundation, Vital Ground Foundation, the Heart of the Rockies Initiative Keep It Connected Program, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Mitigation Program. Completion of this conservation easement has helped Flathead Land Trust increase pace of conservation in a rapidly growing region. Flathead Land Trust has placed 80 properties under conservation easement over the course of 40 years, collaboratively protecting nearly 20,000 acres in northwest Montana.

News

In Memory of Ken Siderius

by jen

It is with great sadness that we say goodbye to one of our most beloved Flathead Land Trust family members, Ken Siderius, who passed away on December 1, 2024. The Siderius name is well known in the Flathead Valley. The family has been farming and involved in the community longer than some people can remember. Ken Siderius embodied the Siderius name profoundly. He was deeply respected in this community and knew its people and its values firsthand.

Ken interacted with people first and foremost as a fellow community member, as a person who grew up here, raised his children here – as someone who invested most of his life and resources in the valley. He was a man of action, of unwavering optimism, and was always dedicated to standing up for what’s right. We owe him so much for his leadership and volunteer service to Flathead Land Trust.

Ken was a devoted advocate for maintaining the integrity of the Flathead Valley – its open spaces, clean water, abundant wildlife, scenic beauty, and rich farmland. He believed that by working together we could sustain the natural values that make this valley a great place to live for future generations, and that the work of Flathead Land Trust could achieve this passion. He was on the Board of Flathead Land Trust from 2003-2009 and served as the President of the Board for six of those years. Ken’s encouragement, enthusiasm, optimism and connection with a multitude of people in the valley were key to conserving over 5,000 acres of land in the Flathead Valley during his leadership with Flathead Land Trust. His unwavering passion and belief that you can get things done by listening and working together led to significant conservation. During his tenure as President, many acres along the Flathead River and north shore of Flathead Lake were conserved, the McWenneger Slough Fishing Access Site was established and an addition was made to Lone Pine State Park. He was recognized by Flathead Land Trust for incredible leadership and conservation achievements with their first Conservation Leadership Award in 2015. He also served on Flathead Land Trust’s Lands Committee for over 20 years where he continued to share his vast knowledge of the valley, its history, and its people to facilitate countless other conservation projects, including the creation of Somers Beach State Park. He was passionate about preserving the Flathead Valley’s special places; ensuring future generations could create lasting memories there, just as he had. “I’ve had a wonderful life and I think we have an obligation to make sure others can, too. You know love isn’t love until you give it away.”

Ken Siderius’ guidance and contributions will ensure Flathead Land Trust’s continued success in preserving the Flathead Valley’s quality of life for generations to come!

In the words of Don Murray “Ken believed that every child was special and every acre was special”. Read a wonderful synopsis of Ken’s life HERE.

Discover Ken Siderius' extraordinary vision for conservation and dedication to the people of the Flathead Valley in this video
News

Gratitude for Bill Corwin and Greg Gunderson as They Reach Board Term Limits

by jen

We are deeply grateful to Bill Corwin and Greg Gunderson for their nine years of dedicated service on our Board of Directors. Their leadership, including their time as Board Presidents (Bill from 2017 – 2022 and Greg from 2022 to 2023), has been invaluable! To show our gratitude, Bill and Greg were presented with framed photos during our Year-end Celebration on December 12.

Bill is an avid sailor. Aligned with this passion, he helped Flathead Land Trust conserve many acres along the Flathead River to Lake corridor and north shore of Flathead Lake. He has been an integral member of our advisory team, bringing in decades of experience from his consulting career, including knowledge gained from his company Corwin Environmental Consultants, Inc. A dynamic and thoughtful leader for many years, Bill has been vital to Flathead Land Trust’s success.

Greg is founder and co-owner of Forestoration, Inc., a land management and restoration company, and Center for Native Plants, the Flathead’s only retail native plant nursery. Using his extensive background, he designed and oversaw construction of Flathead Land Trust’s Harrell Forest trails, and continues to help plan a connector trail to the Swan River Nature Trail. His extensive background and professional expertise in land management has been instrumental to furthering Flathead Land Trust’s mission.

Both Bill and Greg have reached their term limits on the board, and we will miss them greatly! We are fortunate that Greg will continue to serve on the Lands Committee, sharing his valuable skills and knowledge, and that Bill will continue to help with fundraising and development.

Many thanks to GravityShots for the photo of Flathead River and Lake and to Casey Kreider of the Daily Inter Lake for the photo of Harrell Forest!

News

Whitefish Riverfront Property Newly Protected With Conservation Easement

by jen

On November 25, 2024, Mark Schmidt permanently protected his 30-acre parcel along the Whitefish River under a conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust. The property protects prime agricultural lands and riparian habitats, providing wildlife habitat and connectivity.

For decades, Mark Schmidt and his team of mules hayed his agricultural fields along the Whitefish River. Prior to this, the property had a long history as farmland dating back decades before the Schmidts acquired it. Open space in a rapidly developing area, the conservation easement on this parcel just southeast of Whitefish safeguards agriculturally important soils along with wildlife habitat along the Whitefish River. The USDA classifies over 70% of the conserved property as “prime farmland”. As a protected working farm, these critically important soils can continue to be cultivated without the threat of development.

Encompassing a nearly quarter-mile stretch of the Whitefish River just below the confluence with Haskill Creek and above the confluence with Walker Creek, the Schmidt property offers habitat and respite for wildlife moving along the river. Riparian, wetland and aquatic habitats, along with the agricultural fields, support a variety of mammals, birds and fish in a region of Whitefish that has experienced substantial development.

Mark Schmidt affirmed the value of protecting his property while looking out at more than 150 mallards on the Whitefish River flowing through his property. “I just want to keep it how it is.”

The mules have since been retired, but two horses continue to graze the pastures of the property. A neighbor now uses modern machinery to hay the fields. While the methods have changed, the rich farming legacy of the property is preserved, and the fields will remain undeveloped in perpetuity. Wildlife will continue to find refuge, open space will persist and scenic views will endure by virtue of the Schmidt conservation easement.

About the Landowner:

Mark Schmidt spent his early years immersed in quintessential northwestern Montana pursuits, working as a packer in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and as a ski instructor. He and his late wife, Shirley, showed and competed with their mules and horses all across the country and traveled the world, while Mark constructed custom homes.

News

Stillwater Riverfront Property Near Whitefish Protected With Conservation Easement

by jen

On November 22, 2024, Flathead Land Trust helped Sally Ericsson and Tom Garwin protect their Stillwater riverfront property near Whitefish in perpetuity with a conservation easement.

Ericsson and Garwin dreamed of protecting their property along the Stillwater River even before they owned it. Over two decades ago, they initiated a collaboration with Flathead Land Trust to find a property to purchase and conserve. When they found and fell in love with their 36-acre parcel just west of Whitefish, it came with significant challenges, but Ericsson and Garwin rose to the occasion.

Many locals remember when Twin Bridges Road followed the Stillwater River through this parcel. In the mid-1990s, three major slumps along the riverbank damaged this road, and even temporarily blocked the river. The county eventually relocated the road, which now follows the southern boundary the Ericsson/Garwin property. Local experts helped restore slumped areas on the property, replanting native vegetation to stabilize the soil and revitalize the riparian ecosystem.

Encompassing diverse forests, wetlands, and seasonally wet areas, the easement protects vital wildlife habitat and winter range for grizzly bear, elk, deer, birds, and other wildlife that regularly utilize the property. Intact riparian forest along a quarter mile of the Stillwater River within the property offers a critical travel corridor for wildlife, connecting to 255 acres of State land and eventually linking to thousands of acres of public land. The easement also protects exceptional agricultural land, currently in hay production. Over 80% of the property contains soils classified as “prime farmland” by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Conservation and sustainability were at the forefront when Ericsson and Garwin designed their home on the property. Completed in 2015, the residence blends into the landscape and overlooks the stunning Stillwater River. The modern “green” house, designed by Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects and built by Denman Construction, is energy efficient, uses geothermal heat, passive solar design and has beetle kill lumber siding.  The residence subsequently won the award for Craftsmanship in the American Institute of Architecture Seattle 2020 Design Awards competition.

Upon completion of the conservation easement, Ericsson and Garwin reflected on the milestone. “When we purchased our land in 2013, we knew we were buying riparian habitat corridor and we now really understand its importance to the wildlife in the Valley, to the water quality in the Stillwater River and to preserve farmland. We are delighted to permanently conserve our property in partnership with the amazing Flathead Land Trust.”

Working with and enhancing the landscape, Ericsson and Garwin have now completed their dream of owning and protecting an ecologically significant parcel in the Flathead Valley. The Montana way of life, wildlife and water quality are all safeguarded in perpetuity under their conservation easement.

About the landowners: 

Sally and Tom came to Whitefish after long public service careers in Washington, D.C.  Sally worked in the Obama White House as the senior policy official at the Office of Management and Budget overseeing conservation, environmental and science agency budgets and programs and in the Clinton White House Council on Environmental Quality on water and land conservation initiatives including the Everglades and Columbia River salmon conservation.  She also worked on Capitol Hill, at a non-profit climate change organization and for a major California land trust.  Tom worked for major foundations and served in senior positions at the US Agency for International Development and on Capitol Hill.

News

Discover Our Latest Video Collaboration with Heart of the Rockies Initiative!

by jen

We are thrilled to share a new video collaboration with the Heart of the Rockies Initiative Keep It Connected Program! This short film highlights the Kohrs family’s commitment to conservation. By protecting their beautiful farmland, the Kohrs family ensures its agricultural value and wildlife habitat for future generations.

We extend our gratitude to the Heart of the Rockies Initiative, videographer and director Joel DeMay and drone operator Vaughn Gaddis for their incredible work in bringing this project to life. This video is a powerful tool to showcase the impact of land trusts, landowners, and farmers in our region.

News

We invite you to delve into our Fall 2024 Newsletter!

by jen

Our Fall 2024 ViewPoints newsletter is here! Download the entire newsletter HERE to read:

  • Our first tribute to “The People Behind the Progress, a Year-long Tribute to Flathead Land Trust’s Indispensable Individuals”, featuring Don Murray, who has been invaluable to FLT for nearly 40 years;
  • “Increasing the Pace of Conservation” an article summing up the first 40 years of Flathead Land Trust’s progress as we gear up for our 40th Anniversary Celebration
  • “Highlighting Recent Achievements”: Flathead Land Trust’s latest three easements: the Weaver property along Mission Creek, Luci Yeats’ Heart Rock Ridge property in the Bad Rock Canyon area and the Johnson-Greene property, just north of Swan Lake.
  • “Fundraising and Outreach” Recap: Our fundraising success in the Great Fish Community Challenge, our Owen Sowerwine celebration in collaboration with our partners and other field trips and outreach events.
  • Plus an invitation to our upcoming events: Member and Partner Appreciation Year-end Celebration, Thursday, December 12; Winter Birds of Prey Field Trip, Co-Sponsored by Owl Research Institute, Saturday, February 1.; Our ​40th Anniversary Celebration – Saturday, June 21.

We couldn’t do it without you! We hope you enjoy this issue and feel connected to the beautiful lands we protect together.

Download the Fall 2024 ViewPoints newsletter HERE.