News

2023 Conservation Leadership Award Presented to JoAnn Speelman Dramer

by jen

JoAnn Speelman Dramer shakes fellow founder, Mike Connor’s, hand as she is presented with the 2023 Conservation Leadership Award by Executive Director, Paul Travis on December 12, 2023.

With deep gratitude for her foundational leadership, we are honored to award this year’s Flathead Land Trust Conservation Leadership Award to JoAnn Speelman Dramer. Since 2014, this annual award has been presented in recognition of individuals whose leadership, vision, service and stewardship of our incredible land and water resources has furthered meaningful conservation throughout the Flathead Valley and across northwest Montana. JoAnn was one of Flathead Land Trust’s founders and the first Executive Director, who has given so much to this organization to ensure our success as the Flathead’s local land trust. The legacy of our lands is enriched by her foresight and dedication.

Jo Ann grew up in Ennis Montana on a family ranch along the Madison River. She and her first husband, Gene Speelman, graduated from the U of M School of Journalism in 1967, after which they moved to the Flathead Valley. She had a long and prosperous career as a journalist for the Missoulian, the Kalispell Weekly News with George Ostrem and ultimately at the Daily Inter Lake. In the early 1980’s she met Mike Conner, another FLT founding member, as he was working for the Flathead National Forest on the Wild and Scenic River easement acquisition program.  JoAnn, Mike and others helped form the steering committee that worked towards forming a local land trust.  Once Flathead Land Trust become an organization, JoAnn volunteered to be our very first executive director.

With a shoestring budget and an all-volunteer board, JoAnn had to make very effort to keep the organization moving forward, which was an incredible commitment of time, energy and passion to a fledgling organization.

JoAnn’s deep-rooted ties in the valley helped pave the way for Flathead Land Trust’s initial endeavors. Her connection to the Blasdel family helped forge FLT’s first project, laying the groundwork for the Blasdel Waterfowl Production Area. Flathead Land Trust partnered with Trust for Public Land, enabling them to purchase the 460-acre farm near Flathead Lake, which was later transferred to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Additionally, JoAnn’s relationship with Alice Sowerwine likely played a role in Alice’s decision to place her family’s 157-acre parcel under conservation easement, Flathead Land Trust’s first, in 1988.

In the words of Mike Connor, fellow founder who also volunteered countless hours to build this organization, “Flathead Land Trust wouldn’t be without JoAnn. That’s just the way it is”.

Through the years she has been involved, JoAnn always volunteered to do whatever needed to be done.  She is a person of trust, is full of energy and is always there to help.  In fact, even today she is helping bring a new conservation easement to Flathead Land Trust. Beyond FLT, her generous spirit also keeps her busy volunteering for Toys for Tots, the Bigfork Riverbend Concert Series among other causes.  We can’t thank her enough for all that she has done for FLT and for the conservation of our outstanding land and water resources.

News

Our Fall/Winter Newsletter is Here!

by jen

Our Fall/Winter 2023 ViewPoints newsletter is here! Download the entire newsletter below to read a message from our new president and feature articles: In Memory of Dean Marsh, an update on the Owen Sowerwine project, Keeping it Connected: Protecting a Vital River Corridor, Summer and Fall Outreach and Fundraising Recap and Harrell Forest Community Trails: A Vision Comes to Life, plus an invitation to join us for our Member & Partner Appreciation Year-End Celebration. Thank you for your support, which makes our work possible, and enjoy!

DOWNLOAD THE FULL NEWSLETTER HERE>>

News

Thank You for Helping to Conserve Owen Sowerwine!

by jen

Photo of braided section of Flathead River containing Owen Sowerwine (above) courtesy of GravityShots.com.

Nearly fifty years ago, a man named Owen Sowerwine dreamed of safeguarding a 405-acre community treasure with exceptional, intact forested river bottom habitat near Kalispell. Finally, that vision has blossomed into reality.

After years of collaboration between Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Audubon Society, Flathead Lakers, Montana Audubon and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the Owen Sowerwine property is now permanently protected by a conservation easement held by Flathead Land Trust.

Owen Sowerwine, circa 1970, courtesy of the Sowerwine family

Owen Sowerwine is a 405-acre haven just to the east of Kalispell in one of the most complex sections of the Flathead River. It contains important habitat for birds, fish and wildlife and lies adjacent to other protected lands that together provide an interconnected network of open space and quality habitat at a landscape scale. It also helps safeguard water quality in the Stillwater and Flathead Rivers and Flathead Lake and provides public access for outdoor activities and conservation education opportunities for local schools.

Big Island of Owen Sowerwine, between the Flathead and Stillwater Rivers, photo by Eric Witts, Flathead Lakers

Thanks to the many donors and grantors to Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Audubon and the Flathead Lakers, we raised the required funding to purchase a conservation easement on this wildlife haven and community treasure, while securing long-term funding for Montana’s K-12 schools.

In December of 2023, the Montana Land Board granted unanimous approval for a purchased conservation easement on the property, and a conservation easement was placed on the property on February 29, 2024.

WHY was the OWEN SOWERWINE PROPERTY in NEED of PROTECTION?
Owen Sowerwine is State School Trust land administered by the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). As State School Trust land its purpose is to generate revenue for Montana K-12 public schools. Thus, its future as natural habitat with public access had not been secure. In order to generate revenue for schools, Owen Sowerwine could have been used for cabin sites, residential purposes, agriculture or grazing, timber sales or commercial uses. A purchased conservation easement ensures that the property’s vital habitat will remain intact for birds and wildlife while securing public access while also providing significant revenue for Montana schools.

CONSERVATION VALUES
Owen Sowerwine is in the heart of one of the most complex sections of the Flathead River, a braided area including islands, sloughs, wetlands, and riparian forest. The project protects 405 acres of this ecologically diverse habitat. This bird and wildlife haven borders a river ecosystem that is dynamic with a braided pattern of waterways including a mile of the Stillwater River, over a mile of the Flathead River, and at least 1.3 miles of intertwined channels connecting the two rivers. It is used by federally listed grizzly bear and bull trout as well as black bear, fox, coyote, mountain lion, white-tailed deer, westslope cutthroat trout, and 156 bird species. It has been designated an Important Bird Area critical to the conservation of birds by Montana Audubon. Together with adjacent protected land it helps provide an interconnected network of over 13,000 acres of conserved land along 50 miles of the Flathead River and north shore of Flathead Lake. In addition, it provides public access for outdoor activities such as walking on trails, birdwatching, hunting, and fishing, and conservation education opportunities for local schools.

PROJECT HISTORY
Local citizens attempted to get Owen Sowerwine designated as a Natural Area under the Natural Areas Act of 1974. This effort was led by an avid outdoorsman, dedicated conservationist, and community leader, for whom the area is named. Although it was never officially designated as a Natural Area, Owen Sowerwine had been managed as a natural area through lease and license agreements with Flathead County, Montana Audubon and Flathead Audubon Society since the late 1970s. However, a long-term solution to ensure that the forested riparian habitat and wetlands of Owen Sowerwine remained intact for birds, wildlife and public access was sought for years.

This distinctive project presented a unique challenge: protecting the property while generating income for Montana’s schools, as mandated for State School Trust Land. A solution was found in a rare purchased conservation easement on State School Trust Land – only made possible by the foresight of Montana lawmakers nearly twenty-five years ago, when they enacted a statute allowing a conservation easement to be placed on this specific parcel of land by a nonprofit.

COMMUNITY SUPPORT
Flathead Land Trust, Flathead Audubon Society, the Flathead Lakers and other River to Lake Initiative partners worked together with neighbors, community schools and other organizations to protect Owen Sowerwine’s natural integrity and current public uses in perpetuity. Partners raised the $970,000 needed to purchase a conservation easement to protect the property in perpetuity while providing significant revenue for Montana schools.

Owen Sowerwine has long been recognized for its natural and community values. For the past 40 years, leases and licenses held by Flathead County, Montana Audubon and the Flathead Audubon Society allowed the area to be managed for its natural habitat. Fees associated with these leases and licenses were paid to compensate the State School Trust. The purchased conservation easement replaces the current license and ensures that Owen Sowerwine will be managed for its natural habitat in perpetuity. It will also generate predictable, annual revenue to benefit K-12 education through an investment of the initial lump sum received for the purchased conservation easement in the permanent trust fund.

A very heart-felt THANK YOU to all the donors and supporters for the critical support for this project!

News

Accreditation Renewal Public Input Requested

by jen

The land trust accreditation program recognizes land conservation organizations that meet national quality standards for protecting important natural places and working lands forever. Flathead Land Trust is pleased to announce it is applying for renewal of accreditation this year and is requesting public input from partners, donors and stakeholders of the organization.

The Land Trust Accreditation Commission, an independent program of the Land Trust Alliance, conducts an extensive review of each applicant’s policies and programs. Being an accredited organization shows that Flathead Land Trust meets the national standards of excellence as a professional land trust organization.

The Commission invites public input and accepts signed, written comments on pending applications. Comments must relate to how Flathead Land Trust complies with national quality standards. These standards address the ethical and technical operation of a land trust. For the full list of standards:

Click Here

To learn more about the accreditation program and to submit a comment, visit www.landtrustaccreditation.org, or email your comment to [email protected]. Comments may also be mailed to the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, Attn: Public Comments, 36 Phila Street, Suite 2, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866.

Comments on Flathead Land Trust’s accreditation renewal application will be most useful by November 30, 2023.

News

Harrell Forest Trails are Now Open to the Public!

by jen 
Trailhead kiosk at Harrell Forest. It took a village! Kiosk design by Jim Atkinson, additional engineering by Eclipse Engineering, built by JD Thinning, sign design by Highline Design, project management by Forestoration.

After a years-long collaboration with partners The Trust for Public Land and Montana Land Reliance, we are proud to announce that the Harrell Forest Community Trails are now open to the public!  Lying on the flanks of Swan Hill, just outside of the town of Bigfork, at 1017 Bigfork Stage Road, Harrell Forest offers stacked loop trails for up to 7 miles of hiking and biking round-trip treks. The flowy trails, with beautiful filtered vistas overlooking the pristine waters of Flathead Lake and Swan River and the majestic Swan Mountain Range, have gotten great reviews so far from trail users who are thrilled with the new public access.

Dream Adaptive Recreation staff exploring the new trails.

At an impassioned Grand Opening Ceremony at the trails on September 22, in conjunction with TPL’s 50th Anniversary celebration, Cindy Harrell Horn shared the personal significance of the project as legacy to the Harrell name. Alan Horn and Cindy Harrell Horn made the dream of the Harrell Forest Community Trails possible through their generous land donation to The Trust for Public Land in 2020. A drizzly early fall day did not deter many of the ~140 attendees from hiking and enjoying the trails after the ceremony.

The mission of Harrell Forest is three-fold: to provide recreation for the public, facilitate environmental education and to conserve the property’s open space, scenic and natural values. Now that the recreation component is in place, we plan to add educational signage and programs in the future. Working with Montana Land Reliance, we have ensured that the entire 238-acre property is forever protected under a conservation easement, preserving this stunning property for wildlife habitat and environmental benefit. 

Just a reminder that the new trail system is open for non-motorized and day use only. We ask the public to enjoy the trails responsibly and follow all rules and trail etiquette including keeping dogs on leash, picking up pet waste, respecting adjacent private property and refraining from cutting of switchbacks or creating social trails. Horseback riding is not permitted on the property. For more information and to download a map of the Harrell Forest Community Trails:

Click Here
News

A Special Place along the Swan River Conserved

by jen

We a thrilled to announce that a conservation easement now protects 40 acres of primarily undisturbed forest along the Swan River east of Bigfork. Ed Goldberg worked closely with Flathead Land Trust to place the property under easement on May 1. The parcel borders a third of a mile of the Swan River and contains a mosaic of riparian forest and wetlands supporting a myriad of birds and wildlife. The riparian forest houses large mature spruce, cottonwood, aspen and birch trees and a thick understory of shrubs such as hawthorn, serviceberry, alder, and willow. This natural, largely intact forest with standing snags and woody debris on the forest floor also provides quality wildlife habitat. Grizzly bear, black bear, mountain lion, coyote, fox and deer visit the area, along with at least 114 species of birds. The reach of the Swan River along the property provides unique winter habitat vital to trumpeter swans, hooded mergansers, and other waterfowl. The riparian forest and undeveloped floodplain also helps protect the healthy function, water quality and ecological integrity of the Swan River.

Ed Goldberg expressed his sentiments on conservation of this special place: “The wilderness corridor along the Swan River is a national treasure that needs to be preserved as natural habitat and for its recreational value. It has been my privilege to have worked with Flathead Land Trust in establishing a conservation easement and it is my hope other like-minded landowners will consider doing the same.”

News

Property Near Stillwater River Conserved!

by jen

Near the Stillwater River less than five miles northwest of Whitefish, a twenty-four-acre open space property has been conserved from future development by Pat Nissen and his son, Jake. The property, conserved on January 27, 2023, through a conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust, is adjacent to and compliments another twenty-seven-acre property already conserved with Flathead Land Trust.

Pat and Jake Nissen on their recently conserved property, photo courtesy of Kate Heston, Daily Inter Lake

The Nissen property serves as a wildlife movement corridor for bears and other animals moving between the Whitefish Range and the Stillwater River. It includes a mix of open hay fields and a small forest that provides cover for wildlife. Conserving the property preserves this wildlife habitat as well as its working agricultural land and the scenic value of the property along Highway 93.

Pat Nissen has cared for the property for forty years and was committed to seeing it conserved. When asked about his decision to conserve the property, Nissen got philosophical by paraphrasing poet William Wordsworth. “Little we see in nature that is ours, getting and spending we lay waste our hours,” Nissen said.

Flathead Land Trust, a non-profit organization that works with willing private landowners to help conserve their land in perpetuity, was excited to work with the Nissen family on the effort according to Ryan Hunter, who worked on the project for the organization. “We are always looking for opportunities to enhance the conservation value of previously conserved property. The Nissens’ decision to conserve their land nearly doubles the acreage of protected property in the area, to the benefit of the whole community.”

News

Significant Farm and Wildlife Conservation Easement Completed Along Stillwater River

by jen

Flathead Land Trust is excited to announce that in December 2022, the Kohrs family placed 655 acres of rich farmland and wildlife habitat under conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust.

While land has been rapidly subdivided in the Flathead Valley, Doug and Carolyn Kohrs have been buying parcels of land to reassemble a large tract of farmland with key wildlife habitat along the Stillwater River southwest of Whitefish. From a 20-acre parcel purchased in 2005, Doug and Carolyn Kohrs have pieced together 655 acres of rich farmland and own it in partnership with their children, Ross, Hannah and Clara. On Dec. 30, 2022, the Kohrs family took another step in keeping this large farm and valuable wildlife habitat intact by placing a conservation easement on their 655 acres.

Three generations of the Kohrs family on their conserved property along the Stillwater River west of Whitefish

The purchased conservation easement will permanently protect the Kohrs investment in farming and wildlife. It will keep over 500 acres of rich farmland in agriculture – some of the best soils in Montana and the nation. The conservation easement will also protect the ecological integrity, healthy river function, and water quality of the Stillwater River as the Kohrs property contains riparian forest and wetlands along 1.7 miles of the river.

The riparian forest and wetlands also provide key wildlife habitat, used by federally listed grizzly bears and a plethora of other wildlife such as black bears, wolves, bobcat, coyote, fox, mountain lion, elk, and deer – all documented with a wildlife camera on the property. Elk calve and whitetail deer winter on the property, and over 100 species of birds also use this area that is now protected under conservation easement. The habitat provided by the Kohrs property enhances winter range and wildlife habitat provided by the adjacent 1,557-acre Kuhns Wildlife Management Area and an additional 1,800 acres of contiguous public land.

Doug and Carolyn Kohrs are thrilled to be able to place this special area under conservation easement. “Our family is excited to preserve this special property that serves as a wildlife corridor along the Stillwater River. Whitefish and Kalispell have seen many changes and much development in the last several years and our family wants to provide the space for both farming and wildlife to continue to thrive in the Flathead”.

Doug and Carolyn Kohrs on their conserved property, photo courtesy of KPAX

We are grateful for the many sources of funding that made this important conservation project possible: the Natural Resource Conservation Service Agricultural Land Easement Program, Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation through the Heart of the Rockies “Keep it Connected” Program, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Mitigation Program.

News

Conserving Family Farmland in the Mission Valley

by jen

On December 27, 2022, an agricultural gem in the Mission Valley was protected in perpetuity under a conservation easement held by Flathead Land Trust. For over 50 years, a Mission Valley family has been farming this area south of Polson. Their 315-acre family farm contains rich lakebed sediments at the base of the Valley View Hills with a backdrop of the rugged Mission Mountains.

It is just south of Pablo Reservoir which provides water for irrigation that is critical for agriculture on the property. The entire farm incorporates rich soils that have been designated as prime farmland and farmland of local importance by the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). For two generations the family has been farming the productive land – first raising cattle and now growing wheat and hay.

Even though the third generation has decided not to take over the family farm and instead elected to go into non-agriculture related careers, the family wanted to see their productive land stay in agriculture. They decided the best way to do this was with a purchased conservation easement through the NRCS Agricultural Land Easement program. Not only will the conservation easement ensure that their rich soils can stay in farming in perpetuity, but the family also receives cash they can use for retirement or their farming operation without having to sell any of their land.

The conservation easement on the family farm will not only keep rich farmland available for agriculture, but it will also benefit birds and wildlife. Cultivated fields and wet areas associated with the irrigation system and ephemeral waterways on the property provide good bird habitat. The family regularly observes trumpeter swan, Canada geese, great blue heron, a variety of ducks, as well as birds of prey, including bald eagle, prairie falcon, hawks, barred owl, and short-eared owl.

While many of these species use the nearby Pablo Reservoir for feeding and nesting, the waterways, wet areas and cultivated fields on the property provide habitat for a diverse array of birds. In fact, over one hundred bird species have been observed in the vicinity of the property. A group of 50 to 75 sandhill cranes regularly use the property as well as species of concern such as bobolink. The property is also adjacent to a 1,849-acre ranch protected with a conservation easement held by Montana Land Reliance that contains some of the grass-covered Valley View Hills. The grassy uplands on this neighboring conservation easement, combined with the moist lowlands of the family farm, provide nesting and feeding habitat for another species of concern, the long-billed curlew, which are also often seen on the property.

News

2022 Conservation Leadership Award – Liz and Rusby Seabaugh

by jen
Liz Seabaugh accepts the 2022 Conservation Leadership Award presented by Executive Director Paul Travis and Board President Bill Corwin.

We are thrilled to announce that the Flathead Land Trust Conservation Leadership Award has been awarded to Liz Seabaugh and her late husband, Rusby (who passed away earlier in 2022). The award was presented at the Flathead Land Trust holiday and member appreciation party on December 13th.

Landowners are the heart and soul of our work. They are the integral piece that makes private-land conservation possible. Any landowner that chooses to conserve their land through a conservation easement is taking a bold step and is a hero in our book, but some landowners go above and beyond in their commitment to conservation.

Liz and Rusby Seabaugh are exemplary partner landowners who not only conserved their farmland in the lower valley in 2004, but also served as advocates for other landowners to do the same and pioneered efforts to restore riparian vegetation along the Flathead River.

The Seabaughs first moved to the Flathead Valley in 1970 where Rusby started a urology practice. In 1973, they moved to their home on lower valley to farm and ranch.

About twenty years ago, Flathead Land Trust and our Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners were putting to use new funding sources from the Bonneville Power Administration and the Natural Resources and Conservation Service to conserve private land in the Flathead. It took a leap of faith for landowners to work with us in implementing these complicated and time-consuming funding programs. Liz and Rusby stepped forward to be among the first landowners in the lower valley to conserve their land using these programs. In fact, the Seabaughs delayed the closing for the conservation easements on their properties to ensure that available funding went first to some of their neighbors also conserving their land with this funding.

In the years that followed, Rusby and Liz publicly advocated for the need to conserve the farmland in the valley and steered their friends and acquaintances to Flathead Land Trust’s door. They also contributed greatly to our community through other organizations over many years including Rusby’s service on the Flathead River Commission and Liz’s service on Foy’s to Blacktail Trails, among others.

Many farms along the Flathead River have historically cleared vegetation all the way to the river bank. This has reduced available habitat, negatively impacted water quality and caused bank instability. The Seabaugh farm suffered from this historical clearing as well and Rusby took it upon himself to do something about it. He spent a lot of time and money planting new native vegetation along a third of a mile of their farm’s river bank to address these impacts. Now you might think this involves just planting some vegetation and walking away, but of course, it is not so simple. You have to protect the vegetation from browsing deer and beaver, from the gnawing teeth of voles and from the smothering competition of noxious weeds. When the vegetation is young, you have to water them regularly during the summer heat and you have to accept and replace a great deal of vegetation loss not only from all of the above, but also from the eroding river bank caused by fluctuations in lake levels from Kerr dam and from boat wakes on the lower river. It is not an easy endeavor and by being among the first to do it in the valley, the Seabaughs provided us with many lessons learned through trial and error that allowed our partners to do it right the first time on other farms along the river.

Since 2014, this annual award has recognized individuals that have gone beyond the call of duty for the benefit of Flathead Land Trust’s conservation efforts. Whose leadership, vision, support, volunteer service and stewardship of our incredible land and water resources has furthered meaningful conservation throughout the Flathead Valley and across NW Montana. Liz and Rusby are true conservation champions and we are proud to honor them with this year’s award.