Conservation Focus Areas

Saving Working Farms and Ranches

Agriculture is a keystone of our community. Our rich farmland, local foods, and open spaces are gifts to pass on to future generations. That’s why we support strong farms and ranches and the families that work them by reducing the economic pressure on landowners to convert their land to development. Our voluntary conservation easements keep family farms and ranches intact and benefit us all by preserving our open, rural landscape and farming heritage.

Preserving Critical Fish and Wildlife Habitat

We are fortunate in the Flathead Valley to have some of the richest and most diverse wildlife habitat in the world. The Flathead is an internationally significant watershed. Its river and wetland systems maintain our water quality and provide habitat for an amazing diversity of native fish and wildlife.

Through Flathead Land Trust, landowners can preserve and protect critical habitat for species that rely on healthy and intact land and water.

Protecting Migratory Bird Habitat

Hundreds of thousands of migratory birds use the Flathead and Mission Valley’s extensive wetlands, sloughs, riparian habitat, and water bodies as a critical refueling stop on their yearly journeys in the Intermountain West portion of the Pacific Flyway. Water is plentiful in northwest Montanan but riparian areas make up less than 1% and wetlands less than 3% of the area of Montana. These riparian areas and wetlands in Montana are used by lots of other wildlife as well. In fact, riparian forests make up less than 5% of the total forest ecosystem, yet they contain 75% of the forest’s plant and animal diversity.

Expanding Recreational Opportunities for the Community

Flathead Land Trust is devoted to northwestern Montana and its people. We therefore invest in community projects that enhance recreational opportunities and public access for you and your family.

Flathead Land Trust has worked on many projects with a multitude of partners:

  • Helping to create public trails
  • Providing public access to special places
  • Conserving areas for bird and wildlife viewing
  • Providing and protecting public fishing access sites

Conservation Plan

In 2016, Flathead Land Trust created a Conservation Plan to guide our conservation objectives. This has been our directive as population grows in northwest Montana and we work to conserve the most important open space lands.

Download the summary of the 2016 plan or the full 2016 plan with maps below.

To download a copy of the Conservation Plan summary, click here.

To download a copy of the full Conservation Plan (with maps), click here.