In 2006, FlatheadLand Trust begantalking to Charles andSandra Van Riperabout a piece ofproperty, owned bythe Van Riper LivingTrust, which theywere interested inprotecting through avoluntaryconservationeasement. Theproperty is 40 acreslocatedapproximately 1.5miles southwest ofKalispell andimmediately adjacentto Lone Pine StatePark.

It’s a beautiful piece of property encompassingimportant forest and wildlife habitat and well as scenic

views for the entire community. As the communityconcern for public access increases, this area has alsobeen identified as an ideal place to protect for outdoorrecreation. The conservation easement was finalized andthis fall, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will officiallyown the property.

This project is a great example of how FlatheadLand Trust can work with local landowners and publicagencies to increase public access and conserve thespecial places in the Valley.Some History and Thoughts from Sandra Van Riper The 40 acres west of town recently incorporated intoLone Pine State Park has been in my family for over 50years and has been an integral part of my life for at leastthat long. My grandparents were among the earliestpioneers in the Flathead, with their roots in firstDemersville and then Kalispell. My parents were

prominent business people helping Kalispell and indeedthe entire Flathead Valley grow. The 40 acres had beena part of old sheep ranch and then used for cattle grazingand logging when my Mom and Dad bought it in the1950’s. It became part of our ranch west of town,providing limited grazing for our horses, but moreimportantly it was a small piece of “wilderness” whereI grew up.

Not a summer day passed and few winter dayswhen I did not climb the hill on my horse or on foot toseek the solitude and peace that was present amongstthe trees. Each place and area had a name such as SunValley, Shadow Vale, Little Rockies, or Vanilla Tree andsome mossy knolls assumed an almost shrine typereverence for me. I knew where the Bitterroot bloomedand where the first Crocus would peak through thespring snow patches. I picked wildflowers for our dinnertable and afternoon wild strawberries from the forestfloor. I knew the best places to see a coyote, a bobcat

The Flathead Land Trust ConservationLegacy Society recognizes supporters who haveinvested in the future of the Land Trust with aplanned gift. A planned gift is the ultimateexpression of commitment to private, voluntaryland conservation in the Flathead Valley.

Your planned gift can be as simple as asentence or two in your will.

Other ways are life income gifts which cantake the form of a charitable lead trust orcharitable gift annuities. Many other gifts cantake the form of life insurance, retirementaccounts, or real estate. We recommend thatyou talk to your financial advisor about the bestoption for you.

For more information about including theFlathead Land Trust in your future plans contactMarilyn Wood at (406)752-8293. Some of youmay have already included us in those plans andif that’s the case, please let us know. Thanks foryour support!

33 2nd Street EPO Box 1913Kalispell, MT 59903-1913

View Points

(406) 752-8293 www.f latheadlandtrust.org

Fall 2007

Van Riper continued on page 5

Have you considered theFlathead Land Trust in

your will?

P ro te c t i ng Land to Bene f i t t he En t i r e Commun i ty

If we can send our children into the

wildness to touch nature and respect it

and understand it, our planet will be a

better place.–Sandra Van Riper

Lone Pine State Park is a day-use-only parkoverlooking the magnificent Flathead Valley. It providesresidents and visitors with information about the Valley’scultural and natural history with a visitor center providingnature and interpretive programs. There are severalinformal hiking trails, as well as horse trails, and threescenic overlooks that provide views from Flathead Laketo Big Mountain.

View from the top of Lone Pine State Park. Photo: Karen Nichols

Change is inevitable and can oftenbe seen as both good and bad, dependingon the issue and perspective beingconsidered. Flathead Land Trust has seena lot of change in recent years and so hasthe Flathead Valley in general. Times arechanging whether we like it or not.Growth is occurring and while we canall agree that growth is good, we can’t allagree on how that growth should happen.

Flathead Land Trust provides animportant service to the Flathead Valleyas we provide another option for locallandowners that are interested inprotecting their land instead of seeing itdeveloped. In our 22 years, we haveworked with over 40 landowners to helpthem protect their property throughvoluntary conservation easements. Theseeasements are adjusted for the needs ofthe specific landowner while keeping theconservation values of the land in mind. It’s a win-win situation for the landownerand the community when it’s the rightpiece of property.

I am pleased to announce that as ofMay, Marilyn Wood is our new ExecutiveDirector. She brings with her a wealth ofknowledge on land conservation specificto this area from her years with The NatureConservancy and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. She has also an intense passion for thisValley and seeing that the “special places”are protected before it’s too late. We arevery excited that she is our new ExecutiveDirector and have no doubt that she willcontinue to ramp up the work of FlatheadLand Trust.

Our River to Lake Initiative is creating

quite a buzz around the communitybecause of its focus on such an importantarea of our Valley, the mainstem of FlatheadRiver and north shore of Flathead Lake.We will continue to update you as projectshappen in that area and let you know ifthere’s a way for you to help.

We are always looking for dedicatedcommunity members to serve on ourBoard of Directors or Board committees. The main qualifications are a passion forland conservation and the ability to donateyour time for the cause. Call if you wantto get more involved in our work.

Thank you for all your support!

Ken SideriusBoard President

2007Board of Directors

Ken SideriusPresident

Myrt WebbVice President

Susan ShermanSecretary

Dawn OehlerichTreasurer

Tom Bengtson

Diane Conradi

Bill Dakin

Alan Elm

Mike Fraser

Jim Regnier

Alison Young

Flathead Land Trust StaffMarilyn Wood

Executive Director

Marcy MahrConservation and

Stewardship Associate

Dan VincentGNESA Director

Message from the PresidentBoard and Staff News

Flathead Land Trust33 2nd Street E,PO Box 1913

Kalispell, MT 59903Phone: 406.752.8293

Fax: 406.257.3523flt@bigsky.net

www.flatheadlandtrust.org

Flathead Land Trust isdedicated to voluntaryconservation and thoughtfulstewardship of private lands. We initiate and supportconservation easements thatenhance Nor t hwes tMontana’s working andscenic landscapes, openspaces, river corridors,wetlands and vital wildlifehabitats.

Page 2 Page 7

There are many changes going on atFlathead Land Trust these days and wewanted to take a moment to thank a fewpeople who are leaving. Stay tuned forinformation on new staff in the next fewmonths.

Lindsay Biedel was hired on as ourDevelopment Director in August 2005and has done a great job of leading ourfundraising and communication efforts. We appreciate all she has done and hopeshe knows how much she will be missed. Gail Cleveland has been our temporaryOffice Assistant since the beginning ofthis year and we really appreciate her

willingness to help us out as we wentthrough some transitions. We hope she’llstill be willing to help us out in the officefrom time to time!

Alan Elm has decided to step downfrom the Flathead Land Trust Board afterthree years. Alan still strongly supportsthe work of Flathead Land Trust but hisbusy schedule has not allowed him todevote as much time to the organizationas he had hoped. We thank him for hisenergy and insight the last few years andhope he will stay connected to ourorganization!

Staff and Board Changes

The spring afternoon was gorgeous, andas geese and swans flew overhead, 34 peopleboarded vans and trucks to begin a field touralong the North Shore of Flathead Lake.Flathead Land Trust staff along with ourpartners organized this event to raiseawareness about the uniqueness of the area,and to explore options for sustaining boththe agricultural and natural landscape.Interested neighbors, landowners, countyplanning and natural resource peopleparticipated. While standing on Pike’s Peakoverlook in Somers, everyone was struck bythe integrity of the landscape of the NorthShore as it still retains its beautiful historicand rural character. The view capturedeverything that was at stake. And it redoubledour resolve to find ways to keep this areaspecial while still meeting the needs andrespecting the rights of individual landowners.

The participants spoke powerfully aboutwhat they cherish about the NorthShore–values that include wildlife habitat;wetland and upland buffers for water quality;the unique hydrology; important agricultural soils; a richNative American heritage; and, a contributor to a robusteconomy and quality of life. The landowners presentvoiced concerns about agricultural viability, the desire tokeep the area much as it is, and yet recognized thefinancial potential of their property. In closingconversations, it was apparent that we have a fleetingand rare opportunity to determine a future for the nearly1,500 acres along the North Shore– a future that will bedetermined by the people who live there and have themost to gain or lose.

Since that field trip, Ken Siderius (our Board Chair)and land trust staff have been meeting with eachlandowner from the Sportsman Bridge to Somers southof the “cut across” road (Highway 82). From almosteveryone we’ve heard the deep appreciation for thislandscape and its rural character. We have also sensedthe frustration that the horse may be already out of the

barn as high density developments are proposed. We’veheard a full range of ideas about what people think aboutthe future of this area. We’ve talked with landownerswho sold their farms reluctantly because they felt theyhad no other alternative. Others said they are waiting tosee what happens with proposed developments nearSomers. One thing we haven’t heard is that landownerswant to see full development of this area. Instead, we’veheard a desire to see what other opportunities mightexist and a willingness to listen to options.

The message came through loud and clear: the NorthShore of Flathead Lake is a special place in Montana.People want to keep it that way if they can. As the nextstep, we will continue working with the landownersalong the North Shore to identify a common vision forthis area. We believe a shared vision would provide acompelling story attracting the attention of regional,statewide, and possibly federal support.

The Magic North Shore of Flathead Lake

Tundra Swans stop in for refueling on Flathead Lake’sNorth Shore. Photo: Karen Nichols.

Flathead Lake’s 7 miles of remote north shoreline has apatchwork of habitats including extensive shallows and wetlands,cottonwood galleries, grasslands, and highly productiveagricultural lands–making this area an aquatic bird paradise. Add another 27 miles of meandering river, sloughs, andassociated spring creek habitats, and we have one of the mostproductive riverine and lake/wetland ecosystems in the West.

Flathead Lake’s North Shore is an important refuelingstop for thousands of Central and Pacific migratory birdsmoving to nesting grounds to the north or wintering groundsto the south. Thousands of Tundra Swans, and tens of thousandsof Pintails, Mallards and Canada Geese use the flooded springfields and shallow lake shore. The North Shore also providesimportant and productive spawning and rearing habitat forfish that provide an important food source for predatory fishand birds such as Osprey, Bald Eagles and Great Blue Herons.

North Shore Important for Migrating Birds

North shore view from Pikes Peak overlook in Somers

Environmental Award Presented to Former FLT Board MemberNews Page 3 Page 6

Marcy Mahr received her M.S.in Plant Ecology from the Universityof Vermont (1995) and a B.A. inSociolgy/Anthropology-NorthernStudies from Middlebury College,Vermont (1986).  

Before joining the Flathead LandTrust, Marcy spent 8 years as ScienceDirector and then ConsultingScientist with the Yellowstone toYukon Conservation Initiative. InMarcy’s work with Y2Y she helpedsupport research projects studyingwildlife corridors throughout theRockies.

Prior to joining Y2Y, Marcy spent1993-1998 as a plant ecologistcoordinating field work and GISmapping for the Craighead Wildlife& Wildlands Institute’s Grizzly BearRecovery project in central Idaho,the University of Montana’s MontanaGAP project, and the US ForestService Upper Columbia BasinAssessment.

She lives in Kila with herhusband and daughter on an organicfarm.

Marcy Mahr named Conservation and Stewardship Associate

Flathead County population in the 2000 Census was74,471. The U.S. Census Bureau estimate for July 1, 2006was 85,314. This is a 15% increase in five years. From1970 to 1980 we experienced a 32% increase and from1990 to 2000 the population increased 26%. Populationis projected to increase 71% by 2030; the only othercounty in Montana which may see a larger increaseis Gallatin County with a projected 86% increase.

The U. S. Census Bureau estimates populationgrowth of incorporated towns in the Flathead from2000 to 2005 as follows: Columbia Falls at 21.8%,Kalispell at 29.9% and Whitefish at 40.4%. Ruralgrowth is only 3.1%.growth comes an obvious increase in development. Since 1990 in Flathead County, nearly 70,000 acreshave been subdivided or approved for subdivision. While this growth is inevitable and good for theeconomy, there are places that are appropriate fordevelopment and others that are not.

Growth in inappropriate areas can affect waterquality, wildlife habitat, recreation access, scenicviews and overall quality of life. It can also greatlyaffect our economy because our natural resources

are what make Flathead County unique and what keepvisitors coming back in droves every year. This is whyFlathead Land Trust continues to be involved in theimplementation of the new county growth policy andcontinues to work with local partners to direct growthto the most appropriate areas.

Milt Carlson received the 2006 Great NorthernEnvironmental Stewardship Area Conservation Award forhis steadfast commitment to the mission of GNESA.

Milt was acknowledged at the GNESA Annual Meeting,held Tuesday, May 22, 2007 at the Grouse Mountain Lodgein Whitefish. Dan Vincent, Director, said that Milt “faithfullyattends and participates in all meetings, has kept goodorder of accounting and other important records on behalfof GNESA and the Flathead Trust AND responds toimportant documents like the Habitat Conservation Planfor Grizzly Bears in the Middle Fork.”

Randy Wolff, Co-chair of GNESA, reiterated thesepoints, and said “Milt is a strong supporter and citizenmember of GNESA.” He was unanimously selected to bea lifetime member of the GNESA Steering Committee atthe July meeting. 

For more information on GNES visit the Websitewww.gnsa.org

Kimberly Blonshine is the Fall 2007 recipient of the Cal TassinariMemorial/Flathead Land Trust Scholarship at FVCC.

Lindsay Biedel, Development and Communication Director, hadthe opportunity to meet Kimberly at the Student Scholarship AwardReception hosted by FVCC in the spring and was very impressed withthis bright, young woman.

Kimberly graduated from Eureka High School in May 2007 and thiswill be Kimberly’s first year of college and she hopes to study forestry. Kimberly has always had a love of the woods and participated in theYCC program during high school, which truly cemented this passion. Kimberly’s father was a logger who started taking her into the woodswhen she was very young.

Flathead Land Trust is thrilled to be involved with FVCC throughthis scholarship and to help continue Cal’s legacy of thoughtfulstewardship of the land in the Flathead Valley and surrounding areas.

Population Growth in Flathead County

A special thank you toWalt Bahr for another greatseason of being ourmonitoring volunteerextraordinaire. Weappreciate your many yearsof dedication to FlatheadLand Trust!

At right, Walt Bahr in thefield.

Pictured left to right, Dan Vincent, Milt Carlson andRandy Wolff

North Shore geese. Photo: Karen Nichols

2007 Tassinari Scholarship Recipient Named

Kimberly Blonshine and Lindsay Biedel atthe FVCC Scholarship Awards Reception

North Shore of Flathead Lake in winter. Photo: Karen Nichols

or a deer. I counted the stars at night from the meadowsand watched the valley pass by from the cliffs. In short,I grew up on that hill overlooking the Flathead Valley.No life problem was ever too large to face on that hill,under a tree, under the sky, inside my soul.

My parents began to divide their ranch and eventuallypassed the 40 acres on to me. My mother explainedwhen she gave it to me that although it was of lessereconomic value than other partsof the ranch, it was perhaps theirmost precious piece. She toldme that she knew that “I wouldtake care of the forest and land”.

Life carried me far awayfrom my forest on the hill, butthrough the years just knowingthat small piece of land remainedpristine and intact was so oftena salve for my soul. The treesgrew and matured and are now approaching “old growth”stages, and there are few such pockets of forest leftunscathed in the valley. Over the years, neighbors loggedtheir land, homes were built on adjacent pieces, andcivilization encroached. Offers to buy the land have beennumerous. But this special piece of land is in my trust.The conservation easement that we have placed on itallows me to know that it will be protected into perpetuity.

As I have reached a point in my life where I mustmake some decisions on the dispersement of the property,

I could think of no better way to pass it on than to haveit be incorporated into Lone Pine State Park.

It is my sincere wish that every child that grows upin the Flathead Valley will make a pilgrimage into theforest and spend a little time under those trees. When Igrew up, I considered the Flathead to be the center ofthe world, and so it has remained in my heart all theseyears. But the world is a very different place now as

urban centers have expanded andglobalization has occurred. A wayof life is passing, even in Montana. There are fewer and fewerwilderness experiences to beencountered by our youth. Butif we can send our children intothe wildness to touch nature andrespect it and understand it, ourplanet will be a better place. If wecan raise our children to begrounded and sensible, with bit

of the forest in their heart, it can reverberate throughoutthe world. This land, being close to Kalispell as the citygrows, will hopefully serve as a respite for generationsto come. To that end, I pass this small piece of land intothe Park for the use and enjoyment and enrichment ofall the future generations to come. To that end, I leavethe conservation easement as a protection for the landin changing times.

Page 4 Page 5

By Marcy MahrAs this year’s field monitoring season comes to a

close, I am filled with hope for the future of the FlatheadValley. As I’ve zig-zagged through the valley, dodging roadconstruction and re-routes around new subdivisions, Ifound myself taking a deep breath every time I entereda driveway of one of our easement holders. Some peaceand quiet away from all the activity going on these days. Meeting each landowner and experiencing eachproperty has been such a treat. These annual visits are agreat way to reconnect with the purposes andconservation values of each landowner’s easement and

to discuss changes to land uses and activities. I haveenjoyed walking or driving through fields and forests;skirting along wetlands and springs; seeing interestingplants; hearing red tail hawks; talking about weeds;hopping over bear poop; and learning about secret fishingholes.

There is no cookie-cutter FLT easement holder; noway to pigeon-hole the group of landowners by professionor politics. This diversity made each visit unique,informative, and very inspiring. I’ve enjoyed all of thestories–such a wonderful cast of characters have entrustedour land trust with protecting their land.

McWenneger Slough Project

Jim Lehner (right) of PlumCreek presents a check for $4,000to Cliff Kipp (left) of MontanaConservation Corps to constructtrails on the land of John Chase(center).  Plum Creek's donationfunded one week oftrail construction by MCC's YouthEngaged in Service Crew. All ofthe young people in the work crewwere local.

In July, the Montana Conservation Corps began threeweeks of work building a trail on an easement donatedby John and Myron Chase on their 160-acre ridge topproperty above Herron Park.  This trail easement wasdonated to Foys to Blacktail Trailsproject as a first link in a trailsystem with plans to stretch fromHerron Park to Blacktail Mountain. 

FtBT is a volunteer, non-profitorganization which is raising moneyto buy 320-acres of land locatedabove Herron Park to the west. It isthe gateway to the Chase trails andadjacent Plum Creek lands.

A Conservation Fund is actingas a “bridge buyer” for FtBT bypurchasing this key 320 acres. FtBTseeks community support by raising$2.5 million to purchase this gateway

property over the next two years. To contribute or learn more, please visit the FtBT

Website: Foystoblacktailtrails.org or call Liz Seabaugh at752-3318.

Van Riper Conservation Story

Trails Group Works to Secure Gateway Property above Herron Park

Flathead Land Trust currently owns 12 acres alongMcWenneger Slough, after a generous gift from Jim andDonna Buechle. We are currently leasing it to Fish, Wildlifeand Parks as a fishing access for the general public to use. In the spring, a group from the Flathead Junior Bass Clubdid an annual clean-up of this area. Eventually, the Sideriusfamily will donate their time to make this into a moreaccessible and user-friendly fishing access. Stay tuned formore information!

(cont. from page 1)

Field Monitor Finds Peaceful Lands,Hopeful Future

Flathead Land Trust has a new and improved website! It has lots of greatpictures and good information for landowners and community members whoare interested in our work. Check it out at www.flatheadlandtrust.org

...I could think of no better way

to pass it on than to have it be

incorporated into Lone Pine State

Park.- Sandra Van Riper

Through the work done in the creation of the county’sgrowth policy, community residents said over and overthat they are concerned about water quality and loss ofopen space.

How to address those concerns, respect propertyrights, and find incentives for long time landowners whosee their property as their retirement plan is the crux ofthe Flathead puzzle – balancing growth with conservation.

It’s important that there are options that arecompatible with the landowner’s and communitymember’s desires to protect farmland, wildlife habitat,riparian areas and other special places in the FlatheadValley.

Recently, Flathead Land Trust convened a group ofcommunity leaders and like-minded organizations to thinkabout what options we can provide for rural landownersin the Flathead Valley.

We have been encouraged by successes in othercommunities. After the Land Trust Alliance NorthwestConference in Missoula in May, FLT staff members LindsayBiedel and Marcy Mahr had the opportunity to get a quicktour of Mt. Jumbo, a fabulous recreation area right inMissoula that was protected with funds from an openspace bond that passed in 1995.

The benefits to the community are endless and asthe hike continued, you felt like you were in the middleof nowhere until you turned to see the town of Missoulabelow with Grizzly Stadium off in the distance.

The community of Missoula has worked hard inrecent years to maintain important natural resources andwildlife habitat as the city experiences rapid growth. Theopen space bonds passed in 1995 and, most recently, in

2006 have helped the City of Missoula and the surroundingareas protect special areas by creating a pot of money tobe used to buy these properties and protect them forever.

Mt. Jumbo is a perfect example of how an open spacebond can benefit the entire community and make a townlike Missoula an even more “livable” city because of theendless opportunity for outdoor recreation at yourfingertips. Gallatin County, Ravalli County and HelenaCounty have all passed similar open space bonds in recentyears and have their own success stories because of it.

We are still working on a strategy and building acoalition of community and business leaders to help uswith our efforts. If you are interested in getting moreinvolved in thisinitiative, pleasecontact us at(406) 752-8293.

One thing isclear, we have anopportunity toprovide optionsto rurallandowners thatwill benefit all ofus bymaintaining thecharacter of theFlathead Valleyand protecting land that is important for water quality,wildlife habitat, farming and scenic views. It is this landthat defines our area and makes it unique.

Providing Options for Rural Landowners in the Flathead Valley

View from Missoula’s Mt. Jumbo