Whitefish Pilot 1.26.2016
At their meeting last week, the Whitefish City Council officially adopted three easements in Haskill Basin that permanently guarantee the protection of important wildlife habitat and the city’s water supply. They also allow the Whitefish Trail to make its debut on the east side of Whitefish Lake. This project was a true collaborate effort.
F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company and The Trust for Public Land worked tirelessly with the city of Whitefish and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to negotiate the easements to permanently remove the development rights and protect the land for water, wildlife, recreation while also continuing sustainable timber management.
Whitefish Legacy Partners has undertaken the design and organization of a managed recreation trail on the easement land. We presented plans for a new trailhead at the city water treatment plant, within half a mile of the paved bike path on Wisconsin Avenue. In partnership with the city, Iron Horse, Flathead Land Trust and Winter Sports Inc., the Legacy Partners has designed a 5 1/2 mile trail corridor along the western portion of the 3,022 acre conservation easement.
The trail will connect to Whitefish Mountain Resort with a new trailhead that will also serve as the “winter” Whitefish Trail. The access will tie the trail to the groomed Nordic trails in Haskill Basin in partnership with Whitefish Mountain Resort, Glacier Nordic Club, and Iron Horse. Legacy Partners is excited to present the recreation gateway to Haskill Basin and this community-minded project that blends public and numerous private entities to create another innovative project on the Whitefish Trail.
Funding for this next phase of Whitefish Trail will be initiated in 2016 in hopes of beginning construction spring 2017.
Legacy Partners would like to thank all of the partners involved in this project as well as the entire Whitefish community. We are excited to close the loop of the Whitefish Trail around Whitefish Lake in upcoming years. Haskill Basin is our next gateway to a remarkable legacy of community and conservation on the Whitefish Trail.
— Leslie Hunt is Board Chair of Whitefish Legacy Partners
See the article online at the Whitefish Pilot: http://bit.ly/20Y9Tg9