Press release for our visit with the Montana State Land Board below.
City of Whitefish to Welcome Montana Land Board Staff to a Tour of Whitefish Trail Public Invited to Join for Gathering at Lion Mountain Trail Head
Whitefish, Mont. – The City of Whitefish and Whitefish Legacy Partners (WLP) have invited the Montana State Land Board staff to Whitefish on Thursday July 26, 2012. City of Whitefish and WLP representatives will spend the afternoon with the State Land Board staff providing a tour of the Whitefish Trail and the 2012 Legacy Land transaction areas followed by a public reception at the Lion Mountain Trail Head from 5:30p.m. – 7:00p.m. City officials and councilors will be present and will kick off the event at 5:30pm with an update on the current Whitefish Legacy Lands projects and introductions of the State Land Board staff, followed by refreshments and an informal gathering with the public to answer questions and provide additional information.
City Councilor and WLP board member John Anderson explains, “We are pleased that the Montana State Land Board staff will be able to see firsthand our community’s tremendous support behind this project. In addition to seeing what our community has done so far, they will be able to appreciate the vision of the Whitefish Trail. As managers of our State Trust Lands, the Land Board has the job of managing these lands as public lands while at the same time providing critical funding to higher education in Montana. With this in mind, the City and WLP are structuring this suite of proposed transactions to align closely with these purposes. Thanks to the generosity of the Goguen Family and the leadership of WLP, the Whitefish Trail has become a valuable community asset which the City can help to ensure its permanent protection.”
The City and Whitefish and WLP have been working on a fast-paced suite of transactions with the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) on the 2012 Whitefish Legacy Lands project. These transactions include the establishment of public recreation and conservation areas in Beaver, Skyles, and Spencer areas, and a land banking transaction in the Beaver Lakes area comprised of a conservation easement, deed restriction, and public trail, totaling approximately 2,500 acres. The 2012 Whitefish Legacy Lands projects will result in more trails, permanent public access, as well as more view shed, watershed, and wildlife protection. Additionally, the project will yield more money than ever before from these State Trust lands for Montana’s schools and universities. The Goguen Family, who significantly helped establish the Whitefish Trail, is partnering on these current transactions; again offering trail easements, trail building and millions of dollars in donations. The Whitefish Trail is made possible through a collaborative effort with Whitefish Legacy Partners, City of Whitefish, Montana DNRC, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Flathead County, US Forest Service, Flathead Land Trust, private landowners, and many local volunteers. For more information or to become a “Trail Friend,” go to whitefishlegacy.org or call (406)862-3880.