BIGFORK — The Flathead Land Trust has partnered with a local landowner to permanently protect 60 acres of wildlife habitat near the foothills of Jewel Basin.
Sixty acres of relatively undeveloped land near Bigfork has been placed into a conservation easement, ensuring the landscape remains intact in perpetuity.
The property is bordered on two sides by state land and connected to thousands of acres of the Flathead National Forest.
Paul Travis, executive director of the Flathead Land Trust, said the property is heavily used by wildlife, including grizzly bears, elk and moose.
He said the easement permanently protects the open space from large-scale development.
"It’s really at a nexus right there at the foothills of the Swan Range. A lot of wildlife comes down into the valley and through this property, and it’s a wonderful place to see that open space and habitat protected forever," Travis said.
Travis said the landowners wish to remain anonymous.
