WHITEFISH - Fifty-two acres of forested property just west of Whitefish is now permanently protected thanks to a conservation easement.
The owners of the property have partnered with the Flathead Land Trust to protect a stretch of creek in the Tally Lake watershed near Star Meadows.
The property has been pieced together by a local family since the 1970s and was originally part of a remote 160-acre homestead dating back to the 1920s.
Flathead Land Trust Communications Coordinator Jen Guse said the 52-acre property protects valuable wildlife habitat like black bear, elk and white-tailed deer — and now, the land is protected in perpetuity.
“It means that while the family continues to own and manage the property, it can’t be further developed beyond maybe another residence on the property, but it protects the habitat and water quality and all the things that we live in Montana for.”
Guse said the property is also home to many bird species, including pileated woodpeckers and chestnut-backed chickadees.
More information on the Flathead Land Trust can be found here.
