A celebration to commemorate a conservation easement on 3,020 acres of land in Haskill Basin near Whitefish will kick off Saturday, July 16 at Depot Park.
The event will recognize the efforts of partners and stakeholders to furnish permanent protections on the bloc of land east of Whitefish, which is owned by F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Co.
While Stoltze has managed the parcel as a working forest for years, conservation groups and city officials have long recognized the development pressure bearing down on the prized watershed, which is the source of Whitefish’s water supply and a haven for recreational uses like hiking, biking and cross-country skiing.
Hosted by the Trust for Public Land, the event will feature remarks by U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld, as well as a special ceremony recognizing the work of Alex Diekmann, the mastermind behind the sprawling conservation easement to protect not only Haskill, but also more than 15,000 acres north of Whitefish Lake.
Diekmann, a senior project manager for the nonprofit Trust for Public Land, died Feb. 1 after a courageous battle with cancer. He was 52.
In brokering the Haskill deal, which is set to close this month, Diekmann brought together scores of stakeholders with varied interests and instilled in them a common goal of protecting natural resources and preserving public land access.
The celebration will run from 10 a.m. to noon at Depot Park, and will include free food and drinks, as well as a demonstration of stream dynamics using the Rolling Rivers Stream Table, and a performance by the Ravenwood Outdoor Learning Center Camp.