Page 11 - Flathead Beacon // 12.24.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS DECEMBER 24, 2014 | 11 Whitefish Legacy Partners
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BANK LOCAL
WITH
THREE RIVERS BANK
Meets $2M Fundraising Goal
Trail group fulfills 10-year goal, looks to next decade of local conservation and recreation projects
By TRISTAN SCOTT of the Beacon
WHITEFISH – The nonprofit Whitefish Legacy Partners has met its fundraising goal of $2 million to secure a permanent conservation and recreation easement on 1,520 acres in the Beaver Lakes area, and along with the city has generated more than $12.5 million for schools and universities through state trust lands over the past decade.
The most recent conservation and recreation easement was structured over a two-year period, with the final payment due to the state Dec. 31. The nonprofit group met its fundraising goal this week when longtime Whitefish sup- porters Jim and Lisa Stack pledged the final $85,000.
The culmination of more than a de- cade of work, the Beaver Lakes ease- ment secures permanent public access, ensures no development in the area, provides continued forest manage- ment by the state Department of Natu- ral Resources and Conservation, of- fers more money than ever for schools and universities, and allows continued community enjoyment and expansion of the Whitefish Trail project – a pro- posed 55-mile trail system on state trust lands in Whitefish.
The easement was proposed by the city of Whitefish and the Whitefish Leg- acy Partners, and includes seven pris- tine lakes. It will provide watershed pro- tection, new trails, an education pavil- ion and public access in perpetuity.
A significant portion of the $7.7 mil- lion easement was funded by Whitefish philanthropist Michael Goguen, with Whitefish Legacy Partners responsible for raising the final $2 million from the community. Goguen has donated nearly $10 million to the project through the years, including the easement, a land ex- change and trail development.
To reach the final $2 million mark, the organization received donations from a broad base of individuals, busi- nesses and foundations. A recent $100,000 major challenge grant by the WhitefishCommunityFoundationpro- vided the impetus to complete the com- munity fundraising efforts.
A handful of Whitefish representa- tives met with the Montana Board of State Land Commissioners in Helena on Dec. 15, and presented a 10-year assess- ment and progress report, as well as a
The Beaver Lakes Trailhead of the Whitefish Trails. BEACON FILE PHOTO
check for $12.5 million.
Those in attendance included
Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld, city councilor John Anderson, and White- fish Legacy Partners Executive Direc- tor Heidi Van Everen. Gov. Steve Bullock was on hand to praise the group’s work and voice support for another decade of community-driven conservation and recreation initiatives.
“We could have sat back and watched these lands develop for short-term eco- nomic gain, but we realized that they mean much more to our community, and that there is an economic model that better meets the needs of the commu- nity and the DNRC that also maximiz- es returns to the school trust,” Muhl- feld told Gov. Steve Bullock On Dec. 15. “These lands are our open spaces; they define our heritage; these lands are our legacy what we leave behind to our chil- dren, while providing the opportunity to educate the future generations of Mon- tanans. The protection of these lands have catalyzed economic development in Whitefish. The tens of millions of visitors that come to our state annually choose to spend their hard earned mon- ey in Whitefish because of these ameni- ties – trails, open spaces, viewsheds, a clean environment.”
On Dec. 1, the Whitefish City Coun- cil approved a resolution to extend the Whitefish Area Trust Lands Neighbor- hood Plan through 2024. Declaring the successful completion of the first ten years of the plan, the city joined Whitefish Legacy Partners in cele- brating the permanent protection of over 3,000 acres.
The state land board formalized the
extension of the Whitefish Area Plan for another 10 years.
The Whitefish Trail is currently a loop trail system consisting of more than 26 miles of singletrack trails located around the city and includes 7 trailheads.
Eventually, it will encircle White- fish Lake and the greater Whitefish area, connecting Whitefish Mountain Resort on Big Mountain and the city’s paved trail system.
The Whitefish Neighborhood Plan has clearly proven to be a win-win-win collaborative effort that supports con- servation, education and recreation and boosts the local and state economy. The community will now have ten more years to influence future projects and continue to develop innovative solutions to create community-driven conserva- tion and recreation initiatives.
Now that the group has reached its fundraising goal and fulfilled the 10- year Neighborhood Plan, Whitefish Legacy Partners plans to focus on estab- lishing more trails within the easement and pursuing other education and con- servation goals including protection of Haskill Basin and the city’s water supply.
“We can now move forward in part- nership with local landowners and the Whitefish community to assure con- tinued public access, protect our water quality, maintain healthy forests, sus- tain quality wildlife habitat and provide recreationalandeducationalopportuni- ties into the future,” Van Everen said.
For more information on Whitefish Legacy Partners, visit www.whitefishle-
gacy.org.
[email protected]
THE PROTECTION OF THESE LANDS HAVE CATALYZED ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN WHITEFISH. John Mulfeld, Whitefish Mayor