Kalispell Land Use Plan Input from Flathead Land Trust April 2025From:Paul Travis
To:Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject:EXTERNAL Flathead Land Trust Input on Kalispell Growth Policy Plan-It 2045 Update
Date:Friday, January 23, 2026 12:03:33 PM
Attachments:Kalispell Land Use Plan Input from Flathead Land Trust April 2025.pdf
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Dear Kalispell City Council,
We understand that the Kalispell City Council will be discussing proposed updates to the city’s
growth policy plan (Kalispell Growth Policy Plan-It 2045). We wanted to let you know that Flathead
Land Trust submitted the attached letter and map as input on the Kalispell Growth Policy Plan
Update.
One area we provided input on is a portion of the West Valley used by hundreds of sandhill cranes
for a couple of months each fall as a staging area. This area with its pothole wetlands and
surrounding agriculture is also important for migratory waterfowl and a herd of elk. We wanted to
share a couple of video clips with you showing the importance of this ecologically significant area in
the West Valley and the popular public wildlife viewing area there (see below). We also wanted to
share a video clip about the riparian area along the Stillwater River and Flathead rivers for which we
gave input (see below).
Clip from Video taken in West Valley and made Fall 2016: https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=TWSte1-y018 (48 sec.)
KPAX TV Outdoors Report Fall 2018: New wildlife viewing area opens in West Valley -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U34O4ZpMOGM (1 min. 45 sec.)
Clip from Video taken at Owen Sowerwine and made Fall 2022: https://youtu.be/BXI-7mcbffo (2
min. 40 sec.)
We appreciate you considering the input from Flathead Land Trust for the city’s planning efforts.
Thanks so much!
Paul Travis
Executive Director
Flathead Land Trust
PO Box 1913 Kalispell, MT 59903
(406) 752-8293 | ptravis@flatheadlandtrust.org
www.flatheadlandtrust.org
“Conserving Our Legacy of Land & Water”
April 14, 2025
Kalispell City Planning Department
201 1st Avenue East
Kalispell, MT 59901
Re: City of Kalispell Growth Policy Plan-It 2035
Dear Kalispell City Planning Department,
We value the opportunity to have input on the framework to guide growth in and around Kalispell for
the next 20 years that is proposed in the “Kalispell Growth Policy PLAN-IT 2035” (“Growth
Policy”).
We agree that as the Growth Policy says “the natural environment is an important part of what makes
the area an appealing place to live” and applaud the Growth Policy goal of “protecting wetland and
riparian areas since they are important in flood protection, maintaining water quality, and providing
habitat.” We also agree that important natural resource and environmental factors in the Growth
Policy area include “hydrology, floodplains, trees, forest cover, wildlife habitat, and agricultural
lands”. Since 1985, Flathead Land Trust has played a critical role in protecting northwest Montana’s
clean water, important wildlife habitat, and productive farmland – all things that sustain our high
quality of life here. We also appreciate that the Growth Policy includes a recommendation to
coordinate with Flathead Land Trust for the conservation of land whenever feasible.
We did want to bring to your attention that a portion of the area planned for the future growth of
Kalispell in the West Valley is of ecological significance (see attached map). This area includes
pothole wetlands and farmland that is important to birds, wildlife, and agriculture. It is the only area
in the Flathead Valley used by hundreds of sandhill cranes for over two months each fall to rest and
refuel on their annual migration. It is also used by tens of thousands of migrating waterfowl each
spring and fall and almost 200 species of birds each year. A herd of elk also frequents this area.
Much of this area also contains important agricultural soils including “prime farmland, if irrigated”
and “soils of statewide importance” as determined by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.
Flathead Land Trust holds conservation easements totaling almost 400 acres in this area and there is
a popular, well-used Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks bird viewing site in this area. Because of the
ecological significance of this area of the West Valley, we request it be removed from the Future
West Growth Boundary and Growth Policy Planning Area (the area to the north of West Reserve
Drive and west of the Stillwater River that extends beyond the current Annexation Policy Boundary.
We also request that a portion of the area along the Stillwater River east of Willow Glen Dr.;
downstream of the confluence of the Stillwater and Whitefish rivers south of Hwy. 2; and along the
Flathead River that buffers and include portions of the 100-year floodplain of the Flathead River be
excluded from the Annexation Policy Boundary and Growth Policy Planning Area (see attached
map). This area contains important riparian vegetation, bird and wildlife habitat, a key wildlife travel
corridor, shallow groundwater, and is important to the integrity, healthy function, and water quality
in the Flathead River and Flathead Lake.
We also request that the Growth Policy include a goal of following Montana Fish, Wildlife and
Parks’ Recommendations for Subdivision Development in Montana elsewhere in the Kalispell
Growth Policy Planning Area to maintain a vegetation buffer and building setbacks of 200 feet from
the Stillwater and Whitefish rivers and Ashley Creek.
Thank you for your consideration of our input.
Sincerely,
Paul Travis, Executive Director