Kalispell Land Use Plan - Comments from Climate Smart Glacier CountryCity of Kalispell - Public Comment draft - Land Use Plan - 1-6-26
To the City of Kalispell Planning Commission,
Climate Smart Glacier Country respectfully submits the following public comment on the
City of Kalispell Land Use Plan. First, we would like to recognize and commend the
Planning Commission and City staƯ for the thoughtful work completed to date. The draft
plan clearly acknowledges several pressing challenges facing Kalispell and the greater
Flathead Valley that have the potential to significantly aƯect residents’ quality of life and
the community’s small town character.
In particular, we applaud the Plan’s policies and analysis related to limiting new
development within the 100 year floodplain while maintaining building standards that
reduce property damage; the recognition of the Valley’s high quality water resources and
the risks posed to them; coordination of regulatory programs involving floodplains;
attention to nonpoint source pollution; continued participation in the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP); and the acknowledgement that significant flooding is a recurring
and well documented hazard in the Flathead Valley.
Climate Smart Glacier Country has been working with local partners and stakeholders,
including Flathead County, to increase awareness of and preparedness for future flood
events. As extreme and unusual weather events continue to occur both locally and
nationally, our organization identified flood preparedness as one of the most serious and
under addressed risks facing our community. As the Plan itself notes, significant flooding is
not new to Flathead County. The question is not if another major flood will occur, but when.
With this in mind, we believe there are opportunities to strengthen the Land Use Plan by
expanding its discussion of flood risk beyond the mapped 100 year floodplain. While the
Special Flood Hazard Area is an important regulatory tool, flood damage frequently occurs
outside these mapped zones. We encourage the Planning Commission to explicitly
acknowledge additional flood risks, including:
Rain-on-snow events during winter and early spring, such as those recently
experienced in Lincoln County and during the 2022 Yellowstone floods;
Increased flood risk in recently burned areas;
Ice jam flooding associated with freeze–thaw cycles; and
More frequent and intense Pacific atmospheric river events.
As outlined throughout Chapter 6, flooding intersects with many of the Plan’s other
identified concerns, including stormwater management limitations, nonpoint source
pollution, high groundwater tables, floodplain storage functions, and risks to septic and
sewer infrastructure as the community grows. When considered together, and in the
context of floods exceeding the 100 year event, it is increasingly important that the City
actively educate residents about these risks and the practical steps available to reduce
future damage.
Accordingly, Climate Smart Glacier Country recommends the following:
1. Amend Chapter 6, Section 6.1.3 (Floodplains) to include additional discussion of
flood risks beyond the 100 year floodplain and to explicitly reference how major
flood events can exacerbate water quality concerns, stormwater challenges,
groundwater impacts, and infrastructure vulnerabilities identified elsewhere in the
Plan.
2. Add the following policy to the Chapter 6 Recommendations section:
“Policy 14: Promote non-regulatory strategies to support flood preparedness within the
500 year floodplain and explore participation in the Federal Emergency Management
Agency’s Community Rating System (CRS) program to adopt voluntary actions that will
mitigate flood impacts, improve public awareness, and reduce National Flood Insurance
Program insurance costs for residents and businesses.”
Participation in the CRS program oƯers tangible benefits, including flood insurance
discounts of up to 40 percent, improved public access to flood risk information, enhanced
coordination with county and regional partners, and recognition of Kalispell’s existing
eƯorts to preserve floodplains as open space. Many of these activities can be pursued
collaboratively, reducing staƯ burden while improving outcomes for residents.
Climate Smart Glacier Country is currently working with Flathead County on CRS related
outreach and education eƯorts and is convening a GIS working group to improve flood
scenario mapping and public facing tools. We believe the City of Kalispell would be a
strong partner in these eƯorts, benefiting from shared resources, improved data, and
increased public awareness.
Thank you for the opportunity to provide comment and for your continued work to guide
Kalispell’s growth in a way that protects residents, infrastructure, water quality, and long-
term community resilience.
Sincerely,
Climate Smart Glacier Country