Million dollar grant will preserve habitat for birds

The Flathead Land Trust and its partners recently received approval from the North American Wetland Conservation Act Council for a $1 million grant proposal to conserve key habitat in Northwest Montana for migratory birds.

Tens of thousands of migratory birds use the Flathead as a feeding stopover in their journey from wintering grounds in southwestern U.S. to breeding grounds in Canada.

As the largest natural freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, Flathead Lake is an important resource for the birds. But the migrating birds also depend on wetlands and agricultural lands near the lake and in the Flathead and Mission valleys.

Funding for five projects will conserve 525 acres of wetlands and associated uplands and restore 125 acres of wetland habitat in the Flathead and Mission valleys. They include restoring a wetland/spring creek complex east of Columbia Falls, adding wetlands to the Smith Lake Waterfowl Production Area, increasing protection of the north shore of Flathead Lake by adding to the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Management Area, helping the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes protect wetlands along the Mission Mountain Front, and protecting wetlands just east of the National Bison Range.

“Many partners and landowners helped us obtain NAWCA approval to fund the $1 million grant,” said Laura Katzman, a land protection specialist with the Flathead Land Trust. “It takes a team to put together the complex grant application and meet the numerous grant requirements.”

The grant also required significant matching funding and land conservation contributions. The Flathead River to Lake Initiative has conserved more than 5,000 acres of critical lands along the lower Flathead River and north shore of Flathead Lake over the past 10 years, adding to a network totaling over 11,000 acres of protected private and public lands.

“These critical lands include not only important migratory bird habitat but also help maintain our excellent water quality, healthy river function, abundant fish and wildlife, and important agricultural soils,” said Constanza von der Pahlen, critical lands program director for the Flathead Lakers.

For more information, visit online at www.flatheadlandtrust.org and www.flatheadrivertolake.org.