Community meeting looks to connect conservationists
Panelists Sara Lamar, Chris Moore and Amy Grout talk with their audience at a gathering on the Swan watershed at Flathead Brewing Co. in Bigfork Thursday, Jan. 23. (Avery Howe/Bigfork Eagle)
In an area as dispersed as the Swan, people have to find a way to come together to protect the place they call home. Community members gathered to discuss a variety of issues affecting the Swan watershed on Thursday, Jan. 23 at Flathead Lake Brewing Co. in Bigfork.
The presentation began with a 15-minute showing of the 2022 film “Life in the Land: The Seeley-Swan Region.”
“This film, and the other films of the Life in the Land series, are meant to elevate the value in community-guided approaches within the landscape, connecting how the well-being of a community is directly connected to that of the landscape it's a part of.” filmmaker Lara Tomov said. “We hope this gathering as a whole will highlight that concept specifically for the Swan Watershed.”
Swan Valley Connections partnered with Life in the Land to put on the meeting, which was designed to encourage dialogue among community members and the heads of many local land management and conservation organizations. Panelists included Amy Grout, a recreation manager with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Christopher Moore, president of the Swan Lakers, and Swan Valley Connections executive director Sara Lamar.
“For conservation solutions that are going to be here, they have to be between community members,” Lamar said.
Grout spoke on the Bigfork Area Recreation Plan, published in early 2024. The plan required cooperation between the Forest Service, PacifiCorp, Flathead Lake Lodge, Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork, Bigfork Chamber of Commerce, Bigfork Rotary, Whitney Family, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Flathead Land Trust, Montana Land Reliance, and Trust for Public Land to name a few.
The plan notes that the Bigfork area is growing at a higher rate than Flathead County and twice the rate of the state of Montana. Its objectives are to increase access to trails and the river while simultaneously dealing with concerns of overcrowding, degradation, and wildlife impacts. Comment for the plan has closed, and it is now awaiting implementation.
Moore noted that the Swan Lakers is an entirely volunteer-run group dedicated to maintaining the health of Swan Lake.
“Our challenge is mobilizing members and the community,” he said.
The Swan Lakers conduct boat inspections, test water quality and recently undertook a campaign to reach out to landowners around the lake with educational materials, particularly around septic systems.
Barriers to the mobilization of environmental protection and community connection were discussed amongst audience members and the panel. A lack of physical connectivity between “neighbors,” a large seasonal population, difficulty receiving or giving information from government agencies and an overall aging population – the Bigfork Area Recreation Plan suggests the age group of 65 and up makes up 30% of the area’s population, higher than both the state and Flathead County rates – were considered factors. Housing affordability was an underlying issue as well, affecting most other concerns.
Solutions were also discussed; boiled down to communication.
Organizations interested parties should look to follow on social media or through newsletters include but are not limited to:
Swan Valley Connections, www.swanvalleyconnections.org
Wild Montana, wildmontana.org
Living in the Flathead, livinginflathead.org
Citizens for a Better Flathead, flatheadcitizens.org
Flathead Lake Biological Station, flbs.umt.edu
The Life in the Land series is available for free online at www.lifeintheland.org, and offers a screening guide for classrooms and educational settings.