After 27 years and 51 conservation easements to protect and maintain wildlife and their habitat in the Flathead Valley, the Montana Chapter of the Wildlife Society awarded the 2013 Wildlife Conservation Award to the Flathead County Land Trust on Feb. 28.

We were excited to be recognized for the work, a lot of times nonprofits are working in the background, so it’s nice to get an award,” Flathead Land Trust Executive Director Marilyn Wood said.

The trust works with private landowners to set up conservation easements, which are voluntary agreements to conserve open space and traditional working uses on their land. This means wildlife habitat is preserved from industrial and heavy residential development.

The FLT uses a science-based approach to prioritize their conservation efforts while consulting and cooperating with federal, state, and tribal management entities as well as other non-governmental organizations. They also work closely with landowners who steward these resources and want to conserve them for future generations.

Their 51 conservation easements protect more than 10,459 acres and play an integral role in helping other organizations protect another 2,231 acres.

Lakeside resident and land trust treasurer Muffie Thomson attributed winning the award to the trust’s 50th easement, 305 acres of critical waterfowl habitat near Smith Lake in Kila. This easement was completed in September.

According to Thomson, the Smith Lake easement was particularly difficult because it involves state, federal, and private land. That area was set to become a residential development with a private airstrip but will remain a popular bird-watching spot with agricultural use.

“It was a hard project to do,” Thomson said. “There are about 200 members in the organization that we rely on and they are fabulous.”

Those members include not just typical outdoor enthusiasts, but biology and stewardship experts as well, according to Thomson.

Somers resident and land trust board member Dean Sirucek recalled the Brosten easement in late 2011 and early 2012 that preserved 192 acres of farmland near Lower Valley Road. He said it was one of their larger easements in recent years.

“The staff is doing a very commendable job,” Sirucek said.

The trust is currently working on the Flathead River-to-Lake Initiative. This is a large-scale collaborative effort with the American Bird Conservancy, the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, Flathead Audubon, Flathead Lakers, Intermountain West Joint Venture, Montana Land Reliance, and Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

This program protects farmland, wetland, and riparian land along the mainstream of the Flathead River along with the river’s many sloughs and the north shore of Flathead Lake.

“It was a nice thing for them to recognize the work of the Flathead Land Trust, and we’re extremely appreciative of the recognition,” land trust board member Edd Blackler said.

For more information, visit online at www.flatheadlandtrust.org and http://joomla.wildlife.org/Montana.