Fish, Wildlife and Parks is inching toward securing a permanent recreation easement for Big Arm State Park after legislation passed earlier this year gave the initial OK for the agency to appropriate an estimated $12 million needed to purchase the popular park from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Since 1966, State Parks, a division of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, has leased the property from DNRC for what was considered an affordable price for the department, but that lease is slated to expire March 1, 2020. At the time of expiration, the state will transition to a standard lease appraisal formula, charging the agency 5% of the assessed property value that will go toward funding Montana’s school system.

However, the value of the property and subsequent rent price haven’t been renegotiated in 25 years and new estimates show rent will increase from about $18,000 per year to about $600,000. Coby Gierke, executive director of the Montana State Parks Foundation, credits the steep bump in rent — which the agency lacks the annual operational budget to accommodate — to rising property values on Flathead Lake.

He compares the new rental estimate to what the state currently spends to manage other properties, including nearby Wild Horse Island.

“That $600,000 is a huge sum of money. The state spends roughly $10,000 to $15,000 a year to manage all of Wild Horse Island, so to think that they could just pull from the couch cushions is unrealistic,” Gierke said.

With the passage of House Bill 695, the agency is poised to purchase Big Arm at 100% of the most recent $12 million appraisal. According to Gierke, the funding comes from a combination of federal, state and community dollars. A philanthropic contribution was added to the bill, allowing organizations to raise private money to help offset some of the costs. Montana State Parks Foundation, for example, raised $50,000 for the purchase.

Gierke said most of the $12 million payment will come from fees collected for fishing and hunting licenses that have been accumulating in recent years.

“The bill basically gave authority to spend funds that FWP already had in those licenses,” Gierke explained. “Other entities have stepped up to help with the purchase.”

But additional steps must be taken before the 2020 lease expiration date.

According to Dave Landstrom, park management specialist for Region 1 of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, approval of the purchase needs to pass through more hands than lawmakers.

Since legislators green-lighted the proposal, the state Parks and Recreation Board, which serves as the decision maker on proposals within the State Parks program, has also given consent for the purchase. Landstrom said efforts are now focused on getting an endorsement and approval from the Fish and Wildlife Commission and for the DNRC to carry the proposal to the State Land Board by the end of the calendar year.

In the meantime, the 217-acre park needs to undergo an environmental assessment and be appraised once more to make sure the $12 million asking price is fair.

“We have our fingers crossed that the assessed value is still $12 million or maybe just a little less,” Gierke said. “But if it’s going to cost $13 million, we are going to have to go out and find that money.”

Aside from getting the nod from different agencies and jumping through various assessment hoops, Landstrom said the agencies were hoping to do more scoping for the project.

“We have a lot of moving parts here, but we are working smoothly through the checklist so far and are hopeful that we will hit that deadline,” Landstrom said. “We really do need to complete our public vetting process. It has had bipartisan support since the beginning, but we want to give everyone a chance to voice their opinions.”

Landstrom and Gierke say House Bill 695 received widespread support. During a scoping of the project in August, Landstrom said all public feedback was positive. He said it appears the public also understands what is at stake, should the public park be sold to another buyer.

Big Arm is one of six public parks in the Flathead Lake State Park system and is located about 38 south of Kalispell, past Dayton. It is one of the most popular public access parks aside from Wayfarers Park in Bigfork. The park is the primary launching point to the increasingly popular Wild Horse Island and is home to one of the most-used campgrounds on Flathead Lake.

“This is a great deal for everyone. It gives $12 million to DNRC to fund our public schools, it provides permanent access to Flathead Lake and we finally get to spend some of those license dollars,” Gierke said. “This is one of the biggest state parks on the lake. If this were to go away it would be a devastating loss.”

Reporter Kianna Gardner may be reached at 758-4407 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com