The Anne and John Collins family of Whitefish recently finalized a conservation easement on 672 acres of private land that abuts the northwest shore of Whitefish Lake.

The voluntary conservation easement is highly visible from Whitefish Lake and the surrounding area. According to a news release, the acreage provides a critical wildlife corridor between a large adjoining tract of Montana State School Trust Land and 1.2 miles of the lake's approximately 16-mile shoreline.

The easement — created in partnership with the Montana Land Reliance — will protect natural and scenic values of the area, as well as fish and wildlife habitat.

The land, situated near the Lazy Bay portion of Whitefish Lake, is covered with a diverse stand of timber that contains a wide variety of Montana evergreen trees, including ponderosa pine, Douglas fir, Western larch and red cedar. The spanse also provides habitat for species including deer, elk, moose, wolf, lynz and grizzly bear.

“This project represents one of the most important conservation easements in the Flathead valley and Montana Land Reliance is honored to partner with the Collins family to help make this happen,” said Mark Schiltz, western manager of Montana Land Reliance, a nonprofit that partners with private landowners to permanently protect agricultural lands, fish and wildlife habitat, and open space.

THE COLLINS family settled in the Whitefish area in the 1900s and has owned the property for more than 20 years. The family’s grandchildren are the sixth generation to call the Whitefish area home, the news release states.

“We placed this easement on our property to keep a large part of Whitefish Lake forever free of development,” said John Collins, who added that he has witnessed substantial changes to Whitefish throughout his life. “The easement allows us to manage our timberland to promote forest health and maintain species diversity while providing important habitat for all types of wildlife.”

The easement will prohibit the construction of all future lakeshore homes on the property, the news release states. Schiltz and Collins said the move will not only help protect the lake’s water quality, but will maintain forest health by permitting responsible commercial timber harvests.

“This couldn’t happen at a more important time, given the explosive growth the valley is currently experiencing,” Schiltz said. “The Collins family has given a gift that will benefit Whitefish and the Flathead Valley for generations to come.”

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