Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Monday said it would recommend the state purchase 772 acres of forestland along the Flathead River just east of Columbia Falls to protect public recreation access, fish and wildlife habitat and water quality.

The land borders the Flathead River just east of the U.S. Highway 2 bridge. It is home to old growth cottonwoods and has a plethora of fish, mammals and bird life.

The land is currently owned by the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. CFAC has agreed to sell the coveted land to the state for creation of the Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area.

FWP released an environmental assessment of the land purchase a few weeks ago. Public comment was overwhelmingly in support, including letters of support from the Flathead County Commissioners and the Columbia Falls city council, among a host of others.

Of the 209 comments received on the project, all of them supported it.

FWP will forward its recommendation to the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission for a decision. The commission is expected to take up the matter at its Oct. 28 meeting. If approved, the project would go before the Montana Land Board for final review.

The property is currently enrolled in FWP’s Block Management Program and provides a limited opportunity for hunters to harvest elk and white-tailed deer near Columbia Falls. A trail has been constructed on the property by Gateway to Glacier Trail, Inc., a local nonprofit group granted a revocable license issued by CFAC to allow access to hikers, bikers, birdwatchers, and others. Under FWP ownership, public access would be managed to preserve wildlife presence and hunting opportunities while allowing compatible trail and property use.

FWP partnered with the Flathead Land Trust on this project after CFAC gave until the end of 2021 to complete the acquisition. If the project fails, the property would most likely be sold, subdivided, and developed into a high-density neighborhood that would directly impact the conservation value of the site.

The appraised value of the acquisition is $7.26 million. Funding sources include $4 million from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, which is funded by the Land and Water Conservation Fund that collects revenues from offshore oil and gas; $2.5 million from FWP’s Habitat Montana program, which uses several big game license revenues that are earmarked for the protection of wildlife habitat, particularly “important habitat that is seriously threatened;” and $590,000 raised by the Flathead Land Trust in a local fundraising effort that collected private individuals, organizations, and foundations. CFAC would donate the remainder of the value.

FWP previously accepted public comment in the fall of 2020 asking whether the agency should initiate the project and received 127 comments, all in support.