A newly created conservation easement along the Stillwater River west of Whitefish is expected to help secure a critical wildlife corridor.

Doug and Carolyn Kohrs worked with Flathead Land Trust to establish the 110-acre conservation easement earlier this month. The acreage, which augments a 655-acre conservation easement that the couple established in 2022, connects with the 1,560-acre Kuhns Wildlife Management Area and vast swaths of state and federally managed forestlands. 

“Carolyn and I are excited to add this additional piece of wildlife-critical land to our existing easement,” said Doug Kohrs of the easement. “Secure and safe wildlife corridors are important for all the different animal species who live in the valley, especially as the inevitable development creeps closer to their natural habitat.” 

The Kohrs have personally documented 95 bird species on the property, along with vital wildlife species like grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, wolves, bobcats, elk and deer. The easement also includes a stretch of the Stillwater River that provides habitat for bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout. 

The land was slated for an eight-home subdivision before the Kohrs acquired it in 2005.  

The terms of the conservation easement prohibit division of the property and regulate construction to specific areas. The land can still be used for agriculture.  

The easement is perpetual, meaning any future landowners would be required to abide by the same requirements. 

“Just as this land serves as a vital anchor for a critical wildlife corridor, the Kohrs themselves have become a cornerstone of conservation in the Flathead Valley,” reads a Jan. 6 press release from Flathead Land Trust. “Their dedication has created the essential framework for a landscape that remains open, connected and productive, ensuring that the region’s natural character endures for generations." 

Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at 758-4433 or [email protected].