After months of uncertainty, Sliter Park's future is secure for now as the Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork takes over the lease beginning Aug. 1.

The foundation earlier this month finalized a lease with PacifiCorp, the electric power company that operates the Bigfork hydroelectric dam and owns the downtown property Sliter Park sits on. The park will remain open to the public and continue to host summer events, according to Foundation President Megan Shoultz. 

The one-year lease will be renewed annually, Shoultz said.  

“CFBB is extremely proud to take over this lease that means so much to the community,” Shoultz wrote in an email. “We are also extremely grateful to the community and our donors who have supported us and our mission in keeping this public space open for everyone.” 

The park was previously leased and operated by Flathead County Parks and Recreation, but Flathead County commissioners voted in April to drop the park from its portfolio, raising questions about the future of the public space. 

Concerns abounded as PacifiCorp floated the possibility that, in the event another entity did not take over the lease, Sliter Park could face reduced hours and a skeleton maintenance crew. The future of the annual Whitewater Festival and Riverbend Concert Series was also in question, as both use the park stage.  

Shoultz confirmed that with the foundation taking over the lease, both the festival and the concert series will continue, with the Riverbend Concert Series now able to finish the second half of its summer programming. Shoultz said the nonprofit was able to find appropriate insurance coverage after months of searching.  

Flathead County Parks and Recreation leased Sliter Park from PacifiCorp for 45 years, operating and maintaining the property as a county park. In 2013, the department looked at stepping away from the park, prompting the foundation to split the cost of maintenance with the county. During the 2025 season, the foundation spent around $10,000 on maintenance of the park, Shoultz previously said.  

Even with support from the foundation, county parks officials said they no longer had the capacity to maintain Sliter Park. The county manages more than 70 parks, all of which have seen increased use in recent years, leading to deferred projects as department personnel juggle priorities.  

Sliter Park was one of two leased properties in the county parks system, the other being the Conrad Sports Complex, which offsets its expenses through fees from youth and adult sports programs.  

During the county commissioners' April 30 meeting, Parks and Weeds Director Chris Maestas said that while much of the conversation regarding Sliter Park centered on budget — Sliter Park cost the county around $4,000 each year to maintain — staffing was his primary concern. 

Sliter Park required 200 to 250 man-hours from the county to maintain each summer and faced ongoing expenses related to vandalism, according to Maestas. The county operates nine other parks and trails in the Bigfork area.  

As an unincorporated village, Bigfork has no city government to maintain and operate green spaces like Sliter Park. Instead, the nonprofit Community Foundation for a Better Bigfork fundraises to fill gaps that would normally be covered by a city government.  

The foundation was initially reluctant to take over the lease, citing that as a small nonprofit, taking sole responsibility for Sliter Park would be a huge lift and nearly double its financial commitment to the park. When no other entity stepped forward to take over the lease, the foundation worked to ensure that Sliter Park would be preserved as it is.  

PacifiCorp in June said it intends to dispose of the Bigfork hydroelectric project and sell the property, including Sliter Park. If a buyer is found, the new owner will decide what to do with the park property. 

Reporter Elsa Ericksen can be reached at 406-758-4459 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.