The idea of an open space bond in Flathead County is once again beginning to gain interest after a recent poll suggested support for such a measure.

To that end, residents of Flathead County are invited to attend “Save the Flathead: A Community Conversation about Our Land, Water, and Future,” on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Flathead Valley Community College (Room A-T 139). The event is free and open to the public.

Organized by a growing coalition of local residents, agricultural producers, conservation  groups, and outdoor enthusiasts, the forum will focus on how a community-driven open space bond could help protect Flathead County’s working farms and ranches, wildlife habitats, recreational opportunities, water quality and overall quality of life.

Flathead  County is one of the fastest growing counties in Montana and has lost over 49,120 acres of open space to development from 2000 – 2021. 

“An open space bond program can be an  impactful tool to retain our most cherished qualities and help sustain a high quality of life by mitigating loss of important open space. The bond could be used to purchase voluntary conservation easements from private landowners, keeping lands in private ownership, as well as secure open space for public benefit,” the coalition noted in a release last week.

Open space bonds have been passed and proven effective in other counties of Montana, including Missoula, Gallatin, Ravalli and Lewis and Clark.

At the informational meeting, people will hear directly from local landowners and conservation leaders, explore findings from a recent countywide voter poll, and learn how similar open-space programs have succeeded in other counties.

From a Columbia Falls perspective, there is an ongoing effort to preserve at least some open space east of the Flathead River, where past development proposals have brought passionate opposition from neighbors and residents.

The forum will also highlight results from a survey of 300 registered Flathead County voters  conducted in December 2025 by New Bridge Strategy, which found that:

• High Demand for Ballot Action: 78% of polled voters want county commissioners to place an open-space measure on the ballot.

• Support for Conservation Funding: 83% agree the county should protect agricultural and timber lands threatened by development, and 58% explicitly support a $10 million bond.

• Top Priorities: Protecting drinking water sources led voter priorities (86%), followed  closely by preserving quality of life (84%), conserving farms and forests (83%),  protecting fish and wildlife habitat (82%), and safeguarding river and lake shorelines (80%).

• Taxpayer Value: Polling showed that clear financial transparency increases support. A $10 million bond would cost homeowners approximately $1.13 per year per $100,000 of assessed home value.

“Any successful open-space proposal must be affordable, transparent, and built on local trust,” the coalition said in a release. “Our goal for this meeting is to listen to residents, discuss independent citizen oversight measures, and build a community-shaped path toward a potential 2028 open-space bond.”

To learn more about the event or the coalition, contact Flathead Land Trust at (406) 752-8293, email [email protected], or visit flatheadlandtrust.org.

In 2008, voters were asked to approve an open space bond, but the measure failed, as the county was in the grips of the Great Recession and the economy was poor.

This story was updated to reflect the correct day of the week of the meeting.