Public forum at FVCC to discuss open-space bonds

Flathead Land Trust will hold a public forum discussing open space bonds on Thursday at Flathead Valley Community College.

The free event "Save the Flathead: A Community Conversation about Our Land, Water, and Future" is from 6-8 p.m. on the FVCC Kalispell campus in Room A-T 139.

Organized by a 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, according to a press release from Flathead Land Trust.

Forum attendees will hear 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 Montana counties, including Missoula, Gallatin, Ravalli and Lewis and Clark counties.