Proposed Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks land purchase: Another step in protecting the north shore.

The North Shore of Flathead Lake is a special place.  Its wildlife, water and natural beauty are wonderful natural assets. But the pressure to develop this area is great.  Landowners and River to Lake Initiative partners are working together to conserve the North Shore’s special qualities in the area extending from Somers to the Flathead River between Flathead Lake and Highway 82..

The North Shore is designated as an Important Bird Area by the Audubon Society. The area encompasses over 3,600 acres of public and private lands, and 7 miles of shoreline, wetlands and adjoining uplands.  Hundreds of shorebirds feed here during spring migration, and it is a major staging and roosting area for gulls during both spring and fall migration (up to 5,000 a day)

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing to purchase 189 acres on the North Shore of Flathead Lake.  The purchase would add to several existing protected areas and be managed to protect fish and wildlife and their habitat.

Flathead Land Trust helped do much of the legwork with the landowner and get the conservation project started.  “They got the project off the ground and moving,” Gael Bissell, wildlife biologist with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told The Daily InterLake . “We’re very appreciative of all their help.”

For more information or to comment (by August 31) go to www.fwp.mt.gov/news and click on Public Notices.

Also check the Flathead River to Lake Initiative’s Keep Flathead Lake’s North Shore Special brochure.

On the News

North Shore preservation, The Daily Inter Lake, by Inter Lake editorial, August 16, 2013. See editoral.

Saving room for open space in the Flathead, Montana Public Radio, KUFM, by Katrin Frye, August 15, 2013.

North shore preservation planned, The Daily Inter Lake, by David Reese/Northwest Montana News Network, August 10, 2013. See Article.

One Step Closer: FWP land purchase could preserve part of north shore puzzle, Bigfork Eagle, by David Reese, August 7, 2013. See Article (Link not functional at this time. Please check again).