A few years ago, I was guiding on the Flathead River. I stepped out of the boat to ramble around the river bank while my anglers methodically fished a riffle that was holding rising trout. Not too far inside the riparian zone, I came across a marker that was a reminder of how wild the Flathead River country still is.
On land not too far away from this bruin scrape, there is 800 acre of private land. Annually, this land is put into a Block Management to allow youth and disabled hunters to have an opportunity to chase deer, elk, and other game within a few minutes of Columbia Falls. This space is now up for sale.
Montanans have a chance to add to our iconic public lands and continue to allow hunting and public access in perpetuity through the Bad Rock Canyon Conservation Project. This project is spearheaded by the Flathead Land Trust and Montana FWP. Together these two entities are creating an opportunity to place 800 acres along the upper Flathead River in public hands.
The current owner, Columbia Falls Aluminum Company, has given Montana FWP and Flathead Land Trust until December 2021 to come up with enough funds to purchase the property. Please take a moment to make a public comment in support of the project. Let’s create some more public lands!
