FWP takes ownership of Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area

By CHRIS PETERSON

Hungry Horse News

Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks closed a deal last week to purchase 772 acres of prime wildlife habitat along the Flathead River just east of Columbia Falls from the Columbia Falls Aluminum Co. and its parent company, Glencore.

The property has been on the radar of conservationist for decades, noted Laura Katzman, of the Flathead Land Trust. The undeveloped property had been seen by biologists and land protection specialists as a key part of a greater effort to preserve habitats along the Flathead River since the 1990s.

The Flathead Lakers in 2002 created a critical lands report that identified several parcels along the Flathead River in need of conservation.

The CFAC property was one of the parcels.

“The city of Columbia Falls is experiencing unprecedented residential development within the

city boundaries, with a five-fold increase in the number of lots,” a followup report written in 2004 noted, which has a similar theme as today.

So when CFAC began having public liaison meetings over the Superfund cleanup of the defunct aluminum plant, Katzman began attending them. Over the course of time, she built relationships with Glencore and CFAC representatives , including Steve Wright, project manager John Stroiazzo and Cheryl Driscoll, Head of US Corporate Affairs for Glencore.

In 2019, the idea of selling the property to the state was discussed.

Katzman recalled that CFAC called her to say they were willing to sell. Stroiazzo recalled it the other way around.

Whatever the case, the proverbial ball began to roll to raise the $7.26 million needed to sell the land. Katzman contacted Montana Fish Wildlife and Park’s Kris Temple, who began applying for grants through the Habitat Montana program and the Forest Legacy program. The Trust, in turn, began a local campaign and the fundraising effort in a few months was in high gear. The Gateway to Glacier Trail group, which had already secured a license from CFAC to build a path through property also threw its support behind the project.

From CFAC and Glencore’s end, they had to get final approval for the sale from its Swiss management, Stroiazzo said.

“It was definitely a team effort,” Katzman said.

With the signing last week, the property is now the Bad Rock Wildlife Management Area. It runs from just north of the Highway 2 bridge north to the Bad Rock Canyon.

The land will not be open to public use until spring, to protect wintering wildlife. It’s closed to the public Dec. 2 through noon on May 15 each year to protect big game winter range.

“CFAC is extremely pleased to see the unanimous support for this project and we are pleased to be a partner in the project,” said Cheryl Driscoll, Head of US Corporate Affairs for Glencore, Inc. said in a release. “The Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area will preserve a section of Montana that residents, visitors and future generations can enjoy. I congratulate everyone who worked so diligently to make this a reality. The Flathead Land Trust and FWP are to be commended for leading this collaborative effort.”

“The City of Columbia Falls is thrilled to have the Bad Rock Canyon Wildlife Management Area purchase finalized. This area greatly enhances and gives the citizens of Columbia Falls and the surrounding area a wonderful opportunity to recreate and enjoy the pristine nature of this land and access to the beautiful Flathead River, right next door to our community,” Don Barnhart, Mayor of Columbia Falls and members of the Columbia Falls City Council said in a release. “The City of Columbia Falls would like to give a hearty thanks to all who made this project possible.”

 “Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is grateful for the outpouring of community support and hard work by our partners to achieve this exciting project,” said Jim Williams, regional supervisor for FWP. “Collaboration is the key to successful conservation. This new protected forestland will benefit the entire watershed, wildlife and the public for generations to come.”

Funding for the purchase includes $4 million from the U.S. Forest Service Forest Legacy Program, which is funded through the Land and Water Conservation Fund and $2.5 million from Habitat Montana, which uses big game license fees for habitat conservation. Flathead Land Trust was tasked with raising the remaining $590,000 with help from funding partners, the Flathead Lakers. The majority of the donations were from local individuals and organizations as well as large grants from Heart of the Rockies Initiative, The Kendeda Fund, Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust, AGL Foundation, Cinnabar Foundation, Cross Charitable Foundation, Whitefish Community Foundation, Headwaters Montana, Montana Trout Unlimited, Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited, Flathead Wildlife, Flathead Audubon, and Vital Ground Foundation. Large donations from vid and Chet Barclay, Bob and Betty Moore, Molly Miller and Mark Jungerman, Walter Rowntree and Laura Reynolds, George and Kimberly Ruhana, and an anonymous donor. Over 250 individuals stepped up to financially contribute to the project.

“We have finally reached the finish line of what was only a dream two years ago,” said Paul Travis, Flathead Land Trust Executive Director. “The extraordinary level of local support is truly why this critical block of land is now conserved and in public hands. Thank you to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, CFAC, and our many other partners and donors for ensuring this wild place would be protected for this and future generations to enjoy.”

This property serves as critical winter range for elk, moose and white-tailed deer, and provides important habitat connectivity for grizzly bears, bull trout and 43 Species of Greatest Conservation Need. In addition, the wetlands and quality riparian habitat on the property help safeguard the healthy function and excellent water quality of the Flathead River and Flathead Lake. The protected property will add to a 12,000-acre network of conserved land along 50 miles of the Flathead River and Flathead Lake downstream of Columbia Falls.

Most of the 12,000 acres, however, is privately owned and protected through conservation easements. This purchase marks a legacy of land protection in Columbia Falls — F.H. Stoltze in recent years has put more than 11,000 acres in easements as well, most of which is just north of Columbia Falls. 

Note: This story has been updated from its original version.