Ranch and stretch of Mission Creek permanently protected

A 122-acre ranch and wildlife haven in the Mission Valley, once platted for subdivision, has been protected in perpetuity with the Flathead Land Trust.

John Weaver, a distinguished retired conservation biologist and land steward, added this parcel along Mission Creek, just east of the National Bison Range, to his conservation portfolio this week. Dr. Weaver’s adjacent 159-acre property to the south, containing a section of Sabine Creek, was placed under conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust in 2015.

The newly conserved property adds to a network of protected land especially important for grizzly bears and birds. It is strategically located downstream from the Mission Mountain Wilderness, a grizzly bear stronghold, and secures a critical slice of wildlife corridor connectivity along a mile of Mission Creek, a known travel route for grizzly bear. The property offers premiere habitat and foraging opportunities frequently used by grizzly bears.

The Weaver II conservation easement also adds to and enhances an 18,000-acre protected wetland complex, providing critical nesting habitat and a vital migratory stopover in the Intermountain West portion of the Pacific Flyway. The parcel boasts diverse bird use, with 96

species flourishing in the riverine forests, wetlands and agricultural fields, including a multitude of songbirds, pileated woodpeckers, great blue herons and bald eagles.

The property provides critical nesting habitat for at least 50 species, with nearly 40 additional potential nesting species.

Varied and vibrant riparian vegetation and wetlands on the Weaver II easement are also crucial for the health and integrity of Mission Creek and its spring-fed tributary flowing into the property.

One of the wetlands on the property containing gray alder and skunk cabbage has comparable value to a wetland community listed as “imperiled” by the Montana Natural Heritage Program. This unique wetland and a portion of the spring creek on the property are used by rare fireflies.

Homesteaded in the early 1870s, the ranch has a rich tradition of agriculture. Over half of the property contains “farmland of local importance” as determined by the Natural Resource Conservation Service.

Now permanently protected, these rich soils will be available for farming in perpetuity.

Conservation of this distinctive landscape not only safeguards the Montana way of life, including wildlife and water quality, but local residents and visitors benefit from the scenic views and open space secured within the easement.

This valuable conservation easement was made possible with funding from the North American Wetland Conservation Act, the Liz Claiborne and Art Ortenberg Foundation through the Heart of the Rockies Keep It Connected program, Cinnabar Foundation, and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Wildlife Mitigation program.

Flathead Land Trust has helped conserve a total of 19,360 acres through conservation easements and cooperative projects in northwest Montana since 1985. For more information about the work of the Flathead Land Trust, visit www.flatheadlandtrust.org.

    Tranquil stretch of Mission Creek is part of the new Weaver II conservation easement, which preserves 122 acres of forests, wetlands and agricultural fields from development. (Flathead Land Trust photo)