Celebrating Montana's First Open Land Month

Missoula County is among many proud partners celebrating Montana's first Open Land Month this July. Our Community and Planning Services staff have been instrumental in bringing this recognition to light, especially Kali Becher, Missoula County's Rural Landscape Scientist. Kali's dedication to her work and the work of Montana's Open Land Month is truly inspiring. To honor MOLM, Kali has written the following editorial about what this month means to her and how open lands impact all of us in Western Montana. Enjoy. 

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This July has been designated as Montana Open Land Month by Governor Bullock as a way to recognize the importance of open land to our way of life and well-being. Open Land Month helps to remind Montanans of the importance and value of public and private open land that surrounds us. For many of us this is a key part of why we live here. We celebrate and appreciate these places throughout the year, while hunting, fly-fishing, bailing hay or driving through our beautiful state. In addition, Montana Open Land Month provides a special opportunity, not only to recognize the importance of open land and celebrate the places we love, but to recognize the tremendous efforts that have gone towards keeping them whole.

Through working for Missoula County, I have the opportunity to meet some incredible people and learn about inspiring work being done by private landowners, organizations and public land management agencies. Some of these efforts have been highlighted through the County’s Land Stewardship Award. These individuals play a critical role in resource conservation and do it voluntarily. In 2013 I had the opportunity to meet Dave and Kay Owen, landowners in the Swan Valley, who received the Land Stewardship Award that year. Walking through stands of towering lodgepole pines and carefully planted western larch was truly humbling as it showed the incredible amount of care and work the Owens have put into their property.

Marshall Wildlife Management Area. Photo Credit: Five Valleys Land Trust. 

In addition to efforts by individuals to care for our open land, there is also incredible work being done by organizations. Since the passage of the Open Space Bond in 2006, the County has worked with local land trusts on projects to protect water quality, wildlife habitat, working lands, and maintain open land and scenic landscapes. These projects have involved private landowners voluntarily protecting their land with conservation easements, public agencies protecting vital wildlife habitat, and providing access to rivers and trails. Since 2006, Open Space Bond funds have been used to protect more than 25,000 acres in Missoula County. This level of achievement could not have been reached without the dedicated land trust staff, private landowners and agency employees. As a result, Missoula County is full of diverse and beautiful places that will be here for future generations to enjoy.

Partnership agencies such as the Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks play a vital role in giving residents and visitors access to our open lands.  In Missoula County alone, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently created the 24,170 acre Marshall Wildlife Management Area; a beautiful landscape enjoyed by both people and wildlife in the scenic Seeley Lake area.

These lands represent our way of life and are inextricably linked to our well-being. They tie us together—upstream to downstream, valleys to mountain tops. Take some time this month to enjoy the abundant open land near you, and celebrate the people and the places that make Montana such a great place to live, work and play.