The Trust for Public Land in Action: 2020 C E L E B R AT I N G W HAT YO U M A D E P O S S I B L E IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND BEYOND
Thank you so much for partnering with us in the Northern Rockies! We know that public lands can transform communities from the ground up: they improve public health, advance economic opportunities, and connect people to nature and to each other. Research shows that rural communities rich in outdoor amenities are best positioned to transition into the future successfully. Nature provides a range of critical benefits. Green spaces clean the air we breathe and water we drink, create new job and recreation opportunities, and improve our quality of life. The COVID-19 pandemic has underscored that close-to-home parks and public lands are crucial to a community’s quality of life. During this crisis, people have turned to these spaces like never before—for fresh air, exercise, meditation, solace, and a much-needed break from the stresses of a rapidly changing world.
That’s why we are so excited to share with you this report, which covers some of the exciting work that The Trust for Public Land has completed in the Northern Rockies this year. I’m also thrilled to share a sneak peek of an upcoming and unprecedented opportunity to conserve the last contiguous large landscape areas in the Northern Rockies with increased support from our partners. We are so grateful to you—our supporters—for joining us to provide access to the spaces our communities need the most. Sincerely,
Dick Dolan Northern Rockies Director The Trust for Public Land
STEVEN GNAM
Haskill Basin Whitefish, MT
So much to celebrate at Astoria Hot Springs and Park! Since 2012, The Trust for Public Land has led the effort to bring back a beloved Teton County, Wyoming, attraction after it was closed to the public in the late 1990s. The new Astoria Hot Springs and Park is now open thanks to over 500 donors who helped us raise $6 million and 2,500 residents who participated in the community design process! The nearly 100-acre Astoria Hot Springs and Park has something for everyone to enjoy with five natural hot springs soaking pools, a welcome center, a tot-lot play area, picnic spaces, and more. Situated along the banks of the Wild and Scenic Snake River, 15 miles south of Jackson, Astoria Hot
Springs and Park also features an abundance of native flora and fauna, from wetland ecosystems to bald eagles and cutthroat trout. In early 2020, The Trust for Public Land conveyed the park to our partners at Astoria Park Conservancy, a nonprofit we created to permanently steward the hot springs and park. Astoria Park Conservancy will ensure the hot springs and the park remain an affordable, welcoming place for healing, learning, enjoying nature, and (when we can safely gather again) spending quality time connecting with family, neighbors, and friends.
ASTORIA HOT SPRINGS AND PARK PHOTOS BY SHANNON CORSI
Astoria Hot Springs and Park Jackson, WY
PHOTO COURTESY OF NICOLE GILL
“I have so many fond memories of Astoria from my childhood and I am beyond excited that my children will get to make their own memories at the new Astoria Hot Springs and Park. From learning to swim to learning about local history and ecology, Astoria Hot Springs and Park will be a cherished and welcoming gathering place for the whole community for generations to come.� Nicole Gill, community member
Public lands for public good KO O T E N A I F O R E S T L A N D S Partnering with Stimson Lumber Company, The Trust for Public Land protected 22,295 acres within the Kootenai National Forest near Libby, Montana. Libby has suffered from an economic decline and the health impacts of six decades of nearby mining. Area leaders supported our efforts because Kootenai forestlands represent the community’s future health and economic vitality by providing opportunities for sustainable forestry practices and public access for outdoor recreation.
B E A V E R TA I L T O B E A R M O U T H Located east of Missoula, Montana, in the Lolo National Forest near Beavertail Hill State Park, we are working to consolidate a “checkerboard” of public and private ownership. Railroad corridors in the 1800s led to this makeshift legacy of land ownership, resulting in interruptions to fire protection, recreation access, water quality, and valuable wildlife habitats.
This project also protects an essential watershed within the Crown of the Continent ecosystem and habitat for grizzly bears, Canada lynx, bull trout, and other fish and wildlife.
In partnership with Stimson Lumber Company and the U.S. Forest Service, we completed phase II of Beavertail to Bearmouth. We’ve now added a total of 6,140 acres to the Lolo National Forest. This project was made possible, in part, by the LWCF. TPL STAFF
Beavertail to Bearmouth Missoula, MT
STEVEN GNAM
VICTORY FOR PUBLIC LANDS On August 4, the President signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law. This bipartisansupported policy provides over $12 billion to fix the maintenance backlog at federal lands like national parks and forests. And it guarantees full funding—$900 million every year—for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), which spurs investments in parks and open space across the country.
LOOKING AHEAD:
Montana Great Outdoors Forests and mountains are the lifeblood of Montana and a vital part of making our state a great place to live, work, and play.
STEVEN GNAM
In December, Weyerhaeuser—the largest landowner in Montana—announced it was selling all of its 630,000 acres to South Pine Plantations (SPP). For 20 years, we’ve partnered with Weyerhaeuser to protect almost 500,000 acres across the state. And we were working with them to protect some of the land that was just sold to SPP.
We have a limited window to achieve this goal. With the recent passage of the Great American Outdoors Act we are ready to act. But we still need your support. We are launching a fundraising campaign to leverage private philanthropy and inspire new partnerships to make this vision a reality.
Montana citizens abruptly came to a stark realization—these lands that they cherished, which supported their recreation and timber economies—were privately owned. Citizens and elected officials were outraged. One local county commissioner summed up the fear: “The announcement of the sale was a crushing blow to the citizens of Lincoln County and left us wondering what could become of these core recreational lands and our timber-based economy.” So The Trust for Public Land got to work. We leveraged our strong relationships with Weyerhaeuser to form a partnership with SPP. The result? After months of negotiations, we’ve signed contracts to permanently conserve approximately 220,000 acres in the heart of where we’ve been working for 20 years. Combined with lands already protected, we can preserve the ecological corridor from Flathead Lake west to the Cabinet Mountains Wilderness near the Idaho border. We’ll also ensure the state’s sustainable timber economy and save hundreds of forestry jobs. The land protection will also secure permanent public access to extraordinary recreation lands. In short, they will improve the emotional, physical, and economic health of northwest Montana communities.
Our work is made possible thanks to the generosity of individuals like you. Our most pressing needs are for: • The Trust for Public Land—support our landfor-people mission with an unrestricted gift • The Northern Rockies program—make a gift to our work in Idaho, Montana, and Wyoming • Dedicate your gift towards any of the projects that are featured in this report
Thank you!
Northern Rockies Advisory Board Dick Harding, Co-Chair Ed Wetherbee, Co-Chair David Barclay Larry Garlick Paul Hill Anne Ladd Beedee Ladd Christopher Lea Sue Orb Robert Stephens
Northern Rockies Staff Chris Deming, Senior Project Manager Dick Dolan, Director Melissa Dulin, Philanthropy Director Terra Kopf, Office Manager Anna Pappert, Philanthropy Coordinator Catherine Schmidt, Field Representative
We are incredibly grateful for our volunteer leaders!
STEVEN GNAM
Thank you
for joining us as we reimagine and realize the power of land for people to create stronger communities. We couldn’t do it without you.
Join us. The Trust for Public Land creates parks and protects land for people, ensuring healthy, livable communities for generations to come.
tpl.org
Dick Dolan Northern Rockies Director 406.582.6246 | dick.dolan@tpl.org Melissa Dulin Director of Philanthropy 406.580.6698 | melissa.dulin@tpl.org 1007 E. Main St. Suite 300 Bozeman, MT 59715
COVER (CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT): ROBERT E. HOSEA, DAVID STUBBS, CHRISTOPHER BOYER, STEVEN GNAM, RYAN SHEETS.