Back in 2007, my family completed our first conservation easement with Five Valleys Land Trust. That year, the organization reached 38,280 acres protected. In 2023, just 16 years later, Five Valleys reached 100,381 acres protected. This milestone is a testament to Five Valleys’ pledge to meet community needs by increasing the pace of conservation across western Montana.
Our 2023 successes were organization-wide. In June, together with our partners, Five Valleys purchased and created the 2,470-acre Mount Dean Stone Community Forest, enabling local management for forest health, wildlife habitat, recreation, and climate resilience. In the Grass Valley west of Missoula, we conserved 133 acres of the historic Jette Farm. At Rock Creek, we launched our Confluence Gateway Initiative which builds on our commitment to make the outdoors an accessible space for all.
With the completion of our $4.523M Montana Forever Campaign, Five Valleys hired a planned giving officer and a senior conservation project manager, positioning us to meet the most pressing conservation opportunities and challenges ahead. You, our donors, partners, and volunteers, made these successes possible. Here’s to 100,000 acres, and 100,000 more to come.
In 2023 was full of successes across our western Montana service area. Together with our partners and supporters, we conserved 133 acres of wildlife habitat and agricultural lands in the Grass Valley through the Jette Farm conservation easement project, celebrated the purchase and creation of the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest near Missoula, launched our visionary Confluence Gateway Initiative at our Rock Creek Confluence property, and marked the grand opening of the Bluebird Preserve in near Grant Creek. Click the images below to learn more about these projects:
In 2023, we worked with landowner Donna Rae Thompson to protect 133 acres of the historic Jette Farm in the Grass Valley. This scenic property has supported agriculture for well over a century. Located within the Clark Fork River-Grass Valley Important Bird Area, the property also provides important wildlife habitat. Both will now be protected in perpetuity. Read more.
In June, Five Valleys opened an exciting new chapter in our community open space work when we purchased and created the 2,470-acre Mount Dean Stone Community Forest, the first community forest in the Missoula Valley. Five Valleys’ local, nonprofit ownership enables us to be flexible and responsive to on-the-ground conditions and engage diverse partners to support the needs of the area community. Learn more.
Our innovative Confluence Gateway Initiative builds upon a decade of momentum at our Rock Creek Confluence property, focusing our efforts to create a community open space that is welcoming and accessible to all. Goals include expanding the universal trail network, developing accessible interpretation and amenities, and preserving historical structures for educational purposes. Learn more.
In 2019, Five Valleys played an instrumental role in protecting 124 acres in Missoula's North Hills and transferring that parcel into the management of the City of Missoula. In the spring of 2023, Five Valleys and our community celebrated the grand opening of the Bluebird Preserve, which protects wildlife habitat and scenic views and expands public access to Missoula's rapidly-growing west side neighborhoods. Read more.
In 2023 we ensured the continued protection of the 198 conservation easement properties under our care - an area that covers 83,219 acres across ten counties. Every year, our stewardship team monitors each of the properties on which we hold a conservation easement, ensuring that the terms of each property's easement are being honored. We also visit with our easement landowners about management questions or concerns. These visits are the backbone of our "promise of perpetuity," made possible through partnership with our private conservation easement landowners.
In addition to private conservation easements, Five Valleys owns and manages three properties for public access, wildlife habitat, ecological restoration, and more. These include the Rock Creek Confluence near Clinton and the Lincoln Community River Park near Lincoln. In 2023, we also purchased the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest and supported the transfer and public acquisition of Five Valleys' parcel on Marshall Mountain. Learn more about these special properties that are providing places for people to recreate, learn, and connect with land and each other:
Located near the confluence of the Clark Fork River and Rock Creek, Five Valleys' 300-acre Rock Creek Confluence property was once slated for a 36-lot subdivision. Now thriving as an outdoor classroom and accessible natural area, 3,000+ people visit the Confluence each year. In 2023 we embarked on efforts to expand the universal trails system and worked to stabilize historic Pete's Cabin alongside our partners as a part of our Confluence Gateway Initiative.
The Mount Dean Stone project began as a conservation easement with the Barmeyer family in 2014. Over the next ten years, Five Valleys would lead the effort to protect and create over 3,050 acres of community open space, develop 16+ miles of trail and five trailheads alongside forward-thinking private landowners, dedicated partners, generous donors, and hardworking volunteers. In 2023, these efforts culminated in Five Valleys' purchase of the Mount Dean Stone Community Forest.
Just a half mile from Lincoln, the Lincoln Community River Park offers a place for visitors and locals alike to enjoy a day on the Blackfoot River. Five Valleys established this river park in 2017 with the support of local conservationist Paul Roos, many partners, and the Lincoln community, and now manages it for public access and restoration. In 2023, we celebrated National Public Lands Day at the river park with a volunteer workday to install new entrance signs.
Once a local ski area near East Missoula, Five Valleys acquired 160 acres of Marshall Mountain from The Nature Conservancy in 2015. Through Five Valleys' stewardship and partnerships, the mountain now hosts 6+ miles of multi-user trails and hosts thousands of kids, recreationists, and visitors each year. In 2023, we supported the public process that enabled Missoula County to acquire three parcels on Marshall in early 2024, including Five Valleys' parcel, for the creation of Marshall Mountain Park.
In May, Five Valleys marked 51 years of serving western Montana through conservation during our annual Banquet & Auction. For the second year, we brought our event to the Washington-Grizzly Stadium on the University of Montana campus. Together with over 600 attendees, and supported by over 100 business sponsors and auction item donors, our 27th Annual Banquet celebrated our successes and raised the funds needed to support our ongoing work. Thank you to the many attendees, donors, sponsors, and volunteers who made the incredible evening possible!
Click the images below to enlarge them or play the video (center).
From Hands on the Land stewardship workdays, to Big Sky Brewing Company Summer Concert Series shows, to events and fundraisers, Five Valleys' events and projects engaged 331 volunteers in 2023 who contributed 1,674 hours to western Montana conservation lands.
Volunteers help pour beer at the Big Sky Brewing Company Summer Concert Series.In addition to the Banquet and volunteering events, Five Valleys hosted or participated in 16+ other community events. These included a Healthy Acres landowner seminar with landowners and the Missoula County Department of Ecology and Extension, February's Ski for Stewardship challenge, a bird survey of the upper Flint Creek Valley with Five Valleys Audubon Society, our annual public Holiday Party in December, the Land Trust Alliance's Advocacy Days in Washington D.C., and more.
