Whitefish board speedily approves state trust lands plan

Following a brief public hearing, the Whitefish City-County Planning Board recommended approval of a 13,000-acre neighborhood plan.

The board voted 3-2 in favor of the Whitefish Area Trust Lands Neighborhood Plan.

The Flathead County Planning Board, which participated in a joint public hearing on the proposal, tabled the matter until its next meeting on March 23.

The neighborhood plan was submitted by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation. It addresses several parcels of school trust lands located near Whitefish.

The agency currently manages most of the property for timber production. It also leases some areas for agriculture and recreation. The revenue generated by these activities goes to benefit the state's schools and universities.

The neighborhood plan outlines several ways in which the DNRC hopes to increase revenue to the trust while still protecting and conserving public access and recreational use of the property.

The plan allows limited residential and commercial development on about 10 percent of the land in exchange for purchased conservation easements that would permanently protect the remaining acreage.

When the state agency first suggested developing these trust lands two years ago, more than 300 people showed up to protest.

On Thursday, 50 or 60 people attended the hearing. However, only eight spoke for or against the plan, and the entire meeting only lasted about 45 minutes.

The neighborhood plan was primarily developed by a 16-member advisory committee of local community leaders and elected officials. They spent hundreds of hours working on the document, but none of them offered any testimony on Thursday.

The joint hearing was required because the 13,000 acres is located in both the Whitefish and county planning jurisdictions.

The proposal now goes to the Whitefish City Council for final action. If approved, it would become part of the city's growth policy.

The county planning board will continue its discussion of the plan on March 23. Following its recommendation, the county commissioners will take final action. If approved, the document would also become part of the county's growth policy.

Copies of the neighborhood plan are available for review at the Whitefish Library and the Whitefish City Hall. It's also available via the Internet at http://dnrc.mt.us/

Reporter Bill Spence may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at bspence@dailyinterlake.com