Blazing another trail in Whitefish
Inter Lake editorial
When a group of recreationalists and community leaders launched a proposal in February to build a 75-mile trail system on school trust lands around Whitefish, it seemed ambitious, almost pie in the sky.
It was a novel idea, but the amount of coordination needed to figure out such a route seemed overwhelming. And who would pay for it?
Seven months later, the project has solidified. A master plan has been drafted and a wealthy Whitefish philanthropist recently stepped forward with $3 million to help pay for trail construction and management.
Wow.
We've said it before and we'll say it again, Whitefish knows how to get things done when it comes to public-private partnerships.
In this case, A Trail Runs Through It, as the project is called, is a public-private partnership between the city of Whitefish and the nonprofit Flathead Gateway Partners. But there are many more players - the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, Flathead National Forest and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks are at the top of the list. Leadership on all fronts has been impressive.
In the proposed master plan, the trail will be a loop from Spencer Lake west of Whitefish to Beaver Lake, east to Swift Creek, up Taylor Creek to Big Mountain, down Big Mountain Road and connecting with the "Fish Trails" trail system being built in Whitefish.
A Trail Runs Through It combines portions of existing recreational trails with new trails for mountain bikers, hikers and horseback riders. It crosses some private and federal easements, too, as it winds through state land.
Michael Goguen, who's building an estate overlooking Whitefish Lake, has proposed an exchange of 560 acres of his land near Boyle Lake for 440 acres of state land near Beaver Lake. If the state approves the land exchange, Goguen will chip in $3 million that would pay for trail systems on both land-exchange parcels and an endowment donation to the city for funding trail construction and maintenance.
It's a generous offer that will provide the momentum to move forward once the master plan is finalized.
And it's not too late for public involvement in the trail system. A meeting at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Grouse Mountain Lodge will map out the details of the trail plan and take comments from the audience. Comments will be included in the final draft to be sent to the state Land Board for its Sept. 18 meeting.
As land is gobbled up for development in the Flathead Valley, A Trail Runs Through It is poised to leave a legacy of open space on some of our public lands. It's a project worthy of support.