Bond support emerges

A recent poll shows that about 58 percent of Flathead County residents would support a $20 million bond issue for Flathead County to buy conservation easements.

As the bond amount drops from $20 million to $15 million, the approval rating rises to about 61 percent, and a full 64 percent of those polled said they would vote in favor of a $10 million bond request.

All three county commissioners expressed a willingness to keep looking at the issue. It would require commissioner approval to put a bond request on the ballot this November.

Marilyn Wood, executive director of the Flathead Land Trust, urged the commissioners to pass the resolution as soon as possible. Wood said that the time is right for the bond issue now that there is broad public support.

The Land Use Committee of the Flathead County Long Range Planning Task Force, the county's Weed and Weed Board and the Flathead Conservation District also have voiced support for the bond plan.

If the bond request makes it to the ballot, and it passes, the money would allow the county to purchase development rights from willing landowners to conserve farms and ranches, acquire waterfront and recreational lands, protect clean water and conserve wildlife habitat.

The $10 million bond issue would cost about $19 a year for a homeowner with a $215,000 house.

Flathead County could draw up guidelines and work with a citizen advisory group to prioritize how to best spend the money.

Four years ago, a similar $10 million conservation-bond effort was halted when county commissioners voted against putting it on the ballot.

Although close to 80 percent of Flathead County is open to public use, Wood said massive development projects have made people more aware of conservation efforts.

"If you look at the county, we have more than 640,000 acres of private lands," Wood said. "I don't think people want to see every acre of it developed. They want to see scenic farmlands protected."

For the cost of five gallons of gas, Wood said the public can get involved to help pay for conservation efforts.

Clarice Ryan, an outspoken critic of conservation easements, said the government has already allotted thousands of acres of land for public use.

"They should get to work putting in trails and roads so people can access more of it," Ryan said. "The rest of the private land is to support the families that own it. Private property is not a parkland to provide viewscapes. People have that land to make a living on. If they want open space, let the county pay full price for what the land is worth and put it in as a park. "

When asked about funding priorities, 60 percent of the respondents said that there was a great need to protect clean water. Forty-nine percent said there was a great need for more funding for education, and 41 percent said there was a great need to fund roads.

Respondents said the valley's greatest strengths are its natural beauty and recreation opportunities. The greatest perceived threat to those strengths was overdevelopment.

Other Montana counties including Gallatin, Ravalli and Missoula have approved similar conservation programs.

The poll, administered by Moore Information of Portland, Ore., took place June 17-18 and has a margin of error of 5 percent. Interviewers phoned 404 county residents. Trust for Public Lands paid for the survey.

Ryan called the survey "misleading."

"If they are selling this bond based on access, it's misleading the public," she said. "Don't expect to get all the benefits of public land out of private land. It's not there for that purpose."

Reporter Michael Richeson may be reached at 758-4459 or by e-mail at mricheson@dailyinterlake.com