Foy's to Blacktail gets $60,000 to acquire property

The Montana Fish & Wildlife Conservation Trust in Helena just announced it will contribute $40,000 to help Foy’s to Blacktail Trails add a 60-acre parcel to Herron Park west of Kalispell.

This announcement comes just a few weeks after Flathead County Parks committed $20,000 for the same purpose.  

“This is great news,” said Clifford Kipp, chairman of Foy’s to Blacktail Trails, a Kalispell nonprofit group. “Thanks to these two generous grant awards, we now have just $120,000 left to raise to add the last 60-acre piece of at-risk land to Herron Park.”

Since 2010, Foy’s to Blacktail volunteers have raised about $2 million and added 260 acres of private land to county-owned Herron Park.  

Foy’s to Blacktail Trails and its partners, including the Montana Conservation Corps, have improved and expanded trails in and around the park, making them safer and more sustainable.  

The final 60-acre parcel of land remaining to purchase includes the Foy’s Overlook, a ridgetop viewpoint that is the most popular destination in the trail system.

“These recent grants add significant momentum to our efforts,” Kipp said. But, as always, we rely on private donations for more than half of our support. We are counting on trail users to step up and help us finish the task.”

For more information or to donate, visit www.FoysToBlacktailTrails.org.