Governor lauds Haskill easement success

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock visited the F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. headquarters Thursday to congratulate the company and its partners on the freshly inked Haskill Basin conservation easement.

The easement north of Whitefish prevents future development on 3,060 acres of working forest land owned by Stoltze. It also secures municipal water rights for the city of Whitefish, which gets the vast majority of its drinking water from creeks in the drainage.

“You have local partners and indeed, a whole community ... and federal and state partners that can do a great thing in our community that will have an impact for generations to come,” Bullock said to a group that included Whitefish Mayor John Muhlfeld and officials from state and federal agencies.

He also noted the absence of Alex Diekmann, a project manager with Trust for Public Lands who had helped develop the easement proposal about five years ago. Diekmann died Feb. 1.

“The capstone might have been last week, but we’d be remiss if we didn’t recognize Alex Diekmann,” Bullock said.

Muhlfeld thanked Bullock for his support of the project. The city last year voted to increase its resort tax to pay for its $7.7 million share of the easement, but was able to obtain a loan from the state’s revolving fund to cover the cost in the short term.

Securing the city’s water supply was the central thrust of the project, but Whitefish Legacy Partners Board Chairwoman Leslie Hunt noted that it also allows the organization to complete a critical part of its 55-mile trail network.

“As we look at looping the trail around the lake, we always talked about Haskill Basin as a key connector,” Hunt said. “Having that connectivity aspect helps us to be able to take it to the next level.”

The Whitefish Trail network is about 60 percent done, she said. It has been in the works for more than a decade.

The latest easement will allow the group to construct a 5.5-mile spur trail from the Haskill Basin Trailhead on Reservoir Road to the larger network farther north.

“It’s that ‘forever’ piece,” Heidi Van Everen, the group’s executive director, added. “You want to know it’s something you will be able to enjoy and your grandkids will be able to enjoy.”

Reporter Sam Wilson can be reached at 758-4407 or by email at swilson@dailyinterlake.com.