Matching campaign launched for Owen Sowerwine conservation easement effort

The Flathead Land Trust has announced a matching campaign as they raise funds to place the Owen Sowerwine area under a conservation easement.

Several donors have pledged a match of up to $100,000 to all new donations or pledges received by Flathead Land Trust, or its partners, between April 1 and July 31, group representatives said.

The land trust has thus far secured a little more than half of the needed dollars for a conservation easement through grants and individual donations. The organizations collaborating with the trust on the project need another $300,000 by the end of September.

According to the land trust, local support is critical to show foundation donors that the community is behind the effort.

The organization praised Molly Miller and Mark Jungerman, the Bibler Foundation and Alan and Sallie Gratch, as well as donors of Flathead Audubon and Flathead Lakers for making the incentive a reality.

Located east of Kalispell, the Owen Sowerwine features riparian corridors, islands, sloughs and wetlands. It borders a mile of the Stillwater River and the Flathead River. The area provides habitats for a multitude of species native to Montana.

The area is State School Trust land, so the purchase of an easement will put dollars back into Montana schools, according to the fundraising campaign’s organizers.

This property will expand protection of lands along the Flathead River, adding to the already conserved 12,000 acres along the waterway.

To donate, go to flatheadlandtrust.org, flatheadaudubon.org, or flatheadlakers.org or by writing a check to the Flathead Land Trust, P.O. Box 1913, Kalispell, MT, 59903. Make sure to indicate that the donation is for Owen Sowerwine.