U.S. Forest Service awards Missoula County $600,000 for potential purchase of Marshall Mountain Park

Missoula County recently received a $600,000 grant from the U.S. Forest Service to support the potential purchase of Marshall Mountain near East Missoula. Missoula County is one of 13 awardees nationwide for the Forest Service’s 2023 Community Forest and Open Space Conservation Program.

“The Forest Service would like to congratulate Missoula County on their successful grant application for the Marshall Community Forest and Mountain Park project,” said Region 1 Regional Forester Leanne Marten. “This project will provide many benefits for the community of Missoula, and we look forward to working together on this partnership.”

The Community Forest Program offers a unique opportunity for communities to acquire and conserve forests that provide public access and recreational opportunities, protect vital water supplies and wildlife habitat, serve as demonstration sites for private forest landowners, and provide economic benefits from timber and non-timber products. The proposed Marshall Mountain project serves as an excellent example of what the program aims to achieve.

The grant will go toward the $3.8 million total purchase price of the 480-acre former ski hill near East Missoula, which the County and City of Missoula are working in partnership to secure permanent public access to. County and City staff are leveraging in-kind donations, grants and private donations to count toward the purchase price. City and County citizen advisory boards have each recommended the use of $1 million of open space bond funding, for a total of $2 million, to support the acquisition. Taken together, these funding sources cover most of the acquisition cost of the 460-acre park. This opportunity is possible thanks to the generosity of the three private landowners – Izzy Dog LLC, Five Valleys Land Trust and The Conservation Fund – each of which currently own separate 160-acre parcels.

“Securing permanent public access to Marshall Mountain would ensure that our communities, both urban and rural, can explore the outdoors by hiking, biking or birdwatching while offering an amazing location for community gathering, as well as kids camps and other youth programming,” said Missoula County Commissioner Dave Strohmaier. “The area reflects community values like access to public lands for all users while expanding recreational opportunities, conserving open space and protecting wildlife habitat and large landscape connectivity.”

County and city voters have approved a total of $25 million in countywide open space bond funding ($15 million in 2018 and $10 million in 2006). To date, $10.7 million has been allocated to open space bond projects, leaving about $14.3 million left between the 2006 and 2018 Open Space Bonds. The previously approved open space bonds will be on tax bills this fall regardless of whether the County and City approve using them to acquire Marshall Mountain.

The Missoula County commissioners and the Missoula City Council will make final decisions regarding the expenditure of Open Space Bond funds toward this project during a special public hearing from 3 to 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 4 at the Missoula Public Library. The public is encouraged to follow the project on missoulacountyvoice.com for updates.

The Missoula County Parks and Trails Advisory Board is currently discussing operation and management models should the County acquire Marshall Mountain as a new County park, and their recommendation to the county commissioners is forthcoming in September. The commissioners will consider potential County ownership in November; if approved it would be supported by a long-term City-County partnership through an interlocal agreement and with the support of community nonprofit partners.