Close the Loop The Whitefish Trail
The Whitefish Trail History – John Muhlfeld, Mayor, City of WF Project Update Partnerships Close the Loop Overview – Heidi Van Everen, ED, WLP • Phase I Haskill • Phase II Beaver to Swift • Phase III Swift to Haskill • Phase IV Lupfer Connection & Phase V Spencer Mtn. Budget & Funding – Alan Myers-Davis, DD, WLP WT Long-term Operations & Maintenance WT Economic Impact Wrap-Up and Q & A
Whitefish School Trust Lands Neighborhood Plan - 2004 • C REATE A FRAMEWORK for orderly and predictable conservation and development land uses on trust lands for the lands in this Neighborhood Plan over the next 20 years. • E NHANCE RECREATIONAL USE of trust lands for multiple users in a manner that provides compensation and supports the local economy and provides responsible stewardship of the natural resources. • P RESERVE AND MAINTAIN CRITICAL WILDLIFE HABITAT for sensitive, threatened, and/or locally significant species. • M AINTAIN THE HIGH WATER QUALITY in the Whitefish Lake watershed, the primary source of drinking water for Whitefish.
NP Implementation Strategy 2.1 – Create a Regional Loop Trail The cooperation of multiple partners has afforded an opportunity to create an interconnected trail that stretches from a trailhead on Swift Creek at the north end of Whitefish Lake to the southern end of Spencer Mountain, via Boyle Lake, Beaver Lakes, and Skyles Lake. This multi-use trail could be connected in a continuous loop to Whitefish and would be the spine of a recreational system that interconnects to neighborhoods and trailheads along the way.
2006 WT Master Plan “To ensure this privilege will be available for future generations, DNRC and the Whitefish community formed an unprecedented partnership to plan for these lands. One recommendation was to establish a recreational trail system that will connect the various State Trust Land parcels and create a main trail corridor encircling the greater Whitefish area.”
Whitefish Trail MILESTONES • Whitefish Neighborhood Plan adopted by MT State Land Board, Flathead County, and City of Whitefish 2004 • Whitefish Trail Master Plan completed 2006 • WLP and City formalize partnership and 1 st conservation transaction completed supporting MT Schools and Universities 2008 • Lion Mountain and Lupfer Grand Opening • WT awarded $500,000 RTP grant for regionally significant project 2009 - 10 • WT O&M Endowment established • Swift Creek and Woods Lake Open 2012-13 • 1,520 acres in Beaver Lakes protected forever • $7.3M to MT Schools and Universities 2014 • Spencer Mountain (with FAMB) and Dollar Lake Open • WT Learning Pavilion Opens 2015 • 3,022 acres in Haskill Basin protected forever (with FWP & TPL) • WT Haskill completed - Phase I of Close the Loop 2016-17
2017… ✓ 42 miles of trail accessed by 12 trailheads ✓ Whitefish Trail project has partnered to protect 6,000+ acres of local lands in permanent conservation ✓ ~1,600/year attendance to free and affordable education programs ✓ Annual trail visitation ~100,000 ✓ 100% WT maintained by volunteers
Phase I: Haskill
✓ 3,022 acres protected ✓ 84% voters approved resort tax increase ✓ 5.5 miles new WT ✓ New Reservoir TH ✓ New Big Mountain TH ✓ Trail connection from downtown to Big Mtn w/ groomed XC access ✓ 5 Landowners ✓ Partnerships w/ Flathead Land Trust, Glacier Nordic Club & Iron Horse
Haskill Match Challenge November 2016 – March 2017 • Project includes: 100% • $25k O&M set-aside 90% Donations • $35k WT Survey set-aside 80% $232,877 70% • Partners: 60% City of Whitefish 50% Iron Horse HOA Grants 40% Flathead Land Trust 30% $251,333 F H Stoltze Land & Lumber 20% Winter Sports, Inc./WMR Glacier Nordic Club 10% MT Fish, Wildlife, & Parks 0% Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4
Trailhead Site Plan – Lower Haskill
Photo Credit Marc O’Brien
#whitefishtrail
Phase II: DNRC
2006 Beaver to Swift Map
Phase II: ✓ Permanent 16’ trail easement ✓ 480 acres protected at Smith Lake ✓ 8.2 miles, 1 TH & 4 bridges ✓ 100% on School Trust Lands Key Partners: ✓ BNSF Railroad ✓ Whitefish Lake Institute ✓ Adjacent Private Landowners Complex Project: ✓ Environmentally Sensitive Areas ✓ Critical Wildlife Habitat ✓ Challenging Terrain ✓ Large Landscape - connectivity
*Rendering ONLY, Location & design pending complete river analysis Thanks for rendering concept
Aerial video and Swift Bridge Rendering *Rendering ONLY, location & design pending complete river analysis
TIMELINE WT Planning – 2015-2017 Proposal Development – March – June 2017 DNRC completes MT Environmental Policy Analysis (MEPA) - June – ongoing MEPA – analysis & public disclosure; 6-8 month process MEPA outcome = Environmental Analysis report (EA) Public comment on Draft EA – Jan 2018; 30 day period DNRC Final Decision on proposal – Feb/March 2018 ACTION Funding needed Land Board approval required – phases and/or options GOAL = shovel-ready by 2020
Phase III: USFS, DNRC & private
2006 Swift to Haskill Map
Phase III: ✓ ~3 mi. trail construction – USFS ✓ 4+ miles Trail on private ✓ ~8 miles total & 1 TH on USFS ✓ Long-term O&M plan w/ USFS Key Partners: ✓ USFS Flathead Nat. Forest ✓ Whitefish Mtn. Resort ✓ 8-10 Private Landowners ✓ DNRC Complex Project: ✓ Steep & Challenging terrain ✓ Numerous landowners ✓ Large Landscape – connectivity important
Draft Budget for Grant Purposes Only
DRAFT Close the Loop Budget* Bridges Bridges Trail $1,312,500 Trailheads Paved Bike Path Long Term O&M Trail $748,670 Conservation Easements Conservation Easements Trailheads $4,149,000 $136,500 Paved Bike Path $236,250 Long Term O&M $89,045 Total Whitefish Trail Project Expenses *Draft Budgets for Grant Purposes! 2010-2017 Close the Actuals pending appraisals, Loop* - 2010-2017 - Close the Loop* approval, and design. $6,671,965 $9,170,000
Close the Loop Potential Funding Sources Under Consideration ➢ Community Forest & Open Space Conservation Program (CFP) ➢ Federal Lands Access Program (FLAP) ➢ Federal Infrastructure Bill ➢ Open Space Bond ➢ City Resort Tax ➢ Partnerships ➢ WLP Fundraising/Capital Campaign ➢ Community Bake Sales ☺
Operations & Maintenance O&M Expenses: • Leases (currently $15k/year) • Trailhead Maintenance • Trail Maintenance • Administrative Support O&M Resources: • Non-Cash Volunteer Programs • Cash: “Adopt -A- Trail” Sponsors, Grants, and Partners • Cash: Existing O&M Endowment ($900k) • Cash: NEW Dedicated O&M Fund
Long-term O & M Plan O&M Coverage:
H.R.4665 - Outdoor Recreation Jobs and Economic Impact Act of 2016 “The Secretary of Commerce shall enter into a joint memorandum with the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary of the Interior to conduct, acting through the Director of the Bureau of Economic Analysis, an assessment and analysis of the outdoor recreation economy of the United States and the effects attributable to such economy on the overall economy of the United States .” Passed both the US House and the US Senate UNANIMOUSLY and signed into law by President Obama on December 8, 2016.
• Outdoor Recreation now largest sector of MT economy • $7.1 billion/year generated in consumer spending • 70,000 jobs that pay $2 billion in wages MT Office of Outdoor Recreation Director, Rachel Vandevoort
Preliminary WT Usage October ‘16 - October ’17* 9543 Spencer 13% 13684 Swift 44305 Lion Mtn Beaver 18% Lion Mtn 58% Swift Spencer 8349 Beaver 11% 4 trail counters – TOTAL 75,881 non-unique visits *Preliminary data only
Lion Mountain Trail Usage* To Skyles or Beaver 27% Lion Mountain Trails Lion *Preliminary data only Only Mountain To Skyles or Beaver Trails Only 73%
Top graph shows hourly usage at Lion Mountain on a Saturday and the bottom graph shows hourly usage at Lion Mountain during a week day
Economic Impact – Whitefish Outdoor Recreation Is recreation the primary purpose of your visit? (687 responses) 35% *Preliminary data only 65% Yes No
*Preliminary data only* How are you traveling on the trail today? Bikes 30% Headwaters Economics Final Report Presentation On Foot 70% December 11, 5:00 PM The Firebrand Hotel On Foot Bikes
Thank you Photo Credit Lindsey Jane Photogr
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