Family Legacy and Landscape Protected Near Star Meadows

Family legacies were permanently protected on Friday, September 20, 2025, with the establishment of a new conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust in the Star Meadows area. This land protection agreement secures the future of a 52-acre forested property with parcels pieced together since the mid-70s, as a result of a combined family conservation effort.

The land’s history stretches back to the 1920s, when it was part of a remote 160-acre homestead, settled along a clean, clear tributary to Logan Creek. Meandering through the land for a third of a mile, this stretch of creek and vital part of the Tally Lake watershed is safeguarded by the conservation easement.

The newly protected property’s diverse landscape—a mixture of upland forest and thick riparian forest —provides a variety of habitat for many wildlife species. Black bear, elk, white-tailed deer, beaver, coyotes, and occasionally grizzly bear and moose, find refuge on the property. It is also home to many bird species, including pileated woodpeckers, western tanagers, and chestnut-backed chickadees.

The property’s forested riparian vegetation is essential for maintaining the ecological integrity and water quality of a tributary to Logan Creek, which ultimately flows into Tally Lake. In spring and summer, the northern forested hillside comes alive with a carpet of beautiful pink orchids known as fairy slippers and abundant blooming bear grass beneath a canopy of subalpine fir, Douglas fir, lodgepole pine, and Engelmann spruce. In the fall, the western larch, which dominate the southern hillside, turn a brilliant yellow.

Protection of this remote forested property adds to an interconnected network of open space and quality habitat at a landscape scale. Adjacent to Flathead National Forest land on three sides, this conservation effort safeguards wildlife habitat and helps protect the natural integrity of the region for future generations.

Laura Katzman, Land Protection Specialist with Flathead Land Trust who spearheaded the project, remarked, “We really appreciate the foresight of landowners we work with to secure the future of their land and protect our abundant wildlife, exceptional water quality, and special places in northwest Montana.”