Connect With Your Community!
Connect With Your Community!
Pictured is the new addition at the park. FWP photo by Morgan Jacobsen
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte attended a special event on October 25 at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks. Voice photo by Melissa Jenkins.
Pictured is the ribbon cutting at the October 25 event. FWP photo.
On a beautiful fall morning, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks celebrated the acquisition of a 26-acre parcel at Missouri Headwaters State Park near Three Forks on October 25.
The public event included a special ribbon-cutting ceremony and several guest speakers, including Montana Governor Greg Gianforte.
FWP Region 3 Parks and Outdoor Recreation Manager Linnaea Schroeer welcomed the crowd to the event and encouraged them to explore the new parcel.
"All of Montana State Parks are truly special places, and Missouri Headwaters State Park is one of our jewels," Schroeer said.
The Montana State Parks Foundation purchased the parcel for $930,000 using funds provided by a grant from the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust and facilitated by the Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation. The property was donated to FWP on April 29.
"I understand we have over 50,000 visitors a year coming to this park and enjoying it, and with this addition, I'm sure that is going to increase," said Gianforte. "Here in Montana, just on a more personal note, hiking, hunting, fishing, is not something we go do. It's not an activity. It's truly our identity. It's who we are as Montanans, and securing lands like this to make sure we can continue our way of life is just critically important. I'm thrilled to be here to help celebrate this addition to our state parks."
Megan Buecking, Montana State Parks Foundation executive director, thanked everyone involved with the project.
"This milestone could not have been achieved without the extensive support of our partners, the local community, and the state of Montana. Expanding a park is no small task. This was a true roller coaster. It was ups and downs and lots of complicated behind-the-scenes work," said Buecking. "Above all, we owe a debt of gratitude to the family that once called this property home. Their vision and dedication to integrating this land into the park has made all of this possible, and we're truly forever grateful."
According to Buecking, when the opportunity to expand Missouri Headwaters State Park arose, they recognized it as a remarkable opportunity to adhere to their mission to advance Montana State Parks to their fullest potential.
"We've connected this park and opened up opportunities for fish and wildlife habitat restoration and historical preservation, and my personal favorite, outdoor recreation," Buecking said.
An Environmental Assessment for the project stated FWP and the property owners, the Hart family, had been speaking for several years about their mutual desire for FWP to purchase the property to safeguard the habitat, riparian, cultural, and recreational values of the property and Missouri Headwaters State Park.
"If it had been sold to another private owner, we don't know what could have happened to the property. They could have developed it in a lot of different ways and significantly impacted the property. But thankfully, they really wanted to work with the park to make it a permanent part of the park and forever protect all of the cultural, habitat, and recreation resources on this parcel. We're so grateful for the family for their desire to work with us," Schroeer said at the October 25 event.
