Sensitive Lands Plan Team Launches ‘Love Your Land’ Open House

Agencies from across Gallatin Valley ask the public for input on vision and values
 
BOZEMAN—The Gallatin Valley Sensitive Lands Protection Plan team invites all to attend a kickoff event. The Love Your Land Open House will take place Jan. 31, 2023 at the River Rock Event Center (101 River Rock Road, Belgrade) between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. All are welcome to stop by any time during the event.

The Love Your Land Open House will be an opportunity to learn more about the planning process and how to be involved throughout 2023; communicate the need for change; and confirm the Valley’s vision and values based on results of a statistically valid survey collected from the community in fall 2022. For those who cannot attend in person, a virtual open house and comment tool is available at gallatinvalleyplan.bozeman.net.

 
“If you love our open lands and care about how rapidly the valley is growing, you’ll want to participate in this open house,” Jon Henderson, Strategic Services Director for the City of Bozeman, stated. “This plan is all about knowing what resources are at risk as we develop so that communities can make smart decisions about how and where to grow. Community input will help us prioritize what resources are most valuable and in need of protection.”

 
The Sensitive Lands Protection Plan seeks to find greater balance in the Gallatin Valley and connect the landscape, heritage, and future on common ground. For this project, the Gallatin Valley is considered all public and private land that has yet to be conserved or protected within the Valley, west of the Bridger Mountains and north of Madison County. 

 
A strong connection between clean water, abundant wildlife, productive agriculture, and cultural heritage has provided a high quality of life to residents of the Gallatin Valley for generations. While the area continues to experience unprecedented growth, a regional approach to protecting sensitive lands can help provide adequate habitat into the future.

 
The project team is comprised of working group members from Animal Welfare Institute, City of Bozeman, Craighead Institute, Gallatin County, Gallatin Valley Land Trust, Gallatin Valley Watershed Council, Gallatin Wildlife Association, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Montana Freshwater Partners, Sacajawea Audubon Society, Sierra Club, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative.

  
More information on the Plan can be found at gallatinvalleyplan.bozeman.net.