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The largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi River, majestic mountains, rural landscapes, clean water, native fish and wildlife communities all these converge to make the Flathead Watershed a special place -- and those very qualities that make it special are a magnet for population growth. The Flathead Watershed is one of the fastest growing areas in the state. From 1990 to 2000 Lake County and Flathead County grew by 26% while the state population as a whole grew by about 13%. Problems often associated with growth are emerging, such as degradation of water quality, air quality and wildlife habitat, and the loss of family farms and open space. The problem our communities in the Flathead face is how to accommodate growth and provide economic opportunities while maintaining the quality of life we now enjoy and new residents expect.
Land use planning and its many tools can help communities guide growth and development while protecting clean water and other important resources and community values. Planning is a way for communities to examine an array of land use and development choices and their consequences, determine goals, and take action to achieve those goals. In the absence of planning, land use decisions are made haphazardly or by default, which can result in unforeseen consequences and inadvertent damage to water quality and other resources as well as economic vitality and quality of life. Planning for growth can help put safeguards in place that will protect water quality by protecting aquifer recharge areas, wetlands, and riparian areas along streams, rivers and lakes. The Flathead Lakers encourages its members and citizens to participate in local planning processes to help protect water quality.
In 1999, the Montana Legislature approved a bill updating a tool long used for land use planning, the comprehensive plan or master plan. The new law establishes minimum requirements for these plans which are now called growth policies. A growth policy is an official document adopted by a local government and used to guide growth and change. Growth policies are not regulatory. Key elements of a growth policy include: - a strategy for development, maintenance and replacement of public infrastructure
- an implementation strategy
- a list of conditions that will trigger a revision of the growth policy
- a timetable for reviewing the growth policy at least once every five years and revising the policy if necessary
- an explanation of how the governing body will evaluate and make decisions regarding proposed subdivisions with respect to the public interest criteria (agriculture, agricultural water user facilities, local services, the natural environment, wildlife and wildlife habitat, and public health and safety).
In 2001 and 2003, the Montana Legislature revised Montana's growth policy laws. Now, existing master plans can be considered growth policies and cities and counties have more time to adopt growth policies. Several Flathead Basin jurisdictions have adopted or are in the process of developing growth policies: | Government | Action | More Information | | Kalispell | Adopted a growth management policy on 18 February 2003. | Tri-City Planning Office
17 Second St E, Suite 211
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-751-1850
http://www.tricityplanning-mt.com | | Whitefish | Produced a draft growth policy | | Columbia Falls | Growth policy being developed | | Flathead County | Growth policy being developed | Flathead County Planning & Zoning
Earl Bennett Building, 2nd floor
1035 1st Ave W
Kalispell, MT 59901 406-751-8200
http://www.co.flathead.mt.us/frdo/index.html | | Lake County | Adopted a growth policy on 21 August 2003 | Lake County Planning Department
106 4th Ave E
Polson, MT 59860
406-883-7235
http://www.lakecounty-mt.org |
Many other planning tools are available that can help protect water quality. Among these are zoning and zoning districts, neighborhood plans, development permit regulations, conservation easements, transfer of development rights, subdivision regulations, covenants, flood plain regulations, lakeshore regulations, and local water quality districts. A Planning Guide for Protecting Montanas Wetlands and Riparian Areas, available from Montana Watercourse (see below for contact information) provides a good overview of many of these tools.
Lakeshore regulations have been developed to help protect Flathead Lake and other lakes in the Flathead Basin. These regulations also help protect lake shore property values by requiring development on a lake shore to meet minimum standards. Work on the lake shore, both in and out of the water, requires a permit. The lake shore protection zone is defined as the land area surrounding a lake and adjacent wetlands that is within 20 horizontal feet of the perimeter of the lake and adjacent wetlands when the lake is at the mean annual high water elevation. If you have plans to do work in the lake shore protection zone or in the water, please contact your county planning office (Flathead County: 728-5980; Lake County: 883-7235) and/or the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Lakeshore Protection Office (675-2700) for more information.
Stream, River & Wetland RegulationsThere are several regulations designed to protect streams, rivers and wetlands which are administered by various federal, state, county and tribal agencies. A Guide to Stream Permitting in Montana is available on the Internet at http://www.state.mt.us/permit.html or from your local conservation district. One application form (also available at that web site) can be used to apply for several types of permits. If you plan to undertake a project that may affect the bed or banks of a stream, that involves construction in or near the 100-year floodplain, dredge or fill in a lake, river, stream or wetland, disturb one or more acres through construction activity, or discharge stormwater into a water body, please review the guide for more information about relevant regulations and who to contact for more information. For projects on the Flathead Indian Reservation, contact the Confederated Salish & Kootenai Tribes Shoreline Protection office for information on their permitting requirements.
A Guide to Stream Permitting, revised September, 2000. http://www.dnrc.state.mt.us/permit.html A Planning Guide for Protecting Montanas Wetlands and Riparian Areas, by Janet H. Ellis and Jim Richard, 2003. This is an excellent resource to learn more about land use planning tools that can be used to protect water quality. This document was produced by The Montana Watercourse, Montana Audubon, and the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. Contact the Montana Watercourse for a copy at 406-994-6671, 201 Culberson Hall, MSU, Bozeman, MT 59717, or visit their web site at http://www.montana.edu/wwwwater/. Lake County Lakeshore Protection Regulations, July 2001. Available at the Lake County Planning Department, Lake County Courthouse, Polson. Lake and Lakeshore Protection Regulations (PDF) Flathead County, Montana. January, 2002. Also available at the Flathead County Planning & Zoning Department, 1035 1st Ave W., Kalispell. Montana's Growth Policy Resource Book. The Montana Department of Commerces Community Technical Assistance Program produced this pamphlet in 2000 which explains the growth policy law and its requirements plus options for other elements that can be included in a growth policy. Note: State funding for the Community Technical Assistance Program (CTAP) ended July 1, 2003. As a result, the Montana Department of Commerce no longer has technical experts available to answer questions related to land use planning issues. They still have a library and publications available at no cost. For more information, contact Newell Anderson at 406-841-2770.
Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes Shoreline Protection Office
P.O. Box 278
Highway 93 N
Pablo, MT 59855
Landline: 406-675-2700
Email: danl@cskt.org Tri-City Planning Office
17 Second St E, Suite 211
Kalispell, MT 59901
Landline: 406-751-1850 Flathead County Planning & Zoning
Earl Bennett Building, 2nd floor
1035 1st Ave W
Kalispell, MT 59901
Landline: 406-751-8200 Lake County Planning Department
106 4th Ave E
Polson, MT 59860
Landline: 406-883-7235
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