Grosswiler and Marvin Families Receive Montana Wetland Stewardship Award
West Flathead Valley Wetland Protection
In 2017 and 2018, the Grosswiler and Marvin families made a huge commitment to preserving their family legacy and bird habitat when they placed an ecological gem west of Kalispell under a conservation easement with Flathead Land Trust. The Grosswiler and Marvin families placed 396 acres under conservation easement, protecting agricultural lands, open space, wetlands, and habitat critical for migratory birds. Their easement is located within a complex of unique intermontane pothole wetlands, known as the “West Valley Wetlands,” part of agricultural fields that support some of the highest numbers and diversity of wetland birds in the rapidly growing Flathead Valley and the only known staging area for sandhill cranes in the Flathead Valley.
In the view of Tanner Marvin, the conservation easements preserve not only habitat but their family legacy. “Continuing farming in my great-grandpa’s honor is very meaningful to me, but more so, to know my children can continue that tradition, so we will have multiple generations living his legacy.”
The family’s legacy will also live on in another way. They generously allowed a public bird and wildlife viewing area to be constructed within the easement, which has become a community and educational treasure. Inspiring future generations to care about conserving wetlands is a major goal of the bird viewing area. Through educational programs developed and implemented by Flathead Land Trust and Flathead Audubon, local 7th-grade students gain an appreciation of wetlands and the wildlife that they support, furthering their understanding of and compassion for wetlands, and for future conservation.
The Grosswiler and Marvin conservation easements and construction of the West Valley Bird and Wildlife Viewing Area was an extraordinary example of multiple agencies and groups coming together to work for a common cause. Integral to placement of the conservation easements on the properties and construction of the West Valley Bird and Wildlife Viewing Area was funding from over 130 individual donors and partners. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks played a large role, as they developed and provided major funding for the viewing area, and the Grosswiler and Marvin families donated over a third of the value of the conservation easement for the property.
In recognition of their commitment to protecting wildlife and wetland habitat and benefiting the people of the Flathead Valley by providing a public bird and wildlife viewing area, the Montana Wetland Council (MWC) has selected the Grosswiler and Marvin families as 2023 Wetland Stewardship Award recipients.
The biennial Wetland and Watershed Stewardship Awards are a joint project of the Montana Watershed Coordination Council (MWCC) and the MWC to honor individuals and groups providing innovative, locally-led approaches to conserving, protecting, restoring, and enhancing wetlands and watersheds in Montana. Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony co-hosted by MWCC and MWC on Wednesday, April 26 at the Holter Art Museum in Helena. The ceremony will be part of the 2023 MWCC Annual Meeting.
