by Friends of the Lee Metcalf NWR Board Members: Paul Hayes, Tom Puchlerz, Skip Kowalski, Sharon Schroeder, Jim Schroeder, Jay Gore
We all love living here in the Bitterroot Valley, stunning open landscapes, rich and vibrant ranch and farmland, plentiful wildlife and fish and a quiet pastoral way of life. But the times they are a changing and changing fast. The valley is growing more rapidly than ever, new homes and subdivisions are popping up faster than mushrooms after a warm spring rain.
Since being approved by your friends and neighbors in 2006, the Open Lands Program has helped conserve over 10,000 acres in our valley which has included family farms and ranches, critical wildlife and fish habitat, hunting, fishing and recreational access and community parks and trails. An incredible return for an investment in the future of the land, wildlife, fish and lifestyle so important to each and every one of us.
It’s time to renew our RAVALLI COUNTY OPEN LANDS BOND, time to ensure that our children and grandchildren can enjoy our land, water, wildlife and the rural values that brought each of us to our valley. With the average Ravalli County household paying less than it costs for a night out at the movies or dinner, it’s a great investment in our valley’s future.
Remember it’s, “Our Valley, Our Values, Our Future.” Please do your part and vote YES on the Ravalli County Open Lands Bond.