BOZEMAN — Gallatin County commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to approve $648,158 of Open Lands Program money to help fund nine projects that support open space in the county.
The projects span across Bozeman, Three Forks, West Yellowstone, Big Sky, Bridger Canyon, and waterways across the Gallatin Valley, according to a Gallatin County media release.
The release said among the projects approved for funding is the Headwaters Trail System, a network of about 12 miles of paved trails running along the former Milwaukee Railroad bed through Three Forks. The project will receive $100,000 to maintain over four miles of trail in three different sections: from the Madison River pedestrian bridge east to where the trail terminates; from the Drouillard Fishing Access site to Kansas Street in Three Forks; and from Hickory Street south to the baseball fields.
The other eight projects approved for funding are:
- Big Sky Owners Association [bigskymt.org] – Little Coyote Pond Fishing Access and amenities – $100,000
- Gallatin River Task Force [gallatinrivertaskforce.org] – Greek Creek streambank restoration and river access improvement project – $50,000
- Gallatin Watershed Council [gallatinwatershedcouncil.org] – Cleanup of streams and rivers in the Lower Gallatin Watershed – $10,308
- Heart of the Valley Animal Shelter [heartofthevalleyshelter.org] – Improvements at Maxi Park, an 18-acre off-leash dog park at the shelter – $17,850
- Trout Unlimited [tu.org] – Third phase of the Dry Creek restoration project that would restore 14 additional stream banks – $50,000
- West Yellowstone Ski Education Foundation [skirunbikemt.com] – construction of the Rendezvous Operations Building to serve as a base for the Rendezvous Trail System – $100,000
- Crosscut Mountain Sports Center [bing.com] – construction of 3 kilometers of paved trail for roller-skiing – $100,000
- Gallatin County Regional Park [gallatinmt.gov] – construction of a 1,200 square-foot shop to store park supplies and equipment, and a connecting trail to the park and an asphalt walkway along Vaquero Parkway – $100,000
Money for the projects comes from the Gallatin County Open Space Levy, which voters approved in 2018. Most of the approximate $3.5 million available for 2024 goes toward conservation projects, such as conservation easements for private landowners. The Gallatin County Commission, however, earmarked about $887,000 for "other eligible projects," according to the release.
Approved projects must be related to land acquisition, capital improvements, and maintenance projects that support the purpose of the Open Space Levy.
More information about each project can be found attached to the April 23, 2024 meeting agenda of the Gallatin County Commission.
