Sensitive Lands Protection Plan Team to Host Open House, Present Mapping Results

The Gallatin Valley Sensitive Lands Protection Plan Team invites all to an open house to discuss the next steps in connecting our landscape, heritage, and future on common ground. The public meeting will take place July 20, 2023, at Willson School Library (404 W. Main St., Bozeman) at 5:30 p.m.  

The meeting format will be as follows: 

• 5:30 - 6 p.m.: Presentation covering the process, sensitive lands maps, and introduction to various protection tools. 
•  6 - 7 p.m.: Open House where participants can learn more and provide feedback on topics of their choice. 

The Working Group wants early input on future protection tools, which include a variety of tools from regional partnerships to proposed policies that could be adopted by local municipalities and new funding sources. Light refreshments will be provided. 

“The natural beauty of the Gallatin Valley is a major reason why people love living here,” Jon Henderson, Strategic Services Director at the City of Bozeman stated. “That’s why this work is so important. This plan is a regional approach to protecting ecologically important land at risk of development as we grow. It will help us prioritize the areas of greatest concern so that we can work to preserve them for future generations.”

Those who can’t attend the meeting can review meeting materials and comment online at gallatinvalleyplan.bozeman.net. Meeting materials will be posted as the event nears. 

The planning effort surveyed Gallatin Valley residents in late 2022 and kicked off with a public open house in January. Working Group members have been meeting to refine the sensitive lands mapping based on what they heard from the community and the best available data.  

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