STUDENTS LAY THE GROUNDWORK FOR THE ORCHARD'S FUTURE
Organizations Seek Public Comment for Lolo National Forest Land
THOMPSON FALLS - If you really want to get to the heart of an issue, ask a kid. That’s what Sanders County Community Development Center (SCCDC), Kaniksu Land Trust (KLT), Project Ascent, and the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) did last spring when considering the best stewardship of the Lolo National Forest property known as “The Orchard.” The parcel, which lies west of the Mule Pasture, is the subject of a public survey to consider how the organizations and partnerships can expand recreational opportunities to help the community get outside.
Starting the public comment process with students from Thompson Falls School District enlightened the group on what is important to the next generation regarding land conservation and outdoor recreation. And, their feedback was unexpected in many ways.
Students, ranging from grade 5 to 12, were asked to complete the sentence: “I would like it if the Mule Pasture had…” Surprisingly, of the 147 students who responded, the second most popular response was outdoor learning spaces, immediately after bike trails.
“Outdoor classroom!!! This was my paradigm shaking result,” exclaimed Ray Brown, SCCDC Executive Director.
Students repeatedly expressed interest in bike trails, an outdoor classroom, hiking trails, a playground, a disc golf course, cross-country skiing trails, covered picnic tables, and a visitor center.
“I love this feedback, and more importantly, getting to see these voices and opinions. It's so important for the community to acknowledge its future movers and shakers! I also believe an after-effect of this survey is the beginning of fostering a stewardship/sense of community for the participants,” Andrea Fernandez-Christensen of Project Ascent and Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce observed.
Another unexpected byproduct of the students’ feedback is that the group learned about opportunities for encouraging community collaboration to benefit children. For instance, noting the high interest in bike trails, the group foresees the potential organization of a community bicycle club to lead youth bike safety, activities, and trail maintenance projects.
“Outdoor classroom!!! This was my paradigm shaking result.”
The group views the students’ survey results as a foundation for the second phase of the public comment process, which is in progress. All members of the public are encouraged to participate. The survey consists of 8 questions and takes about 5 minutes to complete. To take the survey, visit engagemissionwest.com/the-orchard.
“The only way to know that this land is providing the best possible service to the community is to hear directly from our community members, especially those who live close to the property,” Kayla Mosher, KLT Recreation and Outreach Coordinator explained.
Kayla said that since the survey has been open to the general public, there has been some confusion about the parcel under consideration.
“We’re not talking about the Mule Pasture. We’re talking about the old seed orchard just west on Columbia Street, and looking for comments about how The Orchard can be better suited to the needs of our community. The more people who comment, the more accurate our information will be.”
The three organizations hope to get feedback from the entire community before closing the official public comment period. After it closes, the results will be released and next steps will be discussed.
“We are looking forward to talking with people in our community. Some people might prefer to call, email, or stop by to comment, rather than take the official survey, and that is fine too,” Kayla said.
For more information, contact Ray Brown at Sanders County Economic Development Center at (406)370-8932 and ray@sanderscountycdc.com or Kayla Mosher at Kaniksu Land Trust’s Montana office at (406)491-3218 and kayla@kaniksu.org.
