Lake County’s 1,654 square miles boast an incredible diversity of landforms and ecosystems. The county has an abundance of lakes, rivers, streams and wetlands and transitions from many broad valleys to the rugged peaks of the Mission and Swan Mountains. The county is situated on the south end of the Flathead Basin, which includes northwest Montana and stretches into southeast British Columbia. Flathead Lake is the centerpiece of Lake County and is the largest freshwater lake by surface area west of the Mississippi River in the lower 48 states. Polson, with a population of 4,488, is the largest city in this county of 30,273. The Flathead Indian Reservation largely encompasses Lake County. The Reservation is home to three tribes, the Bitterroot Salish, Upper Pend d’Orielle and the Kootenai and together they are known as the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT).
Though Lake County is 50% forested, agriculture is an important industry. Primary agricultural products include small grains, forage, some seed potatoes, diversified vegetable production as well as cherry orchard and vineyard industries on Flathead Lake. The most common land use within the county is rangeland and pasture. NRCS offices, located in Ronan, Pablo and Plains, offer voluntary technical and financial assistance to private landowners interested in natural resource conservation based on a focused approach using long range planning with local input.
Lake County Long Range Plan
NRCS in Montana uses a Focused Conservation strategy to address priority natural resource concerns across the state using Targeted Implementation Plans. It all begins with a long range plan. Each local NRCS field office develops a long range plan with input from landowners, partners, land managers, and others to identify and prioritize natural resource concerns in the county. Based on those plans, NRCS works with stakeholders to determine what conservation practices will be needed to address the resource concerns. Long range plans are updated to reflect the changing needs and objectives of the county’s natural resources.
Lake County Long Range Plan 2019 (PDF; 4.2 MB)
Current Financial Assistance Opportunities for Lake County Landowners
Completed TIPS No Longer Accepting Applications
Additional Funding Opportunities
In addition to the local projects above, producers may also apply for statewide programs such as the Conservation Stewardship Program, national Environmental Quality Incentives Program initiatives, and conservation easement programs. Visit or call your local USDA Service Center, for more information on these and other programs, or visit Montana Programs.
Local Working Group Meetings
Every year, county Conservation Districts and the NRCS host local working group meetings where farmers, landowners, conservation partners, and other stakeholders in the community discuss the natural resource needs for the county. Based on this feedback, NRCS updates the county’s long-range plan and develops new Targeted Implementation Plans to address those resource concerns. Notes from the Local Working Group meetings are available upon request.
You may contact us anytime to express concerns or comments about conservation needs in the county, and we encourage you to attend the next local working group meeting. For more information about local working group meetings, contact your local USDA Service Center.
Snowpack and Water Supply Forecast Information for Lake County
Contacts
