Montana couple permanently protects 57 acres along Stillwater River

A piece of Montana land that the Rooney family has called home for more than two decades will remain undeveloped for generations to come. Sean and Melodye Rooney have placed a conservation easement on their 57-acre property west of Whitefish, permanently preventing subdivision and development across the land. According to the Flathead Beacon, the family worked with the Flathead Land Trust to protect nearly a mile of Stillwater River frontage. The property includes wetlands, riparian forest and more than 20 acres of hay ground, while its location alongside other protected and public lands makes it part of a larger stretch of conserved habitat.A family connection to the landThe Rooneys' relationship with the Flathead Valley goes back well before they purchased the Stillwater River property. Sean Rooney's grandfather homesteaded near Cut Bank before eventually working for the Great Northern Railway in Whitefish.