Citizens For A Better Flathead

Citizens For A Better Flathead
P.O. Box 771, 35 4th St. West, Kalispell, MT 59903
t. 406.756.8993 f. 406 756-8991

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Help keep the Flathead Special Forver!

Who We Are

Since 1992, Citizens for a Better Flathead (CBF) has been a leader at the forefront of addressing the challenges that rapid growth is bringing to our region. We work to protect the valley’s clean water, natural beauty, and friendly communities through sound planning and policy solutions. We believe in the power of collaboration and consensus building, and work to inform and engage broad-based public participation in planning for the future of the Flathead.

Mission Statement

To inform and empower citizens in cooperative community development that respects and encourages stewardship of the Flathead Valley's natural beauty and resources.

Our Principles

Stewardship - It is our responsibility together to care for the land, air, water, and character of the Flathead Valley for ourselves and for future generations.
Open Government - Fair and ethical decision making requires respect for process, transparency, inclusiveness, and well-informed participants.
Community - We must find ways to balance and bridge our differences in order to maintain the unique quality of life in the Flathead Valley.
Citizenship - It is our right and our responsibility to become informed and to participate in the decisions that affect our lives and our community.

Citizens for a Better Flathead: 2009-2010 Priorities

Water Quality Protections to Keep Pace with Rapid Growth: Given privately funded legal challenges to the water quality and other provisions in the Flathead County Subdivision Regulations and legal challenges to the application of the Whitefish Critical Areas Ordinance, continue to provide support and advocacy to retain these policy safeguards. Advocate for added protection of shallow groundwater and wetlands through policy reform. Establish a pharmaceutical take-back program to keep these products out of our waste-stream and sewage treatment systems; a necessary step to protect local water quality. Conduct research to assist in finding alternatives to land application septic waste.

Neighborhood Planning to Preserve Rural Values and Character: Encourage Neighborhood Planning. Assist neighborhood plan areas with plan updates and with development of new plans for areas currently without a neighborhood plan. Identify policies that promote best practices.

Development Standards to Guide Growth and Secure a Prosperous Future: Advocacy for model development standards that will better ensure that the density in urban neighborhoods is balanced with rich neighborhood amenities like parks, trails, landscaping, and safe streets, as well as options for affordability. Promote rural development standards that limit/avoid natural resource impacts and mitigate added costs and infrastructure needs. Support revitalizing town and city centers.

Collaboration to Build a Shared Vision for the Future of this Great Place: Expanding partnerships with a growing number of businesses, developers, and visionary individuals who are, through their own initiative and passion, demonstrating that we can grow in ways that will keep the Flathead special forever. Host a spring 2009 Conference to build a community vision of Repowering the Flathead by Promoting Energy Efficiency and Clean, Renewable Energy [Mission Accomplished]. Follow this with other activities to foster a vision of positive growth in our issue areas and with benchmarks to track progress. Promote and support Buy-Local Buy Green collaborative efforts

Transportation Planning to Maintain Safety and Increase Choices: Policy review and advocacy as the County, Whitefish, and Kalispell update their decade-old transportation plans and priorities. Advocacy for adoption of transportation impact fees. Advocacy for corridor standards limiting highway sprawl.

Innovative New Tools to Keep the Flathead Special: Continued outreach and advocacy for the implementation of Transfer Development Rights programs, which fairly direct growth away from sensitive areas by creating market incentives for the purchase of development rights away from these areas. Advocacy for improved City-County cooperative planning.

Recycling and Waste Reduction to Promote Conservation: School and community programs to increase recycling and waste reduction rates and opportunities through our WasteNot Project. www.wastenotproject.org