As one if its first initiatives, the Missoula County commissioners directed LED to conduct a holistic inventory and assessment of every County-owned property and provide them with strategic policy and use recommendations.

Staff collected factors on each property from a variety of sources to assess development suitability and address other questions about County-owned land. Because land is a finite natural resource, made especially scarce in our geographically constrained county, competition for the most “important” value and subsequent use can be fierce, and emotions can occasionally run high.

LED staff strived to be as objective as possible when choosing and evaluating factors, while seeking to honor previous engagement and planning efforts that articulated community values.

After reviewing more than 260 parcels owned by Missoula County, LED staff worked with the Geographic Information Systems Department to create an interactive mapping tool to display all properties in a holistic and concise format to minimize both misinformation and fragmented debate.

The first phase of the project was completed in spring 2023. LED staff will release a draft of management and policy recommendations for Commissioner approval and staff implementation in early 2024. Follow the project and explore a map of County-owned lands at missoulacountyvoice.com/lands-inventory