National Conservation Legacy Center under construction in Missoula, organizers say spring 2026 opening is target

The Missoula City Council Committee of the Whole on March 5 heard an informational presentation from the National Museum of Forest Service History about the National Conservation Legacy Center, a mass-timber museum under construction on a 31-acre parcel about 1 mile west of the Missoula International Forest Service compound and visible from the interstate and airport runway.

The museum's leaders told the committee the project is intended to be a national destination illustrating the history of conservation on public lands and that construction began in late 2024 after a multi-year capital campaign. "We are a nonprofit organization," Lisa Tate, executive director, said during the presentation. Organizers said the center's target public opening is spring 2026.

Why it matters: project leaders said the center will serve school groups, multigenerational visitors and conservation enthusiasts; it houses an existing repository of artifacts and is designed to host…