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Missoula County summarizes 2025 Lands & Communities work: grants, ecology, recreation, planning highlights
Summary
Missoula County lands and communities staff reviewed a multi-department 2025 annual report highlighting a new street-level front office, grant dashboards, aquatic invasive species inspections, volunteer programs, expansion of fair events, and planning milestones including formation of a consolidated land-use board and Swan Valley neighborhood plan review.
Missoula County’s Lands & Communities office presented highlights from its 2025 annual report, summarizing work across grants and community resources; ecology and extension; lands, culture and recreation; and planning, development and sustainability.
Kyla Leonards, office administrator for Lands & Communities, said the office now has a street-level front office at 131 East Main and supports a range of county functions from grant administration to open‑lands stewardship. Leonards described a new grants dashboard and a county-funded grants team that oversees competitive application processes and more than $2 million in county-funded grant projects.
Ecology and Extension highlights included the Exploration Center and Rocky Mountain Gardens operating fully in 2025, more than 1,500 volunteer hours, training of 55 new master gardeners and 27,000 watercraft inspections at a Clearwater watercraft station (including 3,638 high‑risk boats). Lands, Culture & Recreation reported nearly 55,000 rounds of golf at Larchmont and an expanded Western Montana Fair that will grow to two weekends.
Planning and development updates cited consolidation of advisory bodies into the Missoula Consolidated Land Use Board, a Swan Valley neighborhood plan that entered public review in 2025 and planning work on the Y infrastructure plan. Leonards also noted impact-fee collection changes: the county ceased collecting some impact fees for general government and parks/trails as of Oct. 1, 2025 because of state-law requirements.
Commissioners and staff encouraged residents and council members to review the full annual report and use the interactive online materials. Chad Krower, chief officer for Lands & Communities (introduced during the meeting), said the office emphasizes collaboration across programs to deliver community projects and services.
Council members used the presentation to ask how the office manages many programs; county staff said departments are clustered under Lands & Communities with program leads and an office chief providing coordination rather than centralized micromanagement.
