Trout Unlimited names Philipsburg to inaugural list of ‘Conservation Towns’

Trout Unlimited (TU) is recognizing five rural communities around the country, including one just down the road, as “Conservation Towns” – communities that are successfully incorporating their unique cultures and landscapes, their rivers and streams, and their hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities into long-term blueprints for economic success. These communities provide unique examples of innovation, civic engagement, and collaboration that provide a model for rural communities navigating change across America.  

The five communities recognized included Philipsburg, as well as Gunnison, Colorado; Fort Bragg, California; Florence, Wisconsin; and Rockland, New York.

Nestled along the Continental Divide in southwest Montana, Philipsburg weathered the boom-and-bust cycles of silver and sapphire mining until the final bust at the end of the 20th century. 

What remained were dozens of abandoned mines scattered across the national forests, neighboring ghost towns, and a community worried about its future. Down the road near Anaconda, the Upper Clark Fork’s tributaries were particularly degraded. They became part of the largest geographic complex of Superfund sites in the country.   

A band of proud local people never gave up on their community. They worked to revitalize their economy by reinvesting in what makes the area unique: its wild landscapes and public lands, its Blue Ribbon fisheries, and a deep sense of place. Trout Unlimited is documenting these efforts in a short film showcasing the revitalization of the community and its cherished public lands and waters.  

“It’s an incredible honor to be recognized nationally for the work our small but dedicated, community accomplished over the past few decades,” said Anne Fillmore, mayor of Philipsburg. “We pride ourselves on preserving our unique landscapes and rivers for future generations without having forgotten our past. We thank Trout Unlimited for seeing that and supporting our vision for the future.” 

As the self-proclaimed “Last Best Place in the Last Best Place,” Philipsburg realized it could continue to live off the land by shifting its focus from industries of the past century to recreation and restoration. 

Since then, TU has been building partnerships in the region with state and federal agencies, local landowners and other entities to reconnect critical bull trout habitat in nearby national forests, restore river systems spanning public and private lands, work collaboratively with local ranchers, remove outdated mining infrastructure, and create more angling opportunities. 

Since 2010, more than $9 million has been invested by TU and agency partners across 50+ restoration projects throughout Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Lolo National Forests, Bureau of Land Management lands, and watersheds such as the Upper Clark Fork River and Flint and Rock Creeks. More projects are on the horizon.  

“Given the variety of landscapes, the complexity of restoration efforts, and the commitment of the local community, Philipsburg was the natural choice to be Trout Unlimited’s first Conservation Town,” said Casey Hackathorn, TU’s Montana state director. “Philipsburg’s story is special in that its revitalization was based in part upon the incredible quality of its water resources and close network of partners—ranging from state and federal agencies to local landowners—who are all focused on restoring these impacted landscapes and waterways.” 

With more than 300,000 members and supporters, 400 chapters, and nearly 400 staff members working across the country, TU had hundreds of potential examples to choose from for the inaugural list of communities. 

“America has hundreds of ‘resource dependent’ towns that barely survived the boom-and-bust cycles of commodity development,” said Chris Wood, TU’s president and CEO. “Many of those towns remain resource dependent, but the resources they depend on today are hunting and fishing, public lands—especially roadless areas—clean water and the wild landscapes that sustain our great nation. 

“America needs to develop our natural resources, and conservation towns are a celebration of how to do that in a smart and collaborative manner. Trout Unlimited works with large and small communities across the country helping them to care for and recover our nation’s cherished public lands and waters. We’re proud to spotlight these communities, their river champions, and the innovative approaches they’ve taken to make the lives of people in their community better.”  

For more information about all five Trout Unlimited Conservation Towns, visit https://www.tu.org/conservation-towns.