Kaniksu Land Trust establishes Montana post

THOMPSON FALLS, Montana — Kaniksu Land Trust has announced its first dedicated staff member to lead conservation and recreation activities in the Sanders County portion of its service area. Kayla Mosher, a Montana native, was named KLT’s new recreation and outreach coordinator.

Working out of Thompson Falls, Mosher will coordinate with community partners to establish a downtown park development plan as well as lead the process to implement activities that drive economic development through outdoor recreation in Sanders County.

In 2020, KLT participated in a community-wide planning process in Sanders County called Recreation Economy for Rural Communities, which was sponsored by the EPA in order to set the stage for the creation of Mosher’s position.

“Kayla will be focused on helping everyone spend more time outdoors enjoying the many natural amenities that Sanders County has to offer.” Katie Cox, KLT executive director, said.

“She’s perfect for this role and has a deep passion for helping her community, she has already hit the ground running!”

Born and raised in Butte, Mosher grew up immersed in outdoor recreation, skiing, swimming, and taking nature walks.

“I was raised in an outdoorsy family. My dad, especially, set the example,” she said.

The daughter of a Special Olympics coach, Mosher saw how her dad showed people how to have fun outdoors, despite physical challenges. She saw the powerful effect that the outdoors has on people’s physical, mental, and emotional wellness.

“I wanted to do that too – not just with sports, but with all outdoor recreation,” she said.

At the University of Montana, she augmented her double-major in parks tourism and recreation management and resource conservation with a minor in wilderness studies, supporting herself as a personal care attendant. She met her husband-to-be while in college, and after graduation, they moved to his hometown, Thompson Falls.

With few opportunities to work within the scope of her education, Mosher decided to accept an internship with Challenge Aspen in Colorado where she taught skiing to people with disabilities. That rewarding experience made her even more determined to focus on  her goals of helping others experience the benefits of spending time outdoors.

While in Thompson Falls, she worked for a time on a trail crew with the U.S. Forest Service and worked other jobs to help support their family.  Experiencing first-hand the difficulty of finding gainful employment in an economically challenged community, she was keenly interested in finding a way to use her education, experience, and enthusiasm for outdoor recreation for the benefit of her community’s economy.

Her role with KLT allows her to do just that, Mosher said. “I love the river and the trees. It feels like the wilderness is outside my backdoor.”

KLT’s work protects these natural spaces for future generations through conservation agreements with private landowners, and at times, through land ownership and partnerships.

“As a very significant portion of KLT’s conservation work unfolds along the wild rivers and in the shadow of the Cabinet Mountains of Sanders County, we are delighted to now have a staff person based in Thompson Falls to support the mission and vision of our organization,” Regan Plumb, KLT’s conservation director, said.

Mosher said she most looks forward to helping all people to access the special places in northwestern Montana with the goal of nurturing her community’s economic sustainability.

“Some people may wonder why a land trust is involved with economic development,” Cox said. “Making urban centers more livable helps KLT to protect and keep open working forest, farm, and ranch land. And, increasing awareness and access to the outdoors is central to our mission of caring for the lands and people of the Kaniksu region today, tomorrow, and forever”

The KLT office will be located in the State Building in downtown Thompson Falls. Mosher is set to begin scheduled office hours on March 1.

Information: 406-285-1215 or email kayla@kaniksu.org.