Penelope’s Legacy
With our town growing so quickly, we’re all used to feeling a little like a stranger on the airplane or in the grocery store. With GVLT, you’re never a stranger. Last week, Penelope’s going away party felt like a 200-person family reunion. We reflected on Penelope’s long list of accomplishments during her 10 years at the helm of GVLT. However, her impact cannot be measured in miles of trails and acres of conserved land alone. Her greatest achievement may be us, including all of you; a family connected to each other and to the place we love. The responsibility now falls on all of us to carry forward this momentum into the next chapter. Penelope has many unique and special qualities, but her knack for bringing people together is the gift that will bear fruit for many years to come. That is her legacy. Thank you Penelope, for inspiring us to do more, together.
During Penelope’s time at GVLT, she led the organization and partners to:
- Conserve 12,019 acres, nearly 19 square miles with 27 conservation easements
- Add ¾ mile of trail, expanded parking area and a bathroom to Snowfill
- Add 9 acres of parkland to Bozeman Pond Park and 1 mile of trail
- Build 5 + miles of trail at Highland Glen Nature Preserve
- Expand the Sourdough Canyon Trailhead and add a bathroom and gate
- Finish the Chestnut Mountain Trail
- Install natural playgrounds at Langhor Park and Bozeman Pond Park
- Secure permanent access and complete trail reroute at Triple Tree Trail
- Install bridges at Regional Park, Sourdough Trail, Peets Hill and Gallagator Trail
- Complete 2.1 miles of pathway connecting Bozeman to the M and Drinking Horse Trails
- Close the Painted Hills Gap with 1.5 mile connector trail
- Renew accreditation with the Land Trust Alliance
- Establish a NextGen Advisory Board
- Pass a levy to renew over $15 million in funding to the Gallatin County Open Lands Program
- Grow the staff from 7 to a 12 person team
- Grow the organization’s budget from $500,000 to $1.8 million
