Projects
Learn about our community initiatives.
West Fork Gallatin River &
Huntley-Kern Pond Restoration Project
Huntley-Kern Pond: Honoring Big Sky’s Heritage
The pond’s name honors Big Sky’s founder, Chet Huntley, a broadcast journalism pioneer whose vision helped establish Big Sky as a destination community; his niece, Kristin Kern, who continues the family’s legacy; and her late husband, Frank Kern.
It embodies Huntley’s original vision for a place where people can come to enjoy nature, carried forward by a community focused on sustainable development, environmental stewardship and inclusive growth—values that align with Frank Kern’s commitment to Big Sky’s long-term quality of life.
Transition to Community Ownership
The pond originated as part of Huntley’s vision for the Meadow Village golf course, designed as a sediment retention feature. When Boyne USA acquired Big Sky Resort in 1976, they continued using it to catch sediment from upstream development.
Recognizing its community value, Boyne transferred the pond ownership to the Big Sky Owners Association in the 1990s. Together, Boyne USA (Big Sky Resort) and the Big Sky Owners Association established perpetual recreational easements to ensure public access to the area.
Environmental Changes Over Time
Winter conditions, at times, caused reduced oxygen levels, resulting in anaerobic conditions under ice cover that stressed aquatic life during critical seasonal periods.
Most significantly, this evolution altered the natural flow of the West Fork, affecting critical gravel beds that serve as crucial spawning habitats for fish populations and disrupting downstream ecosystems.
Infrastructure and Access Considerations
Building Momentum: From Vision to Reality
In 2006, a collaborative assessment with the Big Sky Owners Association and the Big Sky County Water & Sewer District No.363 confirmed the need for comprehensive restoration to balance ecological health with recreational enhancement.
Water rights agreements were formalized, and regulatory frameworks were established over the following years, culminating in 2022 when Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Community Pond Program financial support validated the project’s merit and catalyzed over $1.4 million in private donations.
What will the Restoration Project do for the environment?
Montana is known for its wild rivers and natural beauty. The Restoration Project will help to improve water quality and enhance the natural flow in the West Fork and Gallatin Rivers, which works toward the common goal of preserving the waterways in and around Big Sky.
Summer heat makes it more difficult for fish to survive in Montana rivers. The Restoration Project will enhance water flow in the West Fork River, thereby improving fish habitat, spawning, and passage upriver. It will also help to maintain the cooler water temperatures that are optimal for fish by allowing water to flow more freely downstream in the river channel.
Environmental conservation is about creating public access to natural spaces to foster the understanding and appreciation of the outdoors. This Recreational Facility is next to the community park, which connect to a larger network of trails on US National Forest Lands where the public can access, engage with, and appreciate the beautiful public land in and around Big Sky.
What will the Restoration Project do for you?
Add to and enhance existing trail systems:
The Pond will have a perimeter trail providing access around the pond and to a beach area. It will also enhance access to the Big Sky Community Park as well as existing trail segments in Meadow Village and beyond, providing more options to recreate in Big Sky!
Improve recreational fishing in Big Sky and beyond:
A fishing dock will eventually be available for public use at the Huntley-Kern Pond. This access, combined with the Restoration Project’s focus to improve fish passage and spawning, will make for an enhanced fishing experience in Big Sky.
The Community Recreation Facility is centrally located in Big Sky:
Huntley-Kern Pond is centrally located, with easy access to and from a number of restaurants and shops, the Big Sky Community Park, workforce housing, and US Forest Service Land. It is a quick walk on the Meadow Village trail from Big Sky’s town center, and will provide a nice spot to stop and relax after a day of recreating or exploring the town.
The Pond serves as a reservoir for Big Sky County Water & Sewer District to monitor, utilize, and maintain their water rights. These rights are critical for the irrigation of Big Sky’s Meadow Village golf course, as well as the community’s water supply. For as long as the Water & Sewer District is able to maintain these rights, you and your family can spend countless summer days playing rounds of golf while sipping on cool, refreshing glasses of water.
Free for everyone, forever!
The Huntley-Kern Pond is free for everyone to use in perpetuity! For as long as you are in Big Sky, you can rely on having a sanctuary right in the middle of Big Sky to spend quality time with friends, read a book on the beach, enjoy a to-go meal from a local restaurant, take your pup on a walk and so much more!
Help Montana stay wild and beautiful.
Sustainability
PROJECT COMPLETED!! The Big Sky Owners Association, in partnership with Benefit Big Sky, produced a Best Practices Guidebook for the Big Sky area, which functions as a free local’s guide to sustainable stewardship in Big Sky. Whether you have been in Big Sky since the 1970’s or just moved to the area, we hope this guidebook on sustainability inspires your engagement and involvement as a community stakeholder. The Best Practices Guidebook is an invitation to participate in the preservation of our way of life in Southwest Montana. It includes information on responsible property ownership, natural disaster resilience for those such as wildfires and drought, and ecosystem stewardship. We are proud to offer this book free of charge. Please contact the Big Sky Owners Association for your free copy!
Traffic Calming
LITTLE COYOTE SPEED TABLES PROJECT COMPLETED!!
The residential roads around Big Sky have been greatly impacted due to significant growth that has occurred over the years. Roads used by our community and visitors to access recreation areas include Little Coyote Road, Andesite Road, and Beehive Basin Road. With growth comes a higher volume of traffic on our residential roads. There are various methods to calm traffic and enhance safety, including the construction of speed tables, installation of driver feedback signs, collection of traffic data, and the increase of safety signage.
The Big Sky Owners Association in partnership with various donations to Benefit Big Sky were able to implement speed tables on Little Coyote Road. We are proud to announce this project has been completed!
The Big Sky Owners Association continues to implement other methods to calm traffic and enhance safety on our community roads. Driver feedback signs are being utilized to urge drivers to slow down on roads in various residential neighborhoods. These signs measure volume, average speed, and number of speed violations, and the Big Sky Owners Association will be able to use this data to figure out how traffic can be mitigated and calmed.
