The Vital Ground Foundation and project partners have added a key conservation parcel to the Wild River project near the confluence of the Yaak and Kootenai rivers, a natural bottleneck for grizzly bears moving between the Cabinet and Purcell mountains. Vital Ground and the Yellowstone to Yukon Initiative have purchased and protected the majority of an undeveloped subdivision within this important wildlife corridor near Troy. Adding to 2017’s acquisition of seven contiguous lots, this purchase brings the Wild River project total to 42.5 conserved acres. “This collaboration stems from consultation with multiple state and federal agencies including Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and supporting those agencies’ wildlife recovery goals is designed into this project,” says Ryan Lutey, Vital Ground executive director. While conservation of additional lands in the area remains a priority, the 12 parcels conserved over the last two years builds on the groups’ previous investments in the area.
2018 News
MALT Calls on Congress to Reauthorize the LWCF During Lame Duck Session
With the Land and Water Conservation Fund expired, MALT is part of a national effort to push toward LWCF reauthorization during the land duck session of Congress. Here are LWCF talking points from the Montana LWCF Coalition: * The Land and Water Conservation Fund has been expired for 45 days, resulting in over $100 million lost to conservation and recreation access priorities from the OCS revenues promised to this program over 50 years ago. This is on top of the $22 billion that has been lost over the life of the program as LWCF funds have been diverted to other, unknown purposes. The time is now for honest budgeting: Congress must act in the lame duck session to restore LWCF and protect its future with a permanent reauthorization and full, dedicated funding. *Momentum has been building throughout 2018 for both permanent reauthorization and dedicated funding of LWCF, which powers our $887 billion outdoor recreation economy. Just before the recess, both House and Senate Committees moved LWCF legislation by wide bipartisan margins – now we need to keep that forward progress going in end-of-year negotiations. * Despite a huge outcry over expiration and massive bipartisan support in both the House and Senate, Leadership has thus far refused to give LWCF a vote or include it in a package on the Floor. While vehicles may be limited in lame duck, Congress will have to negotiate some sort of end-of-year package and it will be an utter failure on Congress’s part if LWCF is not included. Members must push Leadership to act on behalf of constituents and stakeholders who have made it clear: LWCF is a huge priority for Montana! * We need your help now more than ever to ensure the travesty of LWCF’s expiration is fixed in lame duck, with a long-term solution that will prevent this from happening again. Please urge Leadership to address LWCF permanent reauthorization and dedicated funding before Congress adjourns!
Flathead Land Trust Seeks to Conserve A Portion of The Heart of the Flathead Valley
The Fall 2018 Flathead Land Trust Newsletter contains an article about a proposed Flathead River Conservation Project that would help conserve 155 acres of prime agriculture lands along the Flathead River in “The Heart of the Flathead Valley.“ From the newsletter: This project would add protection to a critical puzzle piece that is adjacent to 725 acres and near 2,350 acres of land that is already conserved, securing a much larger connected piece of our landscape along the lower Flathead River. A plethora of wildlife use the project property and threatened bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout, a species of special concern, use waters adjacent to the project property. Thousands of waterfowl use not only the river and wetlands on the project property, but also its farmland to feed and refuel on their migration. The project would keep rich soils identified as “prime farmland“ or “farmland of statewide importance“ by the Natural Resource Conservation Service in agriculture. The family has been farming and stewarding this wildlife-rich land for almost 100 years”. FLT has obtained funding from the NRCS but still requires additional matching funds.
Kaniksu Land Trust Holding Green Friday Hike
Kaniksu Land Trust is inviting Sandpoint area folks to join KLT and community members on a Nov. 23 Green Friday Hike at the future Pine Street Woods property. The walk starts at 10:00 AM and preregistration is required. From the KLT website: Join us for a sneak peek at the future Pine Street Woods property. Walk off that Thanksgiving dinner on this beautiful property, and learn all about your future favorite place to play outside. Grab this chance to join a guided visit today!
JT Ranches Easement Conserves Prime Ag Soils
The ALE Program and Montana land trusts continue to close projects, and the Montana NRCS continues to salute the landowners, land trusts, federal program and significant efforts that made those projects possible. From the Montana NRCS website: “J T Ranches’ lands rolls across the valley and into the John Long Mountains foothills, varying from irrigated hay meadows to montane grasslands to timberlands. This scenery is visible from Philipsburg, and the diversity of habitats provides a home for elk, mountain lions, grizzlies, and a variety of birds. Over half of the property is made up of Prime or Important soils according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), on which Joleen and Tim run cattle and raise hay.”
Nationwide Voting Shows Strong Support for Conservation
The Trust for Public Land reports pretty impressive conservation election results nationwide in 2018: Voters approved 82 percent of the 42 ballot measures for $2.8 billion in funding.
Missoula Voters Approve Open Space Funding
Congratulations to Amber Sherrill, Five Valleys Land Trust, and all the supporters of the Missoula County open land bond and Missoula city stewardship mill levy for engineering victory on both those measures on Nov. 6. Voters did, in fact, say “YES“ to open space, rivers and farmland, with 62 percent of the voters approving the county bond and 61 percent of the voters approving the city stewardship mill levy. The bond approval and stewardship fund gives FVLT a stable conservation project funding source and improves the quality of life for Missoula city and county residents.
NRCS Salutes Oliver Conservation Easement Near Bozeman
The NRCS recently tipped its cap to the Oliver family and Gallatin Valley Land Trust for completion of a 529-acre conservation easement on the Oliver farm in the Gooch Hill Area near Bozeman. From the Montana NRCS website: “As the Bozeman area continues to grow, GVLT is partnering with families in the Gooch Hill area who are using voluntary conservation easements to protect large blocks of land, ensuring viability for traditional family farming operations far into the future. Thank you to the Oliver family for their partnership and vision in keeping this place special for generations to come.” The NRCS ALE Program helped make the project possible.
Support for Open Lands on the Missoula Ballot
A guest column in the Missoulian encourages county and city voters to support the city stewardship fund and county open land bond program. Missoula resident Jeff Fee writes, “When we protect our lands, we’re protecting our economy. As the recently commissioned Garner Economics Competitive Realities Report for Missoula noted, the quality of life provided by access to our open, public lands and our rivers is at the heart of our ability to recruit and retain businesses.” Five Valleys Land Trust is helping lead the Missoula city and county ballot measures.
FLT’s Laura Katzman Receives Conservation Achievement Award
Congratulations to Laura Katzman, Flathead Land Trust Land Protection Specialist, who received the Flathead Audubon Conservation Achievement Award for her groundbreaking conservation work to protect the West Valley Wetlands and its incredible bird habitat, as well as other bird habitat conservation throughout the Flathead.