Land Trust News

      Some good news: Governor Greg Gianforte on May 14 vetoed SB 278, a bill that contained provisions designed to penalize nonprofit environmental organizations. SB 278 would make nonprofit legal actions “challenging or supporting a government action” a taxable action under unrelated business income, and also require a nonprofit that challenges or supports a government action to – “under penalty or perjury” – file documentation with the Montana Attorney General listing the source of each donation over $50. 

     The anti-nonprofit language was inserted late in the legislative process without any opportunity for public comment.

     MALT opposed SB 278 and thanks Gov. Gianforte for his veto.

Brian Ohs, Montana ALE Progam Coordinator     

     I have some good news for the Montana ALE Program. MALT members applying for FY21 funding were awarded another $3.46 million last week. This appropriation constituted 40% of the money allotted from the April funding request and along with the initial allocation of $9.11 million will preliminarily allow the NRCS to obligate funding to eight ALE projects this year. A special thank you to NRCS staff and State Conservationist Tom Watson for their tireless efforts to more bring money into the state for private land conservation over the past several months.

     Also, congratulations to Jennifer Hayward, who has been selected to serve as the interim conservationist for the ACEP ALE Program within the Montana NRCS. Jennifer is currently a District Conservationist in Pinedale, Wyoming, and has ALE experience with our neighbors to the south. Jennifer’s detail begins on May 24 and we look forward to working with her in the coming days.

     Finally, I will be reaching out to MALT conservation easement practitioners this week to begin gathering information for the July NRCS State Technical Advisory Committee (STAC) meeting, which will be addressing recommendations for a new definition of “Grasslands of Special Environmental Significance” (GSS). You may recall that during the March STAC meeting, the committee directed the Wildlife and Rangeland subcommittee to craft a more acute definition of GSS. The intent will be to submit comments and recommendations to the STAC by the end of June.

Congratulations to the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation! 37 years of great conservation: 8.1 million acres of lands conserved. 1.3 million acres of improved public access.

So very close…almost there: With nearly $7 million raised toward its fundraising goal, the 772-acre Bad Rock Canyon parcel along the Flathead River near Columbia Falls is poised to gain protection for wildlife habitat and outdoor recreation. Read more in this Flathead Beacon article.

From Prickly Pear Land Trust:

Join hundreds of trail enthusiasts in Helena for the 21st Annual Don’t Fence Me In Virtual Trail Run and Trail Challenge. We just couldn’t let such an important community event go by the wayside, so we’re going virtual again this year. By taking our wanderlust to a whole new level and going “off the grid” of the traditional race structure, we hope that even more folks can continue join in the fun until we can safely hold an in-person race once again.

The turnout and enthusiasm for our first-ever virtual race and challenge last year blew us away. This year we’ve got a few new twists in store.

The annual trail run has been a major community event for years and is a huge fundraiser for Prickly Pear Land Trust’s work. Funds from this race support ongoing projects like the Mount Ascension and Mount Helena land acquisitions, South Hills trail maintenance, and Tenmile Creek Park. This year, it’s once again all about coming together in the ways we can, celebrating our unifying love of fresh air, and just letting off some steam and running wild.

Register now for the Trail Challenge for just $30. As always, kids 17 and under register for free! Sign Fido up for the dog challenge for an additional $5 or, for $5 each, add the 5k, 12k, 20k, 30k, and new Quadfecta.

This Monte Dolack painting made its debut on May 6 on a ridge above O’Dell Creek, the site of one of Montana’s most impressive conservation and restoration stories. A Bozeman Daily Chronicle article provides information about the painting, commissioned by NorthWestern Energy in celebration of a collaborative restoration project that has received numerous conservation awards. The Montana Land Reliance, The Trust for Public Land and Granger Ranches were leaders in the O’Dell Creek restoration projects.

Here’s a good article in Montana Lee Newspapers about the NRCS and Five Valleys Land Trust teaming up with landowners for agricultural conservation in the Flint Creek Valley.

From the article:

Maybe some change is for the better.

But those large tracts of historic ranchland going fallow and sprouting a sea of residences isn’t anyone in this story’s idea of acceptable change.

For those who’ve ranched for generations, or those who buy into the life, a conservation easement is proving one way to keep a traditional way of life alive in a changing valley.

In place of its traditional spring banquet Five Valleys Land Trust is holding Raise the Roof To Get Outside on May 15. Five Valleys staff and supporters will be stationed at trailheads with raffle tickets, swag, treats, and more. The event is capped off with a live online auction.

This is impressive…A video titled “Pine Street Woods: A Community Treasure” took first place in the Idaho Press Club awards in the Best Online-Only video category. Watch the video here.

     Flathead Land Trust held series of “sneak preview” tours showcasing the conservation values of one of its premier ongoing projects – located at Bad Rock Canyon near Columbia Falls – on May 2, and the general reaction from the tour participants was: Wow! 

     FLT executive director Paul Travis (center), with project partners (left) Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (Kris Temple, habitat conservation biologist) and (right) the Flathead Lakers (Constanza von der Pahlen, critical lands director), provided a two-hour, four-mile tour of the property that showcased the wildlife habitat, connectivity, water quality, public recreation and open land benefits of the project. The Flathead River to Lake Initiative is another key project partner. 

     The project is close to the final stages of a $7 million fundraising campaign, and project partners hope to announce some exciting news about project progress later this year. Incredibly, the roughly 700-acre project, located along the Flathead River just outside of Columbia Falls, provides habitat protection for 43 species of special concern including grizzly bears. A Nov. 6, 2020 article has more info about the project.