From the Ravalli Republic: Seventeen adults, some kids and three dogs took a walk Wednesday night along a portion of the Bitterroot River on what will eventually be known as Skalkaho Bend Park. Their leader was a veteran with a dream. Sometime in this coming year Dan Kimzey wants to create a new nationwide nonprofit for veterans and their families that he plans to call Ruck On America!
Conservation Fund, MT FWP Finalize Dome Mountain Project
The Conservation Fund and Montana FWP have completed an important Dome Mountain project that benefits Yellowstone elk and other wildlife. The Bozeman Chronicle reported last week that TCF has finalized the sale of 160 acres of private land that abuts the Dome Mountain Wildlife Management Area to MT FWP for state management. The transaction consolidates a block of public land and secures habitat for elk that migrate between the Paradise Valley and Yellowstone National Park. Gates Watson, The Conservation Fund’s Montana and northwest director, said that the parcel is “the last piece of the puzzle“ for the wildlife management area and provides “significant benefits for both FWP’s management efforts and the animals that migrate across the landscape of the Greater Yellowstone area.”
Conservation Success Story: Huntley Ranch, NRCS, Montana TNC
The Huntley Ranch, The Nature Conservancy of Montana and the Natural Resources Conservation Service have teamed up through the NRCS Agricultural Land Easement (ALE) Program to conserve 9,163 acres of wildlife habitat and agricultural lands in the Big Hole Valley.
NRCS – MALT Partnership Meeting Set for Bozeman on May 8
The NRCS – MALT Partnership Meeting will take place on Wednesday, May 8, starting at 1:00 PM, in the NRCS State Office in Bozeman. The meeting is in a second floor conference room and does have teleconference capability, so folks wanting to join the meeting via teleconference should contact ALE Program Coordinator Tom Mallon at tom@montanalandtrusts.org. Tom and the NRCS have shared the May 8 partnership meeting agenda with the MALT membership, the meeting has been discussed during a NRCS – MALT conference call, MALT board of directors conference call, and a MALT Farm Bill Team conference call, so things should be good to go on May 8. This will be Tom Mallon and NRCS State Conservationist Tom Watson’s first official NRCS – MALT Partnership Meeting and the agenda offers a wide range of important NRCS and land trust topics: Closing 2014 Farm Bill ALE projects, 2018 Farm Bill implementation, 2019 ALE Program allocation and funding levels, Regional Conservation Partnership Program efforts in Montana, ongoing communications and focus within the NRCS and land trusts, and more. Feel free to get in touch with Tom Mallon if you have questions about the meeting, agenda or logistics.
Heart of the Rockies Meets May 15-16
The Heart of the Rockies Initiative membership will gather in Pinedale, WY, starting at 11:00 AM on May 15 at the Lakeside Lodge on Fremont Lake, with a full agenda that runs through the afternoon of May 16. Featured meeting agenda topics include the Wyoming Migration Initiative, Upper Green River Valley Collaboration, an afternoon field tour on May 15 showcasing Upper Green River Valley Collaboration wildlife migration efforts and projects. The May 16 agenda offers insights into the Heart of the Rockies Landscape Campaign, 2019 Landscape Challenge Grants, and more. For more information contact JoAnn Grant, HOTR Program Director, at 406-640-2816 or at joann@heart-of-the-rockies.org.
May 11 is Race Day for Prickly Pear Land Trust
Prickly Pear Land Trust is holding the 19th Annual Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run on Saturday, May 11, in Helena, with four different races ranging from a 30K run to a 5K dog walk. The PPLT website has full race and event information, and interested runners and walkers should note entry fees go up on May 9. The Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run has emerged as not only one of Helena’s major community events but also a showcase trails run for participants. From the PPLT website: Each May, Montana’s trail running season kicks off with Helena’s Don’t Fence Me In Trail Run. What started off as a small gathering aimed at generating support and excitement for local open space is now a major community event celebrating our local wild lands and our connection to them. And what better way to celebrate the outdoors than wandering the switchbacks and rough terrain with your fellow outdoor enthusiasts!
Montana Seeking Nominations for Leopold Conservation Award
Governor Steve Bullock and the State of Montana are seeking nominations for the Montana Leopold Conservation Award, an award recognizing voluntary conservation work by agriculture producers and landowners. “Too often we take for granted the remarkable contributions our state’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners make to help sustain the landscapes and values we care deeply about as Montanans,“ said Bullock. “I am delighted to partner with the Sand County Foundation to bring the Leopold Award to Montana to recognize a few of our exceptional working lands leaders and I look forward to their stories inspiring neighbors and generations to come with an ethic of thoughtful management and environmental stewardship.“ In Montana, the Governor’s Office, Department of Agriculture, Department of Natural Resources and Conservation’s Rangeland Resources Committee will join the Sand County Foundation to present the $10,000 award to the first recipient from Montana later this year. Applications for the first Montana Leopold Conservation Award are now being accepted. The application may be submitted on behalf of a landowner, or landowners may apply themselves. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation is among a large group of organizations supporting the Montana Leopold Conservation Award.
May is Big Month for Proposed Skalkaho Bend Park
Bitter Root Land Trust and the community of Hamilton are planning some big things in May as part of a major fundraising push for Skalkaho Bend Park. A series of events throughout the month kick off on Wednesday, May 1, with an event in the BRLT offices. An article in the Ravalli Republic details the events designed to help raise $30,000 needed to complete the acquisition of the property. Skalkaho Bend Park will be a new 70-acre community park located close to the existing Hamilton River Park, and will provide public access to 1.5 miles of the Bitterroot River. BRLT is spearheading the community-wide effort, with The Conservation Fund providing bridge financing. The plan is for BRLT to turn the property over to the City of Hamilton for public ownership later in 2019. The motto for the fundraising effort is “Create Your Path. Create Your Park.“ Additional information about Skalkaho Bend Park is available at the BRLT website.
Nominations Sought by April 30 for Missoula County Land Stewardship Award
Missoula County and the county’s Open Lands Advisory Committee are seeking applications for the 2019 Missoula County Land Stewardship Award. The nomination form is available on the Community and Planning Services Open Lands website. For additional information contact Kylie Paul, Natural Resource Specialist, Missoula County Community and Planning Services. Previous award winners include Land Lindbergh, Bud Moore, David and Kathryn Owen and others. Nominations are due by April 30.
‘The Stars Have Been Aligned’ for Kaniksu Land Trust’s Pine Street Woods
Pine Street Woods, Kaniksu Land Trust’s ambitious community conservation achievement, is moving into the implementation phase, which means upgrading the access road, building a parking lot, adding signage to the trails, and more. Pine Street Woods is a 160-acre community forest, education and outdoor recreation project that has blossomed into 322-acres and 3.5 miles of trails. A Bonner County Daily Bee April 21 article contains some wonderful quotes about the project. KLT Conservation Director Regan Plumb: “It’s hard for me to believe, after close to 10 years, that Kaniksu Land Trust finally owns this property. I feel like the forward has been written and now we’re starting Chapter 1.“ KLT Board President Jim Zuberbuhler: “That’s (the 322 acres) a little more than half the size of Central Park. A couple of generations from now, this will be such a part of the fabric of our community that people won’t be able to imagine Sandpoint without it.“ KLT Campaign Committee Member Julie Meyer: “Imagine the legacy in the center of our town in 50 years, as the community embraces this space. I like to think of it as our own little Golden Gate Park.“ KLT Conservation Director Regan Plumb: “Education has been a strong component of this project from the beginning. Kaniksu Land Trust is primarily devoted to land conservation, but we see this kind of outreach as a tool to connect people more directly to the land.“ KLT Board President Jim Zuberbuhler: “The stars have been aligned for this project from the very beginning.”