The Vital Ground Foundation, NRCS and its Agricultural Land Easement Program and Mary Sexton have teamed up to conserve a 650-acre family ranch along the Rocky Mountain Front near Choteau.
Kaniksu Land Trust Completes Pine Street Woods Community Forest Project
Kaniksu Land Trust in Sandpoint, ID, is celebrating the completion of the organization’s largest conservation project to date, the 180-acre Pine Street Woods Community Forest project. A featured article in the Bonner County Daily Bee salutes the collaborative and determined work that produced the $2.1 million project as well as the community benefits that flow from the project’s management.
Gallatin County Commission Approves Funding for Ag Lands Conservation
Gallatin County Commissioners recently approved funding to conserve 1,092 acres of farm and ranch ground in the Amsterdam-Churchill area. More than 50,000 acres of Gallatin County open land has been conserved thanks to voter-approved ballot measures. Key additional funding sources are the NRCS ALE Program and landowner donations.
Vital Ground Building Success at Alvord Lake
It has been a busy year for the Vital Ground Foundation and its community forest at Alvord Lake in northwest Montana. Vital Ground purchased the 142-acre property in 2016 and created a collaborative effort to manage the forest for wildlife habitat, recreational access, forest health and other values. An article on Vital Ground’s website details a March 6 community forest management meeting that discussed forest thinning, prescribed burning and education.
Saving Land Magazine Touts Farm Bill
Good article in Spring 2019 edition of Saving Land Magazine about the Farm Bill and open land conservation. Montana land trusts voice support for the Farm Bill and the NRCS.
US Senate Finance Committee Investigates Syndicated Conservation Projects
Good News: US Senate Finance Committee joins the IRS and US Department of Justice in investigating syndication and abuse of conservation transactions. Thanks to Sen. Daines for legislative help. From the Land Trust Alliance: “Only a handful of the more than 2,000 conservation easements completed annually are the work of bad actors abusing the system. But these actors must be stopped.” Investigated, penalized and stopped.
Kaniksu Land Trust Searching for Executive Director
Kaniksu Land Trust’s search for a new executive director continues, with an April 5 cutoff date for applications. KLT is located in Sandpoint, ID, works in Idaho and Montana, and has recently significantly expanded its land conservation and community conservation efforts. The position description and application information is available on the FLT website and says, “The ideal candidate will be a strong, well-focused, and dynamic leader willing to reach out to our community and promote the mission of KLT through public engagement and fundraising. This person will need to be able to inspire and direct a small but talented staff and engage an array of community partners and collaborators.”
Governor Bullock Seeking Applicants for Grizzly Bear Advisory Council
Governor Steve Bullock is seeking Montanans to apply to serve on a newly-created Grizzly Bear Advisory Council to assist the State of Montana develop plans for eventual state management of grizzly bears. “Legal uncertainty has created a void requiring our leadership,“ Governor Bullock said in creating the advisory council. “As bears continue to expand in numbers and habitat, we must identify durable and inclusive strategies to address current issues and prepare for the future. This advisory council represents a key step toward Montana embracing the tremendous responsibility and opportunity of long-term Grizzly Bear recovery and management.”
NRCS / MALT Partnership Meeting Set for May 8
The NRCS / MALT Partnership Meeting will take place the afternoon of May 8 in Bozeman, at the NRCS State Office. Erik Suffridge of the NRCS and Tom Mallon (Montana ALE Program Coordinator) will be working on the meeting agenda, so land trusts are encouraged to contact them with ideas for agenda topics. The meeting will present a good opportunity to discuss 2019 ALE Program provisions and funding levels, 202 ALE Program expectations, RCPP provisions, Focused Conservation, the NRCS State Technical Committee, individual ALE projects, and more.
Land Trust Day in the Capitol Coming Up April 11
The MALT membership legislative Land Trust Day in the Capitol is coming up on April 11, and detailed information about the day’s agenda will be finalized soon. The event will kick off at 10:00 AM with a brief welcome and pep talk by State Senator Terry Gauthier (R-Helena), sponsor of SB 24, a bill that would expand trails and parks funding. The bill has passed the Senate and will be heard in the House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee on March 28. Thanks to Prickly Pear Land Trust, which has kindly offered to take a lead on serving lunch in the Capitol rotunda at noon on April 11. Please consider making the trip to Helena on April 11 for the day’s festivities. Land Trust Day in the Capitol presents a great opportunity to discuss the importance of private land conservation to a key audience of policy makers. More details coming soon.