Special Edition-October E-Newsletter now available

October 2015 E-Newsletter

Sage Grouse Will Not Be Listed An Endangered Specie

Tuesday, September 22, 2015/Categories: General News, Today’s Top 5, National News, Ag Issues, Wildlife, Sage Grouse

 

Denver, CO.—Governor Steve Bullock today joined Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell and other western governors to announce that the US Department of Interior has decided the Greater Sage-grouse does not warrant protection under the Endangered Species Act. The decision ensures that states will continue to oversee management of the bird.

“Today’s announcement is good for our state, our economy, and this iconic bird. Montana’s Sage-grouse management plan is the right path forward in a state where 60 percent of the bird’s habitat is privately owned,” Bullock said. “This decision shows that when Montanans from diverse viewpoints put aside their differences, and focus on addressing a challenge, we can accomplish great things for our state.”

The announcement comes in large part as a result of intense work by Bullock and the Montanans he worked with to improve state management of the bird. In the first weeks of his term, Bullock issued an executive order to establish the Greater Sage-grouse Advisory Council, which he tasked to create a statewide management plan for the bird. Through the council, Bullock brought together diverse stakeholders on this issue including representatives from conservation, sportsmen, energy development, agriculture and ranching, tribes, local governments and the legislature.

He subsequently worked with a bipartisan coalition of lawmakers in the 2015 legislative session to secure funding for the management plan crafted by the Council. The US Fish and Wildlife Service used this plan to consider whether federal protection of the bird would be necessary.

“Today’s decision is good for the Greater Sage-grouse, for the West and for our nation. I thank Governor Bullock for his valuable leadership. Montana evaluated Wyoming’s model and crafted a plan that meets the needs of its birds and its economy, custom and culture,” said Gov. Matt Mead of Wyoming. “Governor Bullock’s commitment to preserving the Greater Sage-grouse and its habitat in Montana and other western states helped make today possible.”

Montanans heralded today’s decision and Bullock’s leadership:

“This decision respects private property rights, and ensures that Montana ranchers, farmers, and landowners will continue to have a voice in the management of this bird,” said Errol Rice, Executive Vice President of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. “I want to commend Governor Bullock for his efforts in securing this decision, and ensuring that all stakeholders were heard in developing Montana’s management plan.”

“Today’s announcement is confirmation that Montana’s Sage-grouse conservation program is on the right track. Using a science-based approach, the state will now act to conserve sage-grouse habitat in an effort to bolster this bird’s populations across Montana,” said Janet Ellis, Senior Director of Policy for Montana Audubon. “I thank Governor Bullock for stepping up to the plate to bring diverse viewpoints to the table to focus on a solution that is in the best interest of Montana and this iconic bird.”

“We appreciate the efforts and leadership from Governor Bullock to ensure that management of the Sage-grouse remains in state hands,” said Dave Galt, Executive Director of the Montana Petroleum Association. “The decision today recognizes the strength of Montana’s efforts to protect Sage-grouse and is a victory for Montana’s private landowners as well as our economic opportunities and quality of life.”

“Over the last few years, Montanans from all walks of life have worked together to protect sage-grouse habitat on public and private land,” said Dave Chadwick, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation. “Today’s decision demonstrates that when we roll up our sleeves and put aside politics, we can preserve both Montana’s wildlife and our working farms and ranches. Now we need to dedicate ourselves to fully implementing these protections and recovering this important species for future generations.”

Source:  The Office of Governor Steve Bullock

http://www.northernag.net

Partnerships Producing Possibilities

The MRCDC River Rendezvous highlights the success of partnership efforts to control saltcedar on the South shore of Fort Peck Lake

Over 30 folks loaded into boats gathered at the Devil’s Creek Recreation Area at Fort Peck Lake on August 25th to tour a unique, cooperative effort to combat the invasive tree, saltcedar (Tamarisk ramosissima). Saltcedar is native to Eurasia, produces thousands of seeds that float on water and germinate in the wet soils left behind as the lake level steadily drops through the summer. The tree uses large amounts of water and exudes salts into the soil altering its ability to support more desirable plants. Saltcedar has drastically altered riparian systems in the Southwestern US, prompting concerted efforts to control the plant in Montana.

After a 30 minute ride on a rare glass-like surface of Fort Peck, the boats landed at the mouth of Seven Blackfoot Creek, providing tour attendees with a first-hand look at the extent of saltcedar infestation and the challenges imposed by the rugged terrain. A delta of trees ranging from seedlings to six-foot tall individuals sprinkled with emerging cottonwoods testify of the complexity of treating the full area. To add to the challenge, the 56,000 acre drainage encompasses both public and private ownerships, steep terrain, and very limited road access. So why pick such a challenging area for a saltcedar treatment?

The project was proposed at a meeting of the Montana Saltcedar Team (MST) which is a group of over 50 public and private partners whose mission is to promote strategic, cooperative management of saltcedar along the Missouri and Musselshell Rivers in Montana. During the first meeting, the group identified the Seven Blackfoot Creek area in Garfield County as a key area for managing saltcedar on the south shore of Fort Peck Lake. The group has since spent nearly a year organizing partners, obtaining funding, and developing a treatment plan that includes the full array of landowners with the goal of controlling saltcedar in the entire watershed. “This project is important to the private landowners in Garfield County, and we hope it provides an example for how to manage saltcedar and noxious weeds in other areas”, said Dean Rogge, Chairman of the Garfield County Conservation District and the MRCDC.

The treatment plan is a cooperative effort between the US Army Corps Of Engineers (ACOE), US Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS), Garfield County Conservation District, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Bureau of Land Management (BLM), private landowners, and the Missouri River Conservation Districts Council (MRCDC). Patricia Gilbert of the US ACOE believes that having everyone at the table helps keep the support for the projects coming from the federal agencies. “It’s important that we all understand how management of weeds on our land affects our neighbors and their land”, she continued.

Currently, treatments have been applied to the private land near the head of the drainage, and will continue with applications on BLM, US FWS, and US ACOE land scheduled for summer of 2016. Herbicide treatments will be applied with helicopter, UTV spray rigs, and backpack sprayers as dictated by the terrain and infestation density. This collaborative approach to managing saltcedar on a landscape scale will result in more impact to the plant community and more efficient use of everyone’s limited resources.

The MST was formed in April of 2014 to bring federal and state agencies together with local government and private individuals to combat a common problem. The Team promotes on –the-ground projects and working together across land ownership boundaries to control saltcedar. To support that mission, the MST also hosted an Americorps Member stationed in Petroleum County to help coordinate saltcedar management efforts, provide education and outreach benefits to the Missouri and Musselshell River watersheds, and create a database of current infestations of saltcedar to help MST members prioritize future areas of treatment.

The MST also serves as a source of communication about other saltcedar treatment efforts going on within the watersheds. Sara Meloy, volunteer coordinator with the Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument described their use of Montana Conservation Corps (MCC) volunteer teams to survey and hand-pull saltcedar from the Missouri River between Fort Benton and the Fred Robinson Bridge. This program removed saltcedar from over 100 miles of river the past year and there are plans for more removals and surveys in 2016.

On the ride back to Devil’s Creek, the boats stopped to survey a small site of Eurasian Watermilfoil, where Patricia discussed the impacts of lake level on the growth of the plant. Lake level forecasts are used to determine the need for treatments for both milfoil and saltcedar on an annual basis, and help guide the long-range plan of the Corps in controlling these aquatic invasive species.

Thanks to Jim Gordon with Crop Production Services for supplying the lunch for the tour participants and to Patricia Gilbert and cohorts from the US ACOE and Bridget Neilsen and fellow USFWS boat operators for a near-perfect day on the water, despite the smoke from area fires. To learn more about the MST and their projects, contact Rachel Frost, Coordinator for MRCDC, at mrcdc@macdnet.org.

# # #

 

 

 

 

 

Statewide Bison Draft EIS–Comment period ends September 11th

STATEWIDE BISON DRAFT EIS – INFORMATIONAL

FWP is seeking public comment on a statewide bison conservation and management Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates opportunities for bison restoration somewhere in Montana. The EIS considers four alternatives, one of which is a no action alternative. Three alternatives evaluate broad scenarios for bison restoration on different types of land, i.e., private, public or tribal, and at different herd size scales.

Go to the FWP link below to voice your opinion and comments! http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/publicComments/2015/draftEisBisonConservAndMgmtInMT_draftEIS.html

 

 

Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0, Investment Strategy, FY2015-2018

SGI 2.0 will build on successful public and private conservation efforts made since 2010 to improve sage grouse habitat.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced a new four-year strategy that will invest approximately $211 million through 2018 in conservation efforts to benefit the greater sage-grouse.

The strategy, known as Sage Grouse Initiative 2.0, will build on successful public and private conservation efforts made since 2010 to improve sage grouse habitat. The new plan will provide additional assistance for ranchers to make conservation improvements to their land that support the iconic bird, strengthen ranching operations, and bolster the Western way of life.

Learn more.

New! River Rendezvous photos

Look under “PHOTOS” to view!

August 26th–CM Russell Community Working Group Meeting

CMR-NWR-Working-Grp-Agenda-08262015

Local Kid Catalena Kuntz Second Place Grades 2-3 in Statewide Poster Contest!

Poster Contest Winners

At the MACD Spring Board meeting we had the pleasure of judging posters from across the state for the annual NACD Poster Contest. Districts asked local students to create posters around this year’s theme, “Local Heroes: Your Hard Working Pollinators”. Each district submitted their top posters in each age category to the state contest.

Those that received first place as judged in the state contest at the spring board meeting will be sent to the National Association of Conservation Districts to compete with other posters from across the nation.

Here are our state contest winners:  see posters at link–http://macdnet.org/blog/2015/06/17/poster-contest-winners/

Mom’s Day Roses Ready to be Delivered

Labeling for delivery

REMINDER! No-Till Garden Workshop Tomorrow 4/23