Posted in About Us
Tagged Beaverhead Conservation District, bees, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, CMR Community Working Group, Conservation District, DRWA, Dry Redwater Regional Water Authority, Little Beaver Conservation District, McCone Conservation District, MRCDC, NRCS, Rosebud Conservation District, SWCDMI, water, Water Compact, workshops
Posted in About Us, Other Programs
Tagged BLM, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge, Conservation District, Department of the Interior, Endangered Species Act, McCone Conservation District, NRCS, Rosebud Conservation District, sage grouse, soil, soil health, soil health workshops, Soil ^ Water Conservation Districts of Montana, SWCDMI, US Fish and Wildlife Services
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.
Posted in Other Programs
Tagged McCone County, NRCS, sage grouse, Sage Grouse Initiative, SGI, Tom Vilseck, USDA
NEWS RELEASE
Contact:
Kaveh Sadeghzadeh
202-720-3210
HELENA, Mont., July 20, 2015 –A new agreement signed today by local, state and federal leaders will streamline and coordinate sage grouse conservation efforts on private lands in Montana. USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the state of Montana and the Soil and Water Conservation Districts of Montana, Inc. (SWCDMI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to enhance joint efforts to conserve privately owned working rangelands that provide habitat for sage grouse.
NRCS Chief Jason Weller, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock and SWCDMI President Jeff Wivholm signed the agreement at Montana’s capitol.
“Almost two-thirds of Montana’s sage grouse habitat is on private lands, which is why voluntary, targeted conservation efforts are so critical,” said NRCS Chief Weller. “Today’s agreement builds on the Sage Grouse Initiative partnership, which is living proof that wildlife and agriculture can coexist and thrive in harmony. The steps we’re taking to improve habitats and outcomes for sage grouse and other wildlife are good for cattle, good for ranching operations, and good for America’s rural economy.”
The agreement provides the necessary framework for cooperation, streamlining protection and enhancement of sage grouse habitat on privately-owned working rangelands. Through the MOU, partners will be able to better explore innovative approaches to sage grouse habitat conservation and management, promote voluntary and incentive-based approaches for delivery, and strategically align their collective resources to alleviate threats facing sage grouse and ranching.
Gov. Bullock’s sage grouse plan provides a comprehensive approach for conserving sage grouse in Montana. NRCS will use this plan to invest technical and financial assistance through the Sage Grouse Initiative (SGI) to strategically implement identified conservation measures on private rangelands. Conservation districts provide dedicated human resources to create SGI conservation plans that ensure maximum benefits for both working rangelands and sage grouse.
While in Montana, Weller also met with ranchers at a roundtable hosted by Partners for Conservation where they told him first-hand about the power of conservation work on private lands.
“SGI is making a difference because private landowners voluntarily work with us to produce results on the ground,” Weller said. “The decisions Western ranchers and other private landowners make every day about what to do on their land will continue to have a critical impact on sage grouse.”
Since 2010, more than 1,100 ranchers have enrolled in the NRCS-led SGI, conserving more than 4.4 million acres of sage grouse habitat across 11 Western states. So far, NRCS has invested $296.5 million in conservation through SGI. SGI’s successes are best captured in its new publication, “Success on the Range,” which was also unveiled today in Montana. This publication highlights how SGI conserves an at-risk species through voluntary cooperation, incentives and community support.
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Posted in Uncategorized
Tagged Montana, MOU, NRCS, sage grouse, Sage Grouse Initiative, SGI, SWCDMI
Directions to monitoring site from the Circle USDA Building:
Posted in Upcoming Events
Tagged BLM, Circle, Conservation District, DNRC, grazing, local working group, McCone Conservation District, McCone County, monitoring, NRCS, Range, soil health
Public Welcome!
Public Welcome!
Posted in About Us
Tagged board of supervisors, Conservation District, McCone Conservation District, meeting, NRCS
McCone Conservation District 