2016 Winter Grazing Seminar February 2-3 in Missoula

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

 

 

Range Ruminations: How Much Grass Will I Have This Summer?

By Dr. Jeff Mosley  

MSU Extension Range Management Specialist

Range forage growth this spring has been slow out of the chute in many parts of Montana.  My optimistic nature assures me, however, that plenty of rainfall and warmer temperatures will soon combine to ease my worries.  Those less optimistic souls among us might prefer to plan ahead using estimates of summer grass production.

Reliable estimates of summer grass production can be made by comparing this year’s amount of precipitation to the long-term average.  One method compares the amount of precipitation received in a “crop year”, while another method compares the combined total precipitation received in April, May, and June.

Read the rest of the article here:  range-ruminations.pdf

June 19th–Range Monitoring Day

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Directions to monitoring site from the Circle USDA Building:

• Drive one block north to Main Street.
• Turn right at the intersection and proceed east over the railroad tracks.  Road bends to the right, continue east 0.3 miles to the crossing on the Redwater River.
• The road becomes McCune Creek Road.
• Cross the river, go 1.25 miles east to the T.  Follow the road around to your right as it turns south.
• Continue south for three miles to the intersection of Circle Tower Road.
• Turn left on Circle Tower Road heading east.
• Continue on Circle Tower Road approximately 5.3 miles.
• Turn right (will be marked) on the track that heads south up the draw; continue south for about one-half mile.

Spring Newsletter available online & it’s in color!

Go to “About Us” and “Newsletter 2015”.

Will be mailed out next week, too.  Enjoy!

 

Range Leaders of the Year Awards

Winter Grazing Seminar, Billings, MT  January 21-22, 2015

Sidney Rancher Duane Ullman

Matt Ricketts, NRCS

RangeLeader2014 final press release

October 16th Workshop in Circle