BOZEMAN — Kevin Hock likes rocks. He likes the way they look under flowing water. He also likes to find them, smash them and make them. 

The Montana State University ceramics major even has an exhibit on campus, displaying artwork he made from local rocks, an exhibit that has benefitted from a few new tools in the College of Arts and Architecture that have helped Hock and others develop their craft more quickly and efficiently. 

In late 2020, the ceramics program acquired three new kilns — oven-like machines that produce high enough temperatures to harden, dry or chemically change objects made from clay — from the Dutch company Blaauw. The gas-powered machines are controlled by computers, which makes them easy to use and programmable to within a degree of temperature. 

“They’re incredibly efficient and incredibly accurate,” said Josh DeWeese, ceramics professor and director of MSU’s School of Art. “They’re very predictable. We know what we’re going to get each time.” 

Common clays used in ceramics need to be fired at 2,000 to 2,300 degrees Fahrenheit to set and harden. The new kilns can be started in the evening, perform their task overnight and cool off by morning, according to DeWeese. 

That process would take about three days when using a different model gas-fired kiln, DeWeese said. He also said the new kilns use about a quarter of the energy as other kilns, making them more cost and energy efficient. 

“The new kilns give us the capability to fire more frequently, which gives students the ability to learn more about the process, get results quicker and make adjustments,” DeWeese said. 

Two of the Blaauw kilns are large machines used to set clay.  

The third is called a gradient kiln, which is used for testing materials. Administrators in the art school said they know of only one other U.S. college that has a Blaauw gradient kiln. 

The ceramics department acquired the kilns through MSU’s Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences Grant Program for the International Wild Clay Research Project, which studies wild, local materials used in ceramics and was co-founded by DeWeese. 

Hock, who thought about also majoring in geology, said the project has helped him focus his work.  

“Rocks are a cool tool to learn about different geological processes that form our landscape,” he said. 

A shelf at his workstation holds a stack of tiles, each about 2 inches wide and 19 inches long. The tiles are coated in glazes that get darker from left to right, resembling paint color strips. They are test pieces for glazes Hock has created. 

The process starts with finding rocks – Hock is currently working with basalt and granite from the Yellowstone River.  

He smashes those rocks with a hammer, a process Hock describes as “a soothing stress reliever.”   

Then, he heats the stones and transfers them to a ball mill, where they are grinded down. The resulting powder is made into a paste, which becomes the glaze. 

The glaze is applied to a strip of tile, which is then inserted into the side of the gradient kiln. The kiln heats sections of the tile to different temperatures, causing the glaze to react differently, which produces variations in color and sheen.  

“It’s been a great resource to quickly test materials and find out what temperature they work at,” Hock said. 

He uses these glazes on the mugs, bowls and ceramic rocks that sit on a shelf adjacent to his test tiles. 

Some of those items were part of a portfolio he put together to win the Cory and Diane Pulfrey Ceramics Scholarship. The scholarship awarded him $2,500, which he said will go toward tuition, allowing him more time to explore rivers and mountains in search of new materials instead of working at a bakery. 

To accompany the scholarship, Hock has an exhibit in the Dean’s Gallery at Cheever Hall. His piece is a pile of what appear to be shiny, multicolored river rocks but are actually ceramic creations. 

“I’ve chosen just to make rocks out of rocks,” he said. “But I’m really glad it’s fooling people.” 

Hock plans to graduate in the fall of 2023, but in the meantime is excited to split his time between nature and the ceramics lab. 

“I’m really looking forward to this summer,” Hock said. “I’m excited to have more time to research and test new materials.” 

HELENA – A mistake in last week’s drawing for some moose and big horn sheep licenses will result in fewer licenses issued than were originally drawn. 

The mistake occurred when quotas were incorrectly entered into the drawing system by licensing staff and resulted in more licenses being drawn in some districts than what the quota dictated. 

The affected sheep licenses are:

• 482-20: drew 20 applicants, but the quota was 15.
• 482-30: drew 40 applicants, but the quota was five.
• 622-30: drew 20 applicants, but the quota was 10.
• 680-31: drew 40 applicants, but the quota was 30. 

The affected moose licenses are:

• 270-50: drew three applicants, but the quota was two. 
• 332-00: drew eight applicants, but the quota was six.   
• 341-50: drew three applicants, but the quota was two. 

“We know this is disappointing for the people affected by this mistake, and we’re very sorry. We are putting the resource first, and here that means following the science for population management and ensuring that we meet hunters’ expectations for a quality hunt,” said FWP Deputy Director Dustin Temple. “In this circumstance, that means pulling back some of the licenses drawn to ensure the health of the sheep and moose populations in these areas.”

During drawings, FWP’s system allocates licenses in order, meaning the system knows which hunter was the first to be drawn, the second, third and so on. Because the drawings are done in this fashion, FWP staff can determine who was mistakenly awarded licenses beyond the appropriate quota. 

“This is the fairest way we know to fix this mistake, but it will mean some hunters who thought they were successful in the drawing, will not get a license,” Temple said.

Quota ranges are determined by the Fish and Wildlife Commission. FWP biologists set annual quotas for many species within the ranges approved by the commission. For instance, the commission might approve a quota range for a moose license of 1 to 10. FWP biologists look at numbers on the landscape, as well as other factors, and set a quota of two for that license. 

This solution will be implemented as soon as possible. The moose, sheep, goat and bison drawing occurred May 12. Staff realized the error May 16 and put a block on the ability for successful applicants in the affected districts to purchase their license. FWP staff are removing successful applicants based on their place in line in the original drawing. Once the system completes the corrections, the affected hunters will be notified by phone and email, and their MyFWP accounts will be updated. At this point, successful applicants will be able to purchase their licenses.

Since being ordered to close on April 20, 2023, food samples – including salmon and morel mushrooms – from Dave’s Sushi have been collected and analyzed. To date, all samples have come back negative for a series of pathogens and toxins. A thorough investigation led by the Gallatin City-County Health Department, with support from the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS), the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), is still ongoing and it is known that this investigation may not be able to identify a specific pathogen/toxin as a source of the outbreak that impacted 50 people. Three individuals had severe outcomes, including hospitalizations, and the deaths of two individuals are being investigated after eating at the restaurant.
The manner and cause of death for these two individuals will remain pending until autopsy and toxicology results are available.

In addition to the initial investigation of persons who became ill, the Gallatin City-County Health Department and the Department of Public Health and Human Services in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are also conducting an epidemiologic study to compare the menu items eaten by persons who became ill to the menu items for persons who also ate at the restaurant during the same time period but did not become ill. The preliminary analysis strongly suggests that the morel mushrooms were the food item that caused the outbreak and that other menu items that did not contain morel mushrooms were not associated with persons becoming ill. Dave’s Sushi has removed and discarded all morel mushrooms and other food inventory, and has corrected all violations from the April 18, 2023 inspection.

On May 17, 2023, the Gallatin City-County Health Officer determined that there is no longer an imminent health hazard preventing the establishment from reopening and rescinded the Closure Order and instituted a new Health Officer Order. This new order requires specific corrective actions that Dave’s Sushi has to satisfy prior to the restaurant re-opening for food service to mitigate any future risks to public health. The corrective actions include providing the health department with specific standard
operating procedures, including procedures for addressing biological toxins. Other actions include mandatory staff training for all food handlers and management staff; providing the names of the staff member(s) who have supervisory and management authority to the Health Department; successfully passing required inspections; and providing a fresh food inventory.

Once Dave’s Sushi has completed all required corrective actions, it can reopen.

“Foodborne illness outbreaks are a serious public health concern. We remain committed to working with our state and federal partners on further investigational activities and remain deeply saddened for all those affected by this outbreak,” said Gallatin City-County Health Officer Lori Christenson. “The Health Department and Dave’s Sushi took prompt action to reduce the possibility of new illnesses by closing the restaurant during the detailed investigative work. A foodborne illness outbreak can be disruptive, frustrating, feel scary, and, most tragically, result in death or severe injury. With the findings from the preliminary analysis pointing towards the morel mushrooms and required actions Dave’s Sushi must take prior to reopening, there is no known public health reason for the establishment to stay closed.”

The public can find more information about ford-borne illnesses here.

Helena, MT - The Montana’s Outdoor Legacy Foundation (MOLF) has received a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to focus on improving elk, mule deer and pronghorn migratory movements in southeast Montana. The grant provides MOLF and partners a total of $275,000 for priority work identified over the next two years. MOLF and our partners will contribute roughly an additional $1 million in matching funds and in-kind support.

“We are excited to work alongside our partners and private landowners to improve the migration of big game in Montana,” said Mitch King, Executive Director, Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation. “We know where movements are inhibited and where habitats pose challenges, this funding allows us to put the research into action.”

In 2022, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department (FWP) identified five critical migration focus areas and supported research on big game movements to locate impediments impacting wildlife movements as well as areas where habitat degradation has fragmented wildlife movement and production. MOLF and the partners will use this research as the blueprint to remove or modify impediments and work to enhance grassland habitats important to wildlife and big game migration.

“Wildlife research is key to proper management, but without action that utilizes the information gained during the research to improve the landscape for those wildlife species we fall short in helping conserve the wildlife which we all love, said Brett Dorak, Miles City Wildlife Manager for FWP. “Being able to work with NFWF, MOLF, private landowners, and the other partners with these funds will help us address some key impediments to wildlife movements we have identified and improve access to critical habitats that pronghorn, elk, and mule deer require throughout all portions of the year for their survival now and into the future.

"MOLF’s southeast Montana project is a partnership between MOLF, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation (RMEF), the National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF), FWP, BLM, FS and local ranchers & landowners. The project area includes four counties in southeast Montana (Custer, Carter, Rosebud and Powder River). As much of the project area is on private land, the ranching community in the area will play a key role in project implementation. MOLF and the other project partners will work with the agriculture community to identify cooperative projects to ensure that any work performed through the grant will not preclude the area’s traditional ranching and farming activities.

One of 13 projects selected by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the grants will provide nearly $4 million in funding across the western U.S. to secure key migration paths and restore rangeland habitats for elk, mule deer and pronghorn. These grants were awarded through the Western Big Game Seasonal Habitat and Migration Corridors Fund, a partnership between NFWF, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Forest Service, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service and ConocoPhillips, with additional funding this year from the Bezos Earth Fund.

The City of Bozeman and Gallatin Valley Land Trust (GVLT) are teaming up to begin improvements at Burke Park/Peets Hill. Those visiting Peets Hill in the coming week can expect to see machinery and equipment making its way to the southern end of Burke Park where the new 12 acres were conserved as public parkland last January. Beginning the week of May 15, phase 1 will consist of the construction of two overlooks and All Abilities trail improvements on the newly purchased 12 acres.

“We couldn’t be more excited to take this important next step for Peets Hill,” Mitch Overton, Bozeman Parks & Recreation Director, stated. “Through an incredible partnership with GVLT and most importantly, the generosity of our community, we’re now able to create new trails, add fencing and trail signage, and establish three scenic overlooks. This park has a special place in our community’s heart, and this project is going to make it even better.”

The improvements are focused on providing expanded accessibility for everyone to enjoy the park and its views by incorporating principles of Universal Design. This includes building additional locations for seating to help protect native vegetation and creating more trail connections to facilitate users moving through the park to access other trail systems. Burke Park/Peets Hill is a beloved community asset, and so all improvements have been entirely informed by the community.

Over the last year, both GVLT and the City of Bozeman have solicited feedback on Burke Park Master Plan revisions through surveys and public meetings, collecting hundreds of responses and suggestions on how we can better care for Burke Park/Peets Hill. Community feedback clearly defined views of surrounding lands, preservation of native plants and wildflowers, and connectivity to other trails as the top priorities to enhance when making improvements.

“Peets Hill holds so many of our precious memories for those living in and visiting the Valley,” said Adam Johnson, GVLT Trails Program Manager. “It’s so important to us that these park enhancements honor the wishes of the community that fought so hard to protect the park and expand access to everyone.”

The construction area will not require prolonged trail closures, but park users should be mindful of the heavy machinery operating on Peets Hill, keep their ears and eyes open, and keep pets leashed and small children under control when entering posted construction areas.  

There are countless career paths that you can decide to take, but one of the most popular ones in 2023 is being a model or fitness influencer on Instagram. Many people understand, or at least have some concept, of how to get followers and become popular, but not many understand how you can actually turn those followers into earnings. This is what we’ll be covering today and we hope that you will have a better idea of what you can do in regards to that once you’re done reading.

Building Your Instagram Presence
Before you can monetize your Instagram presence and following you first have to acquire it. There are many ways to go about this, but some methods are more popular than others. The main thing you need to do is find your niche as it’s far easier to succeed by having one than being a jack-of-all-trades type of content creator. Having a strong identity and being consistent with it are some of the most consistent methods toward success. We also highly recommend engaging with your followers whenever possible as they will appreciate it and it will have a high chance of retaining old followers and bringing in new ones.

Growing Your Instagram Fame
Just because you’ve attained a decent number of followers doesn’t mean that you can stop there. As an influencer, you need to be growing constantly. Consistent growth is far more important than quick bursts of lots of followers. Some of the methods that you can utilize are collaborations with other similar influencers, paying for social media adverts and if you have a site then you can utilize SEO and website optimization in order to increase the odds of people seeing your site and engaging with your content in general. While the process may not be simple or easy, it’s absolutely necessary in order to thrive for a longer period of time which should be your aim anyway. 

Monetizing Your Instagram Fame
Now that you’ve obtained a good amount of followers and have a decent level of consistent growth going, you can start to monetize your content and actually earn a living from this. The first thing that you should do is utilize any in-built monetization that Instagram and other platforms have. Each platform does this differently so you’ll need to do some research, but they’re all great sources of passive income. You could also go the route of creating and selling your own product by advertising it through your posts or perhaps do sponsored content and affiliate marketing if you don’t wish to go through the work of creating your own product and setting everything up in order to be able to sell it.

Examples of Success
There are many examples of successful models and fitness influencers on Instagram so let’s take a look at a few. A prominent example is Abby Poblador, who is a model leveraging her success both online and in real life which has allowed her to score a job with an MMA promotion. There are also others such as Alexis Ren, Chloe Ting, Emi Wong, Pamela Reif, and many others. Some of them lean more into modeling, others into fitness guides, but all of them have had a high degree of success. This shows that as long as you have the right mindset you can succeed in many different ways which is a good thing to keep in mind as a bit of motivation.

Overcoming Common Challenges
Let’s talk about some of the most common challenges that people run into when they try to become fitness models or influencers. The first one is getting demotivated by a lack of success. It’s important to understand that even those who are extremely successful today usually had a slow start, but they persevered. Don’t get demotivated, it takes a lot of patience to succeed. Burnout is another big issue if you’re trying to put out high-quality all the time you may get burnt out from trying so hard to keep things fresh and not accidentally release something that isn’t very good. Be very wary of burnout as it’s quite hard to deal with sometimes.

Conclusion
It’s a far more complex journey than most would think, but becoming a fitness model/influencer is a dream for many and we believe it’s worth giving it a shot if you think you can do it, just remember to give it your all and be patient.

Moving house is a significant life event. It can be exciting but stressful, especially when time is tight. Whether you’re relocating for a new job, downsizing, or moving closer to loved ones, there are plenty of things to consider. With a few key tips, however, you can ensure that your house move goes smoothly.

Follow these tips to move even when time is tight.

Start Planning Early

Start the planning early. This is especially important when time is tight. Set a timeline and work backward from your moving date. This way, you can determine all the tasks you need to be completed.

Planning includes researching moving companies and determining the date of your move. By giving yourself enough time, you can stay organized. You can avoid last-minute stress and ensure everything is completed on time.

Notify necessary parties of your move. This ensures you get all important bills and correspondence during the move. Notify your employer, utility companies, and post office. Update your address with your bank, credit card companies, and other relevant organizations. Allow enough time for the changes to take effect before your move.

Declutter Your Home

Decluttering your home is part of the moving process. It's an opportunity to eliminate items you no longer need or want. It can reduce the amount of stuff you need to pack for the move.

Get rid of old clothing, furniture, and household items. Decluttering saves you time and money on packing. It also gives you the chance to start fresh in your new home. You only keep the things you truly need and want.

Getting an Expert Moving Company to Help

Hiring a reputable moving company can make your move smoother and less stressful. An excellent moving company can handle everything for you. They help you pack, load, and unload. They allow you to focus on other aspects of your move.

Research moving companies in your area read reviews, and get recommendations from friends and family. Some research ensures you choose a company with a good reputation and experience. You can always get expert help for your nationwide move.

Pack Efficiently

Packing efficiently is crucial when time is tight. Start by packing items that you won't need until after the move. They may include out-of-season clothing, holiday decorations, and books.

Use high-quality packing material, like bubble wrap and packing paper, to protect fragile items. Label each box clearly with the contents and the room it belongs in. Efficient packing can make unpacking easier. Using color-coded labels is a good idea too. They make it easier to identify which boxes belong in which room.

Take inventory of all the items you're moving to ensure nothing is lost or left behind. Make a list of everything you're moving and keep it throughout the move. You can also use the list to check off items as they're loaded and unloaded from the moving truck.

Pack an Essentials Box

An essentials box has all the items you'll need immediately after you get to your new home. These may include toiletries, clothes, bedding, and kitchen supplies.

Pack this box separately from your other belongings. Keep it with you during the move. It ensures you have everything when you arrive. Include important documents like your lease agreement in this box.

Take Care of Utilities

Taking care of utilities is essential when preparing for your move. Arrange for the disconnection of utilities at your old home and the connection of utilities at your new home.

Schedule these services in advance to avoid delays or disruptions during your move. Read your utility contracts carefully to ensure you're not charged for services you're not using.

Moving house can be stressful. However, the above tips can make it easier. With some dedication, you can make the transition to a new home smoother. The success of your endeavor depends on your ability to identify common mistakes.

BOZEMAN — Montana middle school and high school students passionate about advanced math are invited to attend the Mathematics Circle Summer Camp hosted by the Science Math Resource Center at Montana State University. Participants will immerse themselves in math problem-solving challenges, tour innovative university labs and engage in fun science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, activities.

The camps will meet from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day on the MSU campus. The three-day camps are offered as day camps, with housing options available for out-of-town participants. A camp for middle school students is scheduled for June 12-14; a camp for high school students is scheduled for June 19-21; and a camp for both middle school and high school students is scheduled for Aug. 14-16.

Tuition is $135, which includes lunch and snacks each day. Sponsorships from the MSU College of Education, Health, and Human Development, the MSU Center for Faculty Excellence and the Mathematical Association of America help keep tuition costs low, according to Fenqjen Luo with the Science Math Resource Center.

Camp participants will receive information about enrollment and test readiness for the American Mathematics Competitions, the national math exams conducted by the Mathematical Association of America. Results from these exams are often requested from universities like MIT, Stanford and Caltech, Luo said. These online exams are hosted for Montana students by the MSU Science Math Resource Center.

To learn more and register, visit Montana Math Circle at www.montana.edu/smrc/documents/mc.html or contact the Science Math Resource Center at smrc@montana.edu or 406-994-7476. Questions may also be directed to Luo at 406-994-5950 or fluo@montana.edu.

BOZEMAN — With a $20 million grant from the National Science Foundation, Montana State University and its partners on a new project will seek to understand the behavior and social impact of prescribed fires by developing new technologies for real-time monitoring and advancing collaborative relationships between researchers and educators across the state.

The five-year effort, funded by NSF’s Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, or EPSCoR, will use MSU’s expertise in optics and computer science to create sensors that can map the burnable fuels in forests and monitor fire behavior and smoke, according to MSU’s Rob Walker, who is leading the project.

“A primary goal of this project is to develop a firm and predictive understanding of prescribed fire behavior so that fire managers will know where to burn, when to burn and how to reduce impacts of smoke on Montana communities,” said Walker, professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry in MSU’s College of Letters and Science.

Called SMART FireS, an acronym for Sensors, Machine learning, and Artificial intelligence in Real Time Fire Science, the project includes 32 researchers and other partners at MSU, the. University of Montana, Montana Technological University, Flathead Valley Community College, Salish Kootenai Community College and Little Big Horn College.

"An important element to remember is that SMART FireS is a statewide effort," Walker said. The project will involve close collaboration across the six institutions among researchers working in optical sensors, computer science, fire behavior and social science. It will include educational opportunities for communities, and the SMART FireS team will work with county, state and federal partners to ensure discoveries are translated into better informed practices and policies.

Prescribed burning — which involves intentionally igniting and controlling low-intensity fire to reduce both accumulated fuels in the forest understory and the risk of more severe wildfire — is increasingly viewed as an important management strategy, even as it’s hampered by technical and social challenges, Walker noted.

“Fire managers struggle to know, one, how the intensity and emissions of prescribed fires depend on properties such as the fuels, topography and other environmental conditions,” Walker said, “and, two, how the smoke will affect communities both physically and in terms of their perception of prescribed burning.”

That presents an opportunity for MSU to contribute its growing expertise in optical sensors, according to Joseph Shaw, director of MSU’s Optical Technology Center, or OpTeC. Using hyperspectral imaging to measure both visible and invisible wavelengths of light, researchers will be able to map fire fuels and monitor fire behavior. Other advanced optical methods such as lidar — which involves measuring reflections of harmless laser light — will let researchers monitor the composition of smoke in real-time to provide valuable information to fire managers.

“We have some really advanced technology that’s world-class, with potential for sensors that are more affordable and more portable than anything else out there,” said Shaw, who is leading the optical sensor portion of the research and will work with Kevin Repasky, another professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

Developing the smoke monitors will involve collaboration with fire and smoke scientists at UM and Montana Tech as well as Walker, whose work focuses on developing spectroscopic techniques that can analyze the composition of smoke — for instance, the prevalence of molecules and particulates that can be most harmful to human health.

The project calls for fuel- and fire-mapping sensors to be mounted to drones, with smoke monitors be positioned around a burn area. Those sensors will generate a tremendous amount of data, and the need to process that information in real-time will require developing small, embedded computers to operate the sensors, Shaw noted. Ross Snider, associate professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, will spearhead that effort.

Processing the sensor data will also draw from the latest advances in machine learning, which uses sophisticated algorithms and statistical models to dynamically adapt to patterns in data. John Sheppard, professor in MSU’s Gianforte School of Computing, will lead that part of the project, and Brad Whitaker, assistant professor in the electrical and computer engineering department, will contribute his expertise on computer processing. To support the project, both MSU and UM will be hiring two new computer science faculty. The project in turn will provide support for the research these new faculty will conduct.

“What’s exciting about this project is that it’s an opportunity to make these algorithms really transparent and accessible so that we can work with fire managers to continue to adapt the algorithms to make them as accurate and as useful as possible,” said Sheppard, who has nearly 40 years of experience in the field.

Another goal is to engage with communities to learn about how the public perceives and reacts to prescribed burns, Walker noted. Kristen Intemann, professor in MSU’s Department of History and Philosophy and founding director of MSU’s Center for Science, Technology, and Ethics in Society, is part of that effort, which is being led by Elizabeth Metcalf, the Joel Meier Distinguished Professor of Wildland Management at UM.

NSF’s EPSCoR program emphasizes impacts beyond the technical research of the five-year project, according to Suzi Taylor, director of MSU’s Science Math Resource Center. She will work with colleagues at spectrUM Discovery Area to lead community engagement efforts, including working with teachers to develop lesson plans for K-12 students, developing exhibits and other educational resources, and promoting opportunities for careers in science and engineering. Susan Kelly, director of MSU’s Empower Program, will also contribute to those efforts.

“This is an opportunity to share the story about prescribed burning, why it happens and what goes into the decision making,” Taylor said. “Ultimately this project is about growing capacity across the state through partnerships that can live long beyond the five years of the project itself.”

Those kinds of relationships have been formed by a similar statewide project focused on water quality that was funded with a $20 million EPSCoR grant in 2018, said Walker, who is a co-leader of that effort.

“The experience of working with colleagues across the state has been incredibly rewarding.  Thanks to the current EPSCoR grant, we are much better informed about how economic activities impact water quality in Montana’s rivers and streams,” he said.

“NSF EPSCoR has invested in Montana’s research and education capacity going back to 1980, hiring new faculty, funding priority research, and creating new workforce development opportunities,” said MSU’s Todd Kipfer, the project’s associate director.

Walker said the SMART FireS will leverage cooperative relationships to learn a wildfire management strategy that benefits all Montanans.

“This kind of inter-institutional collaboration makes the whole university system in the state that much stronger,” he said.

BOZEMAN – The City of Bozeman’s Water Conservation Division has developed a community contest to encourage City water account holders to take out thirsty turfgrass from their adjacent street boulevards and install drought-tolerant and native plant gardens.
 
“Boulevards are narrow strips of vegetation between the sidewalk and the street. They're owned by the City, but maintenance and care of that landscaping is the responsibility of the adjacent property owner,” Chelsey Trevino, Water Conservation Technician, explained. “These areas are typically installed with sod turfgrass and irrigated using overhead spray, which results in water waste onto adjacent streets and sidewalks. If we can get community members to transform their boulevards into beautiful drought-tolerant gardens, then we are one step closer to inspiring more residents to focus on outdoor water savings.”

Registration for the landscaping contest is currently open and will close on June 30. Landscaping projects must be completed in 2023. Project completion and image submission of the landscaped boulevard must be received by Nov. 1. A first- and second-place winner will be chosen by the community via online voting from mid-November to the end of December. Winners will be chosen in January 2024. The first-place winner will receive a $250 visa card along with an outdoor water-smart gift basket, and the second-place winner will receive a $100 plant nursery gift card.

 
Judging criteria will be based on four categories: overall aesthetics, appropriate plant selection, design elements, and efficient methods of irrigation. Boulevard trees must remain healthy and in place within the new landscaping.
 
The Water Conservation Division offers rebates and resources to help residents plan and pay for boulevard landscape alterations, including turf removal, drip irrigation, and drought-tolerant plant rebates. Free mulch provided by the Forestry Division and water-smart landscaping guides are also available to all City water customers.

 
For a complete list of rules and regulations and to register for the Beautify Your Boulevard Contest, visit www.bozeman.net/beautifyboulevard or contact 406.582.2266.