The Gallatin City-County Health Department (GCCHD) and the Gallatin Local Water Quality District (GLWQD) want to make sure you, your family, and your pets stay safe while recreating in the lakes, rivers, and streams in and around Gallatin County this summer. There are potential health risks to consider when recreating in freshwater, two health risks to highlight are harmful algal blooms (HABs) and E. coli.

“The GLWQD is providing routine water sampling at several sites within Gallatin County that are heavily used during summer recreation,” says Nick Banish, District Manager of GLWQD. “Collection of surface water samples will be taken and analyzed for E.coli bacteria and harmful algal bloom toxins, and the public will be notified when necessary.”

 GLWQD is performing local water quality testing through the recreational waters monitoring program.

Test results are posted on the GCCHD water quality page, as well as additional information on harmful algal blooms (HABs) and other waterborne illnesses.

Harmful Algal Blooms (HABs)
Gallatin County currently has three locations where a CAUTION advisory is posted for HABs. Valley Grove HOA Pond, Hyalite Reservoir, and Hebgen Lake near Corey Springs in the Grayling Arm. Conditions can change rapidly, GCCHD and GLWQD highly recommend checking locations for possible HABs before you recreate. Also, review ALL signage onsite for any caution advisories.

HABs are dangerous for humans and pets. Do not ignore signs posted near any body of water. HABs are a type of algae, known as cyanobacteria that can create toxins. Ingestion or prolonged contact with the algal bloom may result in illness, with impacts such as muscle twitching, staggering, convulsions, paralysis, and death. Importantly, children and pets are more likely to ingest HAB infested waters. Direct contact, ingestion, or inhalation of cyanotoxins may irritate the skin, eyes, nose, and respiratory system or cause nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or headaches.
If you suspect a HAB-related illness in a person or animal, call Poison Control 1-800-222-1222 and seek medical attention.

“Health risks from HABs and E. coli are real and can be serious,” says Travis Horton, Environmental Health Director at GCCHD. “Please heed all posted warnings and remember, when in doubt stay out.”

Report a suspected HAB at www.hab.mt.gov or call 888-849-2938. You may also report a suspected HAB by calling GCCHD at 406-582-3120. For more information about HABs visit: Harmful Algal Blooms (mt.gov)
E. coli (Escherichia coli)

Gallatin County has detected elevated bacteria in Meyers Lake where E. coli levels are above the EPA recreational water quality standards for full body contact swimming.

E. coli is a type of bacteria that lives in the intestines of people and animals. E. coli is commonly found in human and animal feces. Most strains of E. coli are harmless, but some can make people sick.

E. coli can be contracted when swallowing water while swimming or playing in lakes, ponds, streams, swimming pools, or even backyard “kiddie” pools. While unintentionally swallowing water is a common cause of sickness, those with cuts, open wounds, or sores should not enter the water, as these are also pathways for bacteria to enter your body.

Symptoms of infection vary by person, but often include severe stomach cramps, diarrhea (often
bloody), and vomiting. Some people may have a low fever. Most people get better within 5 to 7 days.

Some infections are mild, but others are severe or even life-threatening. For safe swimming information, visit the CDC’s website.

Contact your healthcare provider if you have diarrhea that lasts for more than 3 days or diarrhea that is accompanied by a fever higher than 102˚F, bloody diarrhea, or so much vomiting that you cannot keep liquids down and you pass very little urine.

The mission for Gallatin City-County Health Department is to promote and protect health and wellbeing in our communities. For more information, visit our website www.healthygallatin.org.

BOZEMAN — An Indigenous-led education and research program at Montana State University and its partner institution have been awarded a $5 million grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a project to support Indigenous food sovereignty.

MSU’s Buffalo Nations Food System Initiative, in collaboration with Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College in New Town, North Dakota, received the grant from the USDA’s National Institute for Food and Agriculture, or NIFA. The grant is part of a NIFA program called From Learning to Leading: Cultivating the Next Generation of Diverse Food and Agriculture Professionals.

The grant will support a project, “Calling People Back to the Land – Indigenous Traditional Knowledge Network and Curriculum for the Next Generation of Indigenous Food Sovereignty Workforce," that will develop initiatives focused on Indigenous food systems and buffalo management, or caretaking, while facilitating an exchange program in both animal husbandry and horticulture, in which Indigenous farmers and ranchers will spend time in one another’s homelands to observe Indigenous land practices. This program includes national and international Indigenous knowledge exchanges. MSU College of Education, Health and Human Development faculty members Jill Falcon Ramaker and Roland Ebel will co-lead the MSU side of the work.

The grant will support the work of one undergraduate and two MSU graduate students in most years of the grant and provide scholarships for tribal college instructors to participate in an MSU initiative focused on Indigenous food systems. The grant will also fund tribal college student enrollment in a new Indigenous food systems certificate at Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College.

Falcon Ramaker, assistant professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology and director of Buffalo Nations Food System Initiative at MSU, said food sovereignty is among the highest priorities of the Native nations of this region, whose relationship with buffalo has been essential to the well-being of the land and the people.

“Through this work we are building back a Native knowledge network in the Northern Plains and Rockies that supported the health of the land and people for millennia,” Falcon Ramaker said.

“Food sovereignty is a concern of Indigenous communities globally, and the traditional ecological knowledge of many of these communities has been excluded from mainstream food systems,” said Ebel, assistant research professor in the Department of Food Systems, Nutrition and Kinesiology. “However, the holistic approach of Indigenous cultures has the potential to sustainably enhance 21st century food systems.”

Falcon Ramaker noted that the grant-funded work will examine ways to potentially provide educational opportunities for non-traditional Indigenous students and working professionals that can accommodate varied job schedules or dependent care.

Falcon Ramaker also said it’s noteworthy that the NIFA funding supports a partnership between two land-grant institutions working to protect the well-being of Native lands and peoples.

Additional collaborators on the grant are Melissa Nelson, professor at the Arizona State University School of Sustainability, College of Global Futures; Joseph Gazing Wolf, buffalo rancher and associate director of the 40,000-acre Joseph H. Williams Tallgrass Prairie Preserve on Osage Nation in Oklahoma; and, Rick Hall, ecological education consultant at Prairie Rose Associates.

For more information about Buffalo Nations Food System Initiative at MSU, visit https://www.montana.edu/ehhd/BNFSI.html or contact Falcon Ramaker at jillfalcon.ramaker@montana.edu.

For more information about Nueta Hidatsa Sahnish College and its programs, visit www.nhsc.edu or contact Ruth Plenty Sweetgrass-She Kills at rhall@nhsc.edu.

BOZEMAN – From July 20 to July 22, Bozeman Police Department conducted a human trafficking and child exploitation investigation in the Bozeman area. The result of this investigation was the arrests of 18 individuals. These individuals have been charged with 18 counts of patronizing a prostitute, five counts of criminal distribution of dangerous drugs, one count of resisting arrest, and one count of patronizing a victim of sex trafficking for a child victim.

During this investigation, detectives seized cocaine, fentanyl, and other physical evidence. The specifics of each case can be requested from the Justice Court in each defendant’s affidavit of probable cause. 
 
This investigation was assisted by the Bozeman Police Department and Montana State University Special Victims Unit, Montana Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Montana Analysis and Technical Information Center. 
 
This was a long 3 days for our investigators and a tremendous amount of work is being done to continue these investigations. 
 
“We want to use this opportunity to educate the public and reach out to those in need of assistance,” Bozeman Police Detective Captain Dana McNeil stated. “If someone is controlling or managing you, abusing you, withholding basic necessities from you in order to control you and your finances, providing you with illegal drugs, or if you feel scared, unsafe, and unable to leave the situation, seek help.”

Residents in need can reach out to the Gallatin County Victim Services office at 406-582-2075, call the Montana Human Trafficking Hotline at 833-406 STOP (7867) or call the national human trafficking hotline at 888-373-7888. Residents can also reach out to HAVEN at 406-586-4111 or other local shelters which provide services and resources to people ready to leave.

WEST YELLOWSTONE – A woman was killed in an encounter with a bear Saturday on the Buttermilk Trail near the town of West Yellowstone.

About 8 a.m. Saturday, game wardens with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks were notified that a hiker had found a woman deceased on the trail, about 8 miles west of West Yellowstone. FWP wardens and bear specialists, along with staff from other agencies, found that the woman had wounds consistent with a bear attack. They also found tracks from an adult grizzly bear and at least one cub near the site. They did not see any bears or signs of a day bed or animal carcass during the investigation.

The Custer Gallatin National Forest implemented an emergency closure of the area as a safety precaution. FWP bear specialists and game wardens notified residents and visitors nearby of the bear activity and the U.S. Forest Service closure. They then began conducting capture operations due to the incident’s proximity to residences, campgrounds and a high-use OHV trail system. No bears have been captured to date. FWP staff also searched the area from an aircraft and did not locate any bears.

The hiker was believed to be alone during the encounter, and no bear spray or firearms were found at the scene. The incident is still under joint investigation by FWP and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

FWP staff express sincere condolences to the family and friends of the hiker who was killed.

FWP thanks the Forest Service, West Yellowstone Police Department, National Park Service, Hebgen Basin Fire, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, and Idaho Fish and Game for their collaboration.

Be bear aware

Montana is bear country. Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in more places each year.

Avoiding conflicts with bears is easier than dealing with such conflicts. Here are some precautions to help residents, recreationists and people who work outdoors avoid negative bear encounters:

• Carry bear spray and be prepared to use it immediately.
• Travel in groups whenever possible and make noise, which can help alert bears to your presence.
• Stay away from animal carcasses, which often attract bears.
• Follow food storage orders from the applicable land management agency.
• If you encounter a bear, never approach it. Leave the area when it is safe to do so.
• Keep garbage, bird feeders, pet food and other attractants put away in a secure building. Keep garbage in a secure building until the day it is collected. Certified bear-resistant garbage containers are available in many areas.
• Never feed wildlife. Bears that become food conditioned lose their natural foraging behavior and pose threats to human safety. It is illegal to feed bears in Montana.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act. Management authority for grizzlies rests with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, working closely in Montana with FWP, the Forest Service, the National Park Service, the Bureau of Land Management, the U.S. Geological Survey, Wildlife Services and Native American tribes. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

For more information and resources on bear safety, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/wildlife-management/bear.

On July 22, 2023, at 7:16am Gallatin County Dispatch received a 911 call for a person who had suffered an ankle injury while descending the steep side of the College ‘M’ Trail. The injured party was unable to walk down the trail and requested assistance from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR).

Gallatin County Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley Section, AMR, and the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office responded to the trailhead. A hasty team was deployed and made contact with the patient and determined the injured party would not be able to walk without assistance. GCSSAR members, some with specific alpine skills, packaged the patient in a one wheeled litter and then safely lowered them down to the trailhead using a low angle rope system.

Sheriff Springer would like to remind hikers that even adventures on popular trails, such as the College ‘M’ Trail, can go differently than planned. Hiking with a partner, having a communication device, and packing appropriate clothing and gear for changing conditions is always good practice.

Gallatin County is hosting a job fair in September and employers from across the area are invited to participate and advertise their current openings! 

The Gallatin County Job Fair will be on Tuesday, September 12 from 12-6 PM at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds.  

This event will provide employers with access to a diverse talent pool, an opportunity for face-to-face connection with potential applicants, chances to network with other businesses and government agencies in the area, brand visibility and promotion, market research and feedback from job seekers, and a way to engage with your community! 

 Employers already confirmed to be on hand include: 

• Gallatin County Human Resources
• Gallatin County 911 
• Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office 
• Montana Department of Justice 
• Montana State University 
• Town Pump 
• First Security Bank 
• Highline Partners 
• Best Practice Medicine 
• City of Bozeman 
• Belgrade School District 
• P&J Plumbing 
• The Springs Living 
• Vocational Rehab 
• The Producer Partnership 
• Bozeman Job Service 
• Express Employment Professionals 
• Big Sky Staffing 

The job fair is free, but space is limited. Booths are reserved on a first-come basis. Employers can register for a booth by emailing jessica.dixon@gallatin.mt.gov. For additional questions, please call 406-582-3045. 

HELENA – Hunters who signed up for the Surplus License List will be randomized and selected today, Friday, July 21. The list includes licenses and permits left over from the special license and permit drawing for deer and elk permits and deer B and elk B licenses/permits.

FWP will contact hunters who are at the top of the list via email with instructions to finalize their purchase within a specified time. 

Hunters must finalize the purchase of the license/permit within the timeframe specified in the email, otherwise, your opportunity will be offered to the next hunter on the randomized list. FWP may offer opportunities that have not sold out through the Surplus License List to over-the-counter customers at our internal and external license sale providers.

This new process for the sale of surplus licenses began in 2020 in response to issues in years past. The old process was vulnerable to long lag times, confusion and a perception of inequity for those unable to use the first-come, first-served online option starting at 5 a.m.

Nonresidents who hold a NR native license, youth combo license, or NR college student combination license may purchase deer B and elk B licenses at half price.

Sign-up for surplus license for antelope, antelope B, crane and special mountain lion will be Aug. 9 through Aug. 27.

For more information, contact the FWP licensing office at 406-444-2950 or fwplic@mt.gov.

BOZEMAN – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is advising anglers that portions of the Ruby and lower Big Hole rivers are closed to fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight, effective Friday, July 21.

The hoot-owl restrictions are issued for:

• The Big Hole River from its confluence with the Beaverhead River to Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site
• The Ruby River from its confluence with the Beaverhead River to Duncan District Road

FWP's drought policy provides for angling restrictions when flows drop below critical levels for fish, when water quality is diminished or when maximum daily water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days.

These restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.

Restrictions of this nature are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions like this exist. One short-term strategy to reduce catch-and-release mortality during times of warm water is to restrict angling to the coolest times of day. 

Anglers can help reduce stress and mortality for fish by following these practices when catching and releasing fish, though fish mortality may still occur: 

• Fish during the coolest times of day, where permitted. 
• Keep the fish in water as much as possible.  
• Let the fish recover before releasing it. 

If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.

Similar restrictions are in place for other waterbodies. For a current list of restrictions and closures, click here.