On January 26, 2024, at 9:37am, West Yellowstone Police Department Dispatch received a 911 call from a snowmobiler who was recreating with family members when one of the snowmobilers sustained injuries as a result of a snowmobile accident. The caller indicated that one of the snowmobilers in the party was in need of immediate medical treatment near Cream Creek, 5 miles west of West Yellowstone, Montana.
Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) volunteers from the West Yellowstone detachment, US Forest Service Law Enforcement, West Yellowstone Police Department, Hebgen Basin Rural Fire District (HBFD), Yellowstone National Park Law Enforcement, and Gallatin County Sheriff’ Deputies responded to the request for aid. Upon arrival at the scene, responders provided first aid and transported the injured person by a specialized snowmobile towed ambulance to a waiting HBFD ambulance for further evaluation. The injured snowmobiler was then transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center for higher level care.
Gallatin County Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind winter recreationalists that having a plan for contingencies, knowing the location you are recreating, and being able to call for aid in remote areas is crucial when recreating in Montana’s great outdoors.
HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has notified the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) of its intent to pursue legal action over the recent listing of wolverines as a threatened species.
“In Montana, wolverines continue to do well and inhabit much, if not all, of their available habitat,” said Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Chief of Conservation Policy Quentin Kujala. “We work closely with our neighboring states to ensure the continued conservation of these iconic species. Federal protections in this case will only get in the way of good conservation work.”
In its listing notice, the FWS switched course by identifying the lower 48 states as a distinct population segment. This finding comes after the FWS previously found the population of wolverines in the lower 48 was connected to those in Canada. The finding came despite protections in Canada and states like Montana to ensure wolverine conservation.
In its listing, the FWS also used climate models from the year 2100 to point to a projected decrease in snowpack to justify its move. This rationale was used despite recent science that shows wolverines are adaptable and able to den and reproduce without snow.
“In the Northern Rockies, wolverines are doing well and states are working closely on monitoring and conservation efforts. This listing is not only unnecessary, it fails to recognize current science,” said FWP Director Dustin Temple.
Wolverines were listed as a threatened species by the FWS in November. The first step in challenging this listing is filing a Notice of Intent to Sue with the FWS. Following this action, the state will file a lawsuit in federal district court.
The Bozeman Symphony’s Board of Directors pledged an additional matching gift of $43,000 for its Ode to Joy annual giving campaign to encourage others’ support. For every dollar donated, Board members will match what the organization raises to $43,000 through January 31. Another $75,000 is needed to meet the campaign’s goal of $300,000. The Ode to Joy campaign supports the Bozeman Symphony’s activities on stage at the concert hall and with various community activities and educational concerts throughout the region.
This past season, the Symphony had 1,131 loyal subscribers, issued 16,994 tickets to patrons from 63 Montana communities, entertained audiences in seven sold-out performances, and presented free concerts to more than 3,000 students and families. Ticket sales represent only 37 percent of the Symphony’s annual budget. Donations are necessary to continue programming, recruit musicians and guest artists, and support community programming.
The Symphony is aiming to expand its educational footprint by engaging younger audiences and creating opportunities for community members to benefit from music education and engagement efforts. Increasing access, impact, and musical offerings for the community is a strategic priority. Donations to Ode to Joy will support Symphony Storytimes, Kinderkonzerts, and help expand Far Afield, a program providing symphonic music in rural Montana. Support will also help launch a new Joy program in partnership with Bozeman Health to lift the spirit of patients and serve those who cannot attend concerts in person.
Help the Symphony carry out its mission to engage, unite, and uplift the community by supporting the Ode to Joy campaign. Donate through January 31 at bozemansymphony.org/donate or send a check to Bozeman Symphony, 402 East Main Street, Suite 202, Bozeman, MT 59715. For more information, call (406) 585-9774.
(Left) Bebe Crouse will serve as a juror for the second year in a row for the Pattie Layser Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship. (Right) Kelsey K. Sather will be joining Bebe as a co-juror this year. Photo by Blair Speed. Wyoming Arts Council Accepting Applications for the 2024 Pattie Layser Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship
The Wyoming Arts Council is now accepting applications for the 2024 Pattie Layser Greater Yellowstone Creative Writing and Journalism Fellowship.
This annual prestigious fellowship of $3,500 is a national call open to creative writers (poetry, fiction, nonfiction) and journalists (writer, photojournalist, videographer, documentary filmmaker, online or print media) who demonstrate serious inquiry and dedication to the Greater Yellowstone region through their work. This fellowship seeks to intersect science, education, current events, and conservation to effectively communicate the Greater Yellowstone’s natural history and singular importance to society through creative and exceptional writing and subject communication.
Applications are accepted online via Submittable. The application deadline is March 15, 2024. Established and recognized authors are being sought, but emerging and mid-career writers are also encouraged to apply. Wyoming state residency is not required.
The fellowship recipient will be expected to create or complete a relevant publishable or produced work and may be requested or encouraged to make public presentations. In addition to the financial award, the fellowship recipient may elect to also receive a one week housing residency at one of several prearranged different locations within the Greater Yellowstone region. Such residency will be based on availability and will be negotiated with the fellowship recipient.
Bebe Crouse will serve as a juror for the second year in a row. Crouse spent more than 25 years as a working journalist before taking her position as Associate Director of Communications for The Nature Conservancy. Bebe spent a decade as Environment and Western Editor for NPR. She has reported and produced award-winning radio and television news stories and documentaries for national media networks including NPR, CBS, NBC, Wall Street Journal, BBC, and PBS. Her work has taken her across the United States, Europe, Mexico, Cuba, Kenya and Central America. She also spent time as a mountain and river guide and an environmental planner in Oregon and California. Her experience combined with her education in Environmental Science positions her well for her job with The Nature Conservancy where she continues to write about the things she values. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, hiking and floating in kayak or raft.
Kelsey K. Sather will join Bebe as juror this year. Sather was born and raised in Bozeman, Montana. She’s the author of “Birth of the Anima,” and is a finalist for the National Indie Excellence Award. Her stories, both real and imagined, explore the complexities of human-nature relations. She attended the University of Utah on fellowship and graduated with an MA in Environmental Humanities. After teaching at the college level, Kelsey co-founded a writers’ collective, where she facilitated creative writing workshops for all ages. She’s worked with hundreds of writers on projects ranging from bestselling nonfiction to short stories and school papers. Today, she continues teaching at outdoor writing retreats while working on the second book in her eco-fantasy series, “Ancient Language of the Earth.” She is also an avid rock climber and coaches the Bozeman Climbing Team. At the core of her vocation as an author and teacher is the hopeful intention to help people live with deeper connections to self, nature, and each other.
This Fellowship is made possible with generous funding from The Pattie and Earle Layser Memorial Fund. In late 2021, The Pattie and Earle Layser Memorial Fund endowed this fellowship with the Wyoming Arts Council, ensuring funding this opportunity for years to come.
A complete list of eligibility requirements and additional information can be found on Submittable. For more information, contact Kimberly Mittelstadt at kimberly.mittelstadt@wyo.gov or 307-274-6673.
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