Several rivers in southwest Montana will close to fishing during the afternoon each day due to a seasonal rise in water temperatures.

“Hoot-owl” restrictions prohibit fishing during the hottest times of the day. A hoot-owl restriction prohibiting fishing from 2 p.m. to midnight each day will go into effect on Aug. 6 for the following waterbodies:

• The lower Gallatin River from the Highway 84 bridge near Four Corners to the Missouri River.
• The lower Ruby River from Duncan District Road to the Beaverhead River.
• The Big Hole River from the North Fork of the Big Hole River to Dickie Bridge west of Wise River, and from Maidenrock Fishing Access Site to the Beaverhead River, in accordance with the Big Hole Watershed Committee Drought Plan.
• The lower Beaverhead River from Anderson Lane to the Jefferson River.
• The entire Jefferson River, in accordance with the Jefferson River Drought Plan.

Each of these areas have met their respective established requirements for hoot-owl restrictions, which include water temperatures exceeding 73 degrees for at least three consecutive days.

Restrictions of this nature are designed to protect fish such as Arctic grayling and trout, which all become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions such as high temperatures combine with additional stressors.

The restrictions for each river will be lifted when peak water temperatures stay below 70 degrees for three consecutive days, but no later than Sept. 15.

A permanent yearly hoot-owl restriction also went into effect this year for the lower Madison River from the Warm Springs Boat Launch to the Jefferson River. That restriction will be in effect every year from July 15 through Aug. 15.

At its meeting on Aug. 13, the Fish and Wildlife Commission will hear two petitions regarding River Recreation on the Madison River.

The Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana (FOAM) and the George Grant Chapter of Trout Unlimited (GGTU) along with the Anaconda Sportsmen Association (ASA) will present their petitions directly to the commission. Both petitions are requesting rulemaking to address recreation on the Madison River. Following the presentation of the petitions, FWP staff will answer questions but will not represent any support or opposition to the petitions.

Pursuant to 2-4-315, Montana Code Annotated, the commission must either deny the petition or initiate rulemaking on the petition. If the commission chooses to propose rule language other than what is contained in the petition, the commission must deny the petition and then propose rule language. If the commission chooses portions of the petitions to adopt or deny, it must be clearly indicated on the record.

FWP recommends the commission propose rule language regarding management of recreational use on the Madison River for public comment, whether based on these petitions or not. 

Shortly after the canceled June Commission meeting on this topic two petitions were received and the decision was made to dedicate the August 13 meeting to just the required petition process, rather than FWP staff presenting an EA.  If the Commission moves forward with any proposed rulemaking, an appropriately focused EA would accompany that process.  This would include ample opportunity for the diverse public interests and perspectives to review and weigh in, ultimately helping to assemble an effective and enduring solution.   

Both petitions are available on the commission page of the FWP website, fwp.mt.gov.

The meeting will be held using the video conferencing platform Zoom. Details on how to access the meeting will be posted on fwp.mt.gov closer to the meeting date. The meeting will also be audio streamed online at fwp.mt.gov. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. The full agenda is available on the FWP website.

A study by two Montana State University psychology professors published in a Journal of the American Medical Association publication found that teenagers’ attachment to their communities as well as their beliefs about the coronavirus are key factors in predicting how adolescents respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a study of 770 U.S. teens queried during the early weeks of the pandemic, Benjamin Oosterhoff and Cara Palmer, professors in the Department of Psychology in the MSU College of Letters and Science, found that adolescents’ beliefs about the severity of COVID-19 and the extent to which they value helping others is connected with how they are responding to the pandemic. The more attached adolescents are to their communities -- through feelings of social responsibility and trust in others - -the more they respond with healthy behaviors, such as social distancing and disinfecting. The researchers said these findings have implications for how parents, teachers and policy makers may improve behavioral health practices among young people and suggest that cultivating stronger social responsibility and social trust might play a key factor in curbing the spread of COVID-19.

Oosterhoff and Palmer’s findings were published in the June 29 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association Pediatrics, a rapid publication of a study that analyzed data gathered in March.
 
The psychologists said findings from their article, titled “Attitudes and Psychological Factors Associated with News Monitoring, Social Distancing, Disinfecting and Hoarding Behaviors Among U.S. Adolescents During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 Pandemic,” may be helpful in finding effective interventions to improve how teenagers adhere to public health guidance.

“The bigger picture here is the importance that community attachments play in the way (adolescents) respond to large scale negative events,” Oosterhoff said. “If we want to prepare for this and respond in better way — if we want fewer people to die — we need to start taking community attachments more seriously all of the time and cultivate social trust and responsibility (in teen populations).”

While science and research are often slow processes, several factors allowed the two psychologists to rapidly launch and complete their research, then publish it in the prestigious JAMA journal.
 
“We were able to get the study up and running right away and launched it one week after COVID was declared a national emergency. Warning signs of the severity of the virus were present weeks before the declaration, which provided added time to prepare,” Oosterhoff said. “It was a perfect storm of our past experiences and thinking, as well as new methods we had developed in our lab, that allowed us to turn it around so quickly.”

It helped that Oosterhoff and Palmer are married, so they were able to collaborate 10-12 hours a day during the quarantine to observe, plan and launch the study. They have worked together on other similar projects, including a study that they conducted when they were working in Houston when Hurricane Harvey hit in 2017.

“We both had previous studies about how a terrible event can impact teens and how that carries with them in their life,” Oosterhoff said. “We felt like something similar was happening again with COVID.”
 
Coincidentally, for the past year Oosterhoff and Palmer had worked to develop research tools that use social media to collect data from their target population. The couple previously found success buying relatively low-cost ads seeking participants on Instagram. Oosterhoff said that technique proved effective for their COVID survey, especially since schools were closing and eliminating a common route of interviewing students in a classroom.

For two days starting March 20, the researchers surveyed 770 adolescents March 20-22, ages 13-18, from every state in the country. They later surveyed the same group weekly for seven weeks, resulting in additional data, and the researchers plan to continue with follow-ups.
 
“One thing we need to do as scientists was stay on it and put our findings in a broader context, even beyond what it means to respond to COVID-19,” he said. “In the process we learned valuable information about how to respond to disaster like this again.”
 
Oosterhoff said after they had preliminary results, he and Palmer reached out to JAMA Pediatrics to see if they would consider COVID-19 research. The editors responded within 30 minutes that they were interested and expedited peer review for the research, given the fast progression of the pandemic.
 
“Many journals were providing (an) expedited review for COVID research at the time. JAMA had not announced anything yet, so we thought we would ask,” Oosterhoff said.
 
Oosterhoff credited the Center for American Indian and Rural Health Equity based at MSU with support and guidance.
 
“I was excited by their project idea and let them re-allocate funds from their CAIRHE-supported project, which allowed them to quickly pivot their work and get the survey out early,” said Alex Adams, director of CAIRHE.
 
And while the publication of their work in a major journal was rewarding, Oosterhoff and Palmer’s most significant collaboration came just a week after publication. That was when their first child, a daughter, was born.
 
Oosterhoff said he and Palmer plan to continue their research as the pandemic continues. For instance, he speculates that adolescents, who generally are socially active, will find it harder to engage in healthy practices such as social distancing as the pandemic becomes more drawn out. And he would like to test his theory that youth who are committed to giving back and volunteering, those who have a strong commitments to their communities, will be the ones to continue to take the pandemic seriously and behave in constructive ways, such as socially distancing and wearing masks.

“There’s a lot more to study, but this is a good start that we hope to build upon,” he said.

A grizzly bear was euthanized after a recent cattle depredation in south Park County.
 
The adult male bear was captured shortly after it killed a cow on private land on Wednesday. In consultation with federal partners at the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service and Wildlife Services, the decision was made to euthanize the bear due to this depredation and past depredations in the area.
 
Relocating bears safely is difficult at this time of year because of many factors, including high bear densities, heavy recreation use and other land uses in nearby areas.
 
This is the second management removal of a grizzly bear this year within the demographic monitoring area of Montana’s portion of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The first grizzly bear removed in this area in 2020 was captured and transferred to the Grizzly and Wolf Discovery Center in West Yellowstone after gaining access to food at campgrounds in the Rainbow Point area.

Grizzly bears in the lower 48 states are currently 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, Wildlife Services, the U.S. Forest Service and Tribal lands. This collaboration happens through the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee.

Several grizzly bear recovery areas exist in or near Montana, including the Selkirk, Cabinet-Yaak, Northern Continental Divide, Bitterroot and Greater Yellowstone ecosystems.
 
Grizzly bear populations continue to become denser and more widespread in Montana, increasing the likelihood that residents and recreationists will encounter them in new places each year. Being prepared for such encounters is more important than ever, both to keep people and property safe and to cultivate healthy bear behavior.

For more information on avoiding negative encounters with bears, visit igbconline.org/bear-safety.

Skunks are small and agile creatures characterized by their black and white markings. Skunks are known for their ability to spray their unpleasant scent in defense when they feel threatened. Skunks are also known to be more active during spring and summer, This is also when skunk spraying dramatically increases, whether it be kids or pets. Skunk activity is unlike other mammals like tree squirrels who are active throughout the year.  

Why are skunks more active in spring and summer?

Mating Season
The reason for the sudden increase of skunk sightings is that springtime is the mating season for skunks. Other times of the year, skunks are dormant. Specifically in colder weather. Not only this, but reduced visibility due to decreased sunlight hours in the winter means it would be challenging to spot skunks in winter months.

As the weather becomes warmer, skunks emerge in search of mates. Males will become much more active as they search for females to have their offspring. You are also likely to see females flee from unwanted males and move around as they avoid them to find a safe space.

To Forage
Skunks emerge in the spring in search of food as their supply lessens in the passed colder weather, skunks eat grub, insects, and small animals. This is why they spend their time near woodlands and parks.

Birth of Their Litter in Summer
As skunks mate in the spring, they often give birth during the summer. This also helps explain the increased sightings and activity in the warmer months. Skunks are known to have relatively large litters and can have as many as seven pups. After the skunks give birth, the parents are often seen foraging in local areas to bring food back to their pups. Skunk pups are not dependent on their parents for long. After approximately two months, young skunks will venture out individually and begin to forage for themselves.

Increased Visits to Urban and Rural Areas
You are also likely to spot skunks as they often prefer urban areas where people tend to live and visit regularly. Urban areas offer ideal shelter for skunks inside garages, sheds, and deck spaces that protect them from poor weather conditions and predators. These areas allow them to forage for food as they are known to rummage through trash cans. This may cause skunks to be pests in and around people’s homes. Click here to learn more about taking care of skunks as pests.

Visits to rural spots, forests, and lakes often dramatically increases in the summer so this may also be why people often comment they have seen skunks in spring and summer.

Increased Sunlight
You are more likely to see skunks at nighttime in the spring and summer months as they are most active at night. Due to increased sunlight and longer days, you are also more likely to be able to see skunks at nighttime in the summer and spring than you would naturally be able to see them in winter and autumn.

If skunks are becoming a nuisance to you this summer, please contact Wildlife X Team for your pest removal needs.

UPDATE: BZN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL GOES VIRTUAL!
Third Annual Event Features Films, Interviews on Online Platform

July 31, 2020 Bozeman, Montana: The Third Annual BZN International Film Festival will take place Thursday, August 27th –  September 5. Out of an abundance of caution we have decided to take the Festival to an online-only platform. The virtual event will include over 60 interviews with filmmakers, actors and community members, as well as all of 2020’s films and selected films from 2018 and 2019.

Our focus this year is on solution-based films that offer strategies to help heal ourselves, our families, businesses, the country and the world during this challenging time.    

Please visit bzn2020 for more information. Online pass pricing will be available next week; Montana residents will receive a discount! We would still appreciate your assistance in promoting this community-enriching event and would be happy to provide you with an online pass in exchange for coverage.

Gallatin Valley Mall will be hosting a Back to School Food Drive benefiting the Gallatin Valley Food Bank KidsPack Program during the month of August. Did you know? 1 in 6 Montana children struggle with hunger. Although back-to-school will look a little different this year, one thing that remains the same is the importance of making sure all the children in our valley have nutritious meals to eat.

The Gallatin Valley Food Bank KidsPack Program provides nutritious, kid-friendly foods over the weekend during the school year. The bags are distributed to elementary children across 21 schools in Gallatin, Jefferson, and Madison counties. Each week they distribute an average of 450 bags. While KidsPack bags aim to support the children in a family, they often supplement the entire family’s food budget. Gallatin Valley Mall invites the public to donate items from the KidsPack wish list to help ensure that children arrive at school fed and ready to learn on Monday.

To view the Wish List, visit gallatinvalleymall.com/events. Donations can be dropped off at GVM Guest Services (located near Macy’s) between August 1st- 31st.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has joined the Recreate Responsibly Coalition. This national coalition is a working group made up of land managers, nonprofits and outdoor businesses developing and sharing best practices to promote common sense guidance about getting outside during the COVID-19 pandemic.

FWP’s participation in the coalition coincides with the launch of Montana Aware, the state’s safe travel initiative being led by the Montana Department of Commerce in partnership with 17 Convention and Visitors Bureaus and six tourism regions. The campaign promotes safe and responsible behavior among those traveling in the state. The two efforts focus on educating travelers and recreationists on the best way to safely enjoy Montana and help slow the spread of COVID-19. ​

“We are all finding respite and rejuvenation outdoors this summer, but some of our most treasured spots are seeing an unprecedented amount of use,” said Martha Williams, director Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. “This high level of use can impact resources, experiences, and neighbors’ tolerance.   Recreating responsibly means being able to ensure we protect these treasures, opportunities, and relationships for others to enjoy as well. The outside is in us all and we want to keep it that way.”

 The Recreate Responsibly Coalition guidelines are:

• Know Before You Go—Check the status of the place you want to visit. If it is closed, don't go. If it's crowded, have a backup plan.
• Plan Ahead—Prepare for facilities to be closed, pack lunch and bring essentials like hand sanitizer and a face covering.
• Explore Locally—Limit long-distance travel and make use of local parks, trails and public spaces. Be mindful of your impact on the communities you visit.
• Practice Physical Distancing—Keep your group size small. Be prepared to cover your nose and mouth and give others space. If you are sick, stay home.
• Play It Safe—Slow down and choose lower-risk activities to reduce your risk of injury. Search and rescue operations and health care resources are both strained.
• Leave No Trace—Respect public lands and waters, native and local communities, and private property. Take all your garbage with you.
• Build an Inclusive Outdoors—Be an active part of making the outdoors safe and welcoming for all identities and abilities.

Messaging for Recreate Responsibly and Montana Aware will be delivered to audiences in-state and out-of-state through a variety of mediums including social media.

For more information on the Recreate Responsibly Coalition, visit https://www.recreateresponsibly.org/. For more information about Montana Aware, visit MTAWARE.COM.

Public welcome to provide thoughts, discuss ideas with project team

The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) is looking for more public input on the Highway 84 – East of Norris Corridor Study by hosting two virtual open houses for the project. These meetings will be held via Zoom on August 5 at 11 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The virtual open houses are opportunities for the public and media to learn more about the study and provide their thoughts on potential safety solutions. 

Attendees can expect a one-hour webinar-style event with a presentation from representatives of both MDT and engineering consultant, Morrison-Maierle. This will be followed by a question and answer session as well as an opportunity to provide comments. Registration is required to receive access to the events. To register, visit bitly.com/highway84. 

“Open houses are important as they provide us with an opportunity to hear residents’ concerns directly,” William Fogarty, Butte District Administrator at the Montana Department of Transportation, said. “However, we are cautious about hosting these types of events in-person due to COVID-19 concerns. Like many, we are using Zoom to ensure everyone remains safe while still having the opportunity to get information, ask questions, and offer comments.” 

The Highway 84 – East of Norris Corridor Study is exploring safety improvements between Warm Springs Boat Launch and Red Mountain Campground - the section of highway that has sharp curves and more crashes than the statewide average for similar highways. The study will explore potential options for improvements and identify the most cost-effective, feasible solution. Comments received during the open houses will inform and influence how the study moves forward. 

Those who cannot attend either event can still provide comments by contacting Takami Clark at takami@bigskypublicrelations.com or calling the project hotline at 406-207-4484 during business hours. For more information about the study, visit bitly.com/highway84. 

The Department of Transportation will make reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities who wish to participate in these open houses or need an alternative accessible format of this notice. If you require an accommodation, contact the Department of Transportation no later than July 24 to advise us of the nature of the accommodation that you need. Please contact Matt Maze, Office of Civil Rights, P.O. Box 201001, Helena, Montana 59620; telephone (406) 444-5416; Montana Relay 711; facsimile (406) 444-7243; or e-mail to mmaze@mt.gov.

Many people in the world feel adrift and cannot achieve things no matter how hard they work. They lack one important thing – good planning. If you have set some strong life goals for yourself, you’ll know what to aim to accomplish.  Your goals will, in return boost your motivation and make you work harder.

Goals are the results we aim to reach through actions. What we do and how we act can either move us closer to the desired result or farther away from it. For example, if your goal was to pass an important test, studying will take you closer to accomplishing it. If you choose to procrastinate and do nothing, this will take you in the other direction.

Successful people set their goals. Here are some tips on how to create life goals and put them into action.

Set the Big Goals First
You need to start with the big things. What do you want to accomplish in your life? Go broad and consider a distant time in the future. Based on your big goals, you can set smaller goals that will help you get there. This will also give you an overall perspective and help shape your decision-making processes.

There are many areas of life you can cover with big goals. You will probably need several goals in your list. Some will apply to your family life, other to your career, and of course – educational goals. There are also financial goals, athletic or physical goals, etc.

Start by brainstorming the things you’d like to accomplish in life and choose the goals that best reflect your desires. When choosing the big goals, pick the ones that you personally want to reach, not the ones that your family or friends inflict on you.

Whenever you create a goal, use the SMART technique. This applies to Specific or Significant, Meaningful or Measurable, Attainable or Action-Oriented, Rewarding or Relevant, and Trackable or Time-Bound.

Set Smaller Goals Next
Once you have lifetime goals to strive to meet, you need shorter, smaller goals that will get you there. What is your five-year plan? What’s your list of accomplishments you want to do by the end of the year? What is it that you want to have done by the end o1f the month, week, or day?

All of these small to-do lists should slowly take you to complete the big goal. For example, if you plan to graduate from school, you need to start with subjects. If you study psychology and have to pass this to obtain your degree, you need to attend classes, study for exams, and write many papers. If you have a paper due in a few days, you need to make sure that you can fit the work into your schedule. Your to-do list will tell you when you need to have it done, and you can choose useful psychology essay examples to get some inspiration and motivation for your paper.

Stay on Course
When you get started, the biggest task you have is to remain on course. Review your to-do lists, update them constantly, and scratch off all those things that you’ve completed. Crossing things off a list gives you a magical feeling and will motivate you to keep going.

Some Other Tips for Setting Achievable Goals
In addition to these three crucial steps, you can use some of the following tips:
Make your goals a positive statement;
Be accurate and precise with goals (put in times, dates, and any amounts that are measurable);
Set your priorities straight;
Keep all operational goals as small as possible. This will make them achievable and you’ll be more motivated to work to reach them;
Set realistic goals only. Don’t go over your head. If you cannot achieve a goal, do not put it on a list. This will make you lose motivation and focus;
Work on various techniques to beat procrastination and laziness. There are many ways to keep yourself motivated.

Final Thoughts
All of us strive to accomplish things in life. Those who have a clear idea of what they want to accomplish can create a clearer path toward their final goals. This is why, if you want to truly be successful, you need to do some planning. If you don’t know what you want to achieve, how will you be happy with any results?

Robert Everett is a motivational speaker and a former psychologist. He worked with college students in helping them overcome obstacles in life. Right now, Everett shares his knowledge and expertise on forums, in blog posts, journals, as well as holds private sessions for people who need him.