HELENA – After 10 meetings and much deliberation, the Elk Management Citizen Advisory Group has forwarded its recommendations to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Hank Worsech.

“I’m very impressed with the work that went into these recommendations,” Worsech said. “I asked the members to bring their own experience and creativity to help us advance potential solutions to issues facing elk management in Montana. Their recommendations are innovative, heartfelt and collaborative – all I could hope for.”

The citizen advisory group was formed this past spring after a call for applications. Nearly 300 people applied. Twelve members from across the state were appointed by Director Worsech and met for the first time on March 22. The remaining applicants served as a sounding board for advisory group members and provided feedback on the group’s work.

Now officially in the department’s hands, the recommendations will be assessed by staff for implementation feasibility, fiscal impacts and legal or other issues before all being released for public comment. Once the public has a chance to provide feedback on the recommendations and staff assessments, Worsech plans to present them to the Environmental Quality Council, an interim legislative committee.

The advisory group is one of three pieces of a larger effort aimed at improving elk management in Montana. The group was specifically tasked with developing a set of recommendations to address elk management issues and improve relationships between hunters and landowners.

The second piece of the process is the Private Lands/Public Wildlife (PLPW)committee, which is currently working on suggestions for the Elk Hunting Access Agreements Program, hunter ethics and education, and public access programs.

The third piece is the ongoing process of scoping for management objectives for the elk plan revision. Currently, FWP is collecting public feedback on what management objectives should be in hunting districts across Montana to inform the upcoming revision to the elk management plan.

The three separate looks at elk management in Montana will provide a variety of perspectives that will be critical moving forward.

“I wanted to get these efforts underway simultaneously because elk management in Montana presents such complex social and biological issues,” Worsech said. “Any similar solutions and ideas from these different efforts will tell me what elements have broader support. Each piece of the process will also raise unique ideas for improving elk management moving forward. That’s exactly the kind of comprehensive approach we need on the complicated task of managing elk in Montana.”

The Elk Management Citizen Advisory Group’s recommendations and staff assessments will come out for public comment in August. The next PLPW meeting is Aug. 24. The elk plan scoping meetings are ongoing with the plan slated to be out for public comment in spring of 2023 and finalized later that summer.

“I’ve insisted since becoming director at FWP that we needed to improve elk management both for hunters and for landowners. We’ve asked the public, and these groups in particular, for help and they’ve stepped forward in a big way,” Worsech said. 

Bozeman, MT – Family Promise, The Salvation Army, Love INC, are teaming up for Tools for School, a program that collects school supply donations and provides kids with the tools they need to succeed.

The start of a new school year can be exciting for kids and parents, but for many families in the Gallatin Valley that are living paycheck to paycheck or experiencing homelessness, buying school supplies can be highly stressful and even burdensome. Now through August 14, school supplies such as backpacks, lined paper, pencils, pens, scissors, crayons, colored pencils, and glue sticks are being collected. Donation bins are located at Family Promise, Journey Church, Holy Rosary, Grace Bible Church, St. James Episcopal Church, Sotheby’s, ERA Landmark Realty, Bozeman Real Estate Group, Vine Dental, Sayre Orthodontics, Bozeman Public Library, and Staples.

According to the National Center for Homeless Education, homeless children and youth are defined as “individuals who lack a fixed, regular, and adequate nighttime residence,” including those who are living doubled or tripled-up in another household due to the loss of their own. In Montana, the Office of Public Instruction estimates that 4,709 students fit that category during the last school year, 487 of whom were unaccompanied or living without their families.

According to Anna Edwards, Bozeman Public Schools Family-School Services Coordinator and Family Promise Board Member, of those 487 unaccompanied or homeless children and young adults in Montana, 138 were located in Bozeman and attended school in the Bozeman School District.

Family Promise provides holistic support and services to families experiencing homelessness. Family Promise owns or operates three emergency shelter locations and 11 transitional housing locations. In January, Family Promise opened Rising Stars Early Learning Center that provides early learning to 96 kids, regardless of their ability to pay. For more information about Family Promise and Rising Stars visit familypromisegv.org or call (406) 582-7388.

One question that we keep getting over the past few months here, at A Team Rodent Services, is - are there actually more rodents in 2022, than in previous years? Many people come to us with this query, certain it must be their mind playing a trick on them, but unfortunately, that does not seem to be the case.

So we thought we’d pen this little post, not just to answer that main question, but to also explore the hows and whys of what’s happening to the rats in your city.

First things first, rodents have always been a problem for big city dwellers such as New York city rats. Visit newyorkcityrats.com to learn about rats in the subway. As humanity has grown and come to take up more and more space on this planet, so too have rodents learned to adapt and co-exist alongside us. Both rats and mice are highly versatile and resilient critters - they’ve got smart ways to go around our safe-guards. Where there’s some food, there’s a way, that’s a rodent’s motto.

But are there actually more of them in 2022?

Well, the answer to that is debatable, with arguments on both sides. But since there has been no census to determine the rodent population itself, well, we can’t really say whether there actually are more rodents or if it’s just hearsay.

But there seem to be more.

Yes, we hear that a lot, and we think that could be explained in a number of ways, chief among which… the pandemic.

As Covid-19 restrictions have lifted pretty much all over the world, people have started getting back to the old rhythm of life. More and more of us are going outdoors and enjoying entertainment, dining, and cultural activities like before.

Now, read what we said above again - rats are primarily driven by their need for food (like most of us, actually). This means that the more food there is in a given place, the more rats will come there. Over the past two years, with the pandemic raging across the world, there wasn’t a lot of food available in most outdoor spaces, since there wasn’t a lot of outdoor dining or socializing, in general.

But now, that’s over, and with the end of the pandemic, we’ve seen a surge in social activities and outings. Naturally. Coupled with the “ban” on indoor dining, and an increased number of outdoor dining areas and outings, well, it’s easy to see whence this “surge” of rats around the city. That’s because when no one was going anywhere to grab a bite, there was less food. Not just from you, but also from restaurants and fast foods, many of which were closed or working at limited capacity during the pandemic, and so had less production rates.

People also wore face masks, which meant a decrease in outdoor eating, period. Less food means fewer rodents, and so it’s natural now, as we go out more, and eat out more, to see an increase there.

It might also have to do with climate change.

Another possible explanation for the increased rodent population (this time, assuming there are, indeed, more rodents about) could be related to climate change. As the winters grow more mild across the United States, and the weather, in general, is warmer, this could very well mean there are more rodents. Because rodents, like most other creatures, are dependent on the climate to survive. If it’s an unnaturally cold winter, more rodents than normal will die. Likewise, if it’s a very hot winter, then fewer rodents than normal will die, which effectively translates to more rodents around the city.

So to sum it all up, anything is possible. Yes, there might be more rodents around your city, due to the warmer climate, and thus less extreme temperatures. Or it might just be a trick of the eye, as it were, at the end of a long and exhausting pandemic.

And if you’re wondering about the whole rats vs mice debate, both are rampant in most big cities? How can you tell them apart? Keep in mind that rats are larger, with bulkier bodies. On top of that, mice typically have long, slender tails, covered in fur, whereas rats have short, hairless tails.

BILLINGS – Big Horn, Musselshell, Yellowstone and Phillips counties are in stage 1 fire restrictions. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks follows the county’s lead in placing fire restrictions on its properties within a particular county.

Under stage 1 restrictions, building, maintaining, attending or using a fire or campfire at FWP sites is not allowed. People may only smoke within an enclosed vehicle or building, a developed recreation site or while stopped in an area at least 3 feet in diameter cleared of flammable materials. People may cook on a liquid petroleum gas or propane stove that can be turned on and off.

Exceptions to these restrictions include the picnic areas at Chief Plenty Coups State Park in Bighorn County and Lake Elmo in Yellowstone County, where cooking fires are allowed in designated barbecues.

The following FWP sites in Big Horn County are under these fire restrictions: Big Horn Fishing Access Site (FAS), Mallard’s Landing FAS, Two Leggins FAS, Arapooish FAS, Grant Marsh FAS and Wildlife Management Area (WMA), General Custer FAS, Manual Lisa FAS, and Chief Plenty Coups State Park.

The following FWP sites in Yellowstone County are under these fire restrictions: Buffalo Mirage FAS, Duck Creek FAS, Blue Creek FAS, South Hills FAS, East Bridge FAS, Voyager’s Rest FAS, Gritty Stone FAS, Bundy Bridge FAS, Captain Clark FAS, Manual Lisa FAS, Broadview Pond FAS, Yellowstone WMA, Pictograph Cave State Park, and Lake Elmo State Park.

The following FWP sites in Phillips County are under these fire restrictions: Cole Ponds FAS, Bjornberg Bridge FAS, Alkali Creek FAS, Cree Crossing WMA, Sleeping Buffalo WMA, and Dodson Dam WMA.

There are no FWP managed sites in Musselshell County.

These restrictions at FWP sites will be in place until further notice. FWP urges people to use caution while they are out recreating due to dry conditions and fire dangers.

The Billings Symphony announced on Tuesday that Executive Director Ignacio Barrón Viela will leave the Billings Symphony to pursue another opportunity. The Reno Philharmonic has selected Barrón Viela as President & CEO, following a national search.
 
“We appreciate Ignacio’s work over nearly four years and all that he has accomplished in that time,” said Billings Symphony Board President Leslie Blair. “He truly put the Billings Symphony on the national and international map.”
 
During Barrón Viela’s tenure, he led the charge for the organization to adopt diversity, equity and inclusion policy and worked with Montana senators and the Spanish Consulate to bring foreign artists to Billings. He helped the Symphony acquire a downtown building, which was donated to the organization in 2019 by the Sukin family, and oversaw renovations and fundraising, including a major grant from the Murdock Charitable Trust.

 
“He created partnerships with national and local associations for grants and donations, cultivated donors with record-setting donations, and doubled our net worth and endowment, leaving our organization in excellent shape for continuing our success,” Blair added.
 
Under Barrón Viela’s leadership, growth in corporate and individual giving along with growth in grant and foundation support has allowed the Billings Symphony to more than double its net assets to $5.7 million and increase its annual operating budget to $1.8 million. Financial growth included a major gift in 2022 from Billings-based philanthropists and longtime symphony patrons John W. and Carol L.H. Green, who gifted $1 million to the Billings Symphony to sustain the executive director’s position — the largest individual gift in the organization’s history.

 
Barrón Viela also helped the organization navigate the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and restrictions placed on arts organizations across the country and paved the way in the nation with live-streaming concerts. He worked closely with Anne Harrigan, Billings Symphony Music Director, to produce high levels of musical performances in multiple venues, nearly tripling the organization’s event and concert output by launching the Sukin Series and digital and livestreaming programs and helping the organization launch its first Family Series.

 
“Ignacio worked closely with Anne Harrigan and the Billings Symphony staff to produce numerous outstanding programs for our patrons,” said Vice President of the Board Scott Brown. “He was instrumental in opening the door for the merger with Billings Youth Orchestra, which will expand our audience and promote symphonic music with the young artists of Billings. It’s been a pleasure working with him and getting to know him, not just as a nonprofit community leader, but as a friend.”

 
“I am proud of what we have accomplished together, along with Anne, the musicians, the staff and the Board,” added Barrón Viela. “I am going to miss everyone, but I am confident that the Billing Symphony has a great future ahead. There is a lot of vibrancy and excitement in the 72nd season and the continuation of our growth.”

 
The Symphony continues this growth trajectory with new positions opening in the 2022-2023 fiscal year, including the addition of personnel and youth orchestra manager and an executive and administrative assistant.
 
“I am honored to have been part of this journey with the Billings Symphony, and I wish Anne Harrigan, the musicians, the staff, the Board and everyone associated with the Billings Symphony all the very best as it commences its 72nd season,” added Barrón Viela. “I am proud that the mission to enrich lives through music has remained in the center, and that the growth has been proportional to the mission, and hopefully the community continues to support and value that.”

 
The Billings Symphony Board of Directors will advertise the position and conduct and nationwide search for the John W. & Carol L. H. Green Executive Director, and the position is posted to the Billings Symphony website. For additional information, visit www.billingssymphony.org.
 
* * *
 
Founded as the Billings Symphony Society in May 1951, the organization’s mission is to enrich lives through music. For more information, visit billingssymphony.org, the Billings Symphony office at 2820 2nd Ave. N., or call 406-252-3610.

PARADISE VALLEY, MONTANA  – In the first six months of this year, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has awarded more than 30 grants totaling $2 million to nonprofit organizations in Montana. The foundation’s chairman, Arthur M. Blank, whose Montana ranches include Mountain Sky Guest Ranch, West Creek Ranch, Paradise Valley Ranch and the Ranch at Dome Mountain, is committed to investing in local Montana communities. The grants will address critical issues such as pandemic relief, disaster relief, community well-being and youth development.

“The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has long-standing relationships with organizations in Montana whose work addresses important needs in our communities,” said Tawnya Rupe, senior program director, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. “Our work gives people in the community the resources and support they need during times of hardship and uncertainty. We are eager to continue our partnerships and giving to the residents we care about so deeply.”

AMB West Community Fund The Blank Foundation granted more than $1.3 million through the work of the AMB West Community Fund (“the Fund”). The Fund is managed by a group of associates from Blank’s ranches who volunteer their time to participate in grant-making decisions. Associates reviewed every grant application that was received and completed 46 site visits.

The Fund focuses on nurturing childhood, thriving youth, community well-being and COVID relief.

Highlights of the 2022 grants include:
• Community Health Partners: $470,000 grant for parental support from pregnancy to
graduation.
• Greater Gallatin United Way: $180,000 grant to continue supporting the Resilience Project.
• Mountain Shadow Association: $110,000 grant for the Lodge Grass Family Healing Center
planning.

Learn more about our 2022 AMB West Community Fund grants here.

Conservation Fund
The foundation’s Montana conservation fund supports programs, policies and leadership that enable human and ecological communities in the Paradise Valley to thrive. Through the conservation fund, the foundation invests in innovative projects and local staffing capacity that safeguard the natural resources of Paradise Valley for generations to come.

Recent grants include:

will provide certified chainsaw safety training to all MCC crew members.
• Western Landowners Alliance: $60,000 grant to launch the “Working Wild Podcast” that
highlights how working farms and ranches are partnering with researchers, agencies, and
conservation organizations to navigate the complexities of ranching in areas that have high
wildlife populations and other natural resource challenges.
• National Parks and Conservation Association: $10,000 grant to support the development and
launch of an indigenous scholar program that provides indigenous college grads an intensive
conservation leadership and mentorship year that includes internships with a Tribal Historic
Preservation Office, a national conservation organization and the National Park Service
(Yellowstone National Park).

Learn more about recent conservation fund grants here.

Flood Relief
To help support communities affected by the record flooding in Park County and beyond, the foundation made a $100,000 donation to the Southwest Montana Flood Relief Fund, a joint effort between the Greater Gallatin United Way and Park County Community Foundation.

COVID Relief
The foundation continues to support local needs in the community resulting from long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Child Care Connections: $84,000 grant to pilot a project to offer families and childcare providers
more flexible and sustainable support due to increased challenges in childcare access and
affordability since COVID-19 began.
• Help Center, Inc: $150,000 grant for capital campaign planning for the expansion of physical
space and services that have increased significantly since COVID-19 began.
• Park County Community Foundation: $150,000 grant to launch the Park County Nonprofit
ACTion Initiative. The initiative will support Park County’s nonprofits through challenges they
are continuously facing due to COVID-19.

About The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
After more than 25 years and nearly $900 million in giving, The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation is committed to significantly accelerating the impact of its philanthropy over the next 10+ years. The foundation is currently on a journey of deeper learning and strategy setting for its new priority areas:

Youth Development, Democracy, Environment, Mental Health & Well-Being and Atlanta’s Westside.

Additionally, the foundation oversees a large portfolio of enduring founder-led initiatives.
Geographically, much of the work will continue to prioritize Georgia (with a focus on Atlanta) and Montana, while also considering the potential for greater national impact and influence.
Mr. Blank, chairman of the foundation, co-founded The Home Depot, the world’s largest home
improvement retailer, in 1978 and retired from the company as co-chairman in 2001.

For more information, please visit blankfoundation.org

On Monday, August 1, 2022 at 1:20 PM Gallatin County Dispatch received a call from a hiker on the M Trail.  The hiker advised that they had become separated from one of the members in their party and requested assistance from Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue to locate the missing juvenile hiker.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley, along with AMR and Bridger Canyon Fire, responded to the M Trailhead.  Several search and rescue teams were deployed up the many trails of the M to attempt to locate the lost child.  While working the search, it was learned that the missing hiker possibly went past the M and continued on a trail above.  One search and rescue team proceeded to this area and located the hiker just under the M, descending the trail.  Volunteers provided the hiker with water and assessed their condition.  The juvenile was escorted down the trail to the trailhead parking lot and reunited with their group.  The group and the hiker had no further needs.

Sheriff Springer would like to remind recreationalists that even a quick hike may not go as planned.   Especially with the rising temperatures, bring plenty of water, a first aid kit, and extra supplies to support staying on the trail longer than you had planned.  It is also recommended that, if with a group, establish a point to meet if anyone becomes separated.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

HELENA – Daily hoot owl fishing restrictions are being implemented for sections of the Shields, Madison, Ruby, East Gallatin, Clark Fork and Bitterroot rivers and Silver Bow Creek to reduce fish stress and mortality during high water temperatures.

Hoot owl restrictions prohibit fishing each day between 2 p.m. and midnight. These restrictions go into effect at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 2:

• Shields River: Shields River Road bridge to the confluence with the Yellowstone River
• Madison River: Madison Dam (Ennis dam) to the confluence with the Jefferson River
• Madison River: Eight Mile Ford Fishing Access Site to Ennis Reservoir
• Ruby River: Duncan District Road crossing to the confluence with the Beaverhead River
• East Gallatin River: Confluence of Rocky Creek and Bear Creek to the confluence with the West Gallatin River
• Clark Fork River: Confluence of the Bitterroot River to the confluence of the Flathead River
• Silver Bow Creek: The entire creek, from the confluence with Blacktail Creek at Montana Street in Butte to the confluence with Warm Springs Creek at the Gas City Road Bridge
• Bitterroot River: The entire main stem (which excludes the East and West Forks)

Hoot owl restrictions are currently in place for these waters:

• Gallatin River: from the mouth of the river to Cameron Bridge Fishing Access Site
• Beaverhead River: from the mouth of the river to Selway Park FAS
• Big Hole River:
  • Maidenrock FAS to the the river’s confluence with the Jefferson River
  • From Saginaw Bridge to Dickie Bridge
• Clark Fork: from the confluence with Warm Springs Creek and Silver Bow Creek t o the confluence with Flint Creek
• East Gallatin River: from Penwell Bridge Road to the confluence with the West Gallatin River at Nixon Bridge
• Jefferson River: the entire river
• Madison River: from the Warm Springs boat launch to the confluence with the Jefferson River
• Smith River: from the confluence of the North Fork and South Fork to Eden Bridge FAS
• Sun River: from the mouth of Muddy Creek to the Highway 287 bridge

Water temperatures in these areas have exceeded 73 degrees for three consecutive days, meeting criteria for the restrictions. The restrictions will remain in place until water temperatures allow for lifting the restrictions or until Sept. 15.

Fishing restrictions, such as hoot owl restrictions and full closures, are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions, such as low flows and high water temperatures, combine with other stressors, including catch-and-release fishing. Restrictions may be put in place for other waterbodies as warm temperatures continue in the coming weeks. Anglers can find a statewide list of current restrictions at fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions.

All stress to fish at this time of year is cumulative, and anglers should consider fishing in cooler waters during times of low flows and high water temperatures in rivers. Anglers can help reduce stress 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.
• Land the fish quickly.
• Wet your hands before handling the fish.
• Keep the fish in water as much as possible.
• Remove the hook gently. Using artificial lures with single and barbless hooks can make hook removal faster and easier.
• If the fish is hooked deeply, you may have to cut the line at the fish’s mouth or consider keeping it if regulations allow.
• Let the fish recover before releasing it.

An emergency safety closure remains in effect on the Yellowstone River from Mayors Landing FAS to Sheep Mountain FAS.

Final attendance numbers are in from the annual Big Sky Country State Fair held in Bozeman July 20-24.

The regional attraction drew 40,100 people; numbers were slightly down from 2021, with a decrease of 17%, from the 48,246 we saw in 2021. However, this was still a 22% increase in attendance from 2019. Despite the decrease in attendance, Food Row and Carnival sales held strong in 2022 with an increase of 16% and 10%, respectively. 4-H Market Sale also had an increase of 9.6% with another record-breaking sale.

See the full press release here.