Montana businesses are now eligible to apply for workforce recovery grant dollars to help companies refill jobs that were lost due to the economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic. The Montana Department of Commerce has launched a temporary Workforce Recovery grant program as part of the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund (BSTF).

The Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund Workforce Recovery program will reimburse a business for the wages of full-time, permanent jobs that are created and retained for at least six months, up to a maximum of 25 jobs per business. Businesses apply directly to the program. Find more information here: https://marketmt.com/BSTF/WorkforceRecovery.

The Workforce Recovery program is in direct response to supporting businesses impacted by the economic effects of the pandemic. The ability to create the temporary program has been made possible by a governor’s directive which allows for flexibility in the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund program. Funding for the temporary program comes from reverted BSTF Job Creation awards, it is not a replacement for or pausing of the well-established business development program.

Applications will be accepted on a first-come, first-served basis until all funds have been committed or December 31, 2020; whichever comes first.

Apply at MARKETMT.COM/BSTF/WorkforceRecovery.

When we think about common wild animal problems on our property, our mind automatically goes to creatures such as rats, snakes, or mice, but these are not the only creatures that we’re dealing with here. Not by a long shot. Raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, and gophers are really common intruders, also, as are bats.


Indeed, these little winged rodents have been known to make a home inside your attic and sometimes even inside your walls, so it’s only smart to take the necessary precautions in order to protect your home from bats. In this article, we’ll look at precisely what those precautions are.

First, why are we so worried about bats in our homes?
Well, aside from the obvious unpleasant factor, bats are carriers of a wide range of diseases and might even aid the spread of the new coronavirus, so obviously you wouldn’t want that in your home. What’s more, their droppings are endangering your pet’s life and are also pretty corrosive, which might put the structure of your home in danger. So suffice to say, you don’t want bats in your home. You can visit getridofbat.com to learn more.

How can you prevent bats from coming to your house?
1. Get an owl.
Some sources recommend buying a fake, plastic owl, and mounting it on your roof, or on a perch near your attic. Owls are the natural enemy of bats, and their presence will automatically deter the bats from approaching. On the other hand, bats aren’t stupid and the truth is, most wild animals realize the difference between a plastic and a real animal. So if this method appeals to you, instead of buying a fake, you might as well put up a tall perch that will attract owls or eagles, both of which keep bats (and other intruders, such as snakes) away.

2. Regularly perform upkeep on your attic.
Most of us tend to avoid our attic, especially in the cold months, unless there’s something we absolutely need to do up there. This is detrimental because it leaves the place unattended for months, and thus an ideal roosting ground for bats. So make time to clean up your attic at least once or twice a season. Even if it’s nothing more than dusting and moving a few things around. This will let you keep an eye on the place, to ensure no pests are creeping in and it will mark it as an inhabited area, which might deter bats from coming around.

Also, checking on your attic regularly allows you to keep an eye on the walls, windows, and roof, to make sure there are no cracks to allow bats or any other unwanted animal to sneak through. This website has resources on how to properly inspect your home and get rid of unwanted wildlife intruders.

3. Install a chimney grate and window screens.
This is a good tip because it helps keep out a lot more than just bats. The truth is, a lot of animals are attracted to your chimney, due to the warmth. But a bat nest inside your chimney can pose a serious fire risk to your property, and to the bats themselves, since they might not be able to escape the chimney in time, in case of fire. So your best bet is stopping them from getting in in the first place.

4. Find a professional.
Specific measures depend on the specific property, so while the above are some great general tips for wildlife prevention, you may want to find a professional for some specific help. First, do your research, and figure out how likely it is to get bats in the area where you live. This is also a good chance to inform yourself on other popular pests in the area.

Afterward, call in a certified wildlife removal professional, who will inspect your home for signs of potential wildlife intruders, as well as provide you with some great tips on how to protect your property. What’s more, a professional will have a keener eye and be able to point out weaknesses on your property, ones that you yourself might be oblivious to.

Remember, it’s always better to invest in prevention, rather than have to deal with the aftermath of a bat infestation, which can prove disastrous to your property.

The Montana State University Leadership Institute will host a forum aimed at empowering MSU students and community members to vote. “Make Your Vote Count” will take place 7 to 8:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 27, virtually.

For many MSU students, this 2020 presidential election will be their first as voters. The interactive event will feature a panel with state Sen. Mike Phillips, former state Rep. Jon Knokey and student representatives. It and will serve as an opportunity for both first-time and returning voters to ask questions, gain new perspectives and plan for participating in the election in November.

Phillips has been a state legislator the past 14 years. He was first elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2006 and then to the state Senate in 2012, where he will serve through 2020. Phillips founded the Montana Legislative Climate Change Caucus and in 2009 was recruited by the White House to a coalition of state legislative leaders in working with the Obama administration and U.S. Senate to pass legislations on clean energy jobs and climate change.

Knokey was elected to the Montana House of Representatives in 2016 and served on the budget and appropriation committee. In 2020, he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor as Attorney General Tim Fox’s running mate. Knokey has taught college courses on the Constitution and wrote the book “Theodore Roosevelt and the Making of American Leadership.”

The panel will be moderated by Eric Raile, an associate professor in the Department of Political Science in the College of Letters and Science at MSU. He teaches public policy and public administration and previously worked in the U.S. executive branch. Raile has contributed to news media reports about campaigns and elections for more than a decade.

“From the coronavirus pandemic to serious economic and environmental challenges, the need for effective public policies in the United States has rarely been greater,” Raile said. “The selection of the right individual for the presidency is crucial for dealing with these challenges. The same is true for other national and state-level positions, as these individuals will work with or seek to counterbalance the president’s policy objectives. These choices will have ramifications for decades.”

Registration is required for the event. To register, visit https://tinyurl.com/MSU2020ElectionForum. For more information, call the MSU Leadership Institute at 406-994-7275 or visit montana.edu/leadership or facebook.com/MSULeadershipInstitute.

Alongside the MSU Leadership Institute, the forum is presented in partnership by the Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, the Associated Students of MSU, Murdoch’s Ranch and Home Supply and the Office of Student Engagement.

Gallatin Mall Group is pleased to announce that Whole Foods Market will open a new natural and organic grocery store at their mall in Bozeman, Montana – the Gallatin Valley Mall. 
 
Whole Foods Market tagged Bozeman for its first foray into the Montana market, citing its designation by the U.S. Census Bureau as the fastest growing small city in the United States.  This ranking is furthered by Policom.com, ranking Bozeman #1 of 542 Micropolitan areas in the U.S. in terms of “Economic Strength” for the past three years.

Steve Corning, Managing Member of Gallatin Mall Group, said, “Bozeman’s economic growth in recent years has been remarkable, and since the advent of COVID-19 and its negative impact on more densely-populated urban areas, we are seeing unprecedented in-migration from major urban markets as companies are making it easier for their employees to work remotely.”  He continued, “Bozeman’s wide-open spaces, year-round recreational opportunities, airline connectivity, relative housing affordability, excellent public schools and the presence of a major university are factors that make Bozeman an easy destination for families seeking a major change in  lifestyle.

"The Gallatin Valley Mall has been southwest Montana’s premier shopping destination for the past 40-years, serving a five-county trade area of approximately 150,000 people.  Since acquiring the shopping center in 1997, Gallatin Mall Group has regularly made improvements to the property in order to better serve the needs of Bozeman’s ever-evolving market.  Whole Foods Market will join Macy’s, Barnes & Noble, Regal Cinemas and JoAnn Fabrics in anchoring the 365,000 square foot center. 

Gallatin Mall Group is partnering with a team of three companies to engineer and execute a comprehensive redevelopment strategy for the 37.4-acre property.  Boston Realty Advisors, Grossman Development Group, and The Broadway Company – all headquartered in Boston – will bring their expertise in redevelopment, leasing and marketing to reimagine the property.  Their vision will transform the enclosed mall into a more diverse mix of space to a “Main Street” retail experience via public gathering spaces and a broad mix of retail tenants that cater to daily needs as well as fashion and entertainment.

Whole Foods Market was represented by Cameron Simonsen and Lori Coburn, of Colliers International.  The landlord was represented inhouse by John Morrow, Managing Member of Gallatin Mall Group, Jeremy Grossman of Grossman Development Group, and Whitney Gallivan of Boston Realty Advisors.
 
The specifics of Phase Two will be announced in the coming months, together with details of new retailers, restaurants, and community amenities.
 

When you decide to take part in the art of hunting, you have to be willing to continuously learn, evolve, and adapt to the process. The steps that you need to take to become a successful duck hunter require patience and eagerness to learn. The beauty of digital learning is that all the information that you need is available at the click of your fingers. Here are some of the ways that you can effectively call out ducks when hunting.

Research
Any skill that you decide to put your mind to requires some research. In this particular case, you can research duck calls and see the plethora of advice and information that is provided for you to learn. You can get useful tips and pointers from professional duck hunters and experts in the field. Once you have gathered the information, you can then put to use what you may have picked up and see what works best for your developing hunting style.

Avoid Excessive Calling
Once you have picked up a few pointers regarding duck calling, you can head out to the field and try some of the styles out. Although it is exciting to implement what you may have learnt, avoid excessively calling out to the ducks. Keep in mind that ducks can become accustomed to the calls because of the number of hunters who similarly adopt some of the calling styles that you may have also discovered. This means that you have to be strategic about when you call your ducks, to avoid the calls becoming a familiar background tune to the ducks.

Call Strategically
Strategic calling means learning to identify the exact points and moments that will lead the ducks towards your water decoy. Studying the body language of ducks is one way that you may be able to implement strategic calling. It is advised that you call out to the ducks when they are in a flustered, confused, or busy state. Such states means that the ducks have less time to process the calls and ignore them, meaning they will most probably act upon the calls. One sign that a duck is in a confused or flustered state is the constant moving of the neck from side to side.

Regulate the Call Volume
The level at which you call ducks will either encourage them to move towards the decoy or chase them away. There are instances where you need to softly call the ducks – for example, when they are so close to your decoy that they just need to slightly turn right into it. In other cases, the ducks may be too far to hear a low volume call. You need to use your discretion in every unique scenario as these constantly shift. You may discover that, in some cases, you need to loudly call the ducks although in close range to the decoy because of the flustered state that they are in. Low volume calls when in a state of confusion might not be efficient in that particular scenario.

Be Patient
The art of duck hunting is best crafted by those who are patient. No two days are the same and you need to learn your birds while constantly shifting your style to meet the different scenarios that are presented. If you are quick to throw in the towel, you won't give yourself enough time to analyze the specific calls that work in particular scenarios. Always be mindful and take note of every hunting result for you to analyze how you can constantly improve your duck call.

Learn from Experienced Duck Hunters
Practical learning can complement theory. Learning from professional duck hunters that have executed countless successful calls may help you on your hunting journey. You can practically learn about the timing, the different types of calls, and calling strategies from the hunters. As you practice, you can then draw from these practical lessons and include these into crafting your unique hunting style as no two hunters are the same.

Conclusion
Researching the topic of duck calls is important to get you started in the right direction of your hunting journey. Once you have an appreciation of the information that has been gathered and presented to you, you can go on to practice in the field. Effective duck calls entail limited calls, strategic calls, regulated volume, patience as well as learning from experienced duck hunters. Eventually, with practice, trial, and error, you too will be passing on your knowledge about duck calls to beginners.

Four graduates of Montana State University’s Science and Natural History Filmmaking program have received a national Emmy for documentary cinematography for a series about Yellowstone National Park and its impact on the region.
 
Dawson Dunning, Jeff Reed, Rick Smith and Thomas Winston, all affiliated with Bozeman-based Grizzly Creek Films, won the national Emmy for their work on “Epic Yellowstone,” a four-part series that aired in 2019 on the Smithsonian Channel. The awards were announced at the virtual ceremonies for documentary Emmy awards held Sept. 24.

“We were happy to be nominated, but cinematography is very hard category, so we were shocked when we won,” said Winston, who is the founder and CEO of Grizzly Creek Films.
 
Winston said that a number of local filmmakers and graduates of either the School of Film and Photography’s MFA or bachelor’s program also played key roles in the “blue chip natural history series that includes the highest level of visuals and animal behavior sequences.” They included Stephanie Watkins, editor; Eric Bendick, producer and writer; and Scott Sterling, colorist. In addition, Bozeman filmmakers Shasta Grenier, writer, and Avela Grenier, editor, were also key to the award, Winston said. Rounding out the local connection, actor Bill Pullman, who taught in the School of Film and Photography 40 years ago and maintains a residence in the area, narrated the segments.

“The award may be for the best cinematography, but cinematography doesn’t work unless writing and editing works,” Winston said. “It really is an award for all the team members equally.”
 
The four segments in the Emmy-winning series include “Fire and Ice,” which begins and ends with a bobcat’s quest to hunt waterfowl on the Madison River;” “Return of the Predators,” which looks at the impact of wolves and grizzlies; “Life on the Wing,” which showcases mountain bluebirds and dragonflies; and “Down the River Wild,” which illustrates the origin and impact of the Yellowstone River.

Winston said that no captive animals were used in the series that focused on the park from different perspectives.
“We told stories that not a lot of people tell about Yellowstone,” he said.
 
“Epic Yellowstone” competed for the Emmy against three programs from PBS, including two from the program “Nature” about the Serengeti and the Okavango River in Africa and an episode  about Hollywood on the “POV” series; and “Ghost Fleet,” an independent documentary about Indonesian activists working to free enslaved fishermen. In addition to the Emmy, “Epic Yellowstone” also won the best broadcast documentary in the 2019 International Wildlife Film Festival.

 
Dennis Aig, film professor and director of the MFA program, said the national Emmy “reinforces the purpose of the program. It also provides confidence to faculty and students about what we can do in the future.”
 
Aig said that this is the third national documentary Emmy won by MSU film alumni and that Dunning has been involved with all three. The previous two included a 2013 Emmy for National Geographic’s “Untamed Americas" that he received with MFA graduates John Shier and Federico Pardo. Dunning and Shier received an Emmy in 2016 for National Geographic’s "Wild Yellowstone."

“This recent Emmy is the most special for me because we accomplished it with a small, local team of friends who were all MSU graduates, and it was truly a home-grown production in all aspects,” said Dunning, who is a native of tiny Otter, Montana, and who came to the MFA program in 2006 on a prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship. “The effort goes well beyond the cinematography in the field, and the entire production team really poured their heart and soul into this project. Our passion for this place and its wildlife really shines through and showcases the benefits of local, efficient filmmaking in high-end wildlife film production, most of which is currently produced from the U.K.”

Aig said such recognition is incredibly gratifying and incredibly important for a program that is now just 20 years old, showing that the program trains students to work on a world-class level.
 
“Any recognition that our students receive — and they’ve received quite a lot — encourages other graduate students to enter the program,” Aig said.

Earlier this week notes were struck across the United State as Play For The Vote announced its intent to sign up musicians to perform on Election Day. While mail-in ballots and early voting is being encouraged due to COVID, longer-than-usual lines are expected on Election Day itself, with a current shortage of polling volunteers.  At polling sites throughout the country, musicians are being sought to perform outside, with the goal of increasing voter turnout by providing a more positive voting experience.

Discussing the idea, Founder & Director of Play For The Vote, Mike Block, stated, “Election Day is shaping up to be pretty stressful for many people, while musicians are struggling to share music in a meaningful way during the pandemic.  November 3 is the perfect opportunity for the musicians of this country to join together to spread the unifying power of shared musical experiences on an unprecedented level. I’m calling on musicians across the country to join me in signing up to perform at a nearby polling location so that we can make voting a more positive experience for the whole country.”

Musicians interested in participating can sign up via the Play For The Vote website. Upon doing so, they will be asked for their location and availabilities on Election Day (November 3).  Play For The Votes custom software will match each musician with a location/time assignment to maximize coverage on Election Day.

While each aritst’s exact performing assignment will be known until closer to Election Day, artists are encouraged to begin promoting their involvement immediately. And when they do receive their precise performance assignment, they can simply treat it like a real gig, and help spread the word.

Play For The Vote does not endorse any specific candidate or issues. All performers are welcome. Deadline to sign up is November 1.

www.playforthevote.com
www.instagram.com/playforthevote
www.facebook.com/playforthevote
www.twitter.com/play_vote

With a new state-of-the-art facility, Montana State University researchers are starting another chapter in their work to help some of the state's most iconic fish as well as agricultural producers who rely on water diverted from streams.

A recently completed artificial waterway at the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Fish Technology Center on the outskirts of Bozeman will help the MSU team refine their design of small structures that allow grayling and other species to overcome irrigation structures that would otherwise block the fishes' seasonal movements.

"This is really exciting," said Katey Plymesser, assistant professor in the Department of Civil Engineering in MSU's Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering, who is leading the project. "We can test pretty much any fish passage structure here."

The roughly $300,000 facility, funded through the Denver office of USFWS's National Fish Passage Program, consists of a concrete trough with sections of glass that reveal the fish inside, along with pumps and other equipment that allow the researchers to carefully control water temperature and flow rates to simulate a range of stream conditions. In this case, the MSU scientists are interested in whether grayling can use fish passage structures called Denil fishways that have been optimized to work during low water levels.

Grayling inhabit less than 5% of their native range in Montana due to degraded habitat, warming waters and other factors. In the Big Hole River watershed — home of the only remaining population in the Lower 48 of native, river-dwelling grayling — more than 60 full-sized fishways have been installed in recent years as part of a conservation effort involving local landowners, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and others. Voluntary adoption of the fishways — metal troughs that span stream obstructions to provide a relatively gentle flow for fish to pass through — has helped to stave off limitations on irrigation withdrawals to protect the fish.

MSU's Fish Passage and Ecohydraulics Research Group, which includes Plymesser, has collaborated on the grayling conservation effort since 2009, including multiple summers of fieldwork that found that grayling were using the fishways as they flocked to cooler waters in the upper watershed. When stream levels were low, however, sometimes there wasn’t enough water flowing through the fishways to allow grayling to use them.

That's where the current project comes in. Backed by a $100,000 grant from the U.S. Geological Survey, the MSU team is redesigning the fishways to use less water while still being big enough for the fish to navigate.

"If we can get the fish to swim through less water, that's a win," said Matt Blank, a member of the study team and a research scientist at MSU's Western Transportation Institute. "We want to find solutions that benefit not only the fish but the irrigators who use the river, and this study is exploring how to do that."

So far the results are promising, he said. When the team visited the Bozeman facility on a clear day in September, civil engineering graduate student Megan Conley reported that eight grayling released into the artificial waterway the night before had all passed through a prototype fishway roughly half the size of those installed in the Big Hole watershed.

"I was super excited," said Conley, who helped design the baffles that slow the water flowing through the fishway's steel trough. "It shows the fish are willing to pass through, which is hopeful."

Conley, along with undergraduate Anthony Bruno, will conduct multiple trials with grayling on at least two scaled-down versions of the fishway this year. Next summer the team will do a similar study with Westslope cutthroat trout, another imperiled species that faces challenges with road culverts and other infrastructure.

"It's been great experience," said Bruno, a sophomore majoring in civil engineering with a minor in water resources. "I feel like I've learned a lot about problem-solving and collaborating with people in different fields."

According to Kevin Kappenman, research fishery biologist at the Bozeman Fish Technology Center, the project is another example of how USFWS and MSU have worked together toward common goals around fish passage research. "Our partnership with MSU allows us to work with some of the top professionals in the hydrology field and tap into expertise outside of our agency," he said.

Other MSU researchers on the project are Joel Cahoon, professor of civil engineering, and Al Zale, professor in the Department of Ecology in MSU's College of Letters and Science.

According to Plymesser, if the study is successful it could lead to swapping out some of the Big Hole fishways to improve passage for grayling while also providing peace of mind for landowners who need water for irrigation but also want to help the fish.

"Our group responds to questions and issues that agencies and other practitioners have," Plymesser said. "That's a big part of our mission, to produce science that helps solve real problems."