HELENA – Nonresident hunters who registered to be placed on the Alternates List can now check their status on MyFWP: myfwp.mt.gov/fwpExtPortal/myDrawResult_input.action. Every year, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks gets several unused nonresident combination licenses (big game, general elk and general deer combination licenses) returned by customers. FWP resells these returned licenses through the Alternate’s List. 

After registration for the list closed on June 30, the list was randomized. The hunter in the uppermost randomized position on the list will be contacted by email to finalize the purchase of the license, and so on until the returned nonresident combo licenses are exhausted. Licenses will start being offered for purchase early August.

MyFWP also allows nonresident hunters to check their position on the list.

The odds of getting a license from these lists vary greatly from year to year. Refunds and issuance may occur at any time after mid-July, but availability of these licenses generally increase between early fall and the opening of general hunting season in late October. 

For more information, visit fwp.mt.gov/hunting/licensedraw/alternatesList.html.

BOZEMAN — Driveways that purify runoff after a rainstorm, walls that cleanse air of exhaust and concrete that self-repairs its cracks — these may sound like fiction, but all are among the science being discussed this week at a meet-up featuring Montana State University researchers.

As part of the annual Montana Biofilm Meeting on July 10-13, MSU scientists specializing in the emerging field of engineered living materials will present on the topic during an all-day workshop on Thursday. The event is expected to draw representatives from 19 companies and agencies, with nearly 100 MSU researchers also attending, including students.

“We think there’s immense potential to functionalize our infrastructure materials so they can clean air and water and contribute other positive benefits,” said Robin Gerlach, a researcher in MSU’s Center for Biofilm Engineering, which organizes and hosts the yearly meet-up. “One of our goals with highlighting this topic this year is to help define and shape the field. It’s exciting.”

The annual meeting typically draws MSU’s industrial collaborators who are grappling with the negative effects of microbes that grow together cooperatively to form slimy mats called biofilm — or companies making products for controlling biofilm, like specialized disinfectants. Biofilm is best known for clogging pipes, forming plaque on teeth and festering in wounds, but the MSU researchers want to harness it for good, Gerlach said.

“We want to explore ways of thinking about biofilm not just as slime, but as a living machine,” said Gerlach, professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering in MSU’s Norm Asbjornson College of Engineering.

Introducing Thursday’s workshop is MSU researcher Chelsea Heveran, whose recent work has included exploring how to incorporate microbes and fungi into building materials that are less energy-intensive and could be used in situations where resources are scarce, such as in disaster relief.

“I think it’s likely in the future that a lot of the materials around us that are now inert will have a living component that performs some function,” said Heveran, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. There’s a groundswell of interest and funding in the field, she noted. “This is an emerging scientific community. We want to spark collaboration and accelerate the progress that’s happening.”

This year’s focus on engineered living materials is an example of how the Center for Biofilm Engineering uses the annual Bozeman meeting to keep its partners from across the country up to date with the cutting-edge science, said Darla Goeres, the center’s industrial coordinator.

“We like to keep things fresh and have sessions that dig into big questions,” said Goeres, research professor in MSU’s chemical and biological engineering department. “Our partnership with industry helps keep our research very relevant and applied. It’s a collaborative process where we solve biofilm challenges together.”

The event is also a valuable opportunity for students, she noted. Four MSU graduate students — Hannah Goemann, Madelyn Mettler, Amit Acharjee and Yagmur Keskin — will present at the meeting, and many undergraduates will display their research at a poster session on Wednesday evening. Throughout, students can interact with company representatives and explore job opportunities.

Other sessions during the three-day event cover topics such as how to monitor and measure biofilm in hard-to-reach areas like inside pipelines and the latest techniques for treating biofilms that can be difficult to control. Companies like Procter & Gamble and Sherwin-Williams are regular attendees, Goeres noted, as is NASA, which is working on taming biofilms in the pipes of its spacecraft.

"The companies and others who come to the meeting are innovative,” Goeres said. “They want to be at the forefront and lead, so for them to come and learn about this emerging field of engineered living materials is a huge opportunity for them."

On July 09, 2023, Gallatin County Dispatch received a call from a pair of hikers, one of which was dehydrated and out of water, on the Ridge Trail between Ross Peak and Sacajawea Peak in the Bridger Mountains.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue volunteers from the Valley Section responded to Brackett Creek Trailhead and deployed three teams.  Teams consisted of side by sides, four wheelers, and ground crews.  The hiker had cellphone reception and relayed information via text messages and phone calls.  Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue teams located the dehydrated hiker and provided food and water.  Once the patient regained strength and energy, GCSSAR teams walked the patient to the Ross Pass Trail and then transported by side by side to Brackett Creek Trailhead.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind recreationalists that long hikes can take more time than expected and can be exhausting.  Being prepared with extra food, water, and a communication device can be extremely helpful if your adventures don’t go as expected.

Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

Dear Bozeman,
 
Dave’s Sushi needs your support.
 
We are reeling from the tragic events that occurred in April. Those individuals and families impacted by the foodborne illness outbreak continue to be and will always be in our thoughts. We will continue to be transparent as more information from the CDC, FDA, and local authorities becomes available.
 
On May 17th, GCCHD Health Officer Lori Christensen rescinded the previous closure order  “based on findings to date that indicate all food samples have come back negative for several pathogens and toxins and preliminary findings of a case-control study…..focused solely on morel mushrooms as an exposure. Based on preliminary analysis, the odds ratio calculated that the individuals who ate morel mushrooms at Dave’s Sushi during the outbreak had 8.8 times the odds of getting sick compared with those who did not eat morels. The magnitude of the odds ratio suggests a strong association that the morel mushrooms were the food item that caused the outbreak and that other menu items that did not contain morel mushrooms were not associated with the foodborne illness……I have determined there is no longer a condition of public health importance or imminent health hazard preventing the establishment from reopening.”

 
Prior to this event, the FDA had no published guidance on morel mushrooms. In response to the April incident, the FDA released the following information on May 19th: https://www.fda.gov/food/outbreaks-foodborne-illness/investigation-illnesses-morel-mushrooms-may-2023. With these new findings, Dave’s Sushi will never serve morel mushrooms again.

 
There has been a great deal of incorrect and non-factual information that has impacted the public perception and understanding of what has occurred. Understandably, this has had dramatic impacts on business. Most of our staff members are struggling and the business likely will not be able to survive at the current volume.

 
Please watch and share the following video https://vimeo.com/840977902/ac35a60886?share=copy, where Missy O’Malley asked one of our Operations Managers the questions Bozeman wants answers to. We have also created a detailed FAQ page that we hope you will review and share: www.daves-sushi.com/info
 
It has been our privilege to be a part of the Bozeman community for over 20 years. It’s also been an honor to support local non-profits, employ over 1,000 staff members, be your local sushi restaurant and host your special occasions. We hope that we can regain your trust and welcome you back to Dave’s Sushi soon.

 
Warm regards,
 
Dave’s Sushi

On July 6, 2023, at 8:20pm, Gallatin County dispatch received a call for an ATV rider who had become stranded in between Hyalite Canyon and Sourdough Canyon.

The ATV rider had departed the Lick Creek Trailhead before running out of fuel. The rider was then separated from their ATV by a mother black bear and two cubs. The rider hiked out to Sourdough Canyon and was without water or means of communication when located by another hiker.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) volunteers from the Valley Section responded to the Sourdough Canyon Trailhead. GCSSAR deployed a hasty team up Sourdough Trail to attempt contact with the stranded individual.

The GCSSAR hasty team located the stranded rider approximately 4.5 miles up Sourdough Trail. The rider was assessed for injuries and transported to Sourdough Canyon Trailhead.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind recreationalists to be prepared for rapidly changing conditions and always have a means of communication.

Photo courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.

Whether you own a small business or are part of a fast-growing company, you probably hear about “outsourcing” all the time. But what is business outsourcing? And what are the benefits that come with it? In this article, you can discover all of this and more, along with some real-life examples.

What is Business Outsourcing?

Business outsourcing is when a business hires a third party to take care of a specific task. Usually, a business will do this when they don’t have any in-house specialists who can do the task themselves. Essentially, it’s an excellent cost-cutting measure — so there’s a lot to like about it.

These days, businesses are outsourcing all kinds of business tasks. One of the most commonly outsourced tasks is SEO marketing, which you can outsource to clickintelligence.com. SEO marketing is a type of marketing that focuses on boosting your business website up the search engine rankings so that there’s more chance of customers finding you through Google.

On top of this, businesses are also outsourcing other important tasks such as social media marketing, email marketing, accounting, and customer service. Anything you can think of, there’s a good chance it can be outsourced.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Now, let’s take a closer look at some of the benefits you can expect from outsourcing.

Reduced Costs

Because of global inflation, almost all businesses are looking to reduce costs. Thankfully, outsourcing is a great strategy for achieving this, as it means you can transfer workloads to specialists as and when you need to. The Harvard Business Review even states that you achieve cost reductions of 20-30% just by outsourcing non-core business tasks, which is great to know.

Access to Specialist Knowledge

No matter which business functions you outsource, you’ll gain access to specialist knowledge from the third-party companies that you choose. This knowledge will then allow you to run your business in a smarter and more cost-effective way.

Focus on Core Business Tasks

When all of your chosen business tasks have been outsourced, you can then exclusively focus on the core business tasks that you’re good at, such as sales. Think of it as having a weight removed from your shoulders — that’s what outsourcing is all about!

Outsourcing Example 1: Apple

Everybody knows about Apple. The chances are you probably own an iPhone or other type of product from Apple. But did you know that Apple outsources nearly all of its manufacturing to China through third-party companies such as Foxconn? This is so that Apple can gain access to specialist workers while also saving money on labor costs.

Outsourcing: Example 2: WhatsApp

It’s estimated that 2.78 billion people around the world use WhatsApp. Interestingly, WhatsApp outsources its customer service to third-party companies so that they can provide customer service 24/7. Without doing this, WhatsApp would only be able to provide customer service to local US WhatsApp users, which simply wouldn’t be enough when you consider the fact that WhatsApp has such a large pool of global users.

Summary

Outsourcing is the present and future of business operations. It’s recommended you use outsourcing as a strategy to reduce costs, boost efficiency, and gain access to the skills that aren’t available to you in-house.

HELENA – Last year, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved an amendment to the “hoot owl” rule that directs fishing restrictions during drought. The amendment allowed Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks to implement restrictions in designated reaches of Montana streams according to the Statewide Fisheries Management Plan.

The Statewide Fisheries Management Plan is scheduled to be finalized later this fall after public review and comment this summer. Given this timeline, hoot owl restrictions this summer will continue to be implemented as they were in past years. Hoot owl restrictions prohibit fishing between 2 p.m. and midnight on drought-impacted streams until conditions improve. There are four criteria FWP biologists consider for setting hoot owl restrictions:

• species of interest are present in significant number
• temperature criteria have been met
• fishing pressure is high
• stream flow conditions

These restrictions are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to stress, disease and mortality when low and warm water conditions exist.

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 
• 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  
• let the fish recover before gently releasing it 

BOZEMAN – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is launching several research efforts in response to trout declines in the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers.

FWP, in partnership with Montana State University, has a four-pronged approach, including the following three studies:

• Fish mortality study

A mortality study on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers, as well as the Madison River, will include tagging adult fish to assess how flows, water temperatures, angling and disease influence survival. This study would also help measure the success of adaptive management plans for the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers that propose adjustments to fishing regulations in response to changes in trout populations.

• Juvenile fish study

A juvenile fish study will focus on developing a better understanding of trout recruitment and the relative contributions of tributary spawning areas to mainstem trout populations. This would include using otolith microchemistry to examine fish movements and age, as well as geographical origins of juvenile fish.

• Fish health study

A fish health study will examine the level that disease is impacting fish populations in the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers. This would include testing for novel pathogens and determining better ways to routinely sample fish for disease in the future.

• Fish health monitoring

FWP is increasing fish health monitoring and reporting resources on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers, including the new web portal sickfish.mt.gov, which launched last week. 

Background

Trout abundances in several areas of the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers have steadily declined since 2011 and are at or near historical lows. FWP is working to better understand the causes of these declines, which are linked to flows, water temperatures and other factors.

Monitoring and responding appropriately to these declines are top agency priorities for FWP. While research efforts begin, FWP has already taken several steps in addressing the situation:

• On June 6, FWP announced new efforts to research and monitor trout population declines in the Jefferson Basin to better inform the state’s strategies and response.
• FWP proposed temporary angling restrictions to protect spawning fish and limit angler-caused mortality on the Big Hole, Beaverhead and Ruby rivers to the Fish and Wildlife Commission. The commission adopted the emergency regulations.
• On June 7, FWP Director Dustin Temple met with business owners and guides in Butte to discuss trout population declines in the Jefferson Basin.
• FWP launched a new public web portal—sickfish.mt.gov—where anglers can submit reports of sick or dead fish they observe. This portal allows for a direct line from anglers to the department in gathering timely information.
• FWP staff will continue visiting sites along the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Ruby and Madison rivers to hear from anglers and monitor for sick or dead fish.

Rivers in southwest Montana are not only famous for their world-class fishing, but they are also critical to local and state economies. FWP biologists monitor fish health in waterbodies around the state. This monitoring includes sampling healthy, sick and dead fish, as well as evaluating water quality. Fish diseases are present in waterbodies, but generally don’t pose a population risk. However, fish can be more susceptible to disease and mortality when they are stressed.

On July 3, 2023, at 6:12 PM Gallatin County Dispatch received information that a family had overturned their paddle board and were stranded on an island on the Gallatin River near Central Park Road. The family was unable to swim to shore due to the fast-moving water conditions.

Gallatin County Sheriff Search and Rescue (GCSSAR) volunteers from the Valley Section responded to the area. Volunteers reached the party on the island and assessed all members for injuries. One individual had an injured knee and required GCSSAR assistance to safely navigate the terrain. The rescue team was able to bring the family and injured person safely to shore where they were evaluated by members of Central Valley Fire Department and Manhattan Fire Department.

Sheriff Dan Springer would like to remind the public that rivers in Gallatin County, while beautiful and enjoyable, are powerful and sometimes conceal danger below the surface. Wearing proper flotation devices as well as packing appropriate clothing and gear for the worst conditions one may encounter is a good practice for staying safe.

Photos courtesy of Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office.