THE MONTANACONSERVATIONIST

News from Montana’s Conservation Districts

May 8, 2020 Volume 14 Issue 5

1101 11th Ave • Helena, MT 59601(406) 443-5711 • www.swcdm.org

This newsletter is made possible by a grant from DNRC.

In This Issue2 Busy as bees with pollinators

in mind

3 ButteBLMFieldOfficecollaboratestocovertrootwadstofishhabitat

4 Expertsapplymicrobiomeresearchtoagriculturalsciencetoincreasecropyield

Fire,mixedspeciesgrazingincreaselivestockproductionin study

5 TheAsiangianthornethasarrived.Beesbeware

Sprinklingofrockdustmayimprovesoilhealthandcropyield

6 USDAannounces$5millioninwetlandmitigationbankingfunds

NRCShiring1,000-plusemployeestobolsterfieldoffices

UMresearchersurgegovernmentstoaddresstransboundaryminingpollution

7 OPPORTUNITIES

MontanansencouragedtostartagardenOverthenextmonth,theMontanaDepartmentofAgricultureischallengingfolksacrossthestatetogetoutandgetgrowing!InconjunctionwiththeMontanaAgriculturalBusinessAssociation,EastHelenaHighSchoolFFAandMontanaStateUniversityExtension,theDepartmentislaunchinganonlinecampaigntohelpfolksstarttheirownhomegarden.

“Springisinfullswingandwithmanyofusworkingandschoolingfromhome,nowisagreattimetostartagarden,”saidDepartmentDirectorBenThomas.“Startingagardenathomeisafunandproductiveactivityforthewholefamilyandagreatwaytolearnmoreaboutfoodproduction.”

DuringthemonthofMay,the“GetoutandGrow”campaignwillprovidemanyresourcesandwebinarstohelpfolksunderstandthedifferenttypesofgardensandplantsthatcanbegrowninthem.Thecampaignwillhelpwitheverythingfromgardenplanningandseedselectiontowateringtechniquesandsoilhealth.READ MORE

Get out and

Grow!

The Montana Conservationist

2 www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

Busy as bees with pollinators in mindBy Sunni Heikes-Knapton, NACD: Pollinators don’t worry about pandemics.Stay-at-homeordersandsocialisolationaren’tstoppingthebees,butterflies,batsandmothsfromdoingtheirimportanttasksinourlandscape.Similarly,ournation’sconservationdistrictsalsocontinuetheirvaluableworkduringachallengingtime,evenoneffortsthat help those same pollinators to keepworking.

For the board and staff of the LakeCountyConservationDistrictinMontana,theyhaveadjustedtothechallengesofCOVID-19andhavemaintainedworkinseveralareas,includingtheirverysuccessfulPollinatorInitiative.Nowenteringitsfourthyear,thisprogramcontinuestopromoteand support pollinator habitat in thenorthwestregionofthestate.

“Thepollinatorinitiative’sgoalsaretoprovidefreepollinatorseedmixestothepublicandtechnicalassistanceinestablishing,maintainingandmonitoringapollinatorplot,”saidSarahKlausoftheLakeCountyConservationDistrict.“Wehavebeenabletokeepourpollinatorinitiativealivebysendingseedbymail,doingsocially-distancedsitevisitsandemailcommunicating.”

Thedistrictisabletocycleemployeesattheofficewhocontinuetoprocessandpackagetheirpopularseedpackets,whichincludesamixofspeciesthatwascustom-designedfortheirregionbytheirstaff.Todate,theLakeCountyConservationDistricthashelped establish more than nine acresofplantingsinthecountybyworkingwithover220participants,

andtheyhavecreatedacommunitygardenwiththeBoysandGirlsClubthatincludesseveralpollinatorbeds.

Inanerawherein-personcommunicationhasbeenrestricted,thedistricthasfoundways to distribute information toarangeofinterestedparties.Theyusesocialmediaandemailnewsletterstogettheirmessageout,andforthefirsttimethisyear,theyareeducatingandadvisingotherdistrictsinMontana.Theysharetheirresources,seedmixesandprovidetwoacresofseedfordistrictswhoarestartingtheirownpollinatorinitiatives.

“Weareproudthatwecreatedaprogramthatpeopleareexcitedaboutandthattheywanttogetinvolvedwith,”Klaussaid.“Thedesiretocreatepollinatorhabitatisrefreshingandinspiresustokeepexpanding.”

Despiteencounteringanumberofdisruptionsandcancelingoutreachandeducationevents,theyhaveadjustedtokeepconservationworkgoing.Whilethechallengescanbestressful,theoutcomesoftheirworkprovideamuchneededbitofgoodnewsduringahardtime.

“ThePollinatorInitiativeisashinybitoflight,notonlyforus,butformanyoftheparticipantswhoarehopingtoplantapollinatorplot,”Klaussaid.“Evenduringacrisis,peoplestillcareaboutcreatinghabitatforpollinators.”

TolearnmoreabouttheworkofLakeCountyConservationDistrict,gotohttps://lakecountyconservationdistrict.org/.

The Montana Conservationist

3www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

ButteBLMFieldOfficecollaboratestocovertrootwadstofishhabitatInthepast20years,insectanddiseaseactivityhasbeenonthe rise in the western United StatesandCanada’sforests.Periodicinfestationsarenaturalelementsofthelandscape,butpastmanagementdecisionsandchangingforestconditionshaveelevatedthemtoepidemiclevels.

In Montana, one of the most impactfulinsectshasbeenthemountain pine beetle (MPB) (Dendroctonusponderosae).ThemostrecentMPBepidemicstartedinthe1990sandpeakedaround2006-2008.

Thebeetlehashadasignificantecologicalforceatthelandscapelevel,causinghighlevelsofmortalityinmaturetimberstands.WithinMontana,thisepidemicspreadacrossmorethansixmillionacres,or23percentofthestate’s25.6millionacresofforestonprivate,state,andfederallands.Treemortalitywasgreaterthan

90percentinsometimberstandswithintheBLM’sButteFieldOffice.

Aftertheepidemic,manyforestryprojectsdesignedtoaddresstheMPBmortalityhavebeencompletedandcontinuetobeimplemented by land owners andagencieswithinMontana(BLM,UnitedStatesForestService,Montana Department of Natural Resources,MontanaFishWildlifeandParks,privatelandowners,andothers).TheButteFieldOfficeranintoaratheruniquechallengeandhadtogetcreativewhentreatingsomeofthehigh-usecampgroundswithintheBigHoleRiverValley,knownforblue-ribbontroutfishingandspectacularhighmountainscenery.

Determiningtherightcourseofactionwascomplicated.BLMspecialistshadtolookatmanyissues,includingthesafetyofcampgroundusers,maintainingtheintegrityofcampsites,retaining

wildlifehabitatandmovementcorridors,andvisualresources.Hundredsoflarge,maturelodgepolepinetreeshadtoberemoved.

Residuallivetreespresentedoneofthelargestissues.Asthestandwas thinned, the shallow root systemsonthelivelodgepolepinewerenotabletowithstandspringmoistureandhighwinds.Thosewind-throwntreeswerehazardoustobothcampgroundusersandcampgroundfacilities.Whenthetreesinevitablytoppled,theirrootwadscameupaswell,creatinglargeholesandamesstocleanup.

Beginningin2011,twotimbersaleswereusedtohelpremovehazardtreesandcleanupthesites.Theyprovidedsawlogsthatwenttolocallumbermills,postsandpolesforfencing,houselogs,logstobecarvedintobears(whichthecarverdonatestocharitiesaroundButte),andplentyoffirewood.

After the timber sales, BLM staff spenttimeeachsummercleaningupthesitesandremovingrootwadsfromwindthrowntrees.Residualdowntreeswerecutupandstackedforfirewoodforcampgroundusers.“Thiswasabighit,”saidMichaelO’Brien,BLM Forester with the Butte Field OfficeandProjectLead.“Folksreallyappreciatedhavingeasilyaccessiblefirewoodthroughoutthesummers.”

Althoughthefirewoodwasabighit,therewasstilloneBIGissue.Whattodowithalltherootwads?Duringthesummerof2017,whileO’Brienwasvisitinghisin-lawsinSalmon,ID,anideacametomind.

READ MORE

The Montana Conservationist

4 www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

ExpertsapplymicrobiomeresearchtoagriculturalsciencetoincreasecropyieldPhys.Org: Theglobaldemandandconsumptionofagriculturalcropsisincreasingatarapidpace.Accordingtothe2019GlobalAgriculturalProductivityReport,globalyieldneedstoincreaseatanaverageannualrateof1.73percenttosustainablyproducefood,feed,fiberandbioenergyfor10billionpeoplein2050.IntheUS,however,agriculturalproductivityisstrugglingtokeeppacewithpopulationgrowth,highlightingtheimportanceofresearchintotraditionalpracticesaswellasnewones.

Inanefforttoincreasecropyield,scientistsatNorthernArizonaUniversity'sPathogenandMicrobiomeInstitute(PMI)areworkingwithPurdueUniversityresearcherstostudythebacterialandfungalcommunitiesinsoiltounderstandhowmicrobiomesareimpactingagriculturalcrops.Theybelievetechnologicaladvancesinmicrobiomesciencewillultimatelyhelp farmers around the world growmorefoodatalowercost.

NicholasBokulich,aPMIassistantresearchprofessor,andGregCaporaso,anassociateprofessorofbiologicalsciencesanddirectorofPMI'sCenterforAppliedMicrobiomeScience(CAMS),havebeentestingalong-heldfarmingbeliefthatphylogenetics—thestudyoftheevolutionaryrelationshipbetweenorganisms—shouldbeusedtodefinecroprotationschedules.

Theteamrecentlypublisheditsfindingsregardingmicrobiomeresearchinagriculturalfood

productioninEvolutionaryApplications.Thepaperistitled,"Phylogeneticfarming:Canevolutionaryhistorypredictcroprotationviathesoilmicrobiome?"

Specifically,thetraditionalapproachhasbeentorotatedistantlyrelatedcropsacrossdifferentyearstomaximizeplantyield."Onehypothesisforwhythis may be helpful is that plant pathogensarespecifictoasinglehostortoverycloselyrelatedhosts.Ifyougrowcloselyrelatedcropsinadjacentyears,thereisahigherchancethatpathogensmaybelyinginwaitfortheirhostsinthesecondyear,"Caporasosaid."But this hypothesis has not been directlytested."

Theteam'sexperiment,supportedbyagrantfromtheUSDANationalInstituteofFoodandAgriculture,spannedtwooutdoorgrowingseasons.Inthefirstyear,PurduescientistsKathrynIngerslewandIanKaplangrew36cropsandagriculturalweedsthatdifferedinevolutionarydivergencefromthetomato.Theexperimentalplotsrangedfromtomato(thesamespecies)toeggplant(thesamegenusastomato,butadifferentspecies)andsweetpeppers(thesame family as tomato, but in adifferentgenusandspecies)throughcorn,wheatandrye,whicharemuchmoredistantrelativesofthetomato.

READ MORE

Fire, mixed speciesgrazingincreaselivestockproductioninstudyThe Ada News: ResearchersfromOklahomaStateUniversityarepartneringwithuniversityscientistsandresearchersintwootherstatesonaprojectusingfireandmixedanimalspeciestograzeinanefforttoenhancelivestockproductionandmoresustainablerangelands.

EnhancingLivestockProductionfromRangelandsintheGreatPlainsisaresearchprojectfundedthroughafive-year,$10milliongrantfromtheU.S.DepartmentofAgricultureNationalInstituteofFoodandAgriculture.PartneringwithOSUareresearchersandscientistsfromTexasA&MAgriLifeResearch,TexasA&MAgrilifeExtensionandtheUniversityofNebraska.

Theprojectwillhelpagricultureproducersadoptmanagementpracticesthatwillincreasefoodproductionandmoresustainablerangelands,saidSamFuhlendorf,regentsprofessorandGroendykeChairinWildlifeConservationwith OSU’s Department of NaturalResourceEcologyandManagement.

“We’redealingmostlywithcattleandgoatsinthisproject.CattlehavealwaysbeenimportantintheGreatPlains,”saidFuhlendorf,whoservesastheleadOSUprincipalinvestigatorontheresearchportionofthestudy.“We’reusinggoatsbecausetheyeatdifferentplantsthancattle,andmanyofthetypesofplantstheyeatarespeciesranchersspendalotofmoneytryingtocontrol.”READ MORE

The Montana Conservationist

5www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

SprinklingofrockdustmayimprovesoilhealthandcropyieldTechnology Networks:Addingbasaltrockdusttofarmers’fieldscouldhelpsoilstostorefourtimesmorecarbondioxide(CO2)andincreasecropyields,accordingtonewresearchbyacademicsattheUniversityofSheffield.

Thestudy,publishedinGlobalChangeBiology,foundthataddingthedustincreasedyieldsofthecerealcropsorghumbyasmuchas20percent.Asingleapplicationofbasaltenabledthe soil to absorb between two andfourtonsofdamagingCO2overfiveyears–fourtimesmorethanuntreatedsoils–suggestingthe method also has potential to mitigatetheclimatecrisis.

Removinggreenhousegasesfromtheatmosphere,alongwith

slashingemissionsfromfossilfuels,iscrucialtomeetingtheParisAgreementtargetoflimitingglobaltemperaturerisesto1.5Cabovepre-industriallevels.AccordingtotheUN’sIntergovernmentalPanelonClimateChange,croplandandgrasslandsoilhasthepotentialtostoreupto8.6gigatonsofCO2peryear–equivalenttoalmost1.5times the annual emissions of the UnitedStates.

TheteamofscientistsattheUniversityofSheffield’sLeverhulmeCentreforClimateChangeMitigation,affiliatedtotheInstitutesforSustainableFoodandEnergy,usedtheUniversity’sworld-classcontrolledenvironmentfacilitytoconducttheexperiments.

Basaltcontainsatleastsixnutrients

thatareessentialforplantgrowthandverylowconcentrationsoftoxins.Thestudyfoundaddingittothesoilincreasedyieldsofsorghum-theworld’sfifthmostimportantcropforfoodandanimalfeed–byupto20percent.Thiswasachievedwithouttheuseofphosphateandpotassiumfertilizers–makingthemethodsuitablefororganicfarmers.

Thebasaltalsohelpedtomitigatesoilacidification.Thisisusuallytreatedwithagriculturallime–theproductionofwhichaccountsfortwopercentofagriculturalgreenhousegasemissionsintheUnitedStates.

READ MORE

TheAsiangianthornethasarrived.BeesbewareVox: Agiant,bee-killinginsectdubbedthe“murderhornet”ismakinginroadsintheUnitedStates,threateningcropsthatdependonpollination, and humans who may getinitsway.

TheAsiangianthornet,Vespamandarinia,isnativetoplaceslikeJapan,SouthKorea,andTaiwan,butwasdetectedinWashingtonstatelatelastyear.CanadianofficialsalsofoundthehornetinBritishColumbiainAugust.

Themenacingorange-and-blackhornetshaveworkersthatcangrowaninchandahalflongandqueensthatgetuptotwoinchesinlength.Theyhaveapainfulstingthatcanbefataltohumans—iftheyareallergic—andunlikemostbees,hornetscanstingmore

thanonce.Despitetheirname,however,peoplehavelittletofearfrom them: The British Columbia MinistryofAgriculturesaidthatthey

“are not interested in humans, pets andlargeanimals.”

READ MORE

The Montana Conservationist

6 www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

USDAannounces$5millioninwetlandmitigationbankingfundsUSDA Press Release, May 5: TheUSDA’sNaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS)announcedtodaytheavailabilityofupto$5millionforwetlandmitigationbanks.ThisfundingthroughtheWetlandMitigationBankingProgramisavailabletohelpconservationpartnersdeveloporestablishmitigationbankstohelpagriculturalproducersmaintaineligibilityforUSDAprograms.

“Wetlandsarecriticallyimportantto the health of our natural resources--filteringwater,reducingsoillossandprovidinghabitat to our nation’s wildlife whilealsohelpingtosequestercarbonfromtheatmosphere,”saidNRCSChiefMatthewLohr.

“ThroughtheWetlandMitigationBankingProgram,we’reworkingwithexperiencedwetlandmitigationpartnerstogivefarmersanother option to meet Farm Bill requirements.”

Wetlandmitigationbankingistherestoration,creationorenhancementofwetlandstocompensateforunavoidableimpactsonwetlandsatotherlocations.TheFarmBill’swetlandconservationprovisions,commonlycalledSwampbusterprovisions,aimtoremovecertainincentivestoconvertwetlandsortoproduceagriculturalcommoditiesonconvertedwetlands.

READ MORE

NRCShiring1,000-plusemployeestobolsterfieldofficesAgWeek: Understaffed for years,theNaturalResourcesConservationServiceismakingapushtohiremorethan1,000employeessofarmerscanbeassuredofreceivingtechnicalassistanceonconservationpractices.

“Weneedaboutanother1,200employeesacrosstheboardtoactuallymaintainpeakperformanceacrossthecountry,sowe’vebeenveryaggressiveinworkingwithourHRteamallacrossthecountry,”NRCSChiefMattLohrsaidonAgri-Pulse’s"OpenMic"podcastApril19.

Thegoal,hesaid,istobeat10,600employees by the end of the

year.Sofarthisfiscalyear,whichendsSept,30,NRCShashired331employees.

AsoflateJanuary,theagencyhadabout8,800full-timestaff,withabout98%ofthemoutsideofWashington,D.C.,andthevastmajorityofthoseinmorethan2,500officesnationwide.

TheincreasedhireswillbewelcomeinruralAmerica.Newpersonnelare“agreatopportunityto help out landowners and the ruraleconomy,”saysColemanGarrison,directorofgovernmentaffairsfortheNationalAssociationofConservationDistricts.

READ MORE

UMresearchersurgegovernmentsto address transboundaryminingpollution

Flathead Beacon: LedbyalocalUniversityofMontanaresearcher,aninternationalgroupofscienceandpolicyexpertspublishedajointcommentaryintheacclaimedjournal“Science”urgingU.S.andCanadian leadership to address damagesandriskscausedbyCanadianminepollutionflowingdownstreamintoU.S.borderstateslikeMontana.

ThejointpublicationhighlightsthethreatandimpactsofCanadianminesonsharedrivers,fisheriesandcommunities,andcallsonthetwogovernmentsto“alignlarge-scalemine assessments with defensible science.”

“Ourpaperhighlightskeyshortcomingswithmineevaluationandpermittingprocessesintransboundaryrivers,”ErinSexton,aresearcheratUM’sFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationandthepaper’sleadauthor,said.“Weconcludedthat Canada, the United States andIndigenousgovernmentsmustcollaborativelyengageonjointenvironmentalassessmentofproposed,existingandlegacyminesinoursharedrivers.”

Accordingtotheresearchers,someofthemostculturallyandecologicallysignificantriversflowingfromCanadaintotheUnited States are impaired or threatenedbyamodern-dayminingboom,whereminesin British Columbia threaten downstreamregionsinMontana,Idaho,WashingtonandAlaska.READ MORE

The Montana Conservationist

7www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

OPPORTUNITIESGrantsRanching for Rivers

TheRanchingforRiversprogramisacceptingapplicantsonarollingbasisfor2020.ConservationDistrictsandwatershedgroupswithidentifiedprojects,orindividuallandownersworkingwithalocalCDorwatershedgroupmayapply.Theprogramoffers50%cost-shareforprojectimplementationand/orthedevelopmentofaGrazingManagementPlan.More Info

RDG Project & Planning Grants

TheDNRCReclamationandDevelopmentGrantsProgram(RDGP)isnowacceptinggrantapplicationsforRDGProjectGrants-upto$500,000.Grantsareavailabletoanycity,county,Tribe,conservationdistrict,orotherlocalgovernmentsubdivisioninMontana.Proposedgrantsmustprovidenaturalresourcebenefitsinoneoftwocategories:1)Reclamationprojects;2)Crucialstateneed:mustpreventoreliminatedamagetonaturalresourcesorcaptureextraordinarypublicbenefitthatwouldotherwisebelost.Deadline: June 1 More Info

Montana Grazing Lands Education Mini-Grants

TheMontanaGrazingLandsConservationInitiative(GLCI)isacceptingapplicationsformini-grantsanddemonstrationprojects.Themini-grantswillprovidefundingforeducationaleventsthroughoutthe year and support partners andorganizationswithaninterestintheconservation,education,andawarenessofgrazinglandsandnaturalresourcesinMontana.

Mini-grantfundingrequestsarelimitedtoaminimumof$50andamaximumof$1,000.Thereisnoapplicationdeadline.More Info

Waterhsed Stewardship Funding

SWCDM,inpartnershipwithDNRCandDEQ,isofferingaone-timefundingopportunityforConservationDistrictsengaginginwatershedplanningandstakeholderengagementefforts!ThedeadlineforapplicationsisMay 13that5:00PM.Formoreinformationandapplicationform,Visit:https://swcdm.org/watershed-stewardship-funding/orcontactstephanie@macdnet.orgforquestions.

SWCDM Pollinator Cost Share

SWCDM,inpartnershipwithNRCS,isoffering50%Cost-shareonlocal-scalepollinatorinitiativeprograms.SWCDMwillbeacceptingapplicationsuntilWednesday,May 27.Individualentitiesareeligibleforupto$5,000.Cost-sharewillrequirea50%non-federalmatch.More Info

2020 Technical Assistance Grants

NaturalResourcesConservationService(NRCS)hasenteredintoanagreementwithNACDtoprovidefundingtoenhanceconservationdistricttechnicalassistanceacrossthenation.Asignificantportionofthegrantedfundswillbeawardeddirectlytoconservationdistrictsto hire staff where additional capacityisneededtoimprovecustomerserviceandreduceworkloadpressure.Applicationdeadline: June 1.More Info

Future Fisheries Grants

TheFutureFisheriesImprovementProgramprovidesfundingtoprojectsthatrestoreessentialhabitatsforthegrowthandpropagationofwildfishpopulationsinlakes,rivers,andstreams.Anyentitywithagoodon-the-groundprojectthatbenefitswildfishcanapplyforfundingthroughtheFutureFisheriesProgram,including(butisnotlimitedto)landowners,anglers,civicgroups,conservationdistricts,orgovernmentalagencies.DueJune 1.More Info

Conservation Innovation Grants

ConservationInnovationGrants(CIG)arecompetitivegrantsthatdrivepublicandprivatesectorinnovationinresourceconservation.CIGprojectsinspirecreativeproblemsolvingthatboostsproductiononfarms,ranches,andprivateforests-ultimately,theyimprovewaterquality,soilhealth,andwildlifehabitat.Deadline:June 29.WebinarforinterestedapplicantsMay 13.More Info

Events, etcUpper Columbia Basin Monitoring Workshop

PresentedbyWhitefishLakeInstituteandtheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStationonFriday,May 29, 2020from10am–3pmattheFlatheadLakeBiologicalStation.Thistrainingisfreeandopentothepublic.Mileagereimbursementupto100milesisavailableandsamplingequipmentwillbemadeavailableasneededaswell.PleaseRSVPbyMAY1stto

The Montana Conservationist

8 www.swcdm.org |May 8, 2020

Coming Up

11 MACDBoardConferenceCall

12 SWCDMBoardConferenceCall

13 MACDEducationCommitteeConferenceCall

19 DistrictOperationsCommitteeConferenceCall

25 MACDExecutiveCommitteeConferenceCall RESCHEDULED

8-10 MACDSpringBoardMeeting,Helena

22 MACDExecutiveCommitteeConferenceCall

Have a story, funding opportunity, or event to share?

Please email tmc@macdnet.orgwith

details.

CynthiaIngelfingeratcynthia@whitefishlake.org

Montana Youth Range Camp

TheannualMontanaYouthRangeCamp,hostedbytheLewis&ClarkConservationDistrict,willbeheldAugust3-6,2020,attheCBarNRanchnearAugusta,Montana.Visithttps://lccd.mt.nacdnet.org/formoreinfo.

JobsRange and Wildlife Conservationist - Billings

ThispositionislocatedintheUSDAfieldofficeinYellowstoneCounty,MontanaandwillprovideconservationservicesforwildlifeconservationinYellowstoneCounty, Montana and the surroundingcounties.Deadline:May 21.More Info

MCC Field Crew Members

MCCisseekingfieldcrewmembersforthesummerterm.Crewswillcampformostoftheir terms, oftentimes in remote locationsinvariedterrainandinallweatherconditions.Workmayincludebuildingormaintainingtrails,treatingorremovinginvasivespecies,buildingfences,operatingchainsawstoreducewildfirerisksbythinningtrees,amongmanyothertypesofprojects.READ MORE

Assistant Fuels Reduction Program Administrator

The Lower Musselshell ConservationDistrictinRoundup,

MTislookingtohireanassistantfuelreductionprogramadministrator.TheapplicantwillworkdirectlywiththeFuelReductionProgramAdministratorandtheUSDA-NRCSofficetofurtherdevelopandadministerthedistrict’sFuelsReductionProgram.ContactWendyJones,Wendy.Jones@MT.nacdnet.net for moreinfo.

Project Manager

MontanaAquaticResourcesServicesisseekingaprojectmanagerbasedinLivingston.Theprojectmanager’sroleistosupportMARS’missionthroughtheadministrationandoversightofrestorationandmitigationprojects,includingplanning,implementationandlong-termprojectmanagement.More Info

WebinarsNew tools for pinyon-juniper management: Balancing needs of sagebrush and woodland obligate birds

Thiswebinarwillhighlightrecentliterature on wildlife response topinyon-junipermanagementacrosstheWest,andnewscienceandtoolsforconsideringsagebrush-andwoodland-obligatesongbirds,likepinyonjay,inconifermanagement.Knowledgegainedfromwildlifestudieswillbeputintocontextofemergingremotesensinganalysesthatprovideacomprehensivepictureofcontinuedwoodlandchange.May 27, 11am. More Info

May

June