Help Support all that MWCC does with a tax deductible donation:
April 8-10, Stormwater Conference, Billings MT
If you would like to submit something to the MWCC Watershed News please email a brief description to info@mtwatersheds.org with a link to a longer announcement on your website or a pdf to post to our website.
|
|
Thank you to all who worked to put the MWCC Symposium together and all those who attended! We live in a special place and do important work. It is important to come together, learn from one another and share our challenges and successes. Time spent this week reaffirmed that Montana has a dedicated and innovative group of individuals working diligently to conserve and preserve the beauty of Montana for future generations. Opening remarks from Gov Bullock at the symposium. "You have shown that great things can happen when we put our differences aside and work on what is important to us all."
|
 |
NEWS
October 16, 2012 Great Falls Tribune Farmers and ranchers in southeastern Montana are being denied their “lifeblood” by upstream water users in Wyoming who are taking more than their share of water from the Yellowstone River basin, Montana Attorney General Tim Fox said Wednesday.
October 17, 2013 KAJ18.com The authors of the proposed Flathead Water Compact say the approval of the agreement could prevent legal problems impacting future water use in the Bitterroot.
October 16, 2013 Choteau Acantha The Montana Department of Environmental Quality is holding a public meeting at 1 p.m. on Oct. 22 at the Taco Treat/Amigo Lounge, 1200 7th St. S., Great Falls, about the water-use classification of Muddy Creek in southeastern Teton County.
October 15, 2013 Great Falls Tribune Montana Trout Unlimited is working with the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to supplement rewards in cases where people illegally plant non-native fish into important trout waters.
October 17, 2013 Cranbrook Daily Townsman The B.C. Government this week announced the release of a list of principles that will guide it in coming talks with the United States on the future of the Columbia River Treaty.
The Montana Standard October 15, 2013 Butte-Silver Bow would pump and treat water from underground workings at the Belmont Mine and use it to irrigate reclaimed land in the area under a nearly $276,000 grant the Council of Commissioners will consider Wednesday.
October 14, 2013 KPAX.com Land owners in the Flathead Basin will be asked whether the board representing all irrigators will vanish, a key question which could impact the future of the controversial tribal water compact.
October 15, 2013 Great Falls Tribune Fort Benton stands as a tree-filled oasis at the center of a wide-open prairie. Dipping down from the high bluffs that surround the town, a traveler is greeted by graceful, century-old cottonwoods lining the levees and parks along the banks of the Missouri River.
October 17, 2013 KPAX.com State officials are warning folks not to eat northern pike or rainbow trout caught in the Clark Fork River between Missoula and Paradise - a 105 mile stretch of water.
Montana Neighbor Awards gives recognition to landowners who go the extra mile through collaborative efforts to enhance our Montana sense of community. Our mission is to promote the on-the-ground reality of being a good Montana neighbor in a time of transition in our state.
Low-Stress Livestock Handling Principles, Techniques, and Practical Applications Increase production and performance at no cost Stockmanship JournalWestern Sustainability Exchange is hosting three workshops on low-stress livestock handling. Whit Hibbard - fourth generation Montana rancher, former national park mounted ranger, and editor of Stockmanship Journal - will lead workshops on this critical aspect of stockmanship. Low-stress livestock handling requires no additional inputs, yet studies have shown that it can significantly increase production and performance. Whit will make the case for low-stress livestock handling and will cover the fundamentals, including principles, techniques, and practical applications. Good stockmanship improves: Performance - weight gains, conception rates, immune function, and carcass quality Effieciency - accomplish the same workload with less labor Safety Welfare Quality of Life Join us! Lewistown, MT, Eagles Club, 124 West Main Tuesday, October 29th, 10:30am - 5:30pm $40 per person, $45 at door Scholarships available through Fergus County Livestock Association Livingston, Shane Lalani Center, 415 East Lewis Wednesday, October 30th, 9am - 5pm $45 per person, $40 for WSE members, $50 at door Dillon, National Guard Armory, 1070 Hwy 41 Thursday, October 31st, 8:30am - 4:30pm $45 per person, $40 for WSE members, $50 at door
Clark Fork Task Force Public Meetings
Deer Lodge - Thursday, October 24th Kalispell - Tuesday, October 29th Libby - Wednesday, October 30th
Funding Opportunities BLM Grants: While the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) manages approximately eight million acres in Montana (and over forty million acres of federal mineral estate), complex land ownership patterns often make it challenging to effectively manage these public resources. The BLM believes that watershed groups provide an excellent mechanism for bringing multiple landowners/managers and agencies together to achieve common goals. To facilitate closer coordination and expanded working relationships with its watershed neighbors, the BLM recently awarded the MWCC a five year grant ($10-25,000/year) to: (1) support new watershed efforts in the middle Yellowstone, lower Yellowstone, Musselshell, Little Missouri, Milk, middle Missouri, and lower Missouri sub-basins; (2) assist in bringing agency and watershed groups together; (3) assist in coordinating activities between watershed groups; (4) assist in disseminating information between agencies and watershed groups; (5) support training(s) focusing on watershed management, restoration, and monitoring; and (6) support watershed symposiums in Montana. The BLM is also interested in partnering with with individual watershed groups. If your watershed contains BLM managed public lands and you have ideas for a partnership please contact Mike Philbin (406-896-5041), or your local BLM office, for more information.
Private Grant Program Grants to private individuals, corporations, and other groups for water projects are now available through The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.
These grants are part of the renewable resource grant program and can be used for projects that protect or improve the management or quality of surface or groundwater. Projects funded under this program must meet a requirement, recommendation, or condition set by a government entity. Some examples are: projects that help a watershed meet Total Maximum Daily Load goals, respond to a project-specific Conservation District recommendation, and grants to individuals for wastewater upgrades in response to a county order. These grants are available anytime and are limited to 25 percent of the project cost or $5,000 whichever is less. The applicant may include in-house and volunteer labor in total project cost. For additional information contact: Larry Bloxsom Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Resource Development Bureau 1625 Eleventh Avenue Helena, Montana 59620-1601 Phone: 406-444-6668 lbloxsom@mt.gov
2014 Watershed Planning and Assistance Grant (WPAG) The FY 2014 Guidance for the Watershed Planning and Assistance Grant (WPAG) is posted on the web. There is a new application form this year. Additional round are planned for November 2013 and February 2014. Guidance or call David Martin @ 406-444-4253.
EPA Webinars on Water Quality Regulation The
EPA will hold public webinars on the proposed revisions to the Water
Quality Standards Regulation (40 CFR Part 131) on Th Nov 14 both at
11am-1pm Mtn time. There will also be a public meeting in Wash DC on Oct
23 10am-3pm (Eastern time), and a separate tribal consultation webinar
should be announced soon. We encourage your participation in the public
webinars and meeting and any comments you wish to offer on the proposed
rule. Please ensure you follow the instructions in the Federal Register
(or on the website below) in submitting comments before the Dec 3, 2013
deadline. Please see the EPA website for more information and details on the proposed rule. Montana’s “Model Regulations/Ordinance for FLOOD PLAIN HAZARD MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS” is available for review
From this version, I invite your review and comments. Please send your
written comments to Laurence Siroky lsiroky@mt.gov by October 31, 2013.
The next version of the model ordinance will include incorporated
comments and will be posted on our website
http://dnrc.mt.gov/wrd/water_op/floodplain/permitting.asp under “Model
Ordinance for Communities”.
Jobs
Trout Unlimited Project Manager - Montana Water ProjectThis position will be project oriented; whoever fills it will work with irrigators, state agencies, and others to secure leases and state approval of leases for instream flows. The primary, though not exclusive, area of focus will be west of the Continental Divide, specifically in the upper Clark Fork River Basin.
The Development Coordinator is a one-year part-time (~10 hours/week) contract position to assist with the development of a fundraising program to accomplish fundraising and communications goals of the Blue Water Task Force. With oversight from the Executive Director, the Development Coordinator will develop, execute and maintain, in cooperation and with the approval of BWTF's Board of Directors, the annual fundraising plan. After one year, there is possibility of renewal. Volunteer work beyond the 10 hours/week and success in increasing revenues will be looked upon positively for renewal.
Lake County - Planner Lake County seeks qualified applicants to fill a professional land use Planner position, full-time, 40 hours per week. Pay is $17.00 per hour, plus benefits. Experience with floodplain administration in the State of Montana is desired. The full job description and employment applications are available online at www.lakecounty-mt.org, Lake County Job Service or the Lake County Human Resources office. To apply, submit a Lake County application, a resume, three references, a cover letter, and a writing sample. All application packets must be turned into Lake County Job Service or to Lake County Human Resources by 5:00 p.m. Friday October 25, 2013.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
F