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We Can Save All of Montana’s Wildlife

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Bat 1 There is a disease coming to Montana that could decimate one of Montana’s most charismatic and economically important animals. But it is an animal that is misunderstood by many and not fully understood by biologists. Hibernating bats can be affected by White Nose Syndrome (WNS) and millions of bats across North America have been killed by the disease. WNS is caused by a fungus that grows in dark, damp and cool places. Places such as caves, which happen to be one of the favorite places of some bat species. WNS was first detected in 2006 in upstate New York and has spread west in the following years. 

WNS has not arrived in Montana yet but most scientists agree it is only a matter of time before it arrives. Scientists from the state have been working hard for nearly 10 years trying to understand the life cycle and habits of bats across the state. With a better understanding of these things, scientists can truly gauge the impact of WNS on Montana’s bats and make informed management decisions that may impact bats. 

As a caver, I have been very fortunate to assist state and federal scientists and land managers access bat hibernacula and roosts in caves. During the winter biologists from the Montana Natural Heritage Program and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks have been trying to determine the places where bats hibernate and increase their understanding of the lives bats lead. During the spring, biologists enter caves to monitor bat hibernacula and test bats for the fungus that causes WNS. 

Recently, I asked my friend and fellow caver Lauri Hanauska-Brown (the Non-Game Wildlife Management Bureau chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks), what is one thing that would really help bats? The answer she gave was much simpler than I anticipated. She said bats and other non-game wildlife would really benefit from a dedicated source of funding to prevent them from becoming endangered. The best way to get that funding she told me, would be for Congress to pass the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA). 

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would secure almost $30 million annually to the state of Montana for conservation actions targeted at bats and hundreds of other Montana species. This money could make a large impact on the programs that are helping biologists understand bats and hopefully help them weather the coming storm. 

As a caver and bat enthusiast, I am asking that you help me protect bats and other non-game species by sending a message to our congressional delegation and ask them to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act. 

Click here to send a message to Representative Gianforte and ask him to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act.

By MWF Member and Engagement Coordinator Zach Angstead.

MWF 2019 Voting Record

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PublicLandsRallyWEB The Montana Wildlife Federation has for decades put out a voting record on key bills that came up during the Legislative session. Now the 2019 version is ready for viewing.

MWF and our conservation partners saw some significant wins this past session on our key issues. That includes protecting Habitat Montana; the budget for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and on bills protecting our heritage of ethical, fair chase hunting.

It’s all included in the voting record, with descriptions of key bills and a record of where legislators came down on those measures. The voting record is not a scorecard and is not meant to express support for our opposition to any candidate. Rather, it’s an accounting of each legislator’s position on these important bills.

MWF is thankful to all of our grassroots volunteers who showed up and spoke up for wildlife, habitat, and access. Take a look at the voting record here, and thanks again for making the voice of dedicated sportsmen and sportswomen heard this past session in the state Capitol.

Stenson Family Continues to Give to Wildlife Conservation

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Stensonfamily Recently Kip and Adele Stenson, who put their cattle ranch under a permanent Habitat Montana conservation easement last year, continued to give to wildlife conservation by hosting a youth “BBs and Bows on the Badlands” event on their 15,000 acres Springhill Ranch west of Wibaux. 

The event drew 19 youth ages 9 and older and a dozen parents, as well as younger kids, to participate in events and education talks including BB gun and archery shoots, field tracking and wildlife science education. They also learned about prairie snake species and practiced cooking with a Dutch oven. And they learned how to monitor swift fox using radio telemetry. 

The event was hosted the Stenson, with presenters from the Mule Deer Foundation; Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; the U.S. Natural Resources Conservation Service; local 4-H; and Montana State University Extension Service.  

We appreciate everything that generous landowners, like the Stensons, do to provide habitat and access for us and for future generations. 

Sage Grouse Habitat Health and Looming Fire Devastation

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cheatgrass Cheatgrass is a known dirty word around the west these days. A quickly spreading invasive grass, with a short root system that is not only typically unappetizing to cows but is causing even bigger problems with one of the West’s current biggest nemeses, fire. Fire has become a part of our summer lifestyle and even though it is essential to certain ecosystems, it is not something that should be happening tirelessly throughout our sagebrush sea habitats. Throughout Nevada and Wyoming, the size and strength of fires have been increasing. Mostly due to the impacts of cheatgrass. The sagebrush sea once covered over 250 million acres of Western North America, but now it is half the size it once was. In the past two decades in the West, 75% of all acres burned were rangelands, which put ranchers at risk but also harms our favorite bird potentially facing endangerment, the sage grouse. 

Greater Sage Grouse Core Areas 2018 3 600 Cheatgrass is taking over a lot of areas that currently have sagebrush and some areas that have been previously burned. Sagebrush burns every 50 to 100 years while cheatgrass burns every 5 to 10. Montana, just like almost every other state in the west has become a hospitable home for cheatgrass, which is now widespread throughout our landscape. All of the sage grouse habitats within Montana is also habitat to the non-native cheatgrass. How can we get ahead of this habitat destroying invasive before it brings fire along with it? Land managers and landowners throughout Montana can work to plant natives, apply strategic herbicide, and use cattle grazing to help prevent the spread of cheatgrass and the destruction of sage grouse habitat. 

RecencyMap PMPOA151H0 FS Sagebrush habitat is essential to the Sage Grouse. Sage Grouse populations feed off of sagebrush leaves in the winter, lay their eggs on the ground under sagebrush, and rely upon the cover that sagebrush provides. Sage Grouse need the sagebrush sea to survive and with the addition of cheatgrass and the fire danger it brings, there is not a more important time than now to protect all areas of sage grouse habitat to give them a fighting chance in an ecosystem that seems to be changing too quickly for them to adapt.  

Addtional Resources:

http://fieldguide.mt.gov/speciesDetail.aspx?elcode=PMPOA151H0

https://www.npr.org/2019/05/30/725713849/a-sea-of-sagebrush-disappears-making-way-for-fire-prone-cheatgrass

https://www.nifc.gov/fireandsagegrouse/

 

Hunting Opportunity Expands with Easements Near Garrison

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ELK blog Montana hunters will find more opportunity to pursue elk, mule deer, and other big game and upland birds following the completion this week of two major conservation easements on the east side of the Garnet Mountains. 

The state Fish and Wildlife Commission gave final approval to the Graveley Ranch and Warm Springs Creek conservation easements near Garrison. Combined, these projects will permanently protect 8,267 acres of ranchland and open them up to public hunting access. 

The projects were put together by the Five Valleys Land Trust and the Montana Department of Justice Natural Resource Damage Program. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks under the easements will permanently handle the public hunting access component. The project did not require any funding from FWP. 

The properties are a foothills environment that offers excellent habitat and hunting opportunity for elk, mule deer, white-tailed deer, moose, and other game species, as well as mountain grouse. 

The Graveley family plans to use the proceeds from the easement on its 5,167 acres to purchase the 3,100 acres Warm Springs Creek property from The Conservation Fund. It will then be protected with a conservation easement. 

Hunters will gain a guaranteed minimum of 400 days in the field between the two easements. FWP will manage those through a sign-up system. 

The easements are a win for not only hunters but also for the Graveley family and Montana’s agricultural sector by protected these ranch lands. MWF and our conservation partners wrote in favor of the project. 

MWF is thankful to have strong conservation partners like the Graveley family who provide private habitat for our public wildlife, and who open up their land to public hunters to enjoy. 

 

Nick Gevock serves as MWF’s conservation director. 

Jeff Lukas – MWF Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas

Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.