Programs: In 2017 bitter root land trust continued building our conservation legacy by securing three new conservation projects protecting important farmland, wildlife habitat, scenic open space, and public recreational opportunities on nearly 600 acres in the bitterroot valley. Bitter root land trust staff secured and spent over $800,000 from public and private sources to purchase a conservation easement on one of these important properties, which payment was made directly to the landowner during closing and does not appear as revenue or expenses of brlt on this 990. Additionally, bitter root land trust board and staff conducted due diligence and secured funding commitments in excess of $500,000 for several additional conservation easements on approximately to be finalized in the next several years. Bitter root land trust staff expanded our cooperative land stewardship grants program that enhances natural resources on conservation easement lands and neighboring properties. As we do every year, staff monitored all of 34 of our conservation easements in 2017. Bitter root land trust again invested in conservation education programs to raise community awareness - among adults and students - of the importance of the bitterroot valleys water, wildlife, and working agricultural lands. Program service area 1: conservation project workcompleted conservation projects: i. In november of 2017, bitter root land trust completed the 502-acre 61-bar ranch conservation easement with the smith family in stevensville, mt. This important ranch is the sixth and largest - ranch bitter root land trust has helped local families protect in the burnt fork drainage. The 61-bar ranch is comprised of prime soils, important wildlife habitat, and is the foreground of the vista looking east to the sapphire mountains for motorists and cyclists utilizing the eastside highway. Fishing and recreational access projects:i. In october of 2017, bitter root land trust secured a purchase agreement for 70 acres of riverfront land adjacent to hamilton, mt. This land acquisition (completed in january of 2018) will provide over a mile of riverfront trail access through open, natural areas to the community of hamilton. Bitter root land trust will ultimately donate this land to the city of hamilton for long-term use as a public park. Ii. In december of 2017, bitter root land trust accepted a 12-acre parcel of land along the banks of the east fork of the bitterroot river in sula, mt. This small parcel will become a fishing access and walking area for the public on a crucial stretch of the east fork. In addition to completing these critical conservation projects, bitter root land trust staff continued to work with local and federal partners to further agricultural conservation programs in the bitterroot valley that encourage high-value farmland conservation, agricultural diversification, and generational succession. Working with the natural resources conservation service, bitter root land trust identified and secured funding to conserve several working farms and ranches in 2017, while meetings with dozens of interested landowners yielded additional conservation projects that will proceed in 2018 and beyond. As a result of this partnership between bitter root land trust, local landowners, and the nrcs, many of these landowners will choose to conserve their critical pieces of the bitterroot valley. The bitter root land trust further implemented our collaborative neighborhood conservation model encouraging multiple landowners in identified priority areas to collectively protect their communities through conservation easements. Brlt staff followed up on previous meetings in several neighborhoods to explore mutually beneficial conservation measures, closed an additional conservation project in the burnt fork drainage, and cultivated several additional conservation easements in the burnt fork and corvallis agricultural corridor areas. These neighborhoods comprise the most highly productive agricultural soils and some of the most critical wildlife connectivity in the bitterroot valley. Program service area 2: conservation easement monitoring, stewardship, and land management/enhancementi. Conservation easement monitoring and enforcement: bitter root land trust staff monitored all 34 of our existing conservation easements and our fee land holdings in 2018, ensuring that terms have not been violated and that conservation objectives remain intact. We further invested time developing and maintaining relationships with existing easement holders to ensure that the conservation objectives agreed to by landowners and the land trust are being upheld. Ii. Land management and restoration: our stewardship coordinator supervised several groups of volunteers who worked on noxious weed abatement projects at bitter root land trust project sites. Bitter root land trust also partnered with the bitter root water forum to complete a stream restoration project on the lazy j cross ranch in sula, mt, enhancing habitat for native trout on the east fork of the bitterroot river. Iii. Cooperative weed management area program: throughout the year, the stewardship coordinator administered a cooperative noxious weed abatement grants for dozens of local landowners on over 10,000 acres in several key areas of the bitterroot valley. Bitter root land trust increased landowner participation in the program in both the burnt fork and corvallis areas, while launching a new cooperative weed management area in the roaring lion drainage for those private lands affected by the 2016 roaring lion fire. The montana noxious weed trust fund and the national fish & wildlife foundation have partnered to support this program. These value-added land management grants provide ongoing support to bitter root land trusts conservation easement donors and their neighbors. Program service area 3: conservation educationduring 2018, bitter root land trust continued our important education efforts through a variety of outreach techniques. During the summer months, bitter root land trust staff participated in the local hamilton farmers market and provided conservation education at community events, including the bitter root water forums riverfest and teller wildlife refuges youth conservation expo. Throughout the year, our stewardship coordinator focused on connecting bitterroot valley youth with the growing conservation ethic in our community. Highlights included the hamilton high school envirothon team spending time at middle bear farm in victor, mt, working to better understand the challenges of private land management for agricultural production and habitat conservation. Additionally, bitter root land trust staff partnered with the mpg ranch to conduct an ongoing winter eagle study focused on better understanding how bald and golden eagles utilize bitterroot valley private lands during winter months. Remote cameras capture eagle activity on multiple bitter root land trust easements throughout the valley, while biologists analyze the birds and behaviors captured by the cameras. Footage from the winter eagle study was one of three films bitter root land trust debuted during a film festival in june of 2017. 250 community members attended bitter root land trusts film festival which culminated in a showing of on the shoulders of giants a film commemorating the 40-year anniversary of the first conservation easement in montana.
