Blackfoot Challenge Inc

Programs: The blackfoot challenge coordinates community-based programs to protect working land, conserve water and promote water use efficiency, educate all ages, increase fire safety and restore our forests, promote the values of community-based conservation, improve cross-boundary vegetation stewardship, and reduce conflicts between predators and people. Our success is possible by following a community-based process that leads with community values, invites participation from diverse watershed stakeholders, coordinates civil conversations, and support partnerships with good science. Conservation strategiescoordinating land conservation and stewardship to keep working landscapes intact. Held annual meeting with landowners, agencies, and land trusts in april focused on sharing information and leveraging conservation opportunities. Hosted numerous clearwater-blackfoot project workgroup meetings in coordination with the nature conservancy. Coordinated discussions exploring the potential for community forests in clearwater valley and the twin creeks area. Three recreation interns monitored summertime use and interacted with visitors on the clearwater-blackfoot project. Co-hosted the 3rd annual revive & thrive at fawn pond. Land stewardshipsupporting landowners through stewardship assistance one property at a time. Provided over 150 landowners with personalized natural resource management assistance. Initiated soil health workgroup to identify and explore the most promising management tools in the blackfoot. Helped landowners access private, state, and federal programs and funding to address their resource priorities. Blackfoot community conservation area5,600 acres managed cooperatively by community council for multiple usescompleted restoration on 250 acres to improve forest health, wildlife habitat, and support the local forest industry. Treated 200 acres of weeds across boundaries through herbicide and biological control. Managed two grazing leases on over 4,000 acres using innovative stewardship tools. Established a 5-mile fuel break along fireline road in preparation for rice ridge wildfire. Hosted volunteer day to dig up houndstongue, paint the boot tree kiosk, and build a new nature trail. Hosted annual field tour in june - public welcome! Forestryrestoring forest health and reducing wildfire risk near communities. Provided on-site forest health and fuel reduction education to 50 landowners. Coordinated 425 acres of hazardous fuel reduction around homes to improve community and firefighter safety. Supported local jobs and provided wood products to local sawmill and chip plant. Initiated the prescribed fire workgroup. Helped organize "era of megafires" presentations in seeley lake and lincoln. Wildlifereducing human-wildlife conflicts through proactive and preventative strategies. Picked up over 270 carcasses from 35 blackfoot ranches during calving season to avoid attracting predators. Range riders monitored predator activity and increased herd supervision on ranches and grazing leases in the potomac, ovando and helmville areas from may through october. Monitored carnivores including wolverine and lynx throughout the watershed during winter to inform forest restoration and management. Elk hunt coordinator continued to meet with interested landowners to schedule hunters and explore solutions to reducing elk use of private lands. Distributed free bear spray to blackfoot hunters through a partnership with montana fish, wildlife & parks. Watervoluntary water stewardship grounded in shared knowledge and shared commitment. With the third summer of drought in a row, facilitated a shared giving approach to drought response, involving 90 landowner water conservation plans, reaching thousands of visiting floaters and anglers, and sustaining habitat for native trout. Conducted boater education and monthly testing on three local lakes with volunteers to help prevent invasive mussel introduction. Created weekly irrigation reports guiding 100 landowners on improving soil health and operating with limited water. Monitored 10 streams to better inform restoration and drought planning, including 7 later burned by the rice ridge wildfire. Swansrestoring trumpeter swans to their native habitat on blackfoot wetlands since 2004five trumpeter swan pairs nested. Nineteen cygnets fledged from blackfoot nests, bringing the total to 60 since 2011. At least 50 trumpeters returned to the watershed last summer. Vegetationintegrated, locally-led approaches to invasive plant management across fence lines. Held two weeds committee meetings connecting agencies and vegetation management area landowners. Offered recommendations to landowners on plant identification, herbicide application, and seed varieties. Hired trails and weeds liaison in cooperation with the seeley lake ranger district for the 3rd year in a row. Hosted presentations on weed control strategies in ovando and lincoln. Hosted two weed pulls at the russell gates fishing access site for the 19th year in a row - the longest running challenge event! Educationnurturing watershed awareness and stewardship through place-based education. Over 350 students from seven schools attended youth field days at lincoln's sculpture in the wild. Rotating naturalist speaker series included avalanche awareness, animal tracking, fish biology, and bear safety. K-12 students monitored stream temperatures and flows in their communities. Over 60 students visited the bird banding station in seeley lake. Hosted family friendly presentations on avalanche safety, birds and native plants, and big game hunting. Outreachsharing the community-based and partnership-centered approach with others. Reached over 3,600 individuals through workshops, tours, and presentations in the watershed and at regional and national events. Co-hosted a trails check-in in lincoln in february for over 60 partners interested in recreation development. Over 60 members attended our annual meeting at double arrow in december. Launched the economics committee and hired an economics coordinator to facilitate community-based economic development in the watershed.