Blackfoot Challenge Inc

A Holistic Approach to Controlling Undesirable, Invasive, Noxious Weeds |
A key issue affecting the Blackfoot is the spread of noxious weeds. Species like spotted knapweed, leafy spurge, yellow and Dalmation toadflax, houndstongue, sulfur cinquefoil and orange and meadow hawkweed post a threat to landowners working to maintain native range and grasslands. A strong private-public partnership has evolved since the 1980s to cooperate on integrated weed management across the watershed, linked by twelve landowner-led Vegetation Management Areas (VMA), three county weed districts, and federal and state public agencies.

Balancing water needs and availability through shared knowledge and commitment |
Severe drought and frustrations with Montana’s Drought Management Plan led to the formation of the Blackfoot Drought and Water Conservation Committee and the development of the Blackfoot Drought Response Plan in 2000. Through weekly meetings, the Drought Committee provides Blackfoot water users with the information necessary to prepare for and respond to drought and oversees implementation of the Drought Response Plan during low flow periods. The Drought Committee is comprised of representatives from state and federal agencies, conservation districts, and local conservation organizations as well as local landowners, irrigators, outfitters, and anglers.

Restoring Forest Health and Reducing Wildfire Risk near Communities |
In 2008, in response to high local interest in forest restoration and fuels mitigation, the Challenge formed the Forestry Committee to prioritize mitigation efforts, strategize on treatments, and increase fire safety in communities. The committee’s cooperative work is intended to lead to stronger partnerships across ownerships, creating more resilient forests for the future.

Nurturing Watershed Awareness and Stewardship Through Place-based Education |
In the Blackfoot, we believe that the best place to learn about the watershed is in the watershed, and that our best teachers are those who have experience here. That’s why our education programs are place-based and hands-on. We get kids outside with local experts like ranchers, naturalists, foresters, historians, and biologists to learn about the watershed’s inhabitants as well as topics like grazing management, water conservation, forest restoration, and wildlife conflict reduction. Watershed teachers guide the direction of our programs. We also engage adults through educational presentations and citizen science opportunities.

Coordinating land conservation and stewardship to keep working landscapes intact | There are a variety of public agencies, land trusts, nonprofit organizations, and private landowners working on conservation in the Blackfoot watershed. The Conservation Strategies Committee provides a forum for these individuals to exchange information, prioritize projects, pool resources, and leverage efforts. When Plum Creek Timber Company began selling land in the early 2000s, this committee began facilitating the community-driven process to convey those lands - over 200,000 acres - into permanent ownerships that would protect natural resources, local livelihoods, and community values.

Supporting landowners through stewardship assistance | Every private property in the Blackfoot Watershed is unique, with its own characteristics, history, and resource concerns. Similarly, every landowner is unique, with their own distinct values, objectives, and capacity to manage the land. Whether your goal is to make a living or simply enjoy beauty and solitude, there are many common threads for managing and enhancing the natural resources on your property. The Land Steward will meet you at your coffee table or in the field to take a holistic look at your property and discuss your goals and how to achieve them. Example projects include controlling noxious weeds while conserving native bunchgrasses, stewarding your forest to reduce wildfire risk while providing wildlife habitat, and designing a livestock grazing plan to maximize soil and stream health. By connecting individual improvements across neighbors, the Land Stewardship program realizes watershed-wide benefits.

Restoring Trumpeter Swans to their Native Wetlands since 2004 | Trumpeter swans are making a comeback in the Blackfoot watershed, with a little help from a joint program between the Blackfoot Challenge and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Meriwether Lewis recorded the presence of a pair of trumpeter swans at the confluence of the Blackfoot and Clearwater Rivers in July of 1806. After the feather trade decimated swans throughout the continent, there were no records of resident swans in the Blackfoot until 2003, when a pair of trumpeters nested on a wetland east of Lincoln. Unfortunately, the female swan was killed by a collision with a powerline. The quick-thinking landowner rescued the eggs and they were hatched by a surrogate female. This nesting attempt inspired a restoration project, and starting in 2005 captive-reared trumpeter swans have been released in the Blackfoot every year. The population is steadily growing and nests have produced an increasing number of cygnets (baby swans) since 2011, with many of these young returning to the watershed to potentially raise families of their own. Over 200 schoolkids and members of the public attend the swan releases each year.