Painted for Bitterroot Trout Unlimited by Monte Dolack
100% of the proceeds for Prints 1-225 and the Publisher Proofs go directly to BRTU Education and Habitat Projects.
View Print at Monte Dolack’s website. If you purchase from the Dolack store, please tell them you are supporting BRTU.
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| Rachel Tsukamoto Weissman when she was learning to fish |
Thanks to all who have generously contributed time supporting the Bitterroot Buggers fly tying classes.
We will be casting, fishing (and grilling burgers and hot dogs !)
Not a caster or fisher person? No worries!
There are many tasks that keep the class running smoothly – come on down!
Questions?
Thanks in advance for your valued assistance.
For more information about the sponsors, visit: BRTU www.brtu.org
and Keystone Enrichment Program http://keystonetodiscovery.org/
1288 Eastside Highway
Corvallis, MT 59828-9371
(406) 961-3507
Get directions
It is spring in Montana and many people are getting outside to enjoy the sun and warmer weather. A popular place to be in the Bitterroot is the river.
Wade fishing in the Bitteroot Photo by Merle Ann Loman
links will open on original site examiner.com
When are fishing, floating, canoeing, or on a family outing on the river, one will see a variety of stream bank stabilization (rip-rap) projects. You might even see a bulldozer working on the bank or in the river.
These projects will cause major disturbance to soils and vegetation and turbidity or “clouding” of the water. This article will provide resources for information about the permitting and administration process for the projects/activities. In listening to comments from the public, some are interested, some are concerned. The public is asking questions and needs to know where to find answers.
On Sunday, March 21, six interested Trout Unlimited (TU) members floated a stretch of the middle Bitterroot River. In this group was the Montana TU Executive Director, Montana TU Council Chairman, three fly fishing outfitters and guides and a Bitterroot Conservation District (BCD) Supervisor. I had the privilege of accompanying them. The day began with a clear sky, but soon a wind picked up. Some clouds rolled in and the air temperature dropped. As one might guess, with three boats fairly close together and much to talk about; the fishing was reasonable but not great. That didn’t matter; fishing was an important objective but not the only one. This group was also floating in order to view and discuss several bank stabilization projects in a middle section of the river.
The river is considered a free-stone stream with many banks composed of highly erosive glacial till that will change with EVERY high water event. What naturally holds these banks together is the willow, dogwood, cottonwood and other riparian plants and root systems. We can try to stabilize a bank with harder material, but including plenty of natural vegetation and woody debris is most appealing to the trout. The dilemma is how to protect houses built on the river while maintaining healthy trout habitat which includes clean, clear water.
Part One of this article shares photos and talks about some projects the group viewed.
Part Two provides basic information about what projects need to be permitted and from whom, and has links to sites with more detailed information about the laws and the agencies that administer them.
Part Three shares comments and questions from public and the group that floated March 21.
Part Four shares a tool that allows the public to lodge a complaint against a project or activity and talks about other forums and ways to weigh in on the process.
This series of 5 articles (including this introduction) was written for Merle’s Outdoor Recreation column. To see it in the original format visit The Bitterroot River – protecting the river, fish habitat and homes on Examiner.com.
Merle’s SmugMug photo site – More river and rip-rap in their original format/resolution. Incudes photos of four rip-rap installations and portions of the middle Bitterroot River.
| Bitterroot Conservation District 1709 North 1st Hamilton, Montana 59840 (406)-363-1444 ext 101 Website http://bitterrootconservationdistrict.net Email bcd@bitterroot.net |
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Read or download a PDF file of the NATURAL STREAMBED AND LAND PRESERVATION ACT OF MONTANA, ADMINISTERED BY CONSERVATION DISTRICTS at http://www.deq.mt.gov/winqinfo/Laws/NaturalStreambed.pdf.
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| If you need a PDF reader application you can download one for free at http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html |
Tuesday, 3/16, 6:30 – 8:00 PM in the Westview School gymnasium located at 9th and Main in Hamilton. Enter through the east doors facing 9th St.
Beginners Pattern: Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
Advanced Pattern: Bugmeister
Speaker: Chuck Stranahan – Flyfishing Etiquette, Stewardship
Don’t forget to pick up a raffle ticket each night you help – there will be a drawing for volunteers in April for a framed Monte Dolak print valued at over $300. The more you attend, the better your chances!
Attention Hamilton kids!
We’ll be judging flies each night for those students choosing to enter. Be sure to pick up a judging criteria sheet when you arrive.
Questions?
Call Jeff at Western Flies and Guides (406) 363-9099
Ria of the Keystone Discovery Enrichment Program (406) 363-5996 or
Greg Chester of BRTU (406) 363-0033
Thanks in advance for your valued assistance – for more information about the sponsors, visit:
See the slideshow below of photos taken by Greg Chester. If you see yourself in a photo, leave a comment. If you want to see yourself in a photo, come on down!
Tuesday, 3/9, 6:30 – 8:00 PM in the Westview School gymnasium located at 9th and Main in Hamilton. Enter through the east doors facing 9th St.
Beginners Pattern: Elk Hair Caddis
Advanced Pattern: Montana Hopper
Don’t forget to pick up a raffle ticket each night you help – there will be a drawing for volunteers in April for a framed Monte Dolak print valued at over $300. The more you attend, the better your chances!
Attention Hamilton kids!
We’ll be judging flies each night for those students choosing to enter. Be sure to pick up a judging criteria sheet when you arrive.
Questions?
Call Jeff at Western Flies and Guides (406) 363-9099
Ria of the Keystone Discovery Enrichment Program (406) 363-5996 or
Greg Chester of BRTU (406) 363-0033
Thanks in advance for your valued assistance – for more information about the sponsors, visit:
BRTU www.brtu.org
and Keystone Enrichment Program http://keystonetodiscovery.org/
BRTU wishes everyone a Happy Holiday season.
It is probably a bit chilly today for even the most dedicated anglers to be out plying the waters. Plus the blanket of ice and slush complicate that perfect drift with the large stonefly nymph, assuming you have one of the new Polar winter rods with heated guides.
There is no TU meeting this month, but here are a couple of items that might be of interest.
• Notice of spring Fly-Casting Institute at Marcus Daly Hospital. The October presentation by Dr Tim McCue “Casting Healthy” drew one of the largest crowds we have ever had. A number of members expressed interest in learning when the next clinic would be.
See the flyer (on the left) for information about a session scheduled for next April. Certainly, as our shoulders, elbows, wrists and vision show the signs of wear and tear, many of us can use all the help we can get! The cost is a little steep – about 3 float trip equivalents – but reports suggest that the class is very valuable.
For more information about the casting clinic visit www.flycastinginstitute.com and www.mdmh.org.
• Mitchell Slough redux. In case you thought the controversy over Mitchell Slough ended when the Montana Supreme Court rendered its decision, think again! The latest wrinkle relates to some of the landowners establishing feeding stations for migratory waterfowl on their property in an effort to snark duck hunters from hunting the waterway. It is illegal to hunt birds in an area where they are being fed. Ducks are not dumb, so they will quickly recognize that this area not only provides provender but also a refuge from the pesky shotgunners. However, the issue is complicated since a number of houses are right on the banks and also because it would be trespassing to retrieve a bird that landed on the ground instead of in the water.
Stream access only permits recreationists to stay within the highwater marks of the channel. The landowners have petitioned Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to close the stream to duck hunting on part of the slough. MFWP is exploring solutions to this issue and has scheduled a public hearing at the Bitterroot River Inn at 6:30 pm on Wednesday, December 9. Public comments will be accepted until Friday, December 11.
Here is a link to a Ravalli Republic story that gives more detail. http://www.ravallirepublic.com/articles/2009/12/02/news/news57.tx,
The excitement of our 2009 banquet is past, but not the memories. See our photo albums from the banquet below. We are already planning the next banquet. Mark your calendar for Friday, September 24, 2010. You will want to attend for the great food, people, and many auction items.
Bitterroot Trout Unlimited (BRTU) wants to thank all the supporters, donors, contributors and helpers. The 2009 annual banquet, our 30th, was a huge success. Over 200 people attended and we raised more dollars than we hoped for, quite a feat in these difficult economic times.
We have a lot planned for the coming year and your support will be critical. You will be reading about Bitterroot Trout Unlimited in the news and you will see how we work to protect, preserve and restore our streams and fisheries.
In summary, be assured that we will redouble our efforts, and your help makes this possible.
Our banquet is a popular Bitterroot event, if you want to participate or contribute, your exposure and help as a contributing business or patron is far reaching.
If clean water and healthy trout are important to you, join our organization and consider serving on our Board of Directors. We welcome all local residents and newcomers as there is much work to be done and camaraderie to enjoy!
Banquet photos of people, food, auction action and more
View all in a new window
Photos of BRTU Auction Items
View all 35 photos in a new window
Photos of awards given at the BRTU banquet
View all 36 photos in a new window
This event allows us to educate the public of the threats of noxious weeds, while they assist us in the removal of blueweed (a new invader) from the Bitterroot River. In the years past, Blueweed has not been found beyond Stevensville and we are working hard to completely eradicate this rapidly spreading weed from our county and stop it from spreading into neighboring counties. Every spring when the river rises, the seeds that were dropped from flowering plants the previous years are brought downstream by the water. Our goal each summer is to remove all flowering plants, so that no new seeds will be dropped.I am writing to inform you of the event because in the past you have donated either prizes to give away or your time in helping with the event. We would very much appreciated anything that you could donate towards the event this year. Last year 60 volunteers showed up and we had over $2000 worth of prizes to give away. We hope to meet or possibly exceed these numbers this year.
Thank you for your time and consideration,
Melissa Maggio
Weed Education Coordinator
Ravalli County Weed District
(406) 777-5842
melissa.rcwd@yahoo.com
Omnibus public lands bill passes
The U.S. House of Representatives today passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, some of the most significant conservation legislation to come before Congress in 25 years. TU is responsible for much of the act’s landscape protection legislation, including the Wyoming Range Legacy Act, the Copper-Salmon Wilderness Act and bills in California. »Press release »Reuters article
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Letter From Trout Unlimited, March 26, 2009 - Thank you for taking action
Yesterday marked a huge victory for Trout Unlimited and our conservation allies. The House of Representatives passed the Omnibus Public Land Management Act of 2009, a landmark public lands protection bill that would ensure access and opportunity for hunters and anglers today and for generations to come. Passage of this bill does more for hunting and fishing and outdoor recreation than any other measure in the last 15 years. By a landslide vote of 285-140, the House of Representatives moved this bill over the finish line. Now the bill will go to President Obama for his signature on Monday, March 30th.
This victory would not have been possible without your help. Your continued engagement and efforts to communicate this bill’s importance to your Members of Congress paid out huge dividends. We were able to get landslide votes in both chambers which shows the hard work and perseverance you gave over the last 18 months. We thank you.
Because of your help, we have successfully protected over 2 million acres of public lands. We have protected places like Copper-Salmon in Oregon, the Wyoming Range in Wyoming, the Wild Monongahela in West Virginia, the Owyhees in Idaho, the Eastern Sierras in California and so many other special places. We have also permanently protected the National Landscape Conservation System, a network of highly valuable public lands of acute interest to anglers and hunters. Included in that system is the famed Gunnison Gorge of Colorado, one of the best trophy trout fisheries in the West, and the Steens Mountain region, an irreplaceable hunting and fishing destination in eastern Oregon.
In addition to protecting public lands, this bill will enact the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement, ending years of litigation, the Secure Water Act and the Cooperative Watershed Management Act. Both of the water bills will help to restore watersheds and provide the framework for working collaboratively with diverse partners to ensure adequate flows for viable fish populations across the country.
Many of the bills in the Omnibus have tremendous fish and wildlife conservation merit, have local community support –including ranchers and farmers who are partners in watershed groups – and have been developed in a bipartisan manner. Passage of the Omnibus, which includes nearly 160 bills, is truly historic and one that will be considered an outstanding achievement for generations to come.
We sincerely thank you for making it possible.
Steve Moyer
Vice President for Government Affairs
TROUT UNLIMITED
703-284-9406
smoyer@tu.org
Help Protect Montana’s best rivers NOW!Tell your Montana House Rep to support HB 455, The Big Sky Rivers Act!
Exploding streamside development threatens Montana’s blue-ribbon trout streams. By balancing river protection and property rights, The Big Sky Rivers Act protects water, crucial riparian areas and trout habitat from new development that occurs along 10 of Montana’s most iconic rivers.
Please contact your Representative TODAY and ask him or her to support HB 455.
HERE IS HOW:
Go here for information on how to contact your Representative and click here to find your legislator and contact them.
The Big Sky Rivers Act establishes a 250-foot protective streamside zone along 10 of Montana’s most famous rivers. It limits removal of key vegetation within a 150-foot buffer inside the streamside zone. The Big Sky River Act makes sense because it also allows local governments to opt-out of these mandatory conservation measures if they adopt ordinances or zoning rules that provide the same amount of protection.
Rivers included in the Big Sky Rivers Act: The Madison, main Flathead, Clark Fork, Bitterroot, Blackfoot, Smith, Jefferson, Upper Missouri, Upper Yellowstone and Gallatin.
Why support the Big Sky Rivers Act?
• It reduces costly flood and erosion damage by steering development away from known flood hazard areas;
• It protects private property rights by ensuring that actions of upstream landowners do not harm downstream landowners;
• It gives local governments control over the tools they need to manage their rivers;
• It protects water quality from stormwater runoff, lawn chemicals, and individual wastewater systems;
• It shields local governments from lawsuits brought by homeowners whose homes are damaged by flooding and erosion;
• It preserves critical fish and wildlife habitat by reducing the need for rip-rap and levees;
• It ensures high-quality recreational opportunities for anglers and boaters who value scenery and solitude;
• It includes a variance process to make sure no one loses the ability to build on an existing lot, and it includes a grandfather clause for existing homes.
Contact Members of the House and tell them this is a good bill. It protects private property as well as economic and recreational values all Montanans cherish.
Again go here for information on how to contact your Representative and click here to find your legislator and contact them.
What the Big Sky Rivers Act does NOT do:
• It does NOT take away the authority of local governments to create their own streamside development standards;
• It does NOT deprive riverfront landowners of the opportunity to build on their lots if their entire lot is located within a streamside management area;
• It does NOT apply within incorporated cities, towns or sanitary sewer districts;
• It does NOT prohibit property owners from rebuilding their home if it is destroyed by causes other than flooding;
• It does NOT grant public access to private property or expand the state’s stream access law.
• It does NOT affect agricultural-related buildings.
House Bill 455, the Big Sky Rivers Act, will be heard in the House Local Government Committee on Thursday, February 19th at 3:00 p.m. in room 172 of the Capitol. Please email, write, or call any and all members of the House of Representatives regarding the Big Sky River Act. If one of the following committee members represents your district, get them a message straight away!
House Local Government Committee meets Thursday, 3 p.m., Room
172
Arntzen, Elsie (R) (Chair) emarntzen@excite.com
Hands, Betsy (D) (Vice Chair) betsyhands@gmail.com
MacLaren, Gary (R) (Vice Chair) garymaclaren@yahoo.com
Becker, Arlene (D) arlene_becker@bresnan.net
Bennett, Gerald (R) jbenhd1@hotmail.com
Berry, Tom (R) tom@tomberrymt.com
Driscoll, Robyn (D) rdriscoll@peoplepc.com
Ebinger, Bob (D) buffalojump@imt.net
Grinde, Wanda (D) wsgrinde@aol.com
Hamilton, Robin (D) robinlhamilton@bresnan.net
Ingraham, Pat (R) pathd13@blackfoot.net
Menahan, Mike (D) mike@mikemenahan.com
More, Michael (R) mp_more@yahoo.com
Reichner, Scott (R) sreichner@centurytel.net
Reinhart, Michele (D) michelereinhart@gmail.com
Sands, Diane (D) hdsands@aol.com
Stahl, Wayne (R) wstahl@nemontel.com
Vance, Gordon (R) vancehd67@gmail.com
For more information contact Mark Aagenes at mark@montanatu.org or 449-9933. Or contact Bruce Farling at bruce@montanatu.org or 543-0054.
