MT Receives Elk Foundation Grants

Montana Receives Elk Foundation Grants

4/17/2009

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has given $149,665 in grants to benefit wildlife and habitat conservation programs in 12 Montana counties.

The counties receiving the 2009 grants are Powell, Sweetgrass, Deer Lodge, Lincoln, Mineral, Park, Lewis & Clark, Petroleum, Carbon, Stillwater, Lake and Missoula.

The RMEF project budget still includes $159,503 in the 2009 budget for Montana, but grant proposals will be reviewed later this year.

“Our volunteers across Montana helped drive the 2008 fundraisers that made these grants possible. This is where Elk Foundation banquets, auctions and other events transform into on-the-ground conservation work, and it’s part of the payday for our supporters who are passionate about giving something back to the outdoors,” said David Allen, Elk Foundation president and CEO, in a report by Outdoor News Daily.

The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation has contributed more than $113 million and completed 605 conservation projects in the state since its start in 1984.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I'm not trying to stir the pot here, I really don't know the answer, I'm just asking. What kind of things does the RMEF do specifically in MT? What are their plans for the $150K?

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

Kraig,

You wanted to know, so I'll deliver:

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Montana conservation projects, listed by county:

Deer Lodge County—Treat noxious weeds to improve elk habitat in Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Lake County—Restore native grasses and shrubs for elk and other wildlife by prescribe burning 250 acres of overgrown forest in Flathead National Forest.

Lewis & Clark County—Thin 650 acres of overgrown forests to improve winter and transitional range for elk in Helena National Forest.

Lincoln County—Using prescribed fire, reduce tree density and improve elk forage on 989 acres in Kootenai National Forest.

Mineral County—Offset nearby private-land development by prescribe burning 700 acres to improve elk winter range on 700 acres in Lolo National Forest; aerially treat 522 acres of spotted knapweed in Lolo National Forest.

Missoula County—Rejuvenate native grasses and re-establish natural fire regime in upper-elevation shrub fields using prescribed fire on 325-plus acres of elk range in Flathead National Forest and Lolo National Forest (also affects Powell County).

Park County—Treat 300 acres of noxious weeds to enhance habitat for elk in Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness (also affects Sweetgrass, Stillwater and Carbon counties).

Petroleum County—Prescribe burn 1,787 acres to reduce fuel loading in ponderosa pine habitat and improve forage for elk and other wildlife on BLM lands in Lewistown area.

Powell County—Increase winter-range forage for elk using prescribe burns on BLM lands; improve fencing and water developments to distribute livestock away from riparian and overgrazed areas in Blackfoot River watershed.

Statewide—Use data previously collected from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming to answer questions regarding roles of climate, wolf predation and habitat quality on elk calf recruitment.

Partners for 2009 projects in Montana include Bureau of Land Management, University of Montana, Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

An additional $159,503 remains in the 2009 RMEF project budget for Montana. A second round of grant proposals will be reviewed later this year. A committee of RMEF staff, volunteers and partner representatives will select projects for funding.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed 605 conservation projects in Montana with a value of more than $113 million.


About the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation:
Snowy peaks, dark timber basins and grassy meadows. RMEF is leading an elk country initiative that has conserved or enhanced habitat on over 5.5 million acres—a land area equivalent to a swath three miles wide and stretching along the entire Continental Divide from Canada to Mexico. RMEF also works to open, secure and improve public access for hunting, fishing and other recreation. Get involved by calling 800-CALL ELK.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I forgot to mention that Grants have also been given to the great state of Idaho, my apologies to any members from Idaho, here is there info:

Elk Foundation grants will help fund the following Idaho conservation projects, listed by county:

Boise County—Treat noxious weeds to improve summer range for elk in Boise National Forest and Sawtooth National Recreation Area (also affects Elmore and Blaine counties); prescribe burn 4,300 acres to rejuvenate understory forage in Boise National Forest; build data models that wildlife managers can use to predict wolf predation on elk populations across Idaho (also affects Valley and Clearwater counties).

Bonneville County—Mechanically thin and prescribe burn overgrown forests to invigorate aspen and other forage for elk in Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

Camas County—Thin 400 acres of encroaching conifer to restore aspen habitat and forage for elk, deer and other wildlife in the Sawtooth National Forest (also affects Blaine County).

Clearwater County—Prescribe burn to improve elk forage in Clearwater National Forest (also affects Idaho County).

Elmore County—Treat 140 acres of cheatgrass and other invasive vegetation to restore forage for elk and other wildlife in the Ditto Creek drainage; capture, fit with radio collars and monitor 12 elk to determine movement patterns in Danskin foothills area.

Idaho County—Improve spring and summer range for the region’s elk herd by treating 300 acres of noxious weeds on lands protected by RMEF conservation easement.

Lemhi County—Purchase grazing allotment for managing as forage reserve for wintering elk and other wildlife, as well as temporary emergency forage for wildfire-impacted livestock in Salmon-Challis National Forest; thin 500 acres of encroaching conifer to enhance aspen and other forage on public land in Upper Salmon River Basin (also affects Custer County).

Statewide—Use data previously collected from Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington and Wyoming to answer questions regarding roles of climate, wolf predation and habitat quality on elk calf recruitment.

Teton County—Increase diversity of forage for elk and other wildlife using prescribed fire on 6,900 acres in Caribou-Targhee National Forest.

Since 1984, the Elk Foundation and its partners have completed more than 354 conservation projects in Idaho with a value of more than $40.4 million.

Partners for 2009 projects in Idaho include Bureau of Land Management, Idaho Department of Fish and Game, Nez Perce Tribe, University of Montana, U.S. Forest Service, other agencies, corporations, landowners and organizations.

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

I'm in Stillwater co. What were the grants for here? Didn't see it in the list of projects.

Sorry Deadeye, that is the only info I could find on the Grants. It might mean that your county is SOL but you can contact the RMEF via email or at the number shown and ask them directly.

Regards,

Martin

"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."

Just curious anyway. Thanx

Cool, that is exactly what I was looking for, thanks MNeptune. Good stuff.
 
Deadeye- Just think, when they do all of these burns, the elk are gonna goe elsewhere until the vegetation grows back. If they are burning in a neighboring county there's a good chance those elk will move on over for a little while at least.

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN

That must be the reason there are no elk in this county. This place burns up with wildfires every year. Can't see why they would do burns here.

Deadeye,
Unfortunately Eastern Oregon had the same problems when I was running around those hills. Every year a different area would have a wildfire. So every year we would have to  locate the new elk ranges. There was always the "old faithful" spots, but most of the time we looked for new areas. It usually took about a year or two and alot of the elk would be right back in the areas that burnt. I remember one really bad year where a huge wildfire broke out and pushed most of the elk right down into the river valley and private lands. Made all kinds of problems for the ranchers. Eventually they did move back up on the mountain. 

Kraig Osborne
Hunter since birth, NAHCLM, USN