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June July 2014
The public is always invited to the Conservation District’s monthly board meetings which are held the second Tuesday of each month at 1:00 p.m. in the Conference Room of the USDA Building. Call 228-4321 Ext 101 to verify time and date. All VCCD and NRCS programs are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.
54062 US Highway 2 W Ste 2 Glasgow, MT 59230-2846 Phone: 406-228-4321 Ext. 101 vccdmt20@gmail.com Check us out on Facebook www.facebook.com/valleycd for links to soil webinars and current happenings
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Valley County Conservation District Local Common Sense Conservation
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News From The Valley County Conservation District
Over 80 Area Students Attend Annual Outdoor Classroom
Live fish education presented by Tyler Haddix and Dave Fuller was one of eight stations at the 21st Annual Outdoor Classroom.
The Valley County Conservation District hosted the 21st Annual Outdoor Classroom for 5th graders on May 1. Over 80 students from 3 local schools and 17 volunteers from NRCS, DNRC, MT FWP, MSU Extension Service, CMR Refuge, Weed District and BLM came together for a fun day of natural education. The day began at Eastside School for an edible insect presentation by Roubie Younkin and Shelley Mills of MSU Extension Service followed by Rice Krispie treats with ants and banana bread
made with meal worms. The students then traveled to Kiwanis Park where they traveled through and participated in eight different stations: range plant scavenger hunt and grazing discussion by Randy Dirkson and Marc Kloker from DNRC; noxious weed ID by Stone Tihista from the Weed District; interactive river modeling trailer by Ann Kulczyk and Nate Ward from DNRC; basic surveying with Jody Mason and Dean Jensen from BLM; cultural presentation and soil education by Tracy Cumber
and Kevin Farr from NRCS; owl pellet examination and education by Ron Selden and Lisa Flowers from MT FWP; horse education and safety by Glenn Guenther and Shaylene Piedalue of CMR Refuge; and live fish education by Tyler Haddix and Dave Fuller from MT FWP. A special thank you to the volunteers for making the day possible, to Ezzie’s for their donation of water and ice for the students and volunteers, and to Eastside School for the lunches they provided for the volunteers.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS Jeff Pattison ......................Supervisor – Chair Dick Rohde .......................Supervisor Jody Mason ......................Supervisor Ron Garwood ...................Supervisor VACANT ............................Area 5 Supervisor Nancy Heins ......................Urban Supervisor Vice-Chair/Treas. VACANT ............................Urban Supervisor Allen Bunk ........................Associate, DPRW Marvin Tarum ...................Associate, DPRW Sierra Stoneberg-Holt .......Associate Penny Shipp .....................Administrator Ext 101 NRCS PERSONNEL Tracy Cumber ........................................... Ext 126 District Conservationist Mike Lackner ........................................... Ext. 123 Soil Conservationist Kevin Farr ................................................ Ext. 130 Soil Conservationist Technician Levi Doll .................................................. Ext. 118 Civil Engineeer Douglas Jones ......................................... Ext. 122 Civil Engineer Technician John Fahlgren .......................................... Ext. 132 Range Conservationist
And The Winners Are . . . County winners of the VCCD “Dig Deeper-Mysteries in the Soil” were presented with a $5 prize and certificate, and their posters were sent on to the MACD State competition.
Will Your Water Well Be Safe From Oil And Gas Development? The Valley County Conservation District announces a new ground water sampling program. Rural water users have expressed concern about the potential effects on water quality and supply from oil development. Water users voiced concerns about chemical storage, production water disposal, frac water injection, waste management accidents at well-heads or injection pits, accidents and/or spills during chemical and product transportation and large withdrawals of ground water. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) and Montana Salinity Control Association (MSCA) are assisting the conservation district with this program. The purpose of this program is to establish a baseline of current conditions where water quality is potable or usable and/or identify wells that may have oil and gas development impacts. Valley County will prioritize and select domestic and stockwater wells to evaluate based on the proximity to a potential source of contamination such as active or abandoned oil/gas wells, injection wells, waste management or chemical management areas. Landowner interest and cooperation and well accessibility will be a part of the selection process. Selected wells must be registered with the Ground Water Information Center (GWIC). In most cases, a well was assigned a GWIC number when the well driller filed the well drill log and/or through the DNRC water rights process. Each well selected in this program will be evaluated on-site for field parameters and water availability. Well samples will be analyzed for drinking water quality and for indicators of contamination specific to energy development activities. Well sampling and lab fees total approximately $1,200 per well, but a DNRC grant covers most of the expense so Valley County residents can participate in this program for $40.00. A signed participation agreement from the well owner is also required. If you are interested in participating in this ground water sampling program, please contact Penny Shipp, Administrator for the Valley County Conservation District at 406-228-4321 x 101 or email vccdmt20@gmail.com to begin the sign-up process.
Jody Mason and Andrew Linder, Irle School Pictured are the volunteers who made the Outdoor Classroom such a success. Back row(L-R): Kevin Farr NRCS, Tracy Cumber NRCS, Randy Dirkson DNRC, Nate Ward DNRC, Marc Kloker DNRC, Dave Fuller MT FWP, Glenn Guenther CMR Refuge, Tyler Haddix MT FWP & Ron Selden MT FWP. Front Row: Jody Mason BLM, Stone Tihista Weed District, Ann Kulczyk DNRC, Shaylene Piedalue CMR Refuge & Lisa Flowers MT FWP. Not pictured are Dean Jensen BLM, Roubie Younkin & Shelley Mills MSU Extension Service.
Bison Ordinance In The Works:
Pursuant to 76-15-702, Valley County Conservation District has the authority to formulate regulations governing the use of lands within its boundaries in the interest of conserving soil and water resources and preventing and controlling erosion. In pertinent part, Valley County Conservation District is authorized to adopt regulations that include any means, measures, operations, and programs
as may assist conservation of soil and water resources and prevent or control erosion in this district. With this authority, Valley County Conservation District, in an effort to protect private property and public protection rights granted by the Montana Constitution, is formulating a process to protect property owners from damages and/or danger from outside groups relocating or hous-
ing bison/buffalo to our County. The District is working on a bison/buffalo ordinance which provides terminology to protect our property and residents under Montana Statues MCA 81-4-201 Animals running at large; 81-4-202 Penalties; 81-4215 Liability of owners of stock for trespass; 81-4-208 Killing of animal running at large – notice – posting and service.
Watch for the Valley County Conservation District booth at the Northeast Montana Fair August 2 – 5, 2014. We will have many giveaway and informational items as well as landowner plat books and other items for sale. Stop in and say hello to your local conservation district staff and express your local conservation concerns.
Jody Mason with Brielle Partridge, Irle School
Dick Rohde with Natasha Chamberlain, Nashua High School
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ConTinueDFroM PaGe 2 nation farm and ranch. The raised cattle and horses, and grew hay, sugar beets and grains. Lee took a liking to horses, and as he grew he got involved in horsemanship. He rode the broncs, jockeyed and took part in local rodeos. He began announcing rodeo events in 1932, when the announcer wasn’t going to make it to the rodeo and he stepped up to take his place. This is where he became well known to many along the Hi-Line, as well as in the rodeo circuits. He left to serve during WWII and was in action in the South Pacific and Germany. He later went back to rodeo, retiring in 1953 due to health issues, and moved to Arizona. He died in 1996. John Russell Cloud Overcoming some difficult odds growing up, the Living inductee award for the first District 1 went to John Russell Cloud this year. He was born in November 1927. His family moved to Wolf Point shortly after the bottom dropped out of the economy and banks went dry in 1930. He went through high school working at a hog ranch. He eventually bought a share of N Bar N Ranch. His world shifted at 17 when his father died and he sold his share in ClouD the ranch. After high school he joined the Navy. He was on the USS Presley, discharged in 1946, and returned home. He received a horse, named Kid, and struggled with it because it enjoyed bucking. Kid was left behind when he went off to college in 1951 to obtain a degree in business administration. Kid was given away after no one could ride him. The horse became famous bucking at the rodeo finals in Madison Square Garden. Eventually he heard of a job working for First National Bank in Whitefish. He married a teacher there and they had three children. In 1958, he came to work for Glasgow First National Bank – and he continued working with horses. He stayed in Glasgow a short time and returned to Whitefish in 1962. He was instrumental in creating the Flathead Bank of Big Fork. John divorced in 1977, but remarried with Elaine “Pete” Cuff in 1979. They began ranching 160 acres west of Harlem and did so until retiring from ranching in the 1990s. Pete died from lung cancer in 1997. John later married a high school sweetheart. They live in Great Falls.
FARM &&RANCH FARM RANCH
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