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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!” – Established 1985 – Locally Owned & Independent
’ ! l a c o L t a t s e B ‘The Section A
Volume XXXV, Number 46
Congrats, Class of 2020!
www.bitterrootstar.com
Find the latest updates and information on the COVID-19 pandemic at www.bitterrootstar.com Wednesday, June 3, 2020
County adopts COVID-19 Emerge Strong Plan
cesses for doing business are now necessary for the post-COVID economy. Cash planned for investRavalli County Comment to capture opportunity has missioners last week officially been spent instead reacting to adopted a COVID-19 Emerge COVID-19. Workers (existing and Strong Plan which aims to serve new) need training on new safety as “a blueprint to emerge from the routines as well as innovations pandemic with renewed economic being made by adding new prodresilience and continue being a ucts, and processes. Foster said powerful engine for Montana’s most businesses will need access economy,” according to the title of to readily available, gap funding the report. which will reduce The plan the risk to their “RCEDA has a long history of working with the identifies the main lenders, the major problem county businesses... I don’t know if the state will be areas in the local able to trust us, but if they could, I think they would banks. She said many businesses economy that have be very happy with that decision.” have a customer been generated by -Julie Foster, Executive Director, RCEDA base that is the pandemic as national and interwell as outlining national. These solutions, costs have been in business for twenty businesses will not see a return to and a timeframe for helping sole years or more,” said Foster. She normal immediately, according to proprietors, small businesses, said businesses across the specthe report. small-medium businesses and trum were critically impacted by A summary of the report large corporations. The hope COVID-19 and many were taking was delivered on April 23 to the is that Governor Bullock will extreme measures aimed at startGovernor’s Task Force that was fund the $22 million plan as the ing over post-pandemic. formed to make recommendations quickest, most efficient way to According to the report, the on how the state should spend the disperse some of the $1.25 billion COVID-19 business implications in federal funds that the state have been severe. Sales have gone $1.25 billion in federal funds. The Ravalli County Comhas received to help mitigate the down, some accounts payable missioners gave the plan a big impacts of the pandemic on Moncannot be collected, revenue has push by officially adopting it last tana businesses. been lost, the cost of doing busiweek but Representative Bedey Julie Foster, Director of the ness has increased, and some raw Ravalli County Economic Develmaterials are not available. See EMERGE, page 3 opment Authority, began working On top of this, new pro-
By Michael Howell
Darby’s class of 2020 marches out to their graduation on Saturday. The event was held on the open space to the east of the Darby Rodeo Grounds. Jennifer Burdette photo.
on the plan with state legislators Nancy Ballance and David Bedey and officials from the county and the city of Hamilton last April 18. Phone interviews were conducted with numerous business owners representing most sectors of the valley’s economy to find out what they were experiencing because of the COVID-19 pandemic. “We spoke with new business owners and owners that
New community center being built at Lone Rock park
By Michael Howell
Stevensville graduate Hunter Reyes celebrates with an impromptu parade on Stevensville’s Main Street on Saturday morning. Later in the afternoon, all of the Yellowjacket grads were paraded through town on fire trucks, courtesy of the Stevensville Fire Department. Jean Schurman photo.
Piquett Creek Project moving forward in West Fork area West Fork District Ranger Seth Carbonari has signed the Decision Memo for the Piquett Creek Project. The decision authorizes the forest to move forward on the fuels reduction and vegetation management project encompassing approximately 5,800 acres in the Piquett Creek and West Fork Bitterroot River – Lloyd Creek watersheds. The project is located five miles southwest of Conner, MT. Adjacent to the project are approximately 96 private structures, Triple Creek Ranch and Trapper Creek Job Corps Center. Nearly 70% of the project area is in the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). Wildfire Risk to Communities (https://wildfirerisk. org/) identifies Conner, MT as the most at risk community in all of Montana based on fire risk and exposure to homes and the likelihood of wildfire occurrence. The project was first identified in 2018 because existing conditions across the area have deteriorated from desired condi-
tions. Fire exclusion has created stands characterized by high stem densities and hazardous fuels build-up, including ladder and crown fuels susceptible to severe fire behavior. Dense stand conditions have stressed trees causing high susceptibility to current and future insect and disease mortality. In many locations there are pockets of dead and dying trees due to western spruce budworm, dwarf mistletoe, Douglas-fir beetle, and previous mountain pine beetle mortality. Treatments may occur on up to 3,000 acres within the project area. Objectives include: • Improve landscape resilience to disturbances (fire, insects and disease) • Reduce hazardous fuels and potential fire severity (WUI, warm dry forest types) • Improve habitat diversity, forage quality and quantity for mule deer, elk, and bighorn sheep Proposed treatments include commercial timber harvests, non-commercial thinning, and
prescribed burning to reduce fuels and improve forest health. Road maintenance activities, including the resurfacing of Forest Road #49 with gravel, installing drainage on bridge approaches that cross Piquett Creek and the graveling of stream crossings are also planned to reduce sediment sources and improve fish habitat. No permanent road construction is proposed in the project and all temporary roads will be decommissioned after the project is completed. The Bitterroot National Forest utilized a collaborate process to help develop the Piquett Creek Project including numerous public field trips, meetings with local landowners, and presentations to partners, the Ravalli County Collaborative (RCC) and Bitterroot Restoration Committee (BRC). Overall, there was support and agreement that actions are needed to address current conditions and reduce fire risk in the See PIQUETT, page 3
There are new digs going in at Ambrose Creek Community Park and golden shovels glistened as several Three Mile community members broke ground for the long dreamed of community meeting center. Luckily they were backed up by Randy Nentwig on his excavator. It’s been a long time coming. The effort to build the center began about eight years ago with the formation of the Three Mile Community Senior Center. It was a daunting project for such a small community and efforts simmered for years, until last year things suddenly came to a boil. According to Colleen Schmiedeke, secretary of the Three See CENTER, page 2
On hand to break ground for the new Three Mile CommunitySenior Center last week were Three Mile Fire Chief Russ Giese, Three Mile Community-Senior Center’s past president Ted Brittenham, and President of the Lone Rock Park Board Matt Pendergast. On the far right is the man who really broke the ground with his trusty excavator, Randy Nentwig. Michael Howell photo,