Explore Big Sky - April 4 to 17, 2024

LMLC REVEALS TOWN CENTER PLANS

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EXPLOSION DESTROYS HOUSE, BSFD SAVES NEIGHBORING HOMES

BSRAD TO HOST CANDIDATES BEFORE LOCAL ELECTION

QUARRY SUBDIVISION FACES PUSHBACK

ROAD WORK ON 191 TO CAUSE SUMMER DELAYS

PLUS: MEET A TEAM OF LOCAL SKIJORING ATHLETES

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE

LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER

ME BROWN | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES AND OPERATIONS

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Josh Timon | josh@theoutlawpartners.com

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com

VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com

DIRECTOR OF RELATIONSHIPS

Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING MANAGER

Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTENT MARKETING LEAD

Taylor Owens | taylor@theoutlawpartners.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Molly Absolon, Daniel Bierschwale, Marne Hayes, Rachel Hergett, Merrick Parnell, Dave Pecunies, Benjamin Alva Polley, Jacquelyn Rinaldi

As an April Fools joke, Explore Big Sky posted a satirical story under the headline, “Breaking: Lone Mountain Finally Erupts.”

Many folks had a chuckle, dozens commented with glee on social media.

Other folks were fooled.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

12

LMLC REVEALS TOWN CENTER PLANS

At an open house on April 2, Lone Mountain Land Company— owner and developer of Big Sky Town Center—showed plans for construction on the remaining Town Center land. In addition, LMLC representatives showed plans for a large neighborhood of single-family homes and apartments, tentatively called “Cold Smoke,” intended as deed-restricted workforce housing northeast of Town Center.

EXPLOSION DESTROYS HOUSE, BSFD SAVES NEIGHBORING HOMES

On March 29, a house in the Cascade Ridge neighborhood caught fire after an explosion. Big Sky Fire Department responded and used “an aggressive exposure protection tactic” to save both neighboring homes with minimal damage, according to BSFD. Various units including Yellowstone Club and Hyalite Canyon responded to help.

BSRAD TO HOST CANDIDATES BEFORE LOCAL ELECTION

Ahead of the May 7 mail-in election, the Big Sky Resort Area District is hosting a local candidate forum to help educate voters. The free public event will take place on Tuesday, April 23, starting at 5 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by a moderated forum from 6 to 7:30.

ROAD WORK ON 191 TO CAUSE SUMMER DELAYS

Montana Department of Transportation announced plans on March 22 to improve two sections of U.S. Highway 191 between Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky. The projects are scheduled to run from April to August and will cause delays during work hours.

QUARRY SUBDIVISION FACES PUSHBACK

A group of activists representing environmental nonprofits wrote a letter to the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, dated March 13, asking DEQ to implement its regular public comment process before approving a permit for phase two of a subdivision in Big Sky. The Quarry PUD, located in the Gallatin Canyon, would include 135 single-family homes and 130 apartments.

PLUS: MEET A TEAM OF LOCAL SKIJORING ATHLETES

EBS spoke with the local Hodge family and members of their Big Sky-based skijoring team, the Montana Wild Bunch, about their passion for the fast-growing sport. For the Wild Bunch, skijoring is as much about competition as it is about finding the right team.

ERUPTION BY ME BROWN

NEWS IN BRIEF BRIEFS

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK OPENS FOR SPRING BICYCLING

On Tuesday, April 2, bicyclists can bike the 49 miles between Yellowstone’s West Entrance in West Yellowstone and Mammoth Hot Springs. Bicyclists interested in the route can monitor weather on Yellowstone’s website.

The West Entrance to Madison Junction, Madison Junction to Norris Junction, and Norris Junction to Mammoth Hot Springs will all be open. “As conditions allow, bicycles will also be permitted from the East Entrance to the east end of Sylvan Pass (6 miles),” an April 2 Yellowstone National Park press release stated.

Bicycles are prohibited on other park roads until the remaining roads open to the public on Friday, April 19. Spring road conditions include administrative vehicles, wildlife along roadways and rapidly changing weather.

Yellowstone provided rules for spring riding, including: Ride single file and use extreme caution; be mindful as bison, bears, elk, moose and other wildlife endure this hardest part of the year; carry bear spray and know how to use it; travel during daylight hours only; plan for self-rescue or repair; Prepare to spend an extended period in winter conditions in the event of a mechanical breakdown, injury or other emergency.

MISSOURI HEADWATERS STATE PARK EXPANSION APPROVED

EBS STAFF

The Missouri Headwaters State Park in Three Forks preserves the confluence of the Jefferson, Madison and Gallatin rivers. It is now set to absorb adjacent land, preserving historical sites and wildlife habitat while expanding trail connectivity and fishing access.

In February, the Montana State Parks Foundation announced its plan to purchase and donate 26.36 acres of private land to the park, in partnership with the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust. The land will connect the northern half of the park with its southeastern corner, allowing for enhanced trail connectivity and fishing access to the Gallatin River. The land will also serve as buffer space from any encroaching development.

When the plan was announced in February, it had already been approved unanimously by the Montana State Parks and Recreation Board. Then, on March 18, the Montana State Land Board voted unanimously in favor, giving the project the green light.

“The process of expanding the Missouri Headwaters State Park has been an incredible group effort, and an example of what can be accomplished when individuals, organizations and the government work together towards a common goal,” Megan Beucking, executive director of MSPF, stated in the release.

The release added that the local and regional community rallied behind the project, including support shown by the Gallatin Conservation District, Gallatin Valley Land Trust and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation.

In addition to its “key location” for connecting land within the park, the land is crucial fish and wildlife habitat and the historic site of Gallatin City II, Gallatin County’s first county seat.

Under the Montana State Parks system, these resources will now be conserved and protected in perpetuity, according to the release.

After formal proceedings and final fundraising are taken care of, the land will open to the public. The state park will host a public opening celebration.

MOVIE FILMED ON YELLOWSTONE, GALLATIN RIVERS AVAILABLE ON NETFLIX

AMENDED SECOND-HALF TAX BILLS TO COLLECT MAXIMUM LEVY FOR SCHOOL EQUALIZATION

In November, Gallatin County residents received a property tax bill that reflected a reduction in mills for the State School Equalization Funds, according to a March 25 release from Gallatin County. The Montana Department of Revenue previously determined that for 2023, 77.9 mills would be sufficient for the school equalization fund, instead of the regular 95 mills.

However, a Montana Supreme Court ruling has reinstated the full 95 mill collection by the DOR, and Gallatin County will see that change in their second-half tax bills in coming weeks. The change was spurred by Gov. Greg Gianforte’s lawsuit against Missoula County, arguing that the state has authority to require full collection of the school tax, as reported by Montana Free Press.

The Gallatin County treasurer’s office mailed out the second-half tax bills on Friday, March 22. “Property owners should disregard the second-half payment due on original bills, sent late last year, and pay the amount that comes with the amended bills instead. Do not pay both,” the release stated.

Those who paid taxes in full in December will still need to pay the indicated amount. The tax collections mandated by the Governor’s office will be sent to the State of Montana and are due on May 31.

Property owners can also view amended bills online.

“Mending the Line,” a drama directed by Joshua Caldwell, hit Netflix on Saturday, March 23. The movie premiered in Bozeman on June 8, 2023 and features shots of the Gallatin River, Yellowstone River, Emigrant and Paradise Valley.

“Mending the Line” is about a marine wounded while serving in Afghanistan, who reconnects with himself and the world through friendship and fly-fishing while experiencing post traumatic stress disorder. Starring Brian Cox, Sinqua Walls and Perry Mattfeld, the film also highlights the work of Bozeman-based nonprofit, Warriors & Quiet Waters Foundation, which helps veterans heal and foster meaningful relationships in nature.

Tuesday, April 23

School and Special Purpose District Election

Get to know the candidates and issues

Tuesday, April 23

5:00pm - Meet & Greet

6:00pm - Forum

The Waypoint Theater

Plan to attend to gain the insights to help you make informed decisions.

LEARN - DECIDE - ELECT

Join us for an evening where moderator Lori Addicks will give us a glimpse into the May 7 School and Special Purpose District Election.

This is your opportunity to learn about the candidates and understand the issues that will have direct impact on our local community.

To learn more visit resorttax.org/candidate-forum-may-2024

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Dear Editor,

Great acute care in Big Sky and in Bozeman on March 13, 2024 may have saved my life

This was the latest of many trips to Big Sky since 1995, when I rode the old tram when it was new, but I didn’t get to ride the new one. My first day on the hill was with two excellent skiers, one a neighbor in Cleveland, and the other his old ski buddy. My wife and another couple we know in Ohio were coming out early the next week.

I was quite proud of the fact that, as I finished a run down Elk Park Ridge, my younger and stronger skiing companions had waited only briefly at the bottom of Thunder Wolf lift. I had pushed hard to keep up, but felt great. Until sitting on the lift I felt mild chest pain and said to my ski companions that I might need a little rest. Two minutes later the pain was not so mild, and I wondered if I might need more than a rest. In another minute the pain was severe and I allowed myself the thought that I was having my first heart attack. I soon shared that thought out loud.

As we got off the lift, things moved quickly. A nearby EMT/ski patroller quickly assessed my situation, for which the “first line” medication is aspirin, which he had in chewable form. Proper medical treatment began only minutes after one of my coronary arteries became blocked. I was bundled onto a sled, and it’s a shame that the pain distracted me from enjoying a very fast ride.

Minutes later an electrocardiogram showed some evidence—not obvious—for heart attack. Life is like that. We don’t always get “easy calls.” But professionals combined that borderline objective evidence with my “clinical course,” and a rapid chain of events never slowed down in a situation in which speed was essential to the outcome.

Quick ambulance ride to the Bozeman Health Big Sky Medical Center. They couldn’t helicopter me out because of weather. Portable chest X-ray. Another ECG. Blood drawn for lab work. Consult with cardiology in Bozeman. Aggressive medical treatment given, and then I was in an ambulance to the Bozeman Health Deaconess Regional Medical Center where I was greeted by a cardiologist who already knew my whole medical history, had looked at the chest X-ray and ECG done in Big Sky, and had the results of the lab work. The team needed to perform cardiac catheterization on me had been assembled and was ready to go into “high gear.” A blocked coronary artery was opened and a stent was inserted.

Amazing professionalism, judgement, dedication and teamwork from the top of the hill to the “cath lab”—a chain of many professionals intent on doing their part as well as humanly possible.

They all succeeded. Cardiac echocardiography the next morning showed normal heart function and I was discharged that afternoon. One week later my new cardiologist at the Cleveland Clinic is very impressed with the care I received.

Ed Weber Cleveland, Ohio

As Owner's Representatives, we are the most trusted advisors to the best projects in the world. PEAKPROJECTS.COM

Peak Projects is a steadfast client advocate throughout the life of high-end residential real estate projects. Our goal is to make designing and building a home an enjoyable and memorable experience.

A MATCH MADE IN MONTANA BIG SKY’S OWN SKIJORING TEAM CELEBRATES ANOTHER SEASON IN ONE OF THE FASTEST-GROWING SPORTS IN THE AMERICAN WEST SPORTS

BY LESLIE KILGORE

BIG SKY—Greg Hodge has loved the sport of skijoring since he first moved to Big Sky in the early '90s. After building a home and setting up horse pastures in the Karst’s Camp area of Gallatin Canyon, he began pulling his son and daughter on skis at an early age around their property.

Now, he and his wife Julie are the sponsors and biggest supporters of the Big Sky-based skijoring team, Montana Wild Bunch. Hodge, their daughter Haley, and their son Cody, all compete with the team while Julie supports the group during the skijoring season. Traveling to events in Boulder and Red Lodge, Driggs, Idaho, and the annual Best in the West Showdown in Big Sky, the Montana Wild Bunch has become a team taking home many buckles—the coveted award for winning in one’s division along with a cash prize. Alongside their success, skijoring—the winter sport where a horse and rider pulls a skier and snowboarder behind them as they navigate a series of obstacles—is quickly growing in popularity, particularly in the northern Rocky Mountain West.

Speed, skill and some serious guts are what it takes to be a skijoring competitor. But it also takes an equine community, an organized team, or as the Montana Wild Bunch refers to themselves, a family, to get involved with the sport.

“A friendship with the Hodge family is second to none, especially when it comes to equine recreation,” said Ashley Jenks, a teacher at Ophir Elementary and a newer member of the Montana Wild Bunch team. “Greg is such a good teacher and Julie is so supportive. They are both very passionate about encouraging families to get into the sport. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity if it wasn’t for them.”

While experienced skiers are an important part of the duo, access to horses, trailers and other equine knowledge is integral to the whole learning process when first starting out in the sport.

“Big Sky can sometimes be a hard place to find your people, even as a young family,” Jenks said. “But I felt accepted by this group right away, which made my first competition in Big Sky even better. As nervous as I was before my first run, I had people to support me.”

Also a member of the Montana Wild Bunch team, Anna Kendall has lived in Gallatin County for most of her life and is a seasoned rider and skijoring competitor. She’s one of the original team members teaching and encouraging others in the community to join the sport.

“The whole spirit of the Wild Bunch team is to be inclusive and encourage good sportsmanship while also celebrating a love for skijoring,” Kendall said.

Skijoring dates back several hundred years to Scandinavia. As a mode of transportation and communication, it was a practical way for people to travel during snowy winter months. In the late 1920s, at the second Winter Olympic Games in St. Moritz, Switzerland, competitors held a skijoring demonstration. Back then, the sport was performed without a rider with the skier driving the horse from behind while racing head-to-head with other competitors. It wasn’t until the mid-1940s that the sport commenced in the Rocky Mountain region in Steamboat and Leadville, Colorado.

Currently, skijoring takes place competitively in more than five states in the U.S. and in several other

countries worldwide. Exhilarating runs and crashes are not uncommon for professionals and newcomers who navigate a course of jumps, gates and sometimes other obstacles while going for cash prizes and a coveted winning buckle.

“It’s all about getting the horse used to having a skier behind them and the skier getting used to being pulled by a horse,” Hodge said. “But it’s really all about having fun.”

The Montana Wild Bunch not only travels to compete in many skijoring events throughout the season, they also gather socially to support one another outside of the competitive arena throughout the year, doing what many families do together: laugh, eat, drink and be merry.

“Competition and improving at the sport are important, but getting more people involved matters too,” said Chris Plank, a longtime Big Sky local and Wild Bunch member.

While competition is fierce at many of the regional events, the social aspect of the sport and culture is just as important.

“I’m on Team Spouse,” Julie said. “My job is to shoot photos and videos and make sure everyone on the team is safe, fed, happy and having fun.”

She’s joined by other family members of competitors who do the same throughout the team’s season.

“Team Spouse—we don’t ride, we don’t ski, we just cheer them all along and have fun doing it,” said Big Sky resident Mark Gibbons, another member of the support team.

Gibbons’ wife, Morgan Owens, was a wrangler in the area for years before she began riding in skijoring competitions. This year at the Big Sky Skijoring event, Gibbons and Owens surprised their families, who were coming to see the team compete, with a wedding at Soldiers Chapel the same weekend.

“It was the best way to celebrate our wedding and surprise our families,” Owens said.

While the Montana Wild Bunch all emphasize the importance of fun, friendships, culture and lifestyle for the team, their talent can’t go unnoticed.

“We all placed and won at different venues this season, which is impressive,” Hodge said.

Team member Matthew Sitton added that while placing or winning is always rewarding, honoring the history and tradition of the sport through each team member’s extended family is also meaningful. “My seven-year-old daughter can’t wait to travel with us and join the Junior Division next year,” he said.

As another skijoring season ends and the team shares stories, photos and videos, inside jokes and memorable competition moments from this winter at a team BBQ, it’s clear the group is more than just a squad of athletes and competitors.

“We’re all in this together,” Julie said, her teammates around her. “The friendships that have come through skijoring and the joys from all the camaraderie are insurmountable. Because, at the end of the day, sure it’s about the competition, but it’s also about finding your people.”

Greg Hodge gives Ashley Jenks some words of encouragement as a new member of the Montana Wild Bunch skijoring team. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG HODGE

Haley Hodge on Dakota, supports Ophir Elementary School teacher Ashley Jenks on Spartan, at her first event in Big Sky. Hodge pulled a Montana Wild Bunch skier in the open (pro) division and Jenks pulled a snowboarder in her first skijoring run ever. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG HODGE

Morgan Owens and Jet compete at the National Finals in Red Lodge pulling Michelle Clark-Conley as their skier. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG HODGE

Members of the Montana Wild Bunch team represent in their hometown of Big Sky for the Best in the West Showdown. PHOTO COURTESY OF GREG HODGE

CHAMPIONSHIP TO CAP SEASON

BY MERRICK PARNELL EBS CONTRIBUTOR

The Montana 64s, Big Sky's quickly growing youth hockey team, recently concluded their 202324 season on a high note at the Helena House Tournament with a win, marking this their most successful season to date. Among the highlights of the 64s' season was a sweep of the Lewistown Eagles in the 19 and under series, held in Big Sky at the Marty Pavelich Ice Rink during their Senior Night Invitational.

From March 9 to the 10, the 64s traveled to Helena to participate in the Helena House Tournament at the Steed Arena. The club is composed of players ages 18 to 10, competing at the house level. Alongside the Big Sky team, the Helena House Tournament featured teams from Helena, Flathead (Kalispell), and Lewistown.

The 64s secured victories in four games during the tournament and ultimately clinched the Tournament Championship against the Lewistown Eagles.

"This marks our third consecutive year participating in the house league tournament," said senior captain Keelan Grupe.

"Our goalie achieved several shutouts, and our defense effectively limited the opponents' scoring

opportunities. Moreover, the quality of passing in the games was exceptional," Grupe continued.

Several members of the Montana 64s will attend the 2024 Montana Player Development Camp,

which will take place in Missoula from April 12 to 14. There, players from Big Sky will have the opportunity to train alongside peers from across the state, enhancing their skills.

The Montana 64s concluded their 2023-24 season on a high note at the Helena House Tournament with a win, marking this their most successful season to date. PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTANA 64S

LOCAL

LONE MOUNTAIN LAND COMPANY TALKS TOWN CENTER PLANS, CONCEPTS

PLANS SHOW PUBLIC-USE SPACES, HOTELS AND HOUSING; PLANNED COLD SMOKE NEIGHBORHOOD WOULD INCLUDE 125 SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES, 264 APARTMENTS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Lone Mountain Land Company, owner and developer of Big Sky Town Center, unveiled development plans for the area’s remaining land during a public forum on April 2.

Nearly 300 attendees packed the ballroom at The Wilson Hotel for the Community Development Open House, and leaders from LMLC answered questions throughout the presentation, which was recorded and is available online.

Construction plans include multiple hotels and residential areas, a transportation center with parking for buses and vans, commercial and gathering spaces in Town Center Plaza, and a pedestrian promenade connecting the plaza to an outdoor performance space and event barn tentatively called “Bluff Edge Park.”

Another concept, northeast of Town Center and tentatively called “Cold Smoke,” could develop two areas of land—currently forested near the South Fork of the West Fork of the Gallatin River—into 125 single-family homes and up to 264 apartment units.

“We’re thinking about the next 15 years. This stuff isn’t going to happen quickly. There isn’t going to be drastic change in 2024 or 2025,” said Matt Kidd, managing director of Lone Mountain Land Company, who steered the discussion on Tuesday.

Kidd repeated two points: first, that LMLC is faced with great responsibility to develop Big Sky the right way, and accepts that responsibility; second, that Big Sky is already physically developed at 70% or beyond.

“It feels like we’re still so young. We can feel fragile as a year-round community... Big Sky is 70-pluspercent built out. There’s a lot more here today than will ever be created in the future,” Kidd said. “... That means that there’s a limited opportunity to use development to address our challenges.”

He highlighted LMLC’s long-standing goal: for Big Sky to develop into a world-class destination and thrive as a year-round community. He noted the importance of making seasonal residents feel welcome as well, and said LMLC will continue to strive toward economic, environmental and social goals with Town Center design.

“We know that the future of Town Center is the future of this community, it’s important to all of us,” Kidd said.

Three amendments for county approval: publicuse spaces, hotel keys and workforce housing

Bayard Dominick, LMLC’s VP of planning and development, took the microphone to dig into details. His presentation included maps and renderings depicting Town Center with possible buildings in spaces that are now largely undeveloped, mostly to the south and east of Town Center’s core.

Dominick said LMLC has been working through an amended master plan, and a planned unit development that will require four applications to Gallatin County. He showed a map of the Town Center PUD approved in 1998—long before LMLC’s involvement—with buildings and residences approved to sprawl across the area and a “resort lodge” near the Hummocks Trail.

“One thing we’ve heard loud and clear over the last two years in the community is, don’t touch the Hummocks and Uplands trails. So we’re not,” Dominick said. The audience rejoiced.

He said LMLC does plan to develop a subdivision of 24 single-family lots in the Uplands area, but the trail system will be preserved and likely expanded for public recreation.

Dominick said 66% of commercial and 55% of residential entitlements have been developed, according to the 1998 plan.

“As we go back to [Gallatin County], we’re not asking for any additional commercial entitlements.

We’re not asking for any more residential entitlements,” Dominick said. “We are asking for three things.”

First, “a bucket of entitlements” totaling roughly 105,000 square feet for “public and quasi-public uses,” which could include space for community organizations such as Big Sky Community Library, Big Sky Transportation District and Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The BASE community center exemplifies this type of public-use space.

LMLC will also request an additional 150 hotel “keys,” or rooms, extending the original entitlement from 350 to 500 hotel rooms in Town Center. LMLC plans show a boutique hotel and annex to The Wilson Hotel, both adjacent to the Town Center Plaza.

“Hotel guests spend a lot more money shopping and in restaurants than vacation renter[s], and we believe it’s an important part of creating a sustainable economy to create more hotel keys here,” Dominick said.

Town Center has built 129 of its 350 entitled hotel rooms. If LMLC is successful in gaining 150 entitlements, then another 371 rooms could eventually be built.

“We need more hotels,” Kidd said. “... If we want to have a thriving Town Center with restaurants and shops, we need people to stay near there.”

Kidd added later that LMLC is exploring an affordable, hostel-style lodge on land between Ace Hardware and the Powder Light apartments, but that would not affect Town Center entitlements.

Finally, LMLC will request entitlements for 50 workforce housing units—the maximum allowable by Town Center’s remaining water and sewer rights.

“If there were more [single-family equivalents] available, we’d push to do more,” Dominick said. He said LMLC is largely done constructing seasonal workforce housing, and these 50 units would include studio and one-bedroom apartments under long-term rental structure.

At full build, the southeastern border of Town Center loosely follows the South Fork. Dominick emphasized that LMLC will create a setback corridor along the river.

“We’re committing to not only protecting the river there, but also to work on enhancing it,” Dominick said. LMLC is integrating a plan to preserve the health of the South Fork, while making it feel like it’s part of the town.

Matt Kidd and Bayard Dominick presented Town Center development plans, including the planned Cold Smoke neighborhood. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY

“Sitting here today, it doesn’t feel like there’s a river that flows through Town Center, and we want to make that a public benefit for everyone,” Dominick said.

Cold Smoke for locals

Kidd presented a new concept of a communityfocused neighborhood—entirely deed-restricted “attainable housing” for Big Sky’s full-time workforce.

“I can’t get, sort of, totally excited about Town Center unless I think of it in conjunction with this other project,” Kidd said.

It’s tentatively called “Cold Smoke” and would be located on both sides of the South Fork near Kircher Park and the RiverView apartments—in construction along Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail). Cold Smoke would be accessed using the road into RiverView, and crossing a bridge over the South Fork.

Kidd said Cold Smoke could be seen as a primary hub for locals as Big Sky continues to develop. Similar to Powder Light and RiverView, Cold Smoke’s two neighborhoods would be developed in partnership with the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, and support from philanthropy and Resort Tax to keep the units affordable.

“This would be available to the entire Big Sky community, there would be no short-term rentals, and we’ll seek to tailor the affordability based on income,” Kidd said.

He said it will take years for these projects to play out, but LMLC hopes to begin construction in

2026 with Cold Smoke’s first occupants moving into homes as early as 2027.

The neighborhood would tie into the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, although Kidd could not provide specifics on how the sewer infrastructure would cross the river.

“The district has capacity... to use community workforce housing SFEs, so that’s our plan,” Kidd said.

Updates on the Big Sky Events Arena, Skijoring and Buck’s T-4

The Big Sky Events Arena hosts popular summer events including Big Sky PBR and Wildlands Festival, both produced by Outlaw Partners, publisher of this newspaper. The space is located on Town Center land that will be developed into residential space, plans show.

Despite the eventual development of that land— and the apparent incompatibility between LMLC’s conceptual “Bluff Edge Park” and Outlaw’s large concerts and bull riding—Kidd said that “for many years,” Big Sky Events Arena is not going anywhere.

“This section of future residential—that should probably say ‘last residential.’ And so, the arena is not going anywhere for a very long time. PBR will continue, Wildlands will continue,” Kidd said, adding that LMLC is working to find a suitable long-term location to keep those events going.

Every winter, the Big Sky Skijoring Association produces the Best in the West Showdown, which takes place on vacant Town Center land that will be developed by LMLC. It was already understood that skijoring would need to find a new home—

BSSJ faced uncertainty and LMLC agreed to provide the land for this winter’s event—and Kidd suggested that Lone Mountain Ranch could host in years to come.

“But also, for several years, maybe continuing that in Town Center as well,” Kidd said.

Kidd also promised that LMLC will preserve a 75-year-old establishment of Big Sky.

In 2020, LMLC acquired Buck’s T-4 Lodge, a historic roadhouse restaurant and dance hall. LMLC constructed employee housing on-site and continued to operate the restaurant and event space. In September 2023, however, LMLC announced it would not open the restaurant until a “perfect partner” emerged to help run it.

“We’re making a lot of renovations to the entire asset. And it will be a workforce housing project, but we will be opening the restaurant again,” Kidd said. That’s expected by early 2026.

“Fully committed, the restaurant of Buck’s T-4 will reopen. I promise,” Kidd said.

In their presentations, Kidd and Dominick described LMLC’s role as not just a developer, but a community builder and problem solver. They repeatedly acknowledged, and accepted, the big responsibility of developing Big Sky.

Kidd said the community can look forward to more public forums like the Community Development Open House, where community members can express feedback and ask questions as LMLC moves forward with its final major projects to develop Town Center.

BIG SKY HOAS, PROPERTY MANAGERS TO DISCUSS CLIMATE ACTION IN UPCOMING WORKSHOP

BY JEN CLANCEY

BIG SKY—“Are you in an HOA?” Chris Crigler, CEO of CAP Management, asked while on the phone with Explore Big Sky in late March.

The prompt was in relation to a workshop that CAP Management, a Denver-based HOA management company, will host on Thursday, April 4 at the Wilson Hotel as they discuss how HOAs can empower themselves as leaders in environmental sustainability. The workshop will run from 1 to 4 p.m. followed by a cocktail hour, and will allow professionals to collaborate on climate solutions in HOAs, as well as educate anyone in the public in best sustainable practices in the homes of their community.

HOAs, or homeowners associations, are organizations that govern housing communities and set standards for residents. For cities like Bozeman, local governments can hire sustainability directors to oversee environmentally-friendly standards; however, in unincorporated areas like Big Sky, power and responsibility for standard-setting in neighborhoods rests in organizations like HOAs, especially when it comes to climate action.

“If we’re going to implement actions to prevent the worst effects of human-caused climate change, we need to get HOAs involved,” Jerome Tinianow told EBS in a phone call.

Tinianow resides in Denver, Colorado and works with towns all over the West to create local sustainability and climate action plans. He’s been brought on by Big Sky SNO (Sustainability Network Organization) to help Big Sky achieve its Big Sky Community Climate Action Plan, and connected with CAP Management to lead the sustainability workshop.

According to Tinianow, all four of Big Sky’s biggest HOAs have expressed openness to implementing sustainability into their communities. Those HOAs are in and around the Big Sky Resort area, the Yellowstone Club, Lone Mountain Land Company and Spanish Peaks. So far, 27 people have signed up but Tinianow expects at least 30 to attend the event.

“I will say HOAs historically have not necessarily been tapped into for sustainability efforts, simply because their governance structure is so virtually unique and secondly, complicated,” Gabrielle Fuerst, sustainability director at CAP Management said.

Fuerst is excited to see the conversations between different players in HOAs. She notes that discussions like this can help align a property manager’s responsibilities and an HOA boards’ sustainability priorities.

“Really making it easy for property managers and boards to do this on their own is one of the biggest things that we can do,” Fuerst said about CAP Management’s goals in Thursday’s session.

Crigler notes that empowerment to spark change starts in HOA committees. And with this solution, even second home owners can get involved. To those interested in getting involved, he recommends joining a committee or forming your own. From there, a certification program with CAP Management will allow HOAs to move from bronze to gold certification depending on how they align themselves with a sustainability goal.

“Your HOA can choose one thing that they’re really passionate about, that they’re already excited about, and their members are ready to contribute to, and really get certified in that one realm,” Fuerst said.

Crigler and Fuerst are optimistic that Big Sky HOAs will rise to a new challenge of sustainability in Big Sky.

An aerial view of Big Sky Town Center. PHOTO BY MICHAEL RUEBUSCH

BIG SKY—The nonprofit Gallatin River Task Force recently unveiled a new interactive tool that builds awareness around drought status, prevention and mitigation in the Gallatin River basin.

The Drought Dashboard is intended for use by the public. It includes color-coded graphics, drought measurement gauges, and related information about the impacts of drought and ways the community can combat it. The new tool was supported by community partners including the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, Big Sky Resort Area District, Moonlight Community Foundation, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, according to a March 27 press release from GRTF.

Jess Olson, GRTF conservation manager, stated in the release that the new tool was a recommended project in the Big Sky Water Conservation and Drought Management Plan.

“We are currently in ‘Severe Drought’ and predictions from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation indicate that drought conditions will persist through the summer,” Olson stated. “The dashboard is a way for the community to stay informed,

take action and help Big Sky thrive through varying stages of drought.”

The Drought Dashboard is intended to raise awareness about how to prevent drought in the future, including the importance of water conservation and other measures to protect the community even when high levels of drought are not in play.

“With the propensity for drought increasing as a result of drier, warmer seasons and lower overall snowpack, the Drought Dashboard’s access to details of both drought levels and drought responses are key to keeping the Big Sky and surrounding communities informed and

up-to-date on how to mitigate impacts associated with drought,” the release stated.

The Dashboard includes information about water intensive activities such as wildfire protection, drinking water supply, agriculture production, landscape irrigation, recreation and wildlife preservation, as listed on the website. The page also shows how daily water use can impact a healthy and resilient watershed, with specific information focused on fishing, wildfire danger—the Dashboard links to the Fire Adapted Big Sky Wildfire Hub, a similar online tool—and irrigation restrictions.

Jenny Muscat, BSRAD deputy director, emphasized the value of Big Sky’s water resources, and that BSRAD is proud to partner with GRTF to support the new tool.

“In building the Drought Dashboard, the Task Force has created a tool that will help Big Sky build resilience around our water resources, and will aid in mitigating future growth and drought, a key initiative outlined in the Our Big Sky Community Vision and Strategy developed by community members with a shared view for the future of our community,” Muscat stated.

The dashboard includes a “Real-Time Drought Watch” tool with instructions to help new users navigate and interpret the interactive map.

EXPLOSION, STRUCTURE FIRE DESTROYS BIG SKY HOME

ONE VICTIM TRANSPORTED TO IDAHO FALLS FOR CARE; BSFD CREW MAKES

‘INCREDIBLE STOP’ TO SAVE ADJACENT HOMES

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—On Friday afternoon, March 29, the Big Sky Fire Department responded to a reported explosion in the Cascade Ridge neighborhood near the Beehive Basin trailhead. A propane leak is the suspected cause, although that remains under investigation.

The explosion triggered a structure fire which eventually destroyed the home, according to Big Sky Fire Department Deputy Chief Seth Barker. BSFD arrived at 2:53 p.m. and found “a fully involved structure fire,” Barker told EBS in a phone call on Saturday morning. A March 31 BSFD press release estimates the total property damage at $2.75 million.

The occupant suffered life-threatening injuries, according to the release, and was transported by helicopter to Idaho Falls for medical care at a regional burn center.

The responding firefighters—with mutual aid from the Yellowstone Club Fire Department, Bozeman Fire Department, Gallatin Gateway Fire Department, Hyalite Fire Department, and the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office—were able to contain the fire using “an aggressive exposure protection tactic,” saving both neighboring buildings with minimal damage, according to the release. Barker noted that snow made it difficult to access all sides of the building.

“During the response, a large black smoke column was visible from the area, and flames extending 15 [feet] above the roof line of the structure were visible from Lone Mountain Trail,” the BSFD press release stated.

“Our crew did a tremendous job,” Barker said. “With eight guys working yesterday, they made an incredible stop, and saved millions of dollars in property value. They did an incredible job in the first 45 minutes.”

Flames engulfed and destroyed the home, but firefighters were successful in containing the fire and protecting neighboring structures. PHOTO BY MICHAEL PITCAIRN

The Big Sky Fire Department responded to an explosion and structure fire around 2:20 p.m. on Friday, March 29. COURTESY OF BIG SKY FIRE DEPARTMENT

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—On May 7, voters in the Big Sky community will submit mail-in ballots to decide numerous volunteer leadership positions for local special purpose districts.

The various local districts across Gallatin and Madison counties include school, fire, water and sewer, and the Big Sky Resort Area District (Resort Tax).

“[Local elections give] people a direct avenue to the people that affect their local governance. These are the people that make decisions on a real grassroots level,” Tammy Estensen, BSRAD communications director, told EBS. “These are the people affecting our everyday lives, impacting our community.”

To help excite and educate local voters about the candidates—who, once elected will make decisions with tangible effects on local issues—BSRAD has organized a candidate forum event on Tuesday, April 23 at The Waypoint.

“This event will serve as an open platform for [candidates] to share [their] vision, values and plans with the electorate of Big Sky,” a BSRAD email to candidates stated.

The event will begin at 5 p.m. with a meet and greet, followed by a moderated forum from 6 to 7:30.

At the March 13 BSRAD board meeting, Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale emphasized the importance of the event and subsequent election.

“As we explore incorporation, a key component to the success of everything we do—regardless of whether we [become] our own county, or the city of Big Sky, or our current special district alignment—it requires civic engagement, and it requires participation. And I’m thrilled that we are actually running an election this year.

“Opportunities like this need to exist regardless of what is our path forward as a community. And it’s [important] for our public to engage, so please save the date,” Bierschwale told the board.

Local election details

Voters must be registered to vote in Big Sky by April 8. Voters can check their registration status here and find additional voter services here.

Madison and Gallatin counties may send ballots at different times, but state law requires ballots to arrive between April 17-22.

Ballots must be returned to election offices, either by physical drop off or by mail, before 8 p.m. on Tuesday, May 7.

Different voters may see different ballot items depending on the physical location of their home address. Big Sky’s special purpose district boundaries are often similar, but not identical.

Voters must live within the boundary of a given district to vote for that district.

Ballots for Big Sky’s Gallatin County residents will include BSRAD, Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, Big Sky Fire Department and Big Sky School

District—residents in the Firelight Meadows subdivision will see a ballot item regarding the implementation of a Firelight Meadows Water and Sewer District.

Madison County residents may vote for Madison Valley Hospital District and Ennis School District, and Yellowstone Club residents can vote for the Yellowstone Mountain Club Rural Fire District.

Who’s running in Big Sky

Gallatin County compiled a full list of candidates running for special purpose districts.

For Big Sky voters, five candidates are running for three seats on the BSRAD board.

Current members Kevin Germain and Grace Young seek reelection, and member Ciara Wolfe did not file. Laura Seyfang, Landon Weight and John Zirkle are also running.

Four candidates are running for three seats on the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District board.

Current members Mike Wilcynski and Dick Fast seek reelection, and member Mike DuCuennois did not file. Kent Volosin and Jerad Biggerstaff are also running.

Two candidates are running for two seats on the Big Sky Fire District board—those seats will be appointed by acclamation, automatically reelecting current members Matt Dodd and Deb Lewis.

Candidate filing will remain open for Big Sky and Ennis school districts until March 28.

MDT ANNOUNCES PROJECTS ON U.S. 191 FOR SUMMER 2024

BY JEN CLANCEY

A March 22 release from the Montana Department of Transportation stated that U.S. Highway 191 will see delays this summer for necessary road work in two sections of the drive between Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky.

“The project, which includes a pavement preservation project on U.S. Highway 191 (US 191) north of the Lava Lake Trailhead and a road widening and bridge replacement project half a mile north of Gallatin Gateway, is anticipated to be completed this fall,” the release stated.

The first project—north of Gallatin Gateway center between Zachariah Lane and South Cottonwood Road—will implement a left turn bay, shoulder widening and replacement of an existing bridge with a box culvert. According to Craig Walker, Montana Department of Transportation engineering project manager, the box culvert is expected to be completed on April 15, with work starting on April 1.

The box culvert portion of the project is not expected to cause delays as it will only shift

traffic. However, after completion on April 15, the team will start work on the turn bay and shoulder widening which will require one-lane traffic. That portion of the project is expected to end mid-August.

“We try to keep impacts to a minimum,” Walker said on the phone with EBS. He asks that travelers on the Gallatin Canyon road plan extra time for their journeys so that nobody is in a rush through work zones, protecting the safety of his team and of the drivers themselves.

Work hours on those projects can occur at any time between 6 a.m. and 10 p.m., but Walker expects hours to look like 7 a.m. to 5:30 or 6:30 p.m.

The second project is located between Storm Castle Road and the Lava Lake Trailhead and is a shorter term project. From late May through July, this section of the road will undergo pavement preservation to restore roads after heavy travel in the past few years.

“Expect reduced speeds, lane closures, and signal controlled one-way traffic. Much of this construction is anticipated to occur at night to minimize traffic impacts at peak travel times,” the press release stated.

Further updates are provided on the Montana Department of Transportation’s website.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

ACTIVISTS URGE DEQ TO CONSIDER PUBLIC COMMENT ON PROPOSED BIG SKY SUBDIVISION

‘QUARRY’ TO INCLUDE 135 SINGLE-FAMILY HOMES NEAR GALLATIN RIVER; PLANNED TRANSITION FROM SEPTIC TO SEWER REMAINS UNCERTAIN

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Leaders from five nonprofit organizations sent a letter to Chris Dorrington, director of Montana Department of Environmental Quality, asking for DEQ to implement a public comment process for phase two of the Quarry planned unit development in Big Sky.

The letter offers concerns for the nearby Gallatin River—listed as “impaired” in April 2023—primarily the impact of nutrient loading from the large-scale subdivision. At full build, the development would include 135 single-family homes, 130 apartments, and commercial spaces.

The Quarry PUD was proposed in 2019. In December 2022, DEQ opened public comment on phase one of the project—the first 90 single-family homes. Activists are urging DEQ to repeat that process before approving a permit for phase two—the next 45 single-family homes—once the developers apply for a DEQ permit.

Phase two was approved by Gallatin County commissioners on March 5, 2024. Phase two construction cannot begin until developers are granted a DEQ permit.

Leaders from Upper Missouri Waterkeeper, American Rivers, Montana Trout Unlimited, Greater Yellowstone Coalition and Montana Environmental Information Center signed the letter, dated March 13.

“The undersigned respectfully request the Department of Environmental Quality offer a formal public comment process regarding its forthcoming consideration of water, wastewater, and stormwater facilities associated with phase two,” the letter’s opening stated.

Activists expressed concern that the Quarry’s phase two application is “notably deficient” in evaluating the impacts of wastewater on the Gallatin River, located about 1,200 feet to the east, downhill, across U.S. Highway 191.

“The public has a right to understand how DEQ is studying the Gallatin River and its eutrophication challenges pursuant to its impairment determination, while simultaneously considering new development proposals that will contribute new water pollution loads linked to the same eutrophication events,” the letter stated.

The Gallatin River’s impairment designation requires authorities to establish a “total maximum daily load” of pollutant nutrients that a river can withstand.

The letter suggested that DEQ’s approval of phase two—which would eventually allow 11,250 gallons per day of wastewater treated with decentralized septic systems—without a transparent public process, would not reflect the “robust analysis of nutrient loading to the river” anticipated due to the river’s impairment.

“… we call on DEQ to follow its established precedent and formally offer a public comment process regarding its consideration and proposed action(s) concerning Phase two of the Quarry PUD, just as it did for Phase one of this multi-phase subdivision,” the letter added.

A response from DEQ was requested by March 29.

Local developer: ‘we are going above and beyond’

Big Sky resident and developer Scott Altman represents Big Sky Rock, the development entity leading the

BY

Quarry project. On the phone with EBS on March 22, Altman clarified that DEQ did not issue a public comment period on phase two because Big Sky Rock has not yet applied for a DEQ permit.

“When that does happen, we will have a public comment period,” Altman said. “We have to.”

Altman pointed to numerous opportunities for public comment in the past, including a 45-day public comment period in 2022 after Big Sky Rock applied for a phase one DEQ permit. Having recently gained Gallatin County approval, the developers plan to apply to DEQ for phase two permitting in the coming weeks.

If that phase two is permitted by DEQ after a public comment period, Altman is hopeful that construction on both approved phases of the Quarry PUD could begin this summer.

Altman emphasized that he lives near the Gallatin River and prizes its health.

He’s president of the newly formed Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District, a project to improve wastewater treatment in the Gallatin Canyon portion of Big Sky. GCCWSD is currently annexing properties into a centralized sewer system, which, as planned, will pump water uphill into Big Sky’s brand new, $50 million Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility—the WRRF will raise Big Sky’s standard for wastewater treatment.

If that GCCWSD effort is successful, as many as 156 Big Sky homes will no longer operate on septic systems. Altman said the canyon sewer district has received abundant buy-in and support from community members, the Gallatin River Task Force, and the DEQ.

The Quarry project also plans to connect to that sewer system.

When construction begins, homes will be constructed with “dry lines” down to the canyon floor. When the GCCWSD main is installed, the Quarry developers can attach those empty, unused pipes and simply “turn a valve,” Altman said.

However, the GCCWSD is still in the engineering stage, and ironing out the feasibility of pumping wastewater uphill from intersection of U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail). It poses a chicken-and-egg situation for the Quarry PUD.

“Our project is actually very integral to the canyon sewer,” Altman said. The financial feasibility of the sewer project may depend on adding ratepayers in the Quarry subdivision.

“You can’t have a system without customers. And you can’t have customers without a system.”

If a forthcoming DEQ public comment period passes and the Quarry is granted a phase two permit, construction will begin with decentralized SepticNET systems. Each system can treat wastewater from about 20 homes, and the Quarry will install six systems by the end of phase two.

SepticNET can reduce nitrate output to 3 to 5 parts per million, significantly lower than DEQ maximum of 20 ppm, Altman said. If all goes according to plan, they will be a temporary fixture—within legal requirements—until the canyon sewer line is operational.

“All of our plans include hooking into [GCCWSD],” Altman said. “It’s much better treatment, it’s much better for everything we believe in.”

Altman said the SepticNET systems will eventually be removed and transferred to existing developments further south in the canyon. He used Rainbow Ranch Lodge as an example of buildings and homes beyond reach of the new sewer district, where existing septic systems may be outdated and contributing nutrients to the river.

“We personally feel like we are going above and beyond,” Altman said. “… There’s going to be development at some point, and I think responsible development is the key.”

Now, main concerns surround the uncertainty of that new water and sewer district. If phase two is fully permitted and construction begins, and if the GCCWSD effort falls through, then 135 additional households could be stuck on septic treatment beside a river that is already impaired.

Before approving phase two on March 5, Gallatin County commissioners expressed concern about that scenario, according to reporting from Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

However, if the canyon sewer district is constructed with success, the Quarry—plus existing homes and commercial structures in the area—will be pumping wastewater to a state-of-the-art treatment facility.

“All those concerns pretty much go away,” Altman said.

The Quarry PUD is planned north of Michener Creek Road, extending along U.S. Highway 191 across from landmarks including the Exxon station, Gallatin River Guides and Whitewater Inn. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

The Quarry subdivision is proposed in Gallatin Canyon, on the west side (pictured left) of U.S. Highway 191 and the Gallatin River. PHOTO

JACK REANEY

FIRELIGHT MEADOWS RESIDENTS TO SEE BALLOT ITEM IN LOCAL ELECTION

FORMING A WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT COULD PROVIDE ‘A LOT OF HORSEPOWER TO GET SOME THINGS ACCOMPLISHED’

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Residents of Big Sky’s Firelight Meadows neighborhood will have an opportunity to establish their own water and sewer district in the upcoming May 7 election—a mail-ballot only election.

At least 40% of all registered voters in the 216door Firelight Meadows HOA must vote in favor of the initiative for it to pass. If the water and sewer district is created, it could open doors for funding and flexible financing opportunities as the Firelight community explores ways to become compliant on wastewater treatment standards set by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality. With more year-round residents and consistent renters than anticipated in initial design, Firelight Meadows has outgrown its septic infrastructure.

Firelight resident Karen Macklin recently took charge of the multi-year effort to bring the neighborhood’s infrastructure back to a healthy baseline.

She said the upcoming election will be a big push.

“We’ve got to get people educated to understand that this is our best step moving forward,” Macklin told EBS in a phone call. She said renters and owners will have until April 12 to register for the local election.

Even Firelight owners who are registered elsewhere can register for this ballot item by April 12. Ballots will be mailed by Gallatin County the following week.

On Tuesday, March 26 at 6 p.m., a town hall meeting will be held at the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District to provide information about Firelight’s current situation, and answer questions about the creation of a water and sewer district. The public is invited, especially residents of Firelight Meadows.

“It was determined that for us to make progress, we were going to need some funding, so we decided to apply for bonds and grants,” Macklin said. “But you have to be a water and sewer district to be able to do that.”

She explained that when Firelight was created in 2003, the developer chose to implement a standalone septic system. Because Firelight was not platted, Big Sky’s water and sewer district was “not part of the equation,” Macklin said.

Creating a water and sewer district would allow Firelight to apply for bonds, flexible financing, and federal, state and local grants. The alternative could be expensive—costs of a septic overhaul or construction of a small-scale water treatment plant would be passed directly to ratepayers, through Firelight’s current water and sewer utility, West Fork Utilities.

As a district, Firelight could potentially tie into the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District. Macklin said that makes a lot of sense, and BSCWSD is interested.

“Their first task is a big one, to form a district,” Ron Edwards, BSCWSD general manager, told EBS. “If they are successful in that, it really opens up the door for them… That gives them a lot of horsepower to get some things accomplished.”

Firelight’s water and sewer district could secure a “killer” 2.5% interest rate on state loans, Edwards suggested, among other advantages.

Edwards sees two main options: Firelight residents could acquire the system currently owned by West Fork Utilities, “but then they’d own the problem,” he said; otherwise, as a district, Firelight could enter a service agreement with BSCWSD. Gallatin Gateway has a similar arrangement with the Four Corners Water and Sewer District, he noted.

If Firelight Meadows can establish the district and use grants and competitive financing to build the infrastructure to transfer wastewater into the BSCWSD’s brand-new, $50 million Wastewater Resource Recovery Facility, that would offer “much better, higher levels of treatment,” Edwards said.

“If they don’t figure it out and get their district put together… then eventually they’ll have to build a [treatment] plant, and it might be $5 million or something like that,” he added. Macklin said that could be “quite a burden” on residents.

Edwards will be at the March 26 town hall to help answer questions.

Kristin Gardner, chief executive and science officer for Gallatin River Task Force, and owners of West Fork Utility will also be present.

Macklin said Firelight’s petition process had been attempted a couple of times, and it finally went through this fall, earning the potential district a spot on the May 7 ballots. She needed 10% of the campus to sign and went door-to-door to collect signatures.

She’ll need a lot more than 10% to vote—she estimates about 70% of Firelight residents would need to vote to reach the minimum threshold and account for those who will vote “no.”

Macklin emphasized that there’s no cost to create a district.

“All it does is gets us seats at the table. Now people can negotiate with us, we can try to make something happen, we can talk about getting grants,” she said.

The creation of a district might help save money in the process of an upgrade, but environmental degradation is the impetus.

When Firelight eventually reaches a water treatment solution, “we would have fewer nutrients seeping into our water table and into the river,” Macklin said. In turn, that could raise property values—nobody wants to live in a neighborhood that’s polluting the river, she added.

“We want to make sure that we are stewards of the land that we live in,” Macklin said.

She hopes her neighbors will attend the March 26 town hall, and vote “yes” for a move toward increasing the quality of Firelight’s water and sewer services.

Firelight Meadows include apartment buildings and two-story chalet homes, totaling more than 216 doors. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

COMMUNITY MEMBERS DISCUSS CLIMATE ACTION IN MIDST OF TOURISM

BY JEN CLANCEY

Editor’s note: A previous version of this story stated that ECOnorthwest was a collaborative partner in the strategy session. ECOnorthwest was a partner for the destination research only, not the strategy session.

BIG SKY—Clear rivers, mountain landscapes and snow are among the reasons visitors come to Big Sky. The Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem draws thousands of visitors every year, bringing with them increased traffic, crowds and a demand for resources. These valuable resources are also why community members met at Big Sky Chapel in March for a compelling conversation about climate action and tourism.

On Tuesday, March 19, community members brainstormed how Big Sky can continue to welcome visitors, while encouraging and enforcing environmentally friendly practices. The event was organized by Visit Big Sky in collaboration with Crosscurrent Collective.

The session was the first of four, and at each event, a field expert will present data relevant to global and national trends, then offer solutions for what sustainability looks like in Big Sky. After the presentation, attendees collaborated in a group discussion.

Jeremy Sampson with the Travel Foundation, a nonprofit that studies tourism trends, presented data about global trends in air travel, carbon

emissions and the way resort towns have worked to protect the natural environment.

“I think the most important thing to come out of [the study] is actually not always the strategy itself, rather, the alignment of the stakeholders,” Sampson said after the session. He offered Lake Tahoe as an example.

“It was really contentious, actually,” he said of the process for the California-Nevada resort community. “There were quite a lot of passionate actors with sometimes competing agendas.”

Eventually, state, federal and local agencies, along with public and private partners agreed on a plan of climate resilience and presented it in February 2022. The Lake Tahoe Climate Resilience Action Strategy aims to advance equity and build protections for Tahoe’s basin so that the area can continue to thrive.

Sampson sees this kind of teamwork as a possible avenue for Big Sky. “The hard work was actually coming together to find, what’s that common agenda,” Sampson said. “I do feel that here. Either that work has already been done, or that there is already a shared sense of place and responsibility and civility.”

He explained that normal operations are a great start but there is opportunity to push toward more challenging goals in sustainability. Kristin Dahl, founder and CEO of Crosscurrent Collective, a Hood River, Oregon-based tourism consulting firm, led conversations and

brainstorm sessions at the event, eventually funneling ideas into action items that Big Sky can implement.

A topic that came up often in group discussions was the use and improvement of public transportation, support of seasonal and yearround employees, and marketing to educate visitors on how to take care of Big Sky during their vacations.

“It’s a tricky place for these communities to be in,” Sampson said. “You can’t even talk about a thriving tourism economy without having a workforce … or places for people to live.”

Sampson has worked with destinations across the globe to facilitate conversations about solutions for tourism and the natural environment. He believes Big Sky’s prospects for a more sustainable future are promising.

“In ways I wasn’t even expecting, there’s some real front-running thinking already happening and some good alignment among the people,” Sampson reflected. “Tourism all over the world is reinventing itself … I think there’s a good opportunity to make that happen here.”

Three more sessions hosted by Visit Big Sky will explore other aspects of tourism, including outdoor recreation, on April 23, May 6 and May 7. The strategy sessions are free, run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Big Sky Chapel, and lunch is included with registration.

Attendees of the first session collaborated and contributed innovative ideas for the first of four destination strategy sessions. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY

OP NEWS

OUTLAW REAL ESTATE PARTNERS PROUDLY

Outlaw Real Estate Partners and Outlaw Realty are pleased to announce that its flagship development, Wildlands, is completed - offering the most innovative real estate project in Bozeman’s historic Northeast Neighborhood, with only six remaining residences for sale.

“Wildlands offers a truly new approach to living in downtown Bozeman,” said Mike Magrans, Managing Partner and Chief Investment Officer of OREP. “With the highest quality in design, interiors and lifestyle features, it combines luxury living and convenience with a relaxed mountain lifestyle.”

As a collaborative effort with partners that include 45 Architecture, Field Studio, Gallatin Valley Design and Langlas & Associates, no detail was spared when designing with a mix of Scandinavian-Modern architecture and industrial elements. Wildlands also differentiates itself with a heated resident parking garage, a private residential entrance and dedicated storage for owners. The two- and three-bedroom floorplans feature 11-foot vaulted ceilings, expansive private outdoor decks and unparalleled mountain views.

“Being in the Northeast neighborhood of Bozeman and being that it’s funky and eclectic, we wanted the

architecture to reflect that as well,” said Jeff Lusin of 45 Architecture. “We wanted the design to have a historical presence while also pushing beyond that to make something unique.”

Neighboring the popular Wild Crumb Bakery, Fink’s Delicatessen and other staples to the downtown Bozeman lifestyle, Wildlands is only a short 10-minute drive to Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport and many of Bozeman’s trails and open space, providing conveniences found in larger urban areas. Wildlands also offers easy access to recreation and all that Southwest

Montana has to offer, along with luxurious amenities in a beautiful mountain setting.

“It truly is the best of both worlds,” said Eric Ladd, Managing Partner and CEO of OREP. “Bozeman has become a world-class location to enjoy all the outdoor recreation that Southwest Montana provides while also delivering the conveniences that many seek from urban areas. Wildlands is at the forefront of combining these two lifestyles in an unprecedented setting for the region.”

There are six Wildlands units left. For more information and additional photos, visit wildlandsbozeman.com

Wildlands is in Bozeman’s historic Northeast Neighborhood, walking distance to downtown, Wild Crumb Bakery, Fink’s Delicatessen, as well as local hiking trails. OUTLAW PARTNERS

PHOTO/BY MICHAEL RUEBUSCH

Inside, Wildlands units offer spacious living space and panoramic views of the surrounding mountains. PHOTO BY WHITNEY KAMMAN

27 COWBOY HEAVEN SPUR RD BIG SKY, MT

LISTED AT $15,000,000

Welcome to 27 Cowboy Heaven, one of the most coveted properties in Big Sky. Perched atop Moonlight Basin, every moment is framed with breathtaking vistas of the Spanish Peaks and each detail of the home embodies Montana’s charm and adventure. Imagine waking up to the crisp mountain air, stepping outside your door, and gliding effortlessly onto the slopes with the best ski-in/ski-out access in Moonlight. With your signature Moonlight Basin membership, relish in all the curated activities including fat biking, ice skating, snowshoeing, and snow tubing in the winter, and in the summer play the famous Jack Nicklaus’s Reserve golf course and also enjoy the endless summer trails for mountain biking and hiking.

AMENITIES

• The best ski-in/ski-out access for exploring over 5,800 acres at Big Sky Resort

• Miles and miles of mountain biking and hiking trails

• Moonlight Basin Signature Membership

• Custom fire pit area & hot tub with heated surrounding patio

• Double-sided native rock fireplace with massive hearthstone, custom interior waterfall, and four en-suite bedrooms

• Specially designed loft area, perfect for après ski with friends

DINING

A LA CARTE

REMEMBERING THE MAGIC OF I-HO POMEROY

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

A couple weeks ago, while planning to meet for lunch, a friend threw out I-Ho’s Korean Grill in downtown Bozeman as an option. “Or is it too soon for you?” she asked.

It was a valid question. Earlier that week, on March 12, the restaurant’s founder and namesake, I-Ho Pomeroy, had succumbed to the brain cancer she had been battling for a year. The loss had made me an emotional wreck.

“I don’t know that there is a ‘too soon,’” I remember saying. I-Ho shared her love of her community through her food. What better way to honor her legacy than in a place where you can still feel that spirit? And eat her noodles.

I-Ho’s noodles, you see, are a bit of magic. Deceptively simple, the dish is described on the current menu as “seasoned Yakisoba noodles with broccoli, carrots and cabbage.” These noodles were many people’s introduction to I-Ho and Korean food in general.

Before the brick-and-mortar restaurants—first on Lincoln Street, then Main Street near the Gallatin Valley Mall and now 321 West Main Street—I-Ho shared the dishes her mother taught her to cook with her new community out of a food cart built by husband Derik Pomeroy, who she met at a U.S. Navy dance in South Korea in 1986. Articles from the Bozeman Daily Chronicle in the ‘90s talk about how she constantly sold out of noodles at weekly farmers markets in Bogert Park or casually mention the two and a half hour noodle line at Bite of Bozeman. I still lament the fact that the Co-Op’s cold case no longer carries them, and it has been well over a decade.

If you order the noodles, make sure to ask for sauce, a slightly sweet soy-based concoction that is a perfect companion. I remember ordering noodles for takeout right after I-Ho moved to the first Main Street location. The sauce was missing. I-Ho heard me ask for more, and then shooed away the staff who were filling a little condiment cup. “Rachel loves my sauce,” she said, and poured what seemed like a huge supply into a soup container, making us both laugh. The sauce lasted about a week in my kitchen, finding its way into every meal.

While the noodles and sauce are certainly part of her legacy, her humanity is what I miss the most.

I picture I-Ho, and I smile. My heart is warmed as my eyes well. Tears are streaming down my face as I type this. And it’s good. We grieve because we love and there was so much to love about I-Ho.

I-Ho was a light in our community, one of those people whose seemingly boundless energy and optimism were contagious. And her generosity of spirit was unmatched. I-Ho loved to help others, something she did through her food, her constant fundraising for various causes and through local government. She was elected as a Bozeman City Commissioner in 2013 and served three terms until her October 2023 resignation. She was the first

BY

immigrant and person of color on the commission. A memorial statement from I-Ho’s family posted online and on the doors of the restaurant says that I-Ho “leaves behind an indelible legacy of love, joy, and community.”

“Since 2001, Pomeroy has held a string of fundraisers and benefits for causes from natural disasters to terrorist attacks, all out of a spontaneous desire, she said, to do something, anything to help,” my former colleague and bossman Michael Becker wrote in a 2007 article in the Bozeman Daily Chronicle.

Perusing through the Chronicle archives, I found stories about fundraisers for the Sharing Love Foundation serving hungry children in North Korean villages (including Pomeroy’s father’s home of Won-San), survivors of an earthquake in Haiti in 2010, Japanese tsunami victims in 2011 and the Bozeman-based Ukraine Relief Effort in 2022. Other efforts hit much closer to home, like the fundraiser for Cancer Support Community Montana that was organized by the restaurant as I-Ho entered hospice care earlier this year.

“She wants to leave the way she lived,” son-in-law John Jahns stated in that article, a sentiment that has me in tears yet again.

During pandemic lockdowns, I-Ho kept the restaurant open for takeout and touted the immuneboosting qualities of fermented foods like her famous kimchi, a spicy fermented cabbage dish ubiquitous to Korean cuisine.

I-Ho’s version is made in the restaurant each week and is sold in various stores in southwest Montana. More information can be found online at ihoskoreangrill.com/kimchi. Or visit the restaurant, where kimchi shows up in a variety of dishes— Korean pancakes with tofu and kimchi, kimchi fried rice, kimchi soup. It’s available as a side, an option with the combination dishes, and by the jar.

This year, I-Ho has been recognized for her efforts in and out of the kitchen. She was named a semifinalist for the James Beard Foundation’s 2024 Outstanding Restaurateur Award in the Mountain region in January. On March 15, Montana State University announced that it intended to award I-Ho with an honorary doctorate at spring commencement ceremonies on Friday, May 10.

“You would be hard-pressed to find someone who has impacted our community more than I-Ho,” then-mayor Cyndy Andrus wrote in a nomination letter.

In the weeks since her death, I have reminisced with so many about this inspiring and extraordinary woman. More than one person said I was their introduction to Korean food, and to I-Ho, and I can’t help but feel grateful for sharing the legacy. Each I-Ho story—be they related to food or golfing or church and I-Ho’s undying faith—underlines the optimism, the joy, the grace and the love she spread.

There have even been a few stories about the noodles.

Rachel Hergett is a foodie and cook from Montana. She is arts editor emeritus at the Bozeman Daily Chronicle and has written for publications such as Food Network Magazine and Montana Quarterly. Rachel is also the host of the Magic Monday Show on KGLT-FM and teaches at Montana State University.

Bozeman restaurant owner and community leader I-Ho Pomeroy passed away in March 2024, and leaves a strong legacy. PHOTO

RACHEL HERGETT

PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

THURSDAY, APRIL 4

Dinosaur Dispersal with Dr. Chris Organ Museum of the Rockies, 5:30 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 5

Karaoke

The Waypoint, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 6

Meet a Raptor Museum of the Rockies, 10:30 a.m.

Board Game Night

The Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.

2024 Big Sky Winter Shootout

The Waypoint, 6 and 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 7

St. Joseph Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints Big Sky

Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Tessa Hulls in conversation with Jamie Ford Country Bookshelf (Bozeman), 2 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 8

Storytime at BASE BASE Library, 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 9

Line Dancing Tips Up, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10

Symphony Storytime with Percussion Bozeman Public Library, 10:15 a.m.

Trivia

The Waypoint, 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, APRIL 11

Wild and Scenic Film Festival

The Rialto (Bozeman), 6 p.m.

FRIDAY, APRIL 12

Karaoke

The Waypoint, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, APRIL 13

Board Game Night

The Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.

SUNDAY, APRIL 14

St. Joseph Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints Big Sky

Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Limited Palette Workshop

Big Sky Artists’ Studio & Gallery, 12 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY, APRIL 15

Storytime at BASE

BASE Library, 10:30 a.m.

TUESDAY, APRIL 16

Big Sky County Water and Sewer District Board Meeting

Big Sky County Water and Sewer District boardroom, 8 a.m.

Line Dancing

Tips Up, 7 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17

Pop-up Jazz with Alex Robilotta Trio

The Wilson Hotel Lobby, 5 p.m.

Trivia

The Waypoint, 7 p.m.

COMMUNITY EVENTS PROFESSIONAL BULL RIDING

FRIDAY, JULY 12

BIG SKY COMMUNITY RODEO

7:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

TUESDAY, JULY 16

FREE COMMUNITY DAY / FAMILY ACTIVITIES

2:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

MUTTON BUSTIN’

4:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

DICK ALLGOOD

COMMUNITY BINGO NIGHT

6:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

WEDNESDAY, JULY 17

BIG SKY PBR GOLF TOURNAMENT

9:00 AM - Big Sky Resort Golf Course

THURSDAY, JULY 18

BULL RIDING NIGHT 1

6:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS CONCERT

8:00 PM - Featuring TBD

Len Hill Park

FRIDAY, JULY 19

BULL RIDING NIGHT 2

7:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

PBR AFTER PARTY

9:15 PM - Featuring Corb Lund

Big Sky Events Arena Stage

SATURDAY, JULY 20

BULL RIDING NIGHT 3

7:00 PM - Big Sky Events Arena

PBR AFTER PARTY

9:15 PM - Featuring

Jason Boland & The Stagglers

Big Sky Events Arena Stage

BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY, COMMUNITY MEMBER SPOTLIGHT: KEVIN GERMAIN

BY TAYLOR OWENS

Kevin Germain has been an integral part of Moonlight Basin’s development journey, overseeing its master planning and spearheading innovative sustainability initiatives for 20-plus years. His deep involvement in the community, from serving on the Big Sky Resort Area District board, to helping found key organizations like Bear Smart Big Sky, reflects his commitment to making a more inclusive and livable place for all. As a passionate advocate for environmental conservation and thoughtful development, Germain’s vision continues to shape the future of Big Sky.

This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity. Explore Big Sky: For those who don’t know you, could you give us a brief background of your involvement in the Big Sky community?

Kevin Germain: You bet. I’ve got a long history in Big Sky, not as long as some, but longer than most. I started working as a consultant for Lee Poole in 2000 and started as an employee for Moonlight Basin in 2003. I’ve been working in the area for quite a long time and, early on, got very involved in community issues. As I think most people realize, Big Sky is run by a series of volunteer boards, and if you want to effect change, you’ve just got to jump in and get involved.

I’ve tried my best to do that as part of my career here in Big Sky. I’ve been on the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce board of directors. I was one of the founding members of Bear Smart Big Sky, which now has transitioned and manifested into so much more. As part of the chamber, I helped found the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, which is certainly one of the things I’m most proud of. When I was on the chamber, we got really active on lobbying in Helena to try to get the Penny for Housing passed, which morphed into the Penny for Infrastructure, the 1% for infrastructure… [That’s] been implemented since 2021. We’ve been able to build a brand new wastewater treatment plant. I think the thing that I’m most proud about with that deal is the 600 SFEs that we negotiated with the water and sewer district to be dedicated to workforce housing.

If you look at a lot of the initiatives that I’ve been really involved in over the years, it’s really focused on how to make Big Sky a livable, inclusive community. It’s not lost on me that my story can’t be repeated today. It’s sad that, you know, somebody can’t start a career, or can’t easily start a career here in Big Sky and raise their family here. It just so happened the timing was lucky for me. Now the cost of housing and childcare and everything has just gotten so out of reach that the community needs to help so people can have a future here and raise their kids here in Big Sky.

It’s such a nice, small community. If you get involved, you can actually look back and see your fingerprint on things, and it’s nice to be able to affect change.

EBS: You’re running in this coming special Big Sky election. Why is it important for local voters to cast their ballot, and why was it

important for you to continue serving your community through the Resort Tax board?

KG: I think it’s easy for voters to get apathetic and think that their vote doesn’t matter, and what’s really special about our community … is that your vote really does matter. I’ve seen Resort Tax board elections come down to one vote, literally. There was a coin toss years ago to decide who got the seat. So people’s votes really do matter. It’s just important to be involved, and I think one of the most fundamental ways to be involved is to vote.

It’s a demanding role, but there’s so many things that we put in the works years ago that are just now getting momentum that I feel like I have to have one more term to get them on a solid trajectory. Those initiatives really have to do with the Big Sky roadmap that we unveiled about six months ago. Looking at how we can amend and remedy some of our taxing districts so that we’re able to keep more of our property taxes here in Big Sky for the benefit of our constituents and our residents. This ultimately creates more resort tax available for initiatives such as workforce housing, daycare and transportation. Tying this back to what I was talking about earlier, when I talk about if I looked at everything that I’ve really been passionate about and worked on over the last decade and a half, it’s how to make Big Sky more livable and inclusive.

EBS: Could you also share a little bit about your journey in resort development and how you initially became involved in that industry?

KG: It was not a straightforward path. After graduation from MSU, I did not choose to get into resort development. By education, I was a civil engineer and a hydrologist. I worked doing stream and river work initially. Lee Poole had hired me to work on his ranch over in Ennis in 2000, and then he said, “I’ve got this little project called Moonlight Basin.” I’d never heard of Moonlight Basin. I believe it was in later 2000, I came up. I was working for a company called Land and Water Consulting at the time. Moonlight was planning out a ski area, and I helped them with their environmental permitting. Initially, I was a consultant, and then in 2003 Lee and his partners Joe and Keith offered me a full-time position to come work for Moonlight. Early on, I was in charge of environmental compliance and environmental permitting [and] … I organically evolved into my current role, which is focused on planning and development.

EBS: Could you touch on some of the interesting or innovative projects you’ve spearheaded in resort development?

KG: When I started as an employee in 2003, Moonlight did not have a master plan. That was one of the first things I was able to spearhead was the master planning process for Moonlight Basin. At the time it was very innovative. Today, I think it’s kind of fundamental, but we utilized constraintsbased land planning. So before we looked at where a lot line was or a road was, we looked at what were all the constraints. What are the critical aspects that we should protect? Where are the whitebark pines? Where are the wetlands? Where are the wildlife corridors? Where are the unstable slopes? What came to the surface were these amoebas that are least sensitive to development.

That’s probably what I’m most proud of, because that master plan still exists today.

I was part of the first LEED-certified neighborhood in Moonlight with Silvertip. That legacy continues today as

we work on the One&Only project, which will be a LEEDcertified campus. I’m so proud that, the first One&Only in the United States is going to be here in Big Sky, and specifically at Moonlight Basin.

EBS: Could you talk a little bit more about the importance of continued sustainable development at Moonlight and Big Sky into the future?

KG: If you look at the map view of Moonlight … it’s a very important geographic piece of property because it bifurcates two areas of the Lee Metcalf Wilderness area. When Moonlight was purchased in '92, the original developers Lee, Joe and Keith, their mission statement was to protect 80% of that 25,000 acre purchase. They wanted to do that because of its proximity between the two wilderness areas.

Early on, they sold off 17,000 acres to conservation buyers that put conservation easements on about 15,500 of those acres. When CrossHarbor purchased Moonlight in 2013, they purchased 8,000 acres [and] we were able to place an additional 2,600 acres under conservation easement in 2019. There’s just this long conservation story that Moonlight was founded on that continues under CrossHarbor’s stewardship today. It’s a big conservation story, and I like being part of it.

EBS: How do you envision the future of the Big Sky community in the coming years?

KG: I am very bullish and optimistic for the future of Big Sky and it is a very exciting time to live here. I have not seen a time period before this that the community of Big Sky has been closer together. When I look at some of the initiatives that are going on, people are getting very united around the wellness district, school district, water and sewer, around traffic and transportation, and around the housing trust—to me, I’m really optimistic. People are really working together to solve the common issues.

I think most of the Big Sky residents understand that housing is our biggest issue and that we’ll never be a community if all we are all second homes. We need our workforce living here and that starts with housing. That includes daycare, that includes traffic, transportation.

I think it’s a very exciting time, and I think we really are coming together and we’re going to solve some things that most mature resort communities no longer have that ability to solve. It’s too late for some of the Jackson Holes or the Vails and the Aspens. We still have that opportunity here in Big Sky.

EBS: Do you have any advice for anyone who’s aspiring to pursue roles in community leadership in Big Sky?

KG: My advice is to get involved. It’s neat to see that you can really affect change in this community.

EBS: Outside of your professional life, what are some of your hobbies or interests that you enjoy in your free time?

KG: What brought me to Montana 30 years ago was the outdoors, and that’s still my passion. I’m a very avid bow hunter. It’s not so much the quest of the animals so much as just being out in nature. I moved here 30-plus years ago to fly fish [and that’s] still one of my passions. In the last couple of years, I’ve really gotten into backcountry skiing.

[The outdoors] is what brought me to Montana, and it’s what keeps me here today is this just amazing place that we’re fortunate enough to call home.

BY DANIEL BIERSCHWALE EBS COLUMNIST

When I was young, my mother would take me with her to the local school on Election Day. After checking in with our neighbor at the front table, she would take her ballot and we’d head to an open booth. In the plastic box on thin metal legs, shielded from the voter to the right of us, my mother would carefully color in the oval next to the candidates she wanted to see in office. We’d drop off the ballot in the box and proudly place our “I Voted” sticker on our shirts on the way out. We were part of the American dream.

For years, voting in Big Sky has once again been a tale of two counties—the disparity in access between the two has been evident. Gallatin County residents enjoy relatively convenient access by heading to the Big Sky water and sewer office in Meadow Village. Madison County residents, however, have had to undertake a much more involved journey to cast their votes.

Thanks to the diligent efforts of the Madison County Elections Office, this is all changing. They will be opening a new polling station to serve Big Sky residents in Madison County, located at the Big Sky Fire Station near the mountain at 9091 Lone Mountain

Trail. Establishing this new polling station shows a commitment to inclusivity and accessibility in the electoral process. No longer will residents of Big Sky in Madison County be asked to make the 90-minute drive to the Ennis Fire Hall to exercise their fundamental right to vote.

The significance of the new polling stations goes beyond mere convenience. Voting is the cornerstone of democracy. It gives people a voice in shaping the future of our community and our country. By establishing a polling station within reach of Big Sky residents, the elections office is fostering a sense of civic engagement.

In recent years, concerns have been raised about declining voter turnout and the need to reinvigorate democratic engagement. By making voting more accessible, a new polling station could play a crucial role in revitalizing participation by Big Sky voters.

The new polling station will be effective starting with the June 4 Primary Election. It will be manned by local county residents trained and overseen by the county elections administrator.

As Americans, it our right and duty to vote. Since every vote counts, be sure to exercise that right. Check out the new polling station, greet your friendly election judge and make sure you grab your “I Voted” sticker on the way out.

Voting Precincts

Your voter confirmation card will list your name, address, school ward and legislative districts. It also lists your precinct. A precinct is a voting area, kind of like a neighborhood with its own voting spot. Up until this year, the Madison County portion of Big Sky was in one precinct. However, due to the recent legislative redistricting, it is now divided into two precincts: 23 and 24. Here’s the good news: both precincts will be able to vote at that same new polling station.

Daniel Bierschwale is the Executive Director of the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD). As a dedicated public servant, he is committed to increasing civic engagement and voter education. Many ballot issues impact government services and public funding including subsequent property tax impacts. BSRAD is the local government agency that administers Resort Tax, which offsets property taxes while also funding numerous community-wide nonprofit programs.

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Photo by Whitney Kamman

ENVIRONMENT

DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: FEDERAL LEGISLATION IMPACTING MONTANA’S PUBLIC LANDS

A LOOK AT REP. ZINKE AND HIS PUBLIC LANDS IN PUBLIC HANDS ACT

BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST

It’s primary season in Montana, the time of the year when many politicians try to convince voters they are reliable conservationists, promoting certain issues months ahead of the election. Few, if any, single issues unite voters more in Montana than public land protections. A 2020 poll by Colorado College found that 84% of Montana voters say that issues involving clean air, clean water, public lands and wildlife are deciding factors in who gets their votes.

Montana Congressional Representative Ryan Zinke, a Republican up for reelection, recently announced he’s sponsoring bipartisan legislation with Representative Gabe Vasquez (D-NM) to restrict the transfer of federal lands to private ownership.

According to Zinke’s recent Letter to the Editor on March 17 in Kalispell’s Daily Inter Lake, the Public Lands in Public Hands Act is “bipartisan legislation banning the sale or transfer of public lands managed by the Department of the Interior and U.S. Forest Service except under particular conditions and where required under previous laws.”

He writes, “If a tract of land is identified as exempt from the ban, the bill also requires the feds seek Congressional approval before they may sell or transfer tracts over 300 acres and for tracts over 5 acres if accessible via a public waterway, [public road, public trail, public easement, or public rightof-way]. This provision would protect public access to nearly 30 million acres.”

It sounds like a good idea. However, he writes, “Maintaining public ownership of the land is only one part of the equation. The feds must also properly manage the land and ensure public access.”

Zinke criticizes environmentalists and the Biden administration in his letter for reasons including poor forest management. “Driving through the Beaver-Deerlodge National Forest, Glacier National Park, and the Lolo, you’ll see stands of dead and dying timber and forest floors that are a literal tinderbox. In addition to being too densely covered to supply any quality habitat or hiking opportunities, they are also fuel loads waiting to go up in flames,” he writes.

Further down in his letter, Zinke hints that this bill is more of a call to open public lands for increased management and industry. “Every year we watch our forests burn to the ground when commonsense forest management techniques such as targeting thinning, prescribed burns, and sustainable yield logging is proven to increase fire resiliency.” Sure, some of our forests are overgrown, more so because of the suppression of wildfires over the last century

and massive budget and personnel cuts in the Forest Service. Overgrown forests aren’t necessarily a trigger to open them to industry such as logging, but maybe more of an invitation that we may need more fires to prevent the mega-fires, as The Harvard Gazette reported on June 14, 2023.

This bill has garnered widespread support from the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Montana Outfitters and Guides Association, Boone and Crocket Club, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Trout Unlimited, and Wild Sheep Foundation. In this highly divided country, we should applaud when Republicans and Democrats can unite, sit at the table, and sponsor a bill about public lands.

But while this bill doesn’t appear harmful, it doesn’t protect public lands or increase access to them. The bill states, “Nothing in this Act shall be used to influence or interpret the legality of stepping over a property corner from one parcel of public land to another”—meaning it doesn’t allow recreationists like hunters and anglers to corner-cross private property to access public lands encircled by private property, a trending topic.

On Feb. 20, Montana Free Press reported that Whitney Tawney, executive director of Montana Conservation Voters, is skeptical of this announcement and thinks Zinke’s bill’s timing “feels very political.”

“We need to hold our elected officials accountable for their records and their actions because, unfortunately, during political season, people run their mouths and say anything to get re-elected or elected,” Tawney told MTFP. “Under his leadership as Secretary of the Interior, we watched [Zinke] take away public land protections across the United States, and that’s quite concerning.”

Let’s examine Zinke’s environmental scorecard regarding conservation—clean air, clean water, public lands and wildlife—and whether or not his track record suggests this is a form of greenwashing and a publicity stunt to gain votes.

According to Montana Conservation Voters, since 2015, Zinke has voted six times against bills supporting public lands, 14 times against bills

supporting wildlife, 17 times against clean water bills that would force stipulations limiting mining waste and pesticides, 10 times against clean air, 24 times against climate change, 12 times against lands and forests and three times against allowing the public the right to know when there are toxins in the environment. He has voted 23 times to not limit “dirty energy” by cleaning up waterways, the air, or land.

Let’s not forget that when he was the Secretary of the Department of the Interior, he recommended the single most significant rollback of public lands in American history: drastically cutting both Bear Ears National Monument and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument in Utah. Not long after this, he also recommended reducing protections for national monument lands in Oregon and Nevada, potentially damaging management plans in Maine, New Mexico, and the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, and opening them up to mining, logging and fishing. He voted to weaken protections for sage grouse, mule deer and pronghorn antelope by opening up America’s sagebrush sea to oil, gas and mining. He also wanted to gut a rule protecting communities from methane pollution from oil and gas drilling. He tried paving the way to open up drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He also encouraged mining next to America’s most visited Wilderness, Minnesota’s Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness.

Montana Conservation Voters gave Zinke an environmental scorecard of 6% in 2023 and a lifetime record of 4%.

Politicians know they can’t get elected in Montana without standing up for public lands, but as soon as people aren’t paying attention, politicians seem to cater to industry and big money.

This November, remember that actions speak louder than words.

Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller with stories published in Outside, Adventure Journal, Popular Science, Field & Stream, Esquire, Sierra, Audubon, Earth Island Journal, Modern Huntsman, and other publications at his website www.benjaminpolley.com/stories. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana.

PHOTO BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

WE NEED TO KNOW AVALANCHES INSIDE AND OUT

BY MOLLY ABSOLON WRITERS ON THE RANGE

There’s a fine line between learning from the mistakes of others and shaming people for their ignorance.

Twelve people have died in avalanches in the United States this winter, including an expert skier in Oregon who was also an avalanche forecaster. He was killed in early March despite deploying an airbag that kept him from being buried. On average, 27 people die in avalanches in the United States each year.

Three-hundred and fifty avalanches have been reported by the BridgerTeton Avalanche Center since last September. Many of these incidents were triggered by humans, and four resulted in fatalities.

Some avalanches caused injuries and required complex rescues. In their aftermath, communities in the Northern Rockies have been trying to make sense of the circumstances and decision-making that led to these accidents.

Sometimes that debate gets heated.

I’ve been part of these conversations, writing always about how unpredictable avalanches are. Feedback can get negative, with some people accusing me of shaming the victims. Others say I don’t go far enough in calling people out for putting themselves and others at risk with their behavior.

Discussion also takes place on social media, where anonymity seems to increase the vitriol of commentators. I bet these kinds of conversations take place in every mountain town where avalanches are a winter hazard.

Analyzing accidents in the outdoors has a long tradition. The American Alpine Club published the first edition of its annual publication, “Accidents in North American Climbing” (now “Accidents in North American Mountaineering”), in 1948. The goal then — and now — was to share lessons to help us avoid making the same mistakes others have made. The question is, does this kind of analysis really help?

Dale Atkins, a longtime avalanche professional in Colorado, questioned the efficacy of the practice during a talk at an avalanche workshop in Jackson, Wyoming, a few years ago. He said it was too easy for us to

examine an incident with hindsight and conclude that we would never make the same mistakes. Knowing the outcome prejudices are our opinions. Instead, Atkins encouraged people to consider what made the people involved in an accident think they were making a good decision. What personal blind spots might have affected their thinking process?

I know my personal blind spots. I am easily drawn in by untracked powder and my fear of missing out. Other classic vulnerabilities include ego, the sense of being invincible, competitiveness, time pressure or a commitment to a goal.

All of us are driven by something that colors our perceptions and decisions—something that in hindsight can look really stupid. Why did two seasoned skiers I know get caught by an avalanche while digging a pit to analyze the risk that day? On the surface, you might conclude these individuals were simply not thinking or were being reckless, when in fact there may have been all sorts of factors contributing to their decision-making. It’s understanding those outside factors that can help us learn.

But here’s the dark side: We need to remember that behind the clinical, emotionless words found in an avalanche report there are real people. People who may be facing a long recovery from injuries or who may never be coming home again.

Their partners and the rescuers on the scene may be traumatized. Families and friends are grieving. Analyzing their story is not just an abstract examination of a chain of events. It’s an examination of lives that were forever changed during a beautiful day on the snow that turned into a tragedy.

I think we all benefit when we conduct an avalanche analysis with empathy and compassion. The average number of avalanche deaths per year in the United States has stayed the same for more than a decade, despite the growing number of winter backcountry travelers — and that means something is working.

Experts believe education is helping stabilize that number, and education means analyzing how an avalanche broke loose to injure or kill people.

Molly Absolon is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She writes about the outdoors from her home in Victor, Idaho.

PHOTO BY WILL TURNER

Perfectly located in Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood, just a few blocks from Main Street, Wildlands is a truly exceptional location. Conveniently situated near multiple coffee shops, restaurants, trailheads, and within 20 minutes of Bridger Bowl Ski Area, living at the Wildlands means you are never far away from world-class adventure and culture.

The six remaining residences each boast top-of-the line finishes, large living spaces, and meticulous detail. Schedule a tour today and experience the masterpiece that is Wildlands.

AMENITIES

• Unique and spacious floor plans ranging from two-to-three bedrooms

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ENVIRONMENT

EVERY DROP COUNTS

ALPENSCAPES UNIFIES A VISION FOR RESILIENT AND SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPING IN BIG SKY

BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST

Water-wise. Fire-safe. Ecosystem-friendly. What do these terms mean, and how do they define steps the community should be taking to ensure a more resilient and sustainable future for our water resources?

Introducing the theory behind Alpenscapes, a partnership among Big Sky organizations dedicated to a future that encompasses all of the practices and principles that point to smarter landscaping and thriving landscapes.

Alpenscapes is the collaboration between four community organization partners—Gallatin River Task Force, Big Sky SNO, Grow Wild and the Big Sky Fire Department. This program takes a proactive look at our landscapes and the fundamental impact they have on our ecosystems.

Water conservation and sustainability is the focus of Alpenscapes. The Gallatin River Task Force has identified water conservation as a priority for many years, launching the Big Sky Water Conservation Program in 2016 to address concerns for a growing Big Sky and its simultaneously diminishing water supply.

Data and climate predictors inform our expectation for longer and more extreme periods of drought. The Greater Yellowstone Climate Assessment forecasts that we will consistently see less snow and warmer temperatures, exacerbating an already sensitive water supply, increasing the need to protect our water resources.

“With the GYCA projecting a 40% reduction in snowfall by 2100, Big Sky’s ecosystem health will dramatically diminish,” said Lizzie Peyton, director of sustainability with Big Sky SNO. “It’s our responsibility to adapt to the changing climate, and these new landscaping guidelines are designed to make it easier for each resident to participate in a community effort to adapt.”

Based on our geography, Big Sky is at a 93% greater risk for wildfire than other communities in the U.S., and noxious invasive weeds are one of the biggest threats to biodiversity in the Gallatin watershed. Big Sky County Water and Sewer District data also tells us that landscape irrigation is the number one source of water use in Big Sky, increasing water demand for outdoor use by 160% from July to October. Big Sky is central to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, and as such, our landscaping has the potential to have a huge positive—or negative—impact on our water resources, which affects the natural environment and safety of our community.

Conserving water ensures cold water and healthy trout in the Gallatin River, a sufficient drinking water supply and resilience against wildfire. Mindful landscape planning, reduced irrigation practices and the use of more native plant species contribute to the future resilience of our community water resource and its relationship to the environment, producing beautiful landscapes to boot.

“Landscaping implemented with conservation principles does not mean it will be unattractive,” said Jen Mohler, executive director of Grow Wild. “The landscaping developed at Big Sky’s Crail Gardens is proof that native plants can serve water conservation, wildlife, and our desire for beautiful landscaping.”

Alpenscapes’ mission states, “with a changing climate, increased wildfire risk, threatened water quality and supply, the spread of invasive species, and ongoing development, Big Sky’s diverse alpine terrain requires a better approach than thirsty, maintenance-intensive lawns.” The four organizations came together to offer a more unified landscaping program, recognizing that having many different programs was inefficient. The group now offers free resources and education, and encourages community engagement to inspire livable landscapes for a more sustainable, resilient Big Sky.

The partners are working diligently to finalize plant lists, landscaping guidelines, and create workshops and education opportunities to make sustainable landscaping easy and accessible for all. While the finishing touches are being put into place, the community is invited to take advantage of the resources and information offered through the various partners, including more information on respective websites, free site visits from the Big Sky Fire Department and Grow Wild, and rebates offered through the Gallatin River Task Force.

The project would not have been possible without the support, trust, and funding from a variety of sources, including the Big Sky Resort Area District, the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, the Moonlight Community Foundation and the Western State Fuels Reduction Grant. As the saying goes, it takes a village, and in the case of Big Sky and Alpenscapes, a village that is Water-wise, fire-safe and ecosystem-friendly.

Learn more at www.alpenscapes.org

Marne Hayes is the communications manager for the Gallatin River Task Force.

Maintained in Big Sky by Grow Wild, the Crail Gardens displays native plants at the historic Crail Ranch site. COURTESY OF GALLATIN RIVER TASK FORCE

HEALTH

WHAT IS MINDFULNESS, AND HOW DOES IT HELP US?

BY JACQUELYN RINALDI EBS CONTRIBUTOR

There’s a lot of hype around meditation and mindfulness. Let’s look at what mindfulness actually does for us and how we can use it to help create more wellbeing in our lives.

To be mindful is to be awake and aware of what’s happening—as it’s happening. Mindfulness helps us understand our own emotions as well as the emotions of others. The better we understand our own emotions, the more accurately we see others and the world around us.

When I teach meditation, the most common statement I hear is, “I can’t meditate. My mind is too busy. I am always thinking.” Many people believe that the goal of meditation is to stop our thoughts. However, mindfulness is not an absence of thought, nor is it training our mind not to think. Minds will think; that is what minds are supposed to do. Mindfulness is knowing the thoughts, feelings and stories that begin to play as they happen.

The stories we tell ourselves about what is happening around, or to us, are often the driving force behind our emotional wellbeing or difficult experiences. That story defines how we see the experience. Mindfulness brings awareness to the stories and perceptions that color the way we see the world. Often, a perspective change is helpful when seeking to alter the course and outcome of our day. Having awareness of the thought pattern allows us to know when we need a perspective shift.

This does not mean we are looking to attain an uber-optimistic Pollyanna view of things. Cultivating greater wellbeing is in part recognizing the tremendous power that resides within our response to whatever situation may arise, and then knowing that we can alter the response through awareness and practice. Many people believe that wellbeing is something that happens when we change or control the situation itself. However, changing or controlling is not always possible.

We do not control what happens in life, but we can control our response to what happens. The wisdom that is developed through mindful practice cultivates a calm ability to notice what is happening. When we slow down our thinking process we see more clearly what is happening to us, which supports less impulsivity and more emotion regulation when difficult situations arise. We are no longer reacting to a situation after the fact, we create the ability to discern the best course of action as the situation unfolds.

Mindfulness is not a distraction away from feeling, rather it helps us to be able to sit with difficult emotions when they happen. The practitioner is taught to notice sensations in their body and to become aware of where in the body those feelings are felt. Everything we feel in our body is a clue about our current emotional state. In sense, the body and mind are speaking different languages yet they are seeking to communicate the same message. When we are able to understand what our body is saying, we become more aware of our emotional state. This awareness allows us to notice when we need time and space to recharge or recalibrate so that we have the capacity to meet others with a whole heart.

Often, our routine behaviors feel as though we had no choice in the action, as if they are part of our personality because the reactivity came on so suddenly. In actuality, there is a choice

and mindfulness help to make that choice clear by slowing down the thinking process to the point where reactions become a fork in the road rather than a fuse that was lit. As one practices mindfulness, one begins to feel a space between the triggering event and the need to react. In that space lies the chance to choose the habitual response or a more effective and reflective response. Mindfulness does not eliminate challenging emotions; mindfulness makes us aware that they are happening and supports us in building tolerance to hold those more difficult emotions, which ultimately reduces anxiety.

When we train in mindfulness, often times the result becomes a more peaceful way of relating to our thoughts. We fight less against uncomfortable emotions because we recognize that this thought and feeling will also pass as everything else does in life. Mindfulness is, in a sense, riding the wave of our emotions and seeing the wave as a curious experience rather than something to fight against. The peace that naturally arises as we learn to slow down our mind and body will take time to cultivate. Most of us engage in mind-wandering habits consistently throughout the day. Mindfulness stops the habit of mindless thought wondering. Mindfulness takes a gentle effort. There is not a goal to be attained but a lifelong effort towards greater self-awareness. This practice slowly reduces the volume on the background noise of life, both internally and externally.

Jacquelyn Rinaldi is an author, teacher and therapist. In her book “Learning Compassion: Conflict Resolution Through Education and Therapy,” she and co-author Clifford Mayes discuss the relationship between compassion and peace with a special emphasis on the role that therapy and education play in a more compassionate society. Her teaching incorporates self-awareness as a key to humanity’s next evolutionary step. Jacquelyn earned her first doctorate in archetypal psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute.