Rich Addicks, Jessica Bedway, Mario Carr, Riva Duncan, Alanah Griffith, Marne Hayes, Rachel Hergett, Benjamin Alva Polley, Michael Winter CONTRIBUTORS
A March 1 demonstration at Roosevelt Arch in Gardiner was organized by Richard Midgette, a former Yellowstone National Park employee who was one of thousands across the country fired on Feb. 14 as a part of the federal workforce cuts enacted by the Trump Administration. A mixture of local community members, and former, retired and current federal employees, spoke about the importance of public lands, and those who work to protect and maintain them.
PHOTO BY COLTER PETERSON
BRIEFS LOCAL SPORTS BUSINESS
TABLE OF CONTENTS
6
ON THE COVER:
Big Sky Resort hosted the 11th annual
on
EDITORIAL POLICIES
EDITORIAL POLICY
Outlaw Partners, LLC is the sole owner of Explore Big Sky. EBS reserves the right to edit all submitted material. Printed material reflects the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the opinion of Outlaw Partners or its editors. EBS will not publish anything discriminatory or in bad taste.
EBS welcomes obituaries written by family members or from funeral homes. To place an obituary, please submit 500 words or less to media@theoutlawpartners.com.
7
EMINENT DOMAIN OF JACK CREEK ROAD?
After being first mentioned in a Helena senate committee hearing, the Madison County Commission discussed eminent domain on Feb. 24 in Virginia City. But first, commissioner Duke Gilman clarified his stance on exploring a possible seizure of Jack Creek Road.
‘LIVABLE BIG SKY’ ON MAY BALLOTS
The Big Sky Community Housing Trust, Big Sky Community Organization and Big Sky Resort Area District are working together to educate voters about three initiatives which they believe will help improve Big Sky’s long-term “livability.”
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20 16
WHITNEY MONTGOMERY STEPS DOWN FROM BSCO
The Big Sky Community Organization announced that CEO Whitney Montgomery has stepped down as of Saturday, March 1. Montgomery served as CEO since 2021, and a BSCO press release commended him for steering the nonprofit during “a pivotal time in the organization’s history.”
BASKETBALL: BOYS WRAP 14-WIN SEASON
Senior Isaac Bedway became the second-ever Lone Peak player to 1,000 points in his final tournament this weekend, as the Big Horns fell just shy of advancing to the divisional round. Head coach Al Malinowski reflected on an impressive season.
NEW RECORDS AT SHEDHORN SKIMO
On Saturday, March 1, Big Sky Resort hosted the 11th annual Shedhorn Skimo race. Over 100 competitors climbed thousands of feet and skied some of the resort’s most technical terrain. Athletes this year set course records, beating previous times by 20 minutes.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Letters to the editor allow EBS readers to express views and share how they would like to effect change. These are not Thank You notes. Letters should be 250 words or less, respectful, ethical, accurate, and proofread for grammar and content. We reserve the right to edit letters and will not publish individual grievances about specific businesses or letters that are abusive, malicious or potentially libelous. Include: full name, address, phone number and title. Submit to media@outlaw.partners.
March 1, challenging athletes to skin, hike and ski across Lone Mountain under warm, sunny skies. PHOTO BY CARLI JOHNSON
NEWS IN BRIEF BRIEFS
MONTANA STATE TO OFFER SUMMER WRITING CAMPS FOR YOUTH
Registration is open for a pair of July summer camps at Montana State University aimed at helping young, budding writers explore their craft. The camps are for writers entering third through 12th grades. Campers will participate in field trips, writing games and workshops with local writers from multiple genres. MSU faculty from the Yellowstone Writing Project, a group of educators and writers in the Department of English, will lead the camps.
Parents of participants will be invited to a final showcase on July 18 to celebrate their campers’ work.
Writers entering fifth through 12th grades can attend the Youth Writing Camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 14-18. The price for commuter participants is $300, and the price for campers staying in an on-campus residence hall is $825. An additional fee of $50 will be added for registrations after May 31.
The Young Writer’s Camp, which will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. July 15-18, hosts writers entering third and fourth grades. The camp costs $250, with no overnight lodging on campus available. After May 31, the camp’s price increases to $275.
Registration is available at ato.montana.edu/ywp and will close once the camps are full.
HRDC LAUNCHES ‘10K IN 10 DAYS’ FUNDRAISER TO FIGHT HUNGER
EBS STAFF
From March 1 to March 10, every dollar donated to the Human Resource Development Council’s 10K in 10 Days fundraiser, supporting Fork & Spoon, will be matched up to $10,000 by Sharing Livi’s Love Foundation. The community is encouraged to donate to maximize the match in support of a Bozeman food resource.
Fork & Spoon is a pay-what-you-can restaurant, offering hot meals to an average of 120 guests every night in Bozeman, including families, veterans, elderly community members and individuals with disabilities, according to an HRDC press release. Guests pay an average of just $0.50 per meal, and food costs alone are $2 per plate.
“Every meal we serve reflects the power of community,” Jill Holder, HRDC’s food and nutrition director, stated in the release. “This fundraiser is a testament to the generosity that keeps Fork & Spoon’s doors open because at the end of the day, good food does good.”
HRDC opened the restaurant, formerly known as the Community Café, in 2012, making it the first and only pay-what-you-can restaurant in Montana. HDRC calls it a “welcoming, dignified dining experience.”
WHITEHALL TO HOST ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE, FACILITIES FOR FUTURE DATA CENTERS
EBS STAFF
On Feb. 10, Hydrogen Future Industries announced an agreement to develop an energy park in Whitehall. The Whitehall development will be the energy company’s “flagship project” in wind power, hydrogen production and storage solutions.
The energy company announced the agreement with Barrick Gold Corporation, a Canadian-based mining company, and Jefferson Local Development Corporation, an economic development nonprofit in Jefferson County, in a press release.
The energy park will include five key developments: wind turbines, hydrogen production, battery storage, manufacturing capabilities, and facilities to attract data centers to the region. The hydrogen production operation would use wastewater as a resource to produce hydrogen for electricity production.
As for artificial intelligence infrastructure, the release stated that Whitehall can attract data centers due to what would be a low cost, carbon-free electricity foundation.
“AI operations require vast amounts of secure, reliable energy and high-speed connectivity—both of which are provided by the park’s multiple energy inputs (wind, hydrogen, battery storage, and grid electricity) and high-capacity fiber-optic connectivity,” the release stated.
Tim Blake, CEO of Hydrogen Future Industries, described the energy plant in the release.
“This project represents a bold step toward a sustainable, technologydriven future,” Blake stated. “By combining clean energy innovation with AI and other high-tech industries, we aim to create a vibrant economic ecosystem in Whitehall that benefits the local community, the state, and beyond.”
‘THE
LOCAL
ISSUE IS NOT GOING AWAY’: MADISON COUNTY COMMISSIONERS DISCUSS
EMINENT DOMAIN OF JACK CREEK ROAD IN WORK SESSION
BY JEN CLANCEY
VIRGINIA CITY—The Madison County Commission talked eminent domain on the morning of Feb. 24 in Virginia City. But first, commissioner Duke Gilman clarified his stance on exploring a possible seizure of Jack Creek Road.
“I just want to clarify that point that this isn’t something I have ever considered,” Gilman said. On Feb. 12, fellow commissioner Bill Todd commented in a Montana Senate Taxation Committee hearing that the county is exploring eminent domain of Jack Creek Road, the most direct route between Big Sky and Ennis, and then announced an active exploration of eminent domain, with public discussions starting at a later county work session. Eminent domain, a process in which the government seizes private land for public use, can take years to complete.
Todd opened the Feb. 24 conversation by reading an email received by the Madison County Commission earlier this year from a concerned resident, recommending eminent domain of Jack Creek Road in response to a Big Sky subdivision’s attempt to withdraw from the Madison Valley Hospital District, and to improve emergency evacuation routes. He then invited public commenters to speak, many of which shared concerns of social, environmental and financial impacts of a potential seizure of Jack Creek Road.
Kaye Counts, executive director of a nonprofit called Preserve Raynolds Pass, expressed worries
of how converting Jack Creek Road into a public road would impact Ennis, comparing it to Jackson Hole’s effects on surrounding towns like Driggs and Victor, Idaho.
“So you become a bedroom community to a group of people that have a lifestyle that is different from the people in this area,” Counts said. Aside from population changes, some shared their concern for the environmental impacts of a possible road seizure.
Chris Plaut, board president of the Jack Creek Preserve Foundation, read a statement to the commissioners.
“Any development along Jack Creek Road adversely affects the preserve and negatively impacts the myriad of wildlife that live on and pass through the preserve daily,” Plaut stated. The Jack Creek Preserve is a 4,500 acre area protected under a conservation easement and is part of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
“Any increase in traffic along Jack Creek Road and in construction of the road itself will cause habitat loss and fragmentation for numerous wildlife species,” Plaut stated. “Any serious pursuit by the county of condemnation of Jack Creek Road by eminent domain should be preceded by a thorough, detailed, and impartial public environmental impact study.”
Tim Stultz, a Madison County resident, also warned of expectations in a long and expensive process of eminent domain of the connecting route.
“I think there’s a list of potential downsides of going to a public access road,” Stultz said. “The offset to that is the supposition that if we open that road up, that the other tax issues go away. I’m not convinced that that’s true, and so we should be careful we don’t assume there’s a trade there.”
Property taxes remain a sore subject as a portion of Big Sky residents hope to withdraw from the Madison Valley Hospital District, and redirect dollars to nearer services in Big Sky. At this time, two unsuccessful withdrawal petitionsby Big Sky residents, two lawsuits, and proposed legislation, Senate Bill 260, surround the conflict.
Following a merely preliminary discussion, it’s unknown if the Madison County Commission will discuss the possibility of eminent domain in the near future. But Commissioner Todd noted that he was glad to have a conversation and hear from members of the public who opposed the idea.
“I think it’s important that we are able to sit here and constructively have discussions about difficult topics,” Todd said. He said the problems surrounding connectivity between Ennis and Big Sky will continue to be an important discussion years into the future.
“The issue’s not going away. And this is not … a five-year problem, it’s not even a 15-year problem, but it will be addressed in the next 30 to 50 years, especially as the economy diversifies in what is the Madison Valley and in Big Sky,” Todd said. “It’s not the sort of thing that we can ignore.”
Madison County Commissioners hear public comments in Virginia City regarding a discussion of eminent domain of Jack Creek Road. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
BSRAD, HOUSING TRUST, BSCO PARTNER FOR ‘LIVABLE BIG SKY’
EDUCATION CAMPAIGN
LEADERS AIM TO INFORM VOTERS ABOUT INITIATIVES ON THE MAY BALLOT
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—Big Sky’s registered voters will face big decisions this spring.
In the May 6 mail-in election, voters will decide on potential long-term bonding to fund the Cold Smoke workforce housing project and the Big Sky Community Park renovations, and whether to renew Big Sky’s 3% resort tax.
The Big Sky Community Housing Trust, Big Sky Community Organization and Big Sky Resort Area District are working together to educate voters about each initiative which they believe will help improve Big Sky’s long-term “livability,” according to a Feb. 28 press release from Livable Big Sky, the new partnership and education effort with the tagline “Let’s shape it together.”
In January, the BSRAD board made the massive commitment to include both projects on the May 2025 ballot, totaling up to $66.8 million in public debt—a $60 million bond for Cold Smoke, and $6.8 million bond for the Big Sky Community Park. Both bonds require voter approval. BSRAD also aims to renew Big Sky’s 3% resort tax through 2065.
Although BSRAD legally cannot advocate for either the Cold Smoke or community park projects—BSRAD can and does advocate for its own 3% renewal—board members have expressed a desire to ensure voters understand what’s on their May 2025 ballot.
Renewal of 3% resort tax
The release explained that the resort tax renewal preserves the impact of Resort Tax.
Big Sky has levied its 3% resort tax since 1992, but its current term is set to expire in seven years. If voters extend the term until 2065, BSRAD believes it will not only preserve a “vital” funding source for essential services and infrastructure, but
the extension will help BSRAD enact long-term financing tools such as bonding, which allows BSRAD to issue debt based on future resort tax collections.
“A longer-term commitment provides greater flexibility and stability to support Big Sky for years to come,” the release stated.
For months, BSRAD has emphasized that neither the 3% renewal nor voter-approved bonds will increase the tax rate or impose any new taxes on residents or visitors.
Big Sky Community Park renovation
The BSRAD board decided on Feb. 4 to separate bonds on the ballot, allowing residents to vote their support for either, neither or both the Cold Smoke development and Big Sky Community Park renovation.
The Big Sky Community Organization believes the Community Park Bond is an investment in Big Sky’s health, wellness and future, helping the community retain its full-time residents by offering
healthy outlets for community across more months of the year.
“By upgrading existing facilities and introducing new amenities, this initiative addresses the needs of our growing community while enhancing safety, accessibility, and quality for all users. These improvements aim to create a space that supports a healthy, thriving, and connected community,” the release stated.
Cold Smoke
The Big Sky Community Housing Trust believes Cold Smoke will be an important step toward addressing local housing needs.
Based on Big Sky’s housing needs assessment, created in 2018 and updated in 2023 by the housing trust, the community needs roughly 1,300 additional housing units by 2028. Cold Smoke could account for nearly 400 if the neighborhood’s creation is enabled by community vote.
According to the release, “Cold Smoke will add 389 deed-restricted homes for rent and purchase, reserved exclusively for Big Sky’s workforce and their families, regardless of their employer.”
If voters approve, BSRAD will bond up to $60 million for the project—up to $15 million for “infrastructure” as funded by the 1% infrastructure resort tax, and up to $45 million for land acquisition.
Livable Big Sky will host a series of events this spring to engage and educate voters ahead of the election, including “Dirtbag Après,” a familyoriented forum, a pair of “project showcases” led by BSCO and the housing trust, and “Ballots & Brews with Explore Big Sky.”
The release encouraged voters to attend a public meeting, engage in discussions and gain a deeper understanding of how these investments will impact Big Sky’s future.
“Ultimately, Big Sky’s vote is their voice.”
If Big Sky voters enable Resort Tax to take out public debt to fund the Cold Smoke housing neighborhood, the Big Sky Community Housing Trust will add nearly 400 homes for rent and ownership in the pictured area. COURTESY OF LONE MOUNTAIN LAND COMPANY
Aerial view of the Big Sky Community Park under a blanket of snow. PHOTO BY PATRICK CONROY
LOCAL
WHITNEY MONTGOMERY STEPS DOWN FROM HELM OF BSCO
MADELEINE FEHER TO ASSUME CEO RESPONSIBILITIES
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—The Big Sky Community Organization announced March 3 that CEO Whitney Montgomery has stepped down as of Saturday, March 1.
Montgomery served as CEO since 2021, and a BSCO press release commended him for steering the nonprofit during “a pivotal time in the organization’s history,” including the completion of the BASE Community Center, expansion of local trails, construction of a new facility for staff housing and maintenance, and projects including the Adventure Park playground and racket court renovation. With the master site plan still being implemented, Montgomery will transition into a temporary role, director of special projects, until May 2025 to continue educating voters on the Community Park Bond to be featured on ballots in early May.
Madeleine Feher, current Chief Operating Officer, will assume the CEO role.
“Whitney’s impact goes beyond infrastructure— he tripled BSCO’s staff, grew the operating budget from $1 million to $3.3 million, secured over $8 million for capital projects, and doubled the organization’s annual unrestricted donations. Whitney has been a vital piece of shifting the Board of Directors into a strategic and generative body, ensuring a strong foundation for BSCO’s future,” the release stated.
Montgomery told EBS that he began his BSCO role in 2020 with a plan of staying three to five years, and entering his fifth year, he saw the right time to transition. He plans to move back to North Carolina to be closer to family.
“I have loved living here,” Montgomery said. “I love this community. I will be back.”
He’s most proud of his role in helping expand and modernize the organization, and he’s confident that BSCO has a strong launch pad to continue serving the community.
“We’ve really gone through significant growth,” Montgomery said, adding that he’ll remained focused on educating the community on the upcoming election and helping support Feher, and BSCO’s staff and board until his departure in May.
He said executive transitions take time and planning, and he and the BSCO team feel good about the current transition plan—Montgomery emphasized that it’s been exciting to see Feher’s growth in her time with BSCO, and that she’s certainly ready to take on the top leadership role.
Feher has lived in Big Sky for over 25 years and joined BSCO in 2022 as BASE director, eventually expanding her role within BSCO while serving on the Big Sky Trails, Recreation and Parks District since 2020, which supports long-term, stable funding for Big Sky’s outdoor assets.
“Whitney has done so much over the past four years, it’s been an honor working with him and opening this community center alongside of him,” Feher told EBS. “I feel like he’s given so much of himself to this community, and I just appreciate
everything he has done to make us a stronger organization.”
She added her excitement to lean into “what truly matters” as she takes the helm: community, her BSCO team and partnerships that help the nonprofit achieve its mission.
“I’m just truly honored to lead this organization and there are so many initiatives I look forward to leading as I step into this role,” Feher said. “... It’s the perfect opportunity to refocus—to get back to what BSCO was all about. That’s programming, that’s events and connecting our community together.”
The release stated that Feher’s experience and commitment to the community makes her an invaluable asset. “In her new role as CEO, Madeleine will focus on the strategic vision of the organization, foster community relationships and ensuring that BSCO continues to be a cornerstone of life in Big Sky.”
BSCO recognizes recent internal changes
In addition to this week’s transition of top leaders, the press release noted other recent changes to leadership roles within the organization.
In November 2024, BSCO hired Liv Grubaugh as director of development and communications. A former BSCO board member, Grubaugh spent nearly 10 years at Big Sky Resort, bringing experience in events and marketing to her full-time role at BSCO. Her role focuses on connecting the community and board to BSCO’s strategic vision.
Parks, Trails and Facilities Maintenance Manager Marco DelGuidice will continue leading his department, after being promoted to director of parks and trails in January.
“In addition to growing BSCO’s maintenance capabilities, expanding winter and summer trail networks and improving Big Sky’s parklands, Marco has been instrumental in ensuring that BSCO’s parks, trails and indoor spaces can operate year-round,” the release stated.
Eileen Coil was promoted to director of programs in November.
She joined BSCO in 2021 with two decades of experience working in occupational therapy and health promotion. She previously served as BSCO’s recreation and wellness manager, and will shift her focus to strategic planning of year-round programming, specifically focusing on expanding outdoor recreation, wellness and fitness programs for all ages.
“We are thrilled to welcome such a passionate and talented group of people to the Leadership Team at BSCO,” John McGuire, BSCO board chair, stated in the release. “Each of these leaders brings a wide range of experience and dedication to the places and community programs that make Big Sky such an incredible place to live, work and visit.”
Whitney Montgomery speaks at the 2024 Big Sky Community Park Celebration. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Madeleine Feher is BSCO’s new CEO. COURTESY OF BSCO
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: SPRINGING INTO 4-H
BY SARA SIPE EBS CONTRIBUTOR
At just 11 years old, Ophir Middle School 6th grader Sedona Kilgore-Karp already has a lot of Big Sky cred. She is an accomplished artist that can frequently be found in a classroom at BASE and Arts Council of Big Sky, she excels at design technology class taught by her favorite teacher Mr. Harder, she barrel races, helps her mom at the Big Sky Farmer’s Market, and she burst onto the skijoring scene with a 3rd place overall finish in the junior switcharoo division at the recent Best in the West Showdown here in Big Sky.
But it was at Lone Mountain Ranch, working as a junior wrangler this past summer, when she first heard about 4-H. After mentioning she was interested in learning more about rabbits, it was suggested she check out the youth program.
It's that love of learning, animals and Montana outdoors that led her mother, Leslie Kilgore, to seek out more information about 4-H opportunities in Gallatin County.
“What’s so amazing about 4-H is they teach them lifelong skills and true responsibility. Also, I love that she’s meeting so many other kids who share her interest in animals,” Kilgore wrote in an email to EBS.
According to their website, “Head, Heart, Hands, and Health are the four Hs in 4-H, and they are the four values members work on through fun and engaging programs.” Participation and specific areas of learning are based on each member’s individual interests, with a broad menu of local programming available. Younger members are guided by adult mentors, and older youth members. There are hands-on, learn-by-doing, opportunities for everyone.
Once she joined, and made the decision to work with rabbits, things started moving quickly.
“I knew I would be able to get my rabbits from some of the other kids that were raising rabbits from last year. Then we started building them a hutch to live in outside. You can use straw, but we decided on woodchips,” Kilgore-Karp said, adding,
“they are like horses—when it gets really cold, they just eat a lot and stay inside their house.”
Once the outdoor rabbit hutch was ready, she brought home Murray and Albert who made themselves right at home. In addition to bringing her rabbits to her monthly meetings at the fairgrounds for care instructions and check ups, Kilgore-Karp must tend to her rabbits each morning and evening. She was eager to share that she has received a lot of help from her mom and her mom’s boyfriend, some friends and neighbors, and her dad.
“I was especially happy that my dad made sure I was able to go and take care of the rabbits every day while I was staying with him,” Kilgore-Karp noted.
When asked what her goals are for this year and in the future with 4-H, she indicated showing her
rabbits at the fair this summer and making new friends were a top priority. While she may be the only student we’re aware of from Big Sky that attends 4-H, Kilgore-Karp recommends it for any students that are “dedicated and hard working.”
Her mom is just happy she found a good fit.
“The core values of 4-H really align with the core values I try to teach her,” Kilgore said.
The 4-H pledge said it well:
4H pledge
I pledge my head to clearer thinking, My heart to greater loyalty, My hands to larger service, and my health to better living, for my club, my community, my country, and my world.
Promesa 4H (en español)
Prometo usar mi mente para pensar con más claridad, mi corazón para ser más leal, mis manos para ser más servicial, mi salud para cuidarme más, por mi club, mi comunidad, mi país y mi mundo.
For more information about 4-H in Gallatin county, contact Montana State University extension at montana.edu/extension/gallatin/4hyouth.
Big Sky Community Spotlight is a short column that is meant to shine a light on those in Big Sky doing important work. Whether it be a profession, hobby or volunteer work, Big Sky is home to interesting people that do interesting things and as our community grows, it is important to stay connected to our neighbors and local businesses. This is more easily done if we know more about one another. We hope you enjoy getting to know your neighbors!
Sophie Griffin (left) and Sedona Kilgore Karp. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE
Sedona Kilgore Karp with Albert the bunny. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE
Sedona Kilgore Karp (left) and classmate Sean Marble. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE
ASK: LONE MOUNTAIN LAND COMPANY
RESERVATIONS AT THE LANDING
I heard there are new additions to the One&Only restaurant. Can you expand on their offerings and confirm they are open to the public?
Yes, we are excited to announce that in addition to the top-notch fare, the Sky Lodge at One&Only Moonlight Basin will now feature weekly live music on Friday evenings and DJs on Saturday afternoons. Simply jump on the open-to-thepublic One&Only Gondola at the Madison Base Village Area between 9am-4pm for a short, scenic ride direct to The Landing at the Sky Lodge. Take in the breathtaking views of Lone Peak, Fan Mountain, and the Spanish Peaks from the expansive patio and full glass windows in the restaurant, while enjoying a full bar and exceptional American comfort food inspired by Alpine cuisine that creates a truly unique experience in Big Sky. We look forward to One&Only’s live music and DJs enhancing its ambiance and guest experience and are excited about this new addition.
What efforts has Lone Mountain Land Company been working on to help address the need for infant care across the region?
Lone Mountain Land Company (LMLC), in partnership with the Yellowstone Club (YC), has been working on significant initiatives to enhance the availability, accessibility, and affordability of birth- to five-yearold early childhood education in Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky. LMLC and YC opened Gallatin River Child Care (GRCC) in Gallatin Gateway in February 2024 as an employer-supported center providing care for children of employees.
We are excited to announce that soon GRCC will operate as a 501(c)(3) to expand its existing GRCC center to the general public and grow its capacity from 30 to 48 children. LMLC and YC plan to continue to support GRCC to ensure affordability for families in the area that need quality child care. GRCC will be working with the communities they serve and local Foundation partners to ensure they can continue to provide accessible, affordable child care to those families in need.
Additionally, this fall LMLC, YC and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation (YCCF) are planning to support the additional opening of a new GRCC childcare facility, also available to the public, in Big Sky’s Town Center at 5 Spruce Cone Drive. This new center will be able to accommodate care for up to 24 children, ranging from birth to three years old. The new location will offer additional flexibility and space to support local families while complementing existing infant care options in Big Sky. GRCC is currently seeking inquiry from families interested in enrolling. Renovation plans are underway with construction expected to be completed for a Fall 2025 opening.
While these efforts are a significant step, more will be required to address the childcare gap in Big Sky. Ongoing collaboration among community stakeholders will be necessary to develop a long-term solution. To help guide this work, YCCF and BSRAD are supporting Greater Gallatin United Way’s creation of the Big Sky Early Childhood Education Alliance, which will develop a plan for improved facilities and sustainable funding for early childhood providers. As part of this initiative, LMLC is leading the project design of a shared early learning facility near Town Center that will be available to the current local providers. Additional information about the project will be shared as plans evolve.
GALLATIN RIVER CHILD CARE
Perfectly located in Bozeman’s Northeast Neighborhood, just a few blocks from Main Street, Wildlands is a truly exception allocation. Conveniently situated near multiple coffee shops, restaurants, trailheads, and within 20 minutes of Bridger Bowl Ski Area, living at Wildlands means you are never far away from world-class adventure and culture.
The three remaining residences each offer top-of-the line finishes, large living spaces, and meticulous detail. Schedule a tour today and experience the masterpiece that is Wildlands.
AM EN ITIES
• Unique and spacious floor plans ranging from two-to-three bedrooms
• Private heated garage for resident parking
• Large storage space for each owner
Secured owner’s lobby
• Professional management for ease of ownership
• Conveniently located blocks away from Downtown Bozeman
• Captivating mountain views and custom finishes such as poliform cabinetry
Beautifully designed condos and penthouses in an incredible, highly sought-after location. Footsteps away from Big Sky Town Center restaurants, shopping, farmers markets, live music, and all that Big Sky has to offer. A downtown lifestyle where rooms are filled with natural light and breathtaking views no matter the time of day or the season. 3rd level penthouses come with private hot tubs, 4th-level rooftop decks. Relax in your hot tub and let the stargazing begin. CONVENIENT MAIN STREET LIVING IN BIG SKY
AMENITIES
• Exquisite engineered hardwood floors
• Meticulously crafted cabinets
• Luxurious quartz countertops
• State-of-the-art stainless steel GE monogram appliances.
• All residents have a storage unit in addition to their residence.
• All residences have a designated & secure parking space. Additional parking spaces are for sale.
• 3rd level penthouses come with private rooftop hot tubs, 4th level rooftop decks.
SPORTS
BIG SKY’S HOLDEN SAMUELS PLACES SECOND AT KICKING HORSE FREERIDE WORLD TOUR EVENT
BY MARIO CARR EBS CONTRIBUTOR
While in Georgia, preparing to ride the Kakhiani face at Tetnuldi in the majestic Caucasus Mountains, Big Sky freeride snowboarder Holden Samuels took a call with EBS to talk about his most recent Freeride World Tour podium finish at Kicking Horse on Feb. 7.
“I’m feeling good, I think Kicking Horse was a huge boost of confidence for me… I was definitely feeling a little down after going to Europe and leaving with two falls,” Samuels said.
Samuels is hopeful that he can make it to the finals for the third straight season. Seven snowboard men will have the chance to compete at the famous Yeti Xtreme Verbier for the 30th anniversary of the event, taking place in late March. Each rider’s best scores from three out of the first five events are taken to determine who makes the cut.
Watching Samuels’ run at Kicking Horse, the commentators had a lot to say about his aggressive, fall-line style of snowboarding.
“Sometimes a victim of just too much sauce, he goes so fast and sometimes it lands him on the podium, other times he runs out of transition,” said Derek Foose as he watched Samuels drop onto the Ozone Face at Kicking Horse. Samuels went on to stomp three great airs on his descent.
“He found the perfect outlet for his fall-line speed addiction,” Foose said.
In a competition where a huge portion of the scoring is based on the rider’s control, and ability
to stay on their feet, Samuels explained how he’s growing as a competitor.
“It’s really tough to strike that balance. I feel like that’s been kinda my struggle on tour the last couple years, either going too big or too small and trying to get in that sweet spot. I definitely have to pull myself back from, you know, maybe what I wanna do sometimes ‘cause it’s a little bit risky for a competition setting. But I feel like I’m getting better at striking that balance between going hard, but not too hard.”
Samuels attributes his aggressive, big-mountain style to growing up riding the steeps at Moonlight Basin in Big Sky, and says that he will always have a soft spot for the lines he has grown up riding. While off pursuing his dream and competing in the FWT, he admits that at times he misses riding his home mountain, especially recently, since Big Sky has been getting so much snow.
“I am pretty jealous. You know it’s pretty cool to travel all over the world but there is definitely nothing like getting just the best conditions at a resort you know and love so much,” he said.
Samuels is hoping that familiarity helps him at his next two stops along the FWT. He rode the Kakhiani Face in Georgia last year, and is expecting to ride a familiar face at the Fieberbrunn event in Austria during the second week of March.
“It definitely helps a lot to have ridden the face at least once or twice… Spain and France were both new venues… so there was no previous videos to watch, and that was pretty interesting… Because when you’ve had a competition in the past and you can go watch videos, you can see how much speed they have and how big or small they can go on certain things,” he explained.
Samuels’ fast, confident style of riding definitely thrives on a confident knowledge of the terrain. He is excited for the next two venues and is hopeful that with good scores he can make the finals once again.
“Thank you to everyone. Thank you to my family, thank you to my sponsors Never Summer, Moonlight and Flylow… I’m excited for the rest of the season.”
Samuels (left) is a 25-year-old pro snowboarder from Big Sky. PHOTO BY BRUNO LONG
PHOTO BY DOM DAHER
LONE PEAK GIRLS EARN DRAMATIC TOURNAMENT WIN
PROGRAM CELEBRATES FIRST VICTORY SINCE NOVEMBER 2023
BY JACK REANEY
MANHATTAN—The Lone Peak High School girls basketball team beat the Whitehall High School Trojans, 49-45, in an elimination round of the district 5B tournament at Manhattan Christian School on Feb. 27.
The Big Horns had not won any of their games this season, including a first-round tournament loss to Jefferson High School, 69-29, the night before. In the Big Horns’ second year competing against relatively larger schools in Montana Class B, head coach Jessica Bedway has been focused on teaching fundamentals and emphasizing the importance of offseason practice.
“It’s huge, the girls are overjoyed,” Bedway said, adding that the team’s losing streak extends roughly 15 months since November 2023. “Especially with Addy [Malinowski] having such an awesome game and fouling out at the end, they’re all screaming, ‘let’s do it for Addy’… So they were all v ery excited.”
Malinowski, a senior, said she was determined to leave everything on the court in potentially her final high school game. She drained three 3-pointers early and finished with 19 points, the most for Lone Peak. Junior Harper Morris added 14 points.
“It just feels so good, and I’m so glad in my last few games on this team that I was able to help us get to that,” Malinowski said. “… Just getting this when it really counted really meant a lot to us.”
Bedway said each game against Whitehall has been close at halftime this season, with the Trojans pulling away in the third quarter. Bedway said it was fun, but given her team’s recent history, she tempered her hopes in the final minutes as the Trojans threatened and the Big Horns struggled to chew up the clock. With 20 seconds left, the Big Horns led 48-45, but a free throw by sophomore Catherine Coltea added some security.
Bedway praised Coltea for filling in at point guard when junior Maddie Wilcynski got into foul trouble.
“For her to come up and handle the rest of the third quarter on her own, she did a great job… She really, really stepped up when we needed her to,” Bedway said.
Junior Poppy Towle had key rebounds. Sophomore Sophie Kendrick returned from an illness and made timely baskets.
“Everyone stepped up… Everyone just really played their best,” Bedway said.
Although the Big Horns were excited and screaming as they ran into the locker room after shaking their opponents’ hands, they pretended they were crying to fool their coach, although they couldn’t keep the joke going long before celebrating.
“It was really funny,” Malinowski said, still giddy from long awaited victory. “I’m just very proud of everyone, and I hope they continue to take this momentum into their next season.”
Bedway’s message to her ecstatic team after the game was simple: “See what we can do when we pull together, and we all do our jobs and take our time and take deep breaths,” Bedway said, adding that in the past the team played “panic ball.”
“They’ve really come a long way, and I just hope they put in the work in the offseason so they can continue the improvement.”
The Big Horns remained in win-or-go-home territory, playing Manhattan High School on Saturday, March 1 at 11:15 a.m. They fell, 40-33 but coach Bedway said it was an “amazing” game and a strong finish to the season.
The Lone Peak girls won their first game in more than a year in the District 5B tournament on Feb. 27.
PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Head coach Jessica Bedway in a late-game timeout. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
LONE PEAK BOYS HOLD OFF TOWNSEND IN DISTRICT TOURNAMENT
SEASON ENDS WITH DISTRICT LOSSES TO THREE FORKS, JEFFERSON
BY JACK REANEY
MANHATTAN—The Lone Peak High School boys basketball team continues to assert their place in Montana Class B, winning their firstround game at the District 5B tournament for the second time in as many years in the conference. The Big Horns defeated Broadwater High School (Townsend), 61-57, at Manhattan Christian School on Thursday, Feb. 27.
No. 5 Lone Peak and No. 4 Townsend were tied in the standings and split their two regular season matchups.
“You knew that either team could win that game,” said Lone Peak head coach Al Malinowski. He praised junior Ebe Grabow for dropping 24 points in the win.
“Probably one of his better games in a while,” Malinowski said. “But he just looked so under control out there at all times, whether he was shooting from the outside or driving the rim, everything was balanced. Everything was just controlled with him, which was great to see.”
In the fourth quarter, with the Big Horns trailing 48-43, Grabow brought his team to life. The Big Horns scored 12 unanswered points to capture a 55-48 lead—Grabow scored 10 of them, including a 3-pointer, plus another 3-pointer by sophomore Ryan Malinowski.
Asked about his playmaking abilities, Grabow said everyone is contributing late in games, and when the Big Horns move the ball well, it gives him opportunities to score.
“Everyone on the team really capitalized late in the game,” Grabow said.
Coach Malinowski said the Big Horns were able to gain momentum in the fourth quarter due to improved ball movement and “good team basketball” which opened up lanes for the Big Horns to attack.
Malinowski has emphasized the need for depth throughout the season, and said he saw more contributions outside of the top scorers against Townsend. Six total players scored in the win, including 17 points from senior Isaac Bedway, early baskets from junior Oliver McGuire, and clutch free throws and strong ball movement from sophomore Sid Morris.
“Everyone that’s come in the game is always putting in work, and that’s exactly what we need to keep moving forward,” Grabow said. “So, our depth has really improved throughout the year, really, and now it’s the best it’s been.”
The Big Horns advanced to the semifinal to face a top-ranked, undefeated team from Three Forks High School on Friday, Feb. 28. The Wolves defeated the Big Horns, 83-35, punching their ticket not only to the district 5B championship— in which they eventually beat Manhattan High School, 68-54—but to the divisional tournament. Big Horns fall just short of divisional berth
With a chance to win their way into the third and final spot in the divisional tournament, the Lone
Peak High School boys basketball team weren’t able to finish the job against Jefferson High School.
The Big Horns season ended March 1 with a 5748 loss, their fourth game in 48 hours as part of a hectic tournament. Malinowski said the fatigue was evident, but the Big Horns played their hearts out as a historic season came to an end.
“You get that close and you walk away initially feeling pretty bummed. But yet when you think about what we’ve been able to accomplish this year and how close we came, I think it’s a pretty impressive result,” Malinowski said in a phone call with EBS on Monday. This season, the Big Horns won 14 total games, exactly twice as many as last year, and tied for most in program history—most of that history was against smaller schools in Class C, but now Lone Peak is the smallest school in their Class B district.
“So really impressive that this team was able to accomplish what they did this year,” Malinowski said. “That helped kind of put a smile back on my face, that this was a huge step forward.”
Before facing Jefferson, the Big Horns faced Ennis on March 1, and walked away with a 48-40 victory, Lone Peak’s third victory against Ennis this season.
In the second quarter, senior Isaac Bedway scored his 1,000th career point, becoming the secondever Lone Peak player to reach the milestone, after 2017 graduate Eddie Starz, with 1,334 points. Malinowski noted it only took Bedway three seasons—he moved to Big Sky before his sophomore season—and Bedway also scored in all 71 of his varsity games.
“A pretty significant milestone, I think, in the state of Montana,” Malinowski said, pointing to limited schedules compared to other states. “Something that should be celebrated and recognized.”
Bedway also finishes his Lone Peak career with alltime records in blocks, 3-point shooting and rebounds.
A few hours after the win over Ennis, the Big Horns faced Jefferson High School to decide which team would earn the third and final spot in the divisional tournament.
“Jefferson came out a little hotter than us in that game,” Malinowski said. “I sort of anticipated fatigue in both teams, and they didn’t show it early.” The Panthers took a big lead, but Big Horns closed it as sophomore Ryan Malinowski hit a driving layup to tie the game toward the end of the second quarter.
Jefferson led by four points at halftime, and extended their lead to 11 at end of third quarter on their way to a 57-48 win.
Malinowski was proud of his team’s effort, especially considering Jefferson is the largest high school in the district with more than 300 students, to Lone Peak’s 117.
He looks forward to welcoming much of the team back next season.
“I’m hopeful that a lot of experience we gained this year... A lot of guys got good playing experience at a young age and will be coming back with the opportunity to help us again next year,” Malinowski said.
The team will miss seniors including Bedway and Grady Towle, who struggled with injuries preventing him from training over the past year but mentored younger players.
“What a leader, and what heart he brings to the program,” Malinowski said of Towle.
Kael Gilbert, who joined the program late, will be remembered for his attitude. “Just brings such a good attitude to everything. He’s one of those guys who’s willing to do whatever he’s asked.”
Malinowski looks forward to seeing offseason work and growth from younger players including Ryan Malinowski, Miles Romney and Sid Morris—as well as other players who mostly contributed at the JV level.
“We’ll continue to set high goals, and hopefully we’ll continue to achieve as many as we can,” he said.
Lone Peak junior Ebe Grabow provided a spark in the fourth quarter of a Feb. 27 playoff matchup.
PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Bedway scored 400 points this season, averaging a conference-leading 18.18 per game to reach the milestone. PHOTO BY JESSICA BEDWAY
VOTER EDUCATION EVENTS
Learn more and ask questions about the three initiatives that will be on your mail-in ballot due May 6.
March
Childcare provided Tuesday, March 4
Tuesday, March 11
Thursday, March 20
Family Forum WHERE: BASE WHEN: 5:30 - 7:00 PM
April
Tuesday, April 1
Ballots & Brews with Explore Big Sky WHERE: Waypoint WHEN: 5:00 - 6:30 PM
Friday, April 18
Project Open House: Cold Smoke WHERE: RiverView Community Room WHEN: 12:00 - 5:30 PM
May
Tuesday, May 6
Election Day
Mail your ballot by April 28 to ensure it arrives on time. Ballots may also be dropped o at Big Sky Water & Sewer or the Gallatin County Elections O ce on or before May 6.
Pizza with a Purpose WHERE: Big Sky Chapel WHEN: 11:45 - 2:15 PM
Wednesday, April 16
Ballots & Breakfast WHERE: Waypoint WHEN: 8:00 - 9:00 AM
Dirtbag Après WHERE: Talus Room, Summit Hotel, Big Sky Resort WHEN: 4:00 - 5:30 PM
Thursday, April 17
Project Open House: Community Park WHERE: BASE WHEN: 12:00 - 5:30 PM
LIMITED EDITION BSB
PEAK 98
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SHEDHORN SKIMO ATHLETES SET COURSE RECORDS
BY CARLI JOHNSON
BIG SKY—On Saturday, March 1, Big Sky Resort hosted the 11th annual Shedhorn Skimo race. Sunshine and blue skies welcomed skiers for an epic day of spring skiing.
Over 100 competitors started at 8 a.m. at the base area of Big Sky Resort. There were four different courses racers signed up for; the Shedhorn, Pronghorn, Ramshorn and the Shedling for kids 14 and under.
The longest and most difficult course, the Shedhorn covered a total of 16 miles, climbing thousands of feet and skiing down some of the resort’s most technical terrain.
First place winner Charlie von Avis finished the course in a record time of three hours, 28 minutes and 53 seconds. The previous record was set by Cam Smith in 2020 at three hours, 48 minutes and 25 seconds, according to event organizers.
It was a close race, with second place competitor Ben Peters finishing less than two minutes behind. At the finish line, competitors were greeted with cowbells, beer and cheers from spectators and racers.
The first place female competitor on the Shedhorn course was Charlie’s wife, Emmiliese von Avis at four hours, 17 minutes and 16 seconds.
“Record times at skimo this year,” said event announcer and Big Sky ski patroller Aron Yuster as both von Avis’ broke records.
Spectator Irma Wolford was cheering on her husband as he competed on the Pronghorn course. “This is my favorite event of the year, to come and watch this,” Wolford said. Wolford noted that every year more people she knows sign up for the race, acknowledging the rise in popularity for the sport.
Wolford’s husband, Keith Smith-Brumund, finished the Pronghorn course in third place. Wolford and Smith-Brumund hung around at the finish line to cheer on friends and celebrate the beautiful day.
Winners of the race received prizes like a GoPro Hero 13, POMOCA ski skins, a Petzl climbing helmet, and a ski backpack built for the backcountry.
Competitors hike up Alto Ridge for the first summit on Lone Mountain. PHOTO BY CARLI JOHNSON
Competitors hike up Alto Ridge to summit Lone Mountain before descending the Big Couloir. PHOTO BY CARLI JOHNSON
Competitors ski down the Big Couloir. PHOTO BY CARLI JOHNSON
SCAN ME!
BUSINESS
BEEHIVE BROS HOT SAUCE CONTINUES TO EXPAND IN 10TH YEAR OF PRODUCTION
AFTER A PRODUCTIVE YEAR, LOCAL BROTHERS BRYAN AND JEFF GILL AIM TO SELL
SAUCE TO SURROUNDING STATES
BY MARIO CARR
EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Bryan and Jeff Gill moved to Big Sky in 2016 and brought with them a passion for locally grown foods. Bryan previously ran a small business in Vermont, selling hot sauce, ketchup, mustard and other condiments under cottage food law.
Now, the brothers are celebrating 10 years of operating Beehive Bros Hot Sauce in Big Sky, and they’ve increased production year after year. It was a challenge at first to create spices made entirely from peppers grown in Montana, but now all five flavors are sourced entirely from peppers grown in the state.
They believe in bringing local spice to Montana kitchens, and that means using local produce.
“From what we’ve seen, hands down, the best quality chilli peppers we get are the ones that have been grown locally. And a big part of that is transportation time,” Bryan said.
The Gills were able to get in touch with local farms after connecting with the Western Montana Growers Co-op at a Montana State University food fair. Now, between Harlequin and Five Fox Farms in the Moiese Valley, the brothers source 100% of their peppers from Montana.
“At first it was a challenge to source some of our peppers locally,” Bryan said. “But then as we grew and started communicating more directly with some farms in Montana, particularly Harlequin organic produce in Arlee, they started growing all of our peppers.”
By working directly with local farms, the brothers believe their peppers are in the best condition possible when it’s time to make the sauce. As
proponents of local farm systems, the Gills believe a shorter chain of distribution leads to higher quality foods, because everyone involved is more passionate about the product.
“Like Harlequin Farms, it’s their peppers, they’re putting in the love to grow it. And then Western Montana Growers Co-op… they care about all of their farmers… And then it gets to us and we care about our hot sauce. So now the only people touching [the produce] are people who actually care about the quality of that produce,” Jeff explained.
Last year, the brothers bought over 1,500 pounds of peppers for their hot sauce, and are expecting to use even more this year. From August through November the farms are able to produce over 100 pounds of peppers a week, extending their season with the help of heated greenhouses. The brothers explained that the farms are thankful for the brothers’ commitment to buying a large amount of locally grown peppers, and that the pepper plants themselves are conducive to growing other crops as
well. While the plants are small in the spring, other crops can be planted alongside them, and once they have been harvested, a fast growing winter crop can be placed in their stead.
Avid snowboarders, the Gills find their hot sauce business to be conducive to their lifestyle. With production being wrapped up by December, the brothers can ride as much as they want through the winter, while they prepare their pallets of sauce bottles for distribution each week.
“The discussion was, how do we run a business where we can ski as much as possible, be on the mountain whenever we want, and sourcing our peppers locally really lends itself to that,” Bryan said. Currently, Jeff still works as an accountant for Big Sky Resort, and Bryan drives shuttles for Skyline Big Sky Connect.
When it comes to running a business as brothers, Bryan and Jeff are able to navigate family life and business life well—it’s not for everyone, Jeff explained.
“We both have the personalities where we can say something business-wise, and we can disagree, but then we can just go have dinner at each other’s place and not have that disagreement carry over to our personal life,“ Jeff said.
In Big Sky, Beehive Bros Hot Sauce can be found for sale at the Hungry Moose and Roxy’s and is served at Yeti Dogs, Shedhorn Grill and Headwaters Grill. With the help of Quality Food Distributors out of Bozeman, the brothers’ sauce is sold all throughout Montana. The Gills are currently working with a food broker to push their product regionally to Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming and Utah, and are thankful for their commercial kitchen and storage space in Belgrade, which should make reaching other states easy due to their close proximity to I-90.
“We’re hoping to get much more regional, and start ramping up production even more now,” Jeff said.
Jeff and Bryan Gill. COURTESY OF BEEHIVE BROS
Beehive Bros Hot Sauce is available at Headwaters Grille (pictured), Roxy's, Hungry Moose, Yeti Dog's and Shedhorn Grill. COURTESY OF BEEHIVE BROS COURTESY OF BEEHIVE BROS
BUSINESS
ENJOYING THE RIDE: PREPARING FINANCIALLY FOR YOUR GROWING FAMILY
BY MICHAEL WINTER EBS CONTRIBUTOR
Sponsored Article
Preparing for your first child is an exciting, albeit daunting task. Parents often find themselves putting together a crib, painting the nursery, and even prewashing clothes. Some people have baby showers or gender reveals.
Preparing for a second child, on the other hand, gave me enough time to sit down and write this article. By the second child, you have hopefully learned some things about being a parent. Things you maybe could not have prepared for earlier. Armed with this new information, the crib and the color of the nursery don’t seem as important. Since I’m only two years into parenting, I’ll hold off on my parenting tips, but I will walk you through the different financial decisions we’ve made for our family as we’ve grown.
Budget. If you don’t already have one, start one. The budget doesn’t have to be perfect, but it should account for regular and expected payments like mortgages, rent, and utilities, and should have flexibility for variable purchases like groceries. I also like to tell people to budget to save. This means to make savings an expense in your budget.
Establish or fund an emergency savings fund. Most investment planners encourage people to allocate between three- and six-months worth of living expenses to a high yield savings account. If you are growing your family, make it six months, you’ll sleep better (and yes, eventually you will sleep again).
Ensure that you have enough life and disability insurance coverage for you and your spouse. It’s silly, but, remember, children are dependents, and you are who they depend on for income for the first 18 years (at least) of their lives. Be careful not to over insure as insurance can be expensive.
Estate planning should also be considered, whether it’s a will, trust, or even power of attorney, you and your spouse should formalize legal documents for your family. Consult with a local estate attorney or work with your financial advisor or tax preparer to be introduced to an attorney who specializes in estate planning. Do these things before the baby gets here!
There are also a few things you can only do after the baby is born. Open a 529, if you are able, especially with the new rules as it relates to rolling unused funds to a Roth IRA. If the child does not use the funds, they may be able to continue to grow tax free to potentially be used in retirement. Another account to potentially open is a UGMA/ UTMA account. This account essentially allows parents to invest funds for children that have
different, and often lesser, tax consequences. These accounts would be most attractive to those who want to save for children’s weddings, a car, a future down payment, etc.
By the time you read this, my second child will be here. The nursery still won’t be painted, and we haven’t even ordered a crib. But you can bet that everything else I mentioned is already taken care of. Now I can enjoy the ride, even if I’m hauling two boys in my bike trailer!
Please consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing in a 529 savings plan. The official statement, which contains this and other information, can be obtained by calling your financial advisor. Read it carefully before you invest.
Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network does not provide legal or tax advice.
Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Shore to Summit Wealth Management is a separate entity from WFAFN.
Michael Winter is an Associate Vice President and Financial Advisor at Shore to Summit Wealth Management. He currently works and lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife and two boys.
ADOBE STOCK PHOTO
BY ELLIE BOESCHENSTEIN
Explore Big Sky got a chance to speak with Megan Porter, director of education and outreach at the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce to learn more about what they do for the community of Big Sky, advocating for local businesses and a healthy economy to make sure Big Sky remains a special and liveable place amid growth and all of the new development.
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: Can you give us an overview of the Big Sky Chamber and its primary mission?
Megan Porter: The Big Sky Chamber is the leading advocate for our business community, dedicated to enhancing the vitality and sustainability of Big Sky’s economy. Our mission is to champion a thriving business environment by bringing resources, ideas, and solutions to the table. We serve as a connector, advocate and problem solver, ensuring businesses have the support they need to succeed in our unique and fast-growing community.
On the advocacy front, our CEO, Brad Niva, has traveled to Helena multiple times during this legislative session to advocate for critical issues affecting our community, including tourism funding, boundary issues, and child care. Whether it’s helping businesses navigate the challenges of a resort economy, advocating for key community and state-level policies, or hosting events that connect business owners with key decision-makers, the Chamber is committed to ensuring our members succeed.
EBS: What are some of the biggest challenges the Chamber faces?
MP: Big Sky is a unique, unincorporated resort community, which presents both opportunities and challenges. Key issues like affordable housing, infrastructure, and child care remain top concerns. Additionally, our businesses must navigate the complexities of operating in a seasonal economy, where staffing shortages and limited housing can create obstacles to growth.
The Chamber is committed to being a strong voice for the business community in these discussions, ensuring that solutions are both collaborative and forward-thinking.
EBS: Can you share some of the initiatives taken by the Chamber that help bring the community together?
MP: Our community is at a pivotal moment, with several important decisions coming up for a vote in May. In addition to our regular programs, we’re partnering with Resort Tax and Big Sky
Community Organization to host two voter education events: Breakfast & Ballots and Ballots & Brews. These events will provide an opportunity for the community to learn about key issues on the upcoming ballot and make informed decisions. We also support the seasonal workforce during their time here by enhancing their experience, and connecting them with our community. We accomplish this by providing resources, hosting fun and informational events, including in-home dinners hosted by our community members.
EBS: What are some key benefits of becoming a Chamber member?
MP: Our work is centered around three key pillars: Championing Member Connections – Creating opportunities for engagement, networking, and celebration. This includes our Monthly Member Meet-Ups, advocacy for the value of connection, and professional development events.
Advocating for the Big Sky Business Community –Representing businesses at the local and state level, including in Helena, to ensure Big Sky’s unique needs are recognized and addressed.
Supporting the Big Sky Business Ecosystem –Providing educational resources such as our Lunch & Learns, business skill-building events, and our signature Leadership Big Sky program.
Chamber membership provides direct access to essential resources, advocacy efforts, and a powerful professional network. Members gain increased visibility, educational opportunities, and exclusive networking events—all designed to help their businesses grow and succeed.
Most importantly, membership ensures that businesses have a voice in shaping Big Sky’s future. We actively advocate for policies and initiatives that support business growth, workforce development, and infrastructure improvements.
EBS: How does the Chamber contribute to the overall economic development of Big Sky?
MP: A strong business community creates a strong local economy. The Chamber plays a vital role in attracting investment, supporting community initiatives, and advocating for infrastructure improvements that help businesses thrive. We also foster collaboration between the private and public sectors, ensuring that Big Sky’s economic growth is sustainable, balanced, and beneficial to both businesses and residents. Additionally, our partnership with Visit Big Sky strengthens our local economy by promoting responsible tourism. While Visit Big Sky focuses on marketing Big Sky as a destination, the Chamber is dedicated to supporting businesses and advocating for policies that foster a sustainable, year-round economy.
EBS: What efforts are being made to ensure Big Sky remains a great place to live and work for both residents and visitors?
MP: We are actively engaged in key issues affecting both residents and businesses, including workforce housing, transportation, child care, and governance. We work closely with local and regional partners to find solutions that promote sustainable growth while maintaining the quality of life that makes Big Sky special. One key initiative includes supporting Visit Big Sky in the execution of the Destination Strategy Plan. The Destination Strategy is a roadmap for reaching Big Sky’s 15-Year vision for the future of tourism. It recognizes that the sustainability of Big Sky’s visitor economy depends on successfully balancing growth with meaningful stewardship of our community and surrounding environments.
We are committed to working together so Big Sky continues to be a great place to live, work, and play.
EBS: How do you see Big Sky evolving in the coming years, and what are the Chamber’s priorities going forward?
MP: Big Sky is at a defining moment in its development. As our community continues to grow, we must be intentional about balancing economic expansion with the infrastructure and support systems that enable businesses and residents to thrive. The Chamber is committed to leading this charge by fostering a business-friendly, sustainable, and connected community.
Our top priorities include:
• Increasing the ROI of your membership by expanding opportunities for connection, advocacy and learning.
• Ensuring businesses have a voice in shaping Big Sky’s economic future.
• Expanding professional development opportunities to support business owners, managers, and employees at every stage of • their careers.
Big Sky’s continued success depends on strategic collaboration, proactive leadership, and strong community engagement—and the Chamber is committed to ensuring our business community plays a leading role in shaping what comes next.
EBS: Is there anything else you want people to know about the Big Sky Chamber?
MP: We encourage all businesses—large and small—to engage with us, share their needs, and be part of the solutions that will shape Big Sky’s future. Together, we can build a stronger, more sustainable, and more connected business community.
Mastering The Art of 3 MPH
COMMUNITY EVENTS CALENDAR
If your next event falls between March 20 - April 2 please submit it to explorebigsky.com/calendar-event-form by March 14
SATURDAY, MARCH 8 | 6:00 PM WARREN MILLER PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
On March 8, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center will hold a gallery show and arts market called “Moving as a Woman” ahead of 7:30 p.m. James Sewell Ballet performance. The arts market will feature work by more than 15 local female artists.
FURIOUS
Lead Exhibition Sponsor Chris McCloud and Stephanie Dickson Charitable Fund
Signature Sponsor Sheehy Family Foundation, Richard and Denise Sheehy
Contributing Sponsor The Michael G. Nast Foundation
Step into the world of SUE the T. rex to uncover the mysteries about the life of this fearsome fossil. Come between two titans with full-scale casts of SUE and T. rex’s nemesis, Triceratops. Experience a unique multimedia show transporting you to the Cretaceous forest alongside SUE. Learn how the fossil was unearthed, and how scientists continue to make discoveries about SUE, the most complete Tyrannosaurus rex specimen ever discovered.
SUE: The T. rex Experience was organized by the Field Museum and is part of the Griffin Dinosaur Experience, made possible by generous support from Kenneth C. Griffin. Through September 7
Scan to Learn More
DINING
A LA CARTE: ODE TO AN OVEN
BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST
This column started as a text message from a friend:
“Very random question, but do you have strong feelings about air fryers vs toaster ovens?”
What followed was a long exchange where I shared what were, in fact, very strong feelings about appliances, and specifically toaster ovens.
Let’s rewind. Years ago, in the ongoing quest to find affordable housing in southwest Montana, I was living in a house near downtown Bozeman, essentially acting as its caretaker. The house had a dream kitchen. Not only were the walls a delicious shade of an avocado lime green, but there was more than enough space for storage and to maneuver around other wannabe cooks invading your space. There was a massive island, miles of butcher block counters and a sunny breakfast nook with soaring ceilings and windows overlooking Bozeman Creek.
I packed much of my kitchen gadgetry away in those years—the fully stocked kitchen already had what I needed. And why not use their stuff?
When the family decided to spend more time in Bozeman, and my role as live-in caretaker came to a close, I lamented losing that kitchen. But there was one thing I knew would be exceptionally hard to live without: the Breville Smart Oven that graced the kitchen counter.
I had come to rely on it. Far more than the toaster ovens of my youth—those hulking machines that took up too much space and did way too little— today’s toaster ovens are workhorses. And Breville makes one of the best.
According to the latest toaster oven product testing from Serious Eats, “The best toaster oven is the
Breville Smart Oven Pro. It’s versatile, powerful, and can even air fry. Many of our editors own and love it.”
After moving, it didn’t take long for me to acquire a Breville Smart Oven of my own. I really couldn’t picture my kitchen without it. Mine has no less than a dozen settings. It is a convection oven of astonishingly large capacity for its size, able to bake whole pizzas with the curve at the back, or a prime
rib. It fits a standard 9-by-13-inch pan. It air fries. It slow cooks. It’s magic.
My kitchen now doesn’t have a microwave. If I want to reheat anything, I throw it in the toaster oven on the reheat setting. Sure, it takes a bit longer, but the food comes out much closer to its original presentation. Goodbye soggy fries!
I will note that some people say toaster ovens don’t quite get the crisp one might create with a dedicated air fryer. I will also say that I have had no textural complaints. I replaced my air fryer, my toaster and my dehydrator with one appliance. And at this point, I may as well use the actual oven in my kitchen for storage like Carrie Bradshaw in “Sex and the City,” which is surely saying something coming from someone who writes about food and cooking.
So yes, I do have very strong feelings about toaster ovens. I use mine for everything. I bake potatoes, air fry vegetables, roast chicken or fish, slow cook pot roasts, dehydrate fruit, make cookies and so much more. And, yes, sometimes I even make toast.
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.
Capable toaster ovens can handle prime rib. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT
The all-powerful Breville Smart Oven. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT
OPINION
REP. REVIEW: WILDFIRE LIABILITY AND SERVICE DISTRICTS
BY ALANAH GRIFFITH EBS COLUMNIST
We are now one third of the way into the session and we have seen a number of bills that address issues important to all of Montana, and to Big Sky, West Yellowstone and Gallatin Gateway. There are two that directly hit home.
The first is HB 490, which is the first swing at trying to balance how we deal with the issues of wildfires which include the viability of our utilities, ensuring that we all continue to have home insurance available and our damages should our homes and businesses burn down. This is a serious conversation, and the current bill only addresses protecting the utilities. I believe that we need more of a balance, and a more holistic approach to wildfire liability.
The other is SB 260. Currently, this will allow registered voters in an area that cannot access services provided in their county to move their area into another county’s “service district.” The property taxes for that type of service would shift to the other county, but other property taxes would still go to that original county. Basically, this would allow our Big Sky people in Madison County to join the Big Sky School District and have their school property taxes go to the Big Sky School District.
There have been two very, very good hearings in their respective committees on these issues. Committees are where the bill is first heard, and people come from near, far and Zoom to speak on
the bills. Then we, the legislators, have the ability to ask questions of the witnesses. This is a good way to educate yourselves on the issues, and to participate in those hearings if you feel that you want to add your experience.
For this article, I want to be sure that each and everyone of you can not only participate (which was covered in our last article) but watch our committee hearings, floor hearings and every other hearing at your leisure or stream it live. Knowing what is going on in your legislature is important, and it means that my district is more informed and can give me more ideas on how to best serve you.
For any hearing, go to the home page for the Montana Legislature. If you look at the top right of the page, you will see “Now Streaming.” If you click this, you will be taken to the legislature’s website which has all of the legislatures archived, streaming and upcoming hearings. This is the place where you can watch or listen to any hearing of the legislature.
To focus on the right hearing, you need to know the date, time and committee in which the bill was heard. You can find this on the “Bill Explorer” page, which we discussed in an earlier article. Here is a link to the Bill Explorer: bills.legmt.gov
In this case, after looking up Bill Explorer, we know that HB 490 was heard in the House Judiciary Committee on Feb. 19. On the hearing website, a person can click the calendar date of Feb. 19 and it will open up another site. Next, click on House Judiciary, and it will open up the video or audio (your choice) of HB 490’s hearing.
As you might note, this was a very long hearing. To skip directly to the hearing on HB 490, you can
click the “agenda” button to the right of the video/ audio screen and then click HB 490. This will take you directly to the portion of the hearing on HB 490. Enjoy!
Similarly, SB 260 can be found the same way. On Bill Explorer, you will find that SB 260 was heard on Feb. 12 in Senate Taxation. You can tune into the recorded SB 260 hearing online.
Enjoy watching this video. You will see a lot of local Big Sky residents who drove the hours to the capitol in order to present their testimony to support SB 260. We are currently working on amendments to the bill to address some of the issues raised in the hearing. This is a normal part of the process and please keep looking up this bill. The next step will be Executive Action. The hearing for EA for both bills have not been set, but because there is no public participation, they can be set the morning of the EA. The EA is on the videos. As always, I am very blessed to be serving all of you in the Montana Legislature. Please keep reaching out to me with your thoughts or concerns.
You can reach me at my email. I also had a recent meeting with some constituents in West Yellowstone. They mentioned that updates on Instagram and Facebook would be helpful. I will be doing my best to post updates from the capitol on various votes and issues. If you would like to follow me, please do so on Facebook and Instagram.
Alanah Griffith was born in Big Sky and returned after law school to raise her son and practice law. Griffith represents Big Sky and the surrounding area in Montana’s House of Representatives. She can be reached by email at alanah.griffith@legmt.gov, on Facebook and on Instagram at, @griffithformt.
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ENVIRONMENT
DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: LOSING YOUR FEDERAL JOB
IT’S ONE THING TO LEAVE YOUR JOB BY CHOICE; IT’S ANOTHER TO BE FORCED
OUT BY THOSE WHO DON’T UNDERSTAND THE VALUE OF PUBLIC SERVICE
BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST
Several years after high school, I felt a compelling call to serve my country and make a positive difference. While many chose the armed forces, I sought an alternative route. I joined the California Conservation Corps as part of the Americorps Backcountry Trails Program, embarking on an incredible six-month journey in northern California. Alongside 25 passionate co-eds, I learned the art of building trails while living in a community committed to making nature accessible for everyone. This marked my first genuine job in service of the greater good.
Envision a career where your daily commute is a scenic hike, where you’re greeted by the unfolding beauty of nature and the invigorating mountain air. This was not just a job, but a dream job, with an ever-changing office view and a serene, natural backdrop.
Inspired by my transformative experience in the Trinity Alps, I worked seasonally in Glacier National Park, Texas’ Big Bend National Park, and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. From 2002 until 2011, I returned to Glacier each summer to work on trail crews, dedicating my winters to wildlife studies, carpentry and furthering my education at the University of Montana.
However, in 2011, I decided it was time to move on. I chose to be a fire lookout, despite a huge pay cut, scanning the terrain for fire and smoke. In 2012, I achieved that dream, spending over 70 days straight at 8,800 feet and immersing myself in the breathtaking beauty of the wilderness. Over the following years, I served as a ranger, worked on trail crews, mapped out soils and volunteered at a remote ranger station, all while emphasizing education and dedication to preservation.
Now, I must assert that my work was never just a job; it was a profound commitment to a cause greater than myself. As caretakers and stewards of our public lands, we embody the privilege and honor of protecting these lands for future generations. The immense responsibility of overseeing vast landscapes demands courage and vitality as we face the unpredictable challenges of nature. Our commitment extends to safeguarding the land and providing a home for its wildlife— grizzlies, mountain lions, wolves and wolverines alike—a world fast disappearing. Protecting our public lands is not merely a duty; it is an urgent necessity that transcends individual ambition.
Today, my heart aches for the thousands of dedicated federal workers who are being laid off, with the true extent of the devastation still coming to light. The U.S. Office of Personnel
Management reports that up to 220,000 employees from a workforce of 2.3 million could face job loss. Already, 2,300 workers from the Department of the Interior—including 800 from the BLM and 1,000 from the National Park Service—have been discarded like expendable resources. The U.S. Forest Service has cut 3,400 jobs. In just the past week, 360 people in Montana lost their positions at the USFS. Many of these individuals, who could have pursued more lucrative careers, sacrificed financial rewards for the honor of serving their communities and preserving our natural heritage. They are our faithful civil servants who care for this country.
Is cutting jobs in these vital departments indeed the solution? Studies show that between 1995 and 2017, the U.S. Forest Service lost nearly a quarter of its workforce from internal cuts. This department is not a growing burden on taxpayers but rather a critical service that deserves support. The National Park Service generates most revenue through entrance and campground fees. Is the current administration genuinely saving anything by slashing these jobs? Or is this merely a tactic to create a narrative that federal land management agencies lack the resources to protect our lands, paving the way for potential land transfers to states? But let’s be clear—states often lack the capacity to manage these lands, too, which leaves them vulnerable to sale to wealthy corporations and billionaires.
This is far more than an abstract issue; these ruthless policies directly affect rural communities that rely on the Forest Service and BLM for their livelihoods. Many of these workers cast their votes for Trump, perhaps believing in a promise of better days, but are now being blind-sided by unexpected attacks on their public lands.
These ruthless characters wield power over people’s lives as if they were pieces in a chess game. But we are not pawns for their schemes or plans; we are vital contributors to the fabric of our society. They betray their claim as saviors after igniting the flames of devastation, pushing toward the privatization of our cherished public lands that truly make America great.
Mark Twain was once questioned about his loyalty. He boldly stated, “My loyalty is to one’s country, not its institutions or officeholders. The country is the real thing, the substantial thing, the eternal thing, the thing to watch over and care for. The institutions are extraneous. There it is mere clothing. Clothing can wear out, cease to be comfortable, and cease to protect the body from winter, disease, or death. To be loyal to rags, to shout for rags, to die for rags is the loyalty of unreason.”
Now, more than ever, we must stand firm in our commitment to protecting our public lands and fight against the privatization that threatens the very heart of our national identity. Regardless of our political affiliations, let’s unite for the greater good, advocate for those who protect our invaluable resources, and ensure that our natural treasures endure for generations. Together, we can make a difference. This is not a bipartisan issue but one that affects us all equally. We all need a healthy environment.
Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His stories have been published in Audubon, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and other publications on his website. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana. Follow him on Instagram.
EBS columnist Benjamin Alva Polley working from the Scalplock Lookout at Glacier National Park.
PHOTO BY AARON TEASDALE
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MASS FIRINGS CUT THE MUSCLE, NOT THE FAT ENVIRONMENT
BY RIVA DUNCAN WRITERS ON THE RANGE
The stories are heartbreaking. US Forest Service, National Park Service and other federal workers—some of them within weeks of ending probationary periods— fired. And not for cause; these workers were just starting out on dreamedof careers or taking on new responsibilities in agencies where they’d already been for years.
The Trump administration’s vaunted effort to “trim the fat” from the federal government and curb “waste and fraud” reveal one terrible—but not surprising—fact: The cost-cutters have no idea how government works or who does what in the federal workforce.
Probation doesn’t mean poor performers. It simply means that someone has only worked one or two years under authorities such as Veterans Recruitment Authority or Schedule A of a permanent job. Or it’s their first time in a supervisory position.
I worked for the Forest Service in forestry and then wildland fire for over 32 years before retiring in 2020. Because I’m now an advocate for firefighters, I’ve heard from many Forest Service workers who were suddenly fired by the Trump administration. I’ll tell you about two of them.
When he was 18, Cyrus Issari was hired to work with the Idaho Conservation Corps, building trail in the Sawtooth Mountains. He’d “found his passion,” he said, getting jobs as a temporary employee for the Bureau of Land Management and then the Forest Service. He cleared hazard trees
with a chainsaw, cleaned campgrounds and also donned the Smokey Bear costume for public events. Best of all, he started fighting wildfires.
In 2022, Issari secured a permanent position—what he called his “dream job”—with a wilderness trail crew on New Mexico’s Gila National Forest. A few weeks ago, his entire eight-person trail crew was fired. Issari had been making $18.96 an hour.
“The land and people will suffer from (this) if nothing is done,” Issari told me.
Liz Crandall was fired last week from her field ranger position in Central Oregon. She started as a volunteer on the Umpqua National Forest in southwest Oregon in 2016, helping a botanist get rid of invasive weeds.
The recreation shop scooped her up and put her to work doing sign maintenance, improving trails and cleaning campgrounds. Hired into a temporary recreation position in 2018, she also received wildland fire training and assisted on numerous wildfires.
She moved on to work for Oregon’s Willamette National Forest in recreation and then, in 2023, secured her permanent position as a field ranger on the Deschutes National Forest.
“I have dedicated my career and life to the US Forest Service,” Crandall said. Her performance evaluations were rated “excellent,” which is why she was outraged by the wording of her termination:
“The Agency finds, based on your performance, that you have not demonstrated that your further employment in the Agency would be in the public interest.” Liz had been making $19.10 per hour.
There are common denominators in these stories, shared by the thousands (so far, 3,400 from the US Forest Service, 1,000 from the National Park
Service, and 400 from the US Fish and Wildlife Service) of others who have been fired.
These folks love our public lands and have trained to do a variety of needed jobs. They feel a calling to serve the American taxpayers and countless visitors. They seek jobs that always pay more in sunsets than money.
Make no mistake, these hard-working and dedicated people aren’t the fat, they are the muscle.
These firings will have ripple effects. They are your neighbors who pay rent or take on mortgages. They shop in the local grocery stores and feed stores and coach basketball.
Many will have to move, and they will take their small, but meaningful, paychecks with them. They won’t be there to assist with search and rescue, to fight the wildfires that are becoming larger and more unpredictable, threatening the lives and livelihoods of countless Americans.
What can we do to support them? Show up for rallies. Write, or better yet call, your elected officials and tell them what effect these firings will have on you, your family, your business, your community. Be kind to those who are still working. Some were forced to fire the very people who never should have been let go.
There’s a big void to fill, now, and everyone needs to pitch in.
Riva Duncan is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about Western issues. She is vice president of Grassroots Wildland Firefighters, grassrootswildlandfirefighters.com, and also works as an international consultant in emergency management.
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EVERY DROP COUNTS: FEDERAL LAYOFFS AND LOSS OF FEDERAL FUNDING CREATE A RIPPLE EFFECT HERE AT HOME
BY MARNE HAYES EBS CONTRIBUTOR
It is hard to quantify the extent of the damage that recent federal layoffs will have across the country, and here at home in Montana. The latest count is that approximately 5000 people have been terminated from the agencies that manage the 640 million acres of U.S. public lands in the United States (and 30 million here in Montana). These acres—30 million of which are in Montana— encompass lands that are close to our hearts, our communities, and our economy.
They include national parks and national forests like the Custer Gallatin, (which sees roughly 3.5 million visitors annually), wilderness, protected areas on land and water, and scenic rivers. They encompass hiking trails, river access sites, and recreation facilities that collectively attract more than 500 million visitors across the country every year and locally support our vibrant outdoor economy. For example, in 2017 outfitter and guide services brought in more than $95 million to the region.
Here in Montana, the Forest service has eliminated 360 jobs so far, which is just a fraction of the 3400 jobs lost nationally, a cut of roughly 10% of its total workforce. Livelihoods aren’t the only thing being lost. These layoffs mean fewer resources for community health, environmental protections, wildfire safety and river restoration. It threatens clean water projects and efforts in sustainability and ecological health. For the Gallatin River Task Force, these layoffs—handed down on high from Washington—impact the work we do to protect the Gallatin, including decades spent building critical relationships with the Forest Service.
These layoffs and impacts are not arbitrary. They have a direct impact on our river restoration efforts at the core of our work designed to repair existing
resource damage and address recurring algae blooms. The middle segment of the Gallatin River, stretching from the Yellowstone National Park Boundary to the confluence with Spanish Creek, has experienced unprecedented algal blooms since the summer of 2018, and the support from and collaboration with the Custer Gallatin National Forest has been paramount to finding solutions and paths to mitigate them.
Without adequate management and infrastructure that comes largely through the Forest Service, increased pressure from recreation and other human factors will go unchecked, causing environmental impacts such as soil erosion, damage to vegetation, increased wildlife disturbances, water pollution, and increased risk of wildland fires. There are further concerns that intersect ecological impacts with social ones; degraded aesthetics, diminished safety, and evidence of human disturbance. We cannot be fooled into thinking the impacts are too high level, and don’t affect the things closest to home.
The bad news doesn’t stop at the termination of these jobs, either, with federal funding grants frozen or discontinued and the Trump administration’s efforts to deconstruct one of our oldest and most effective bedrock environmental laws concurrently at play. Our work along the Gallatin and throughout its tributaries relies on the backstop of critical environmental laws like the National Environmental Protection Act, which is currently at risk of being systematically dismantled. NEPA protects public resources by requiring the federal government to consider the environmental consequences before approving infrastructure and development projects ranging from roads and bridges to oil and gas pipelines to solar farms.
These are the critical pieces that help protect the Gallatin; that support our work and take into account all of the potential impacts of growth, with the goal to protect our water resources. Without these laws in place, there are no promises. NEPA is one of the strongest tools available for communities to engage and give input on major decisions that impact our health and safety. It has shaped
environmental policy for more than 50 years, serving as a model around the world. Dismantling NEPA should be of great concern to all of us.
Right now, the Task Force has more than $200,000 critical dollars of grant money in limbo; money that would be used for restoration projects that have been planned and strategically identified as part of the long term vision for a healthier river corridor. The planned restoration work includes 12 projects that will address ecological degradation along 39 miles of the mainstem Upper Gallatin River. Anticipated benefits range from improved water quality, to enhanced habitats for fish and wildlife, increased ability to withstand flooding and drought conditions, and sustainable river access. Like dozens of other local nonprofits, we’re waiting on thousands of dollars, putting our vital work at risk. As we wait for federal funding, the future of this work is threatened, and years of progress are at risk.
The unfortunate common thread here is that there are damaging changes in motion, threats to our environment and natural resources, community health, and to the agencies and people that manage our recreation spaces. This puts a spotlight on a deep disconnect between the laws and the lawmakers, the public lands and waters and the elected officials who manage them, and those making decisions for the ecosystems and the economy that they support.
The current state of affairs is fragile, and moving quickly, and it is up to us to be the force that impacts the course of the outcome. Contact your legislators, U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and U.S. Sen. Tim Sheehy; let them know that the layoffs are critically misguided, that the limbo of funding will reverse the course of improvements to our river habitats, and that the laws that protect our environment are imperative if we are to see our landscapes move forward, and not back.
Marne Hayes is a content contributor with the Gallatin River Task Force.
PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS
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