SNAPSHOT

Livingston photographer Erik Petersen was cross-country skiing through Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge in late winter 2019 when he spotted this reflection in an open patch of water. He took several photographs that also included the actual trees in the background, “but I liked this shot of just the reflection better because it’s more alluring,” he says. “In this age where people are scrolling through hundreds of Instagram shots each day, I’ve been trying to take photographs that ask viewers to pause a moment and look at the image more closely.” n

BIRD CONSERVATION

30 years of “keeping common birds common”

t’s widely known that birds need healthy habitats for nesting and raising their young. But what about the places where they spend their winters and the habitats in between?

Many (144) of Montana’s 434 bird species winter in western Mexico, Central America, and points farther south. Known as neotropical migrants, these species range from ospreys and Swainson’s hawks to red-eyed vireos and western tanagers.

In 1990, recognizing the need for what scientists call “full life-cycle conservation,” a broad coalition of public and private conservation organizations established Partners in Flight.

“The idea behind Partners in Flight is that we need scientific data and conservation planning for birds across their entire life cycle and year-round range,” Bob Ford, PIF coordinator, says.

This year marks the partnership’s 30year anniversary.

5Cost, in dollars, to purchase a chance to float the Smith River with the FWP Super Permit*. * See the FWP website for details. I PIF’s more than 150 member groups and agencies throughout the Western Hemisphere work together to develop conservation plans, conduct research, reduce bird mortality, and protect habitat. One major advancement has been to develop a way to generate simple numerical scores that rank each individual bird species according to its vulnerability and status based on distribution, TGIFF “We want population trends, threats, and regional abundance data. “States Another reason to look forward to the end of to conserve and federal governments can each week: FWP’s “Fisheries Friday” Insta- species then use those numbers to objecgram, Twitter, and Facebook social media post- before they tively assign regional and contiings. “The idea is to share fisheries information with the public and feature some of the biologists and technicians who do the work,” says become imperiled.” nental conservation priorities,” Ford says. The partnership assesses Kelsey Allison, FWP social media coordinator. more than 400 North American birds and The weekly posts provide fishing and biologi- compiles an annual “Watch List” of species cal information and touch on topics like fishing deserving the greatest attention. “Birds like recreation conflicts, AIS updates, and late Montana’s chestnut-collared longspur resummer hoot owl closures. Proposed 2020 quire immediate and coordinated actions Fisheries Friday topics include: across their full range and life cycles to reu Fish migrations duce threats, reverse declines, and prevent u Northern pike: friend or foe? future extinctions,” Ford says. u How to fish a prairie pond While shining a light on high-risk u Meet your local fisheries biologist species, PIF also focuses on a philosophy of Visit the latest posts on FWP’s social media “keeping common birds common.” “We pages at @montanafwp. want to conserve species before they become imperiled, with the goal of avoiding costly federal protection and risky long-term efforts to recover populations,” says Ford. “If a species is common now, let’s find out what’s necessary in terms of research, policies, and habitat conservation to keep it that way.” Learn more about PIF at partnersinflight.org. n

Rose-breasted grosbeaks are neotropical migrants that winter in Mexico and pass through Montana on their way to breeding grounds in Canada and Alaska.

OUTDOOR RECREATION

New state outdoor recreation plan unveiled

The state of Montana has recently released its latest Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP). Containing agreed-upon priorities, the document will help state, federal, and municipal agencies make decisions when managing camping, fishing, hiking, hunting, wildlife watching, and other outdoor recreation over the next five years. “This new plan addresses how Montana can enhance the outdoor recreation assets that sustain our economy and support outdoor opportunities for all,” Governor Steve Bullock says.

The release of SCORP comes on the heels of a recent report by the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis showing that Montana ranks second in the nation in the percentage of its GDP—5.1 percent in Montana—that is tied to the outdoor recreation economy.

The 2020-2024 SCORP was developed by Montana State Parks, a division of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, with guidance from an advisory committee with members representing local, state, tribal, and federal agencies; business interests; and outdoors advocacy organizations. FWP and committee members conducted public meetings statewide to solicit opinions from a wide range of Montanans.

The document identifies six high-level goals and recommendations:  Promote outdoor recreation opportunities for all Montanans.

 Enhance public access to outdoor recreation resources and facilities.  Support the economic vitality of communities and the state.  Improve quality of life through outdoor recreation experiences.  Adapt outdoor recreation for a changing environment.  Honor Montana’s outdoor legacy. “Given the growing pressures on the resources that sustain all outdoor recreation and associated economic activity, we need to regularly revise and update Montana’s guiding document for outdoor recreation management,” Martha Williams, FWP director, says. SCORP also fulfills a federal Read the new SCORP at stateparks.mt.gov. requirement that every state complete a statewide plan to be eligible for Land and Water Conservation Funds (LWCF). Since 1965, Montana has received $38 million from this federal program for outdoor recreation projects in Montana communities. Montana State Parks administers the LWCF for Montana. “Because it includes such a wide range of outdoor experiences, from mountain biking and snowmobiling to bowhunting and flyfishing, the new SCORP reinforces FWP’s role as a leader in managing Montana’s outdoor experiences,” Williams says. “That recreation diversity also reaffirms this department’s mantra that ‘The Outside Is In Us All.’” n

Montana Outdoors goes to school

FWP recently began a new education program that uses Montana Outdoors to improve student literacy and critical thinking skills in Montana middle and high school classrooms. For one or two articles in each issue, FWP provides a literacy evaluation assessment worksheet, developed by a middle-school teacher and department education specialists. Some assessment worksheets include additional science or math activities.

“We want to use our popular magazine to encourage students to read and think critically about science involving wildlife and other natural resources right here in Montana,” says Laurie Wolf, interim chief of the FWP Education Bureau.

The worksheet for a recent article on a moose study asks students to identify, among other components, the biologists named in the article, the aims of the study, and what scientists learned when they used GPS collars to track moose. For an article on swift foxes, students are asked to identify the correct population size, the differences between swift foxes and red foxes, which counties have the highest swift fox population densities, and other story elements.

Teachers seeking information on the program or to sign up to receive the assessments for their students can contact Wolf at LWolf@mt.gov or (406) 444-9945. n