Explore Big Sky - May 18 to 31, 2023

YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLY BEARS STOP EXPANDING RANGE

BIG SKY ROADMAP COULD MARK A TURNING POINT

BIG SKY RESORT BACK TO WORK ON NEW TRAM

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS LINEUP ANNOUNCED

COUNTY OFFICIALS DISCUSS LOCAL ISSUES IN BIG SKY

PLUS: BIG SKY PBR VOTED “EVENT OF THE YEAR” FOR NINTH TIME

May 18-31, 2023

Volume 14, Issue No. 10

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana PUBLISHER

Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL

MANAGING EDITOR

Jason Bacaj | jason@theoutlawpartners.com

STAFF WRITER

Jack Reaney | jack@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL CONSULTANT

Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE

SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER

Trista Hillman | trista@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES

AND OPERATIONS

CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com

CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER

Treston Wold | treston@theoutlawpartners.com

VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION

Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com

MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR

Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING MANAGER

Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTENT PRODUCTION DIRECTOR

Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com

MARKETING COORDINATOR

Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com

SENIOR ACCOUNTANT

Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD

Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS

Rich Addicks, Tom Attwater, Braydon Ball, Julia Barton, Danny Bierschwale, Mario Carr, Darrel Ehrlick, Neal Herbert, Rachel Hergett, Eric Johnston, Mike Koshmrl, Silas Miller, Dan Parnes, Jim Peaco, Dave Pecunies, Pixabay, Benjamin Alva Polley, Paul Swenson, Madeline Thunder

OPENING SHOT

ON THE COVER:

TABLE OF CONTENTS

BIG SKY ROADMAP COULD MARK A TURNING POINT

The Big Sky Resort Area District has unveiled a “Roadmap” plan to improve infrastructure, funding and voter representation in the coming decade. Legislative and vote-based changes may support the efforts, including adjustments to school, library and hospital districts in the Madison County portion of Big Sky.

BIG SKY RESORT BACK TO WORK ON NEW TRAM

Despite the lingering winter, construction crews got right to work after Big Sky Resort’s closing day. After getting a head start on foundation work last summer, the resort plans to finish its new Lone Peak Tram by opening day in November 2023. It’s the first tram to be constructed in the United States since 2008.

COUNTY OFFICIALS DISCUSS LOCAL ISSUES IN BIG SKY

At the bi-annual Madison-Gallatin Joint County Commission Meeting on May 3, local leaders and county officials discussed the issues most pressing to Big Sky. Discussions included upcoming TIGER Grant road work, an update for the Big Sky Post Office, the long-awaited Madison County polling station in Big Sky, and more.

YELLOWSTONE GRIZZLY BEARS STOP EXPANDING RANGE

As officials made recent changes to their method of tracking grizzlies, their data shows that decades of recovery and expansion from Yellowstone National Park may have come to an end. Humans have made an impact on their expansion, and the impact may soon include hunting to further limit grizzly expansion under.

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS LINEUP ANNOUNCED

Bears are out and active this spring—both in the wild and in the news. Concerns over a grizzly population in the Cabinet-Yaak area led a judge to shut down a mining project, a federal report found the Yellowstone-area grizzly population's range is shrinking slightly, and environmental groups are suing the state of Montana out of concern for how the state's expanded trapping laws could affect bears.

PHOTO BY PIXABAY

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.

Big Sky’s popular summer series of free concerts just keeps getting bigger. Explore Big Sky spoke with Brian Hurlbut, executive director of the Arts Council of Big Sky. Hurlbut shared exciting acts to come this summer, including world-famous pop artists and up-and-coming rockers. For the first time, each Thursday show will have an opening performer from Montana.

PLUS: BIG SKY PBR VOTED “EVENT OF THE YEAR” FOR NINTH TIME

For the ninth time in just 11 years, the Big Sky PBR has been voted the best event of the year by Professional Bull Riders. Whether it’s the fans, the riders and the bulls, or the venue, it brings community and booming business to Big Sky every summer. The award was presented in Fort Worth, Texas, to Outlaw Partners, Big Sky PBR producer and publisher of Explore Big Sky.

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.

ADVERTISING DEADLINE

For the June 1, 2023 issue: May 24, 2023

CORRECTIONS

Please report errors to media@outlaw.partners.

OUTLAW PARTNERS & EXPLORE BIG SKY P.O. Box 160250, Big Sky, MT 59716 (406) 995-2055 • media@theoutlawpartners.com

© 2023 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

SCAN FOR TOWN CRIER NEWSLETTER. DAILY NEWS, STRAIGHT TO YOUR INBOX.

On Friday, May 12 the EBS editorial team took a ride up the original Lone Peak Tram, not to ski but rather to tour the construction site atop Lone Mountain for the new 75-person tram set to debut at Big Sky Resort next winter. Foggy weather turned into a flurry on the peak. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

ALL INFORMATION PROVIDED IS DEEMED RELIABLE BUT IS NOT GUARANTEED AND SHOULD BE INDEPENDENTLY VERIFIED. INFORMATION AND DEPICTIONS ARE SUBJECT TO ERRORS, OMISSIONS, PRIOR SALES, PRICE CHANGES OR WITHDRAWAL WITHOUT NOTICE. NO GOVERNMENTAL AGENCY HAS JUDGED THE MERITS OR VALUE, IF ANY, OF THE INFORMATION CONTAINED IN THIS ADVERTISEMENT OR ANY REAL ESTATE DESCRIBED OR DEPICTED HEREIN. THIS MATERIAL SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE AN OFFER TO SELL IN ANY STATE OR OTHER JURISDICTION WHERE PRIOR REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED OR WHERE SUCH AN OFFER WOULD BE PROHIBITED, AND THIS SHALL NOT CONSTITUTE A SOLICITATION IF YOU ARE WORKING WITH ANOTHER REAL ESTATE AGENT. NOTHING HEREIN SHALL BE CONSTRUED AS

OR OTHER PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

OFFICIALS INVESTIGATING DEATH IN YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

EBS STAFF

On May 13, A woman was found dead in a vehicle that had been driven into a snowbank on Craig Pass about 3 miles south of Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park, according to a park press release. Park rangers found the body when they responded to a report of an incident on the pass. A single vehicle had been driven into a snowbank. As rangers arrived, a man was standing outside the vehicle, the release states.

The man was arrested for drug possession and other traffic-related charges, the release states. An investigation into the cause of the woman’s death is ongoing.

The investigation is being performed by the Investigative Services Branch and Yellowstone Law Enforcement Division—both are part of the National Park Service—with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Teton County Coroner’s Office.

NONPROFIT AIMS TO BUY OLD MINE ON YNP NORTHERN BORDER

EBS STAFF

The Greater Yellowstone Coalition is trying to raise $6.25 million to purchase land and mineral rights—and prevent mining—on the northern boundary of Yellowstone National Park.

The Bozeman-based nonprofit has raised $3.9 million in its effort to buy the mining claim from Crevice Mining Group, LLC. It also hopes to buy the deed to a 300-acre parcel of land, which it would then transfer to the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

According to a press release on the group’s plan, the mineral rights and land acquisition would “extinguish the last real and significant mining threat on the border of Yellowstone National Park, forever.”

GYC said it has until Oct. 1 to raise the remaining money.

GIANFORTE CALLS FOR AGGRESSIVE ATTACK ON ALL WILDFIRES

EBS STAFF

Gov. Greg Gianforte this month convened federal, state, tribal and local fire officials for a preview of the state’s wildfire readiness. Forecasters say Montana could see normal fire activity this summer.

According to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, 95% of last season’s fire starts were kept to 10 acres or less.

Representatives of the state’s fire agencies vowed to build on that record during the annual fire briefing with Gov. Gianforte.

As a result of legislation passed this session, Gianforte says the state will spend more than $60 million to both increase its initial attack capabilities, and to implement forest health improvement projects.

Montana DNRC Fire Protection Bureau Chief Matt Hall says 80% of that agency’s seasonal firefighting positions are filled. Hall says he expects all those seasonal positions will be filled by June.

JUDGE HALTS LINCOLN COUNTY LOGGING PROJECT BECAUSE OF GRIZZLY BEAR CONCERNS

EBS STAFF

In early May, U.S. District Court judge Dana Christensen halted a logging project in the Kootenai National Forest because of its potential to harm an already imperiled population of grizzly bears.

The Knotty Pine timber project would have started as soon as mid-May, but a coalition of environmental groups has worked for several years to stop or modify the project, which they say could devastate the small group of grizzly bears trying to come back in the Cabinet and Yaak mountain ranges.

The project area consists of just more than 56,000 acres in Lincoln County, in the Three Rivers Ranger District. The industrial timber harvest and fuel treatments, which include “pre-commercial” thinning, would total just less than 10,000 acres, including authorization of prescribed burns totaling 7,465 acres.

Christensen cited the bear recovery targets for the Cabinet-Yaak Ecosystem as part of his rationale for halting the project.

PUBLIC NOTICE

Pursuant to section 7(j) of Ordinance 20081, notice is hereby given that as of May 12, 2023, Bailey’s Ventures, LLC, dba The Standard Big Sky, has failed to remit Resort Tax to the Big Sky Resort Area District for 407 days.

CLASSIFIED

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR LEASE

Meadow Village Center Unit I (old Trove space)

1441 square feet main level Call 406-995-4579 for more information.

Since 1992, the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) has awarded over $106 million to fund priority programs and projects throughout Big Sky. The FY24 funding process is now underway. Contracts for Government Services, totaling over $6 million, were just finalized.

The next step in this process is where the BSRAD Board determines funding for nonprofit requests that will have a positive impact on our community. The Board wants to hear from the community to help guide their investment decisions.

FY24 funding requests total $11,044,535 for 52 projects from 20 sponsoring organizations.

GET INVOLVED!

ENGAGE ONLINE NEW!

Introducing 'Prioritize' - the new online portal where you can review funding requests and select the projects YOU would fund with just a click. Then rank them in order of importance.

ResortTax.org/Allocations

DEADLINE: 1:00 PM, Thursday, June 1

SEND AN EMAIL

Submit public comment expressing why you support or oppose a project.

Send to: PublicComment@ResortTax.org

DEADLINE: 1:00 PM, Thursday, June 1

ATTEND APPLICATION REVIEW MEETINGS

Listen in as the Board reviews projects, or step up and make your voice heard through public comment during these meetings held at BASE and via Zoom. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

PM

Visit ResortTax.org/Allocations for online resources, public comment instructions, and meeting links, agendas and materials.

** Please note that all comments will be entered into the public record and will be publicly available. **

TURNING

POINT: THE BIG SKY ROADMAP

BIG SKY COULD RE-DRAW LOCAL DISTRICTS TO IMPROVE SERVICES ACCESSIBLE TO TAXPAYERS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—As the Big Sky Resort Area District creates a capital improvement plan for Big Sky’s long-term needs, Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale is expecting a massive number.

“We might be looking at a number with a ‘B’ next to it,” he told EBS.

As this community faces an uphill climb to meet all of its of infrastructure needs—massive housing investments, dramatic transportation re-design, water and sewer improvement, scale of quality child care, climate action goals—BSRAD is rolling out a plan to remove weight from Big Sky’s backpack.

For now, that plan is the Big Sky Roadmap, a document introduced and praised at the April 19 BSRAD board meeting.

The Roadmap aims to “[get] the infrastructure in place that will make this community more livable into the future and help address some longstanding tax issues that this community at large has been aware of,” Bierschwale said.

BSRAD board member Kevin Germain said he’s been exploring these ideas for many years. He told EBS that if the Big Sky community becomes educated on these efforts, he believes there would not be a single person opposed.

The public document, which begins on page 6 of the April meeting’s agenda packet, states community goals, challenges and potential solutions. It places infrastructure and public needs on a timeline that stretches to the end of the decade.

BSRAD’s Roadmap is backed by a 30-page legal memo that explains legal steps necessary for change. It primarily describes if, and how, certain service districts—specifically school, library, and hospital— could better represent and serve the entire Big Sky community. Water and sewer, fire, parks and trails and transportation are currently Big Sky’s only districts that cross into Madison County, the location of Big Sky Resort and the private clubs.

That’s an issue for Big Sky residents living in Madison County, whose property taxes support the Ennis School District—where they cannot enroll children—and Madison Valley’s hospital and library districts. Both the hospital and library served by those districts are in Ennis and not reasonably accessible.

It takes nearly two hours and roughly 100 miles to drive to Ennis from Big Sky’s slice of Madison County, with the exception of the relatively direct— but private—Jack Creek Road.

Furthermore, although only 15% of Madison County voters live in Big Sky, those taxpayers fund a disproportionate share of Madison County entities. Big Sky’s Madison County property tax comprise upwards of 80% of the total tax revenue for all three of those districts, Bierschwale confirmed. In 2021, Big Sky taxpayers sent $2.6 million to the Ennis School District, $1.7 million to Madison Valley Hospital District, and $400,000 to the Madison Valley Library District.

Despite the outsized impact on Madison County’s tax base, the Roadmap states, Big Sky doesn’t have enough voters to elect someone to the county commission or the school, hospital and library district boards.

Bierschwale said, “I don’t know if I’d call it taxation without representation, but I would call it a broken process.”

He gave a shoutout to Bill Todd, Madison County commissioner, for procuring a long-awaited polling station for Big Sky voters with help from the Big Sky Fire Department. Until now, Big Sky voters have needed to drive hours to submit Madison County votes.

Leaving, creating and annexing territory into districts

In the Roadmap section titled “Potential Solutions,” the following proposals would serve each of Big Sky’s three main service needs.

For the school district, “align property tax revenue with student burdens” by bringing Big Sky’s Madison County taxpayers into the Big Sky School District, which currently educates 26 students from Madison County.

For the hospital, form a Big Sky Wellness District to help fund the Big Sky Medical Center and give grants to mental health and substance abuse initiatives. And again, “align property tax revenue with service burdens in Big Sky.”

And for the library, form a Big Sky Library District that supports the Friends of the Big Sky Community Library—no public library district currently exists in Big Sky.

“As we explore what this all means… the residents of Madison County [are] paying for services that are inaccessible—if we’re able to re-shuffle the deck then those services would be available for what they’re paying for,” Bierschwale said. He added that residents could have a voice in districts which apply to them, such as the ability to elect school board trustees in the district where their children attend.

These three solutions would require Big Sky’s withdrawal from the respective districts that serve Ennis. The Roadmap’s legal memo outlines how, beginning on page 17.

To create a hospital district, which can set fees, issue bonds, borrow money and levy taxes, a petition must be signed by 30% of qualified electors in the proposed territory. The memo adds—in general terms—that if a newly created district wanted to annex the Madison County portion of Big Sky, Madison County could not interfere.

Before any annexation, however, that territory would need to be withdrawn from the Madison Valley Hospital District.

That would require more than half of Big Sky property owners in Madison County to sign a petition stating that “such area will not be benefited by remaining in said district,” the memo states.

A public library district may contain territory inmore than one county. To create a district—as the Big Sky community could decide to do—a petition must be signed by 15% of qualified electors. Each county-section contained within the district would need its own petition, “presented to each county’s governing body,” the memo states.

“A library district could be a game-changer for creating long-term stability for the library,” Bierschwale said. “Same with the wellness [district], same with the school, you name it.”

Changes to a school district “rests entirely in the power of the legislature,” according to the memo. A few criteria must be met:

Both districts at play—in this case, the Big Sky and Ennis school districts—must be contiguous, which is the case. Both county superintendents must grant approval, “one for the withdrawal of school district territory from one district; and the second for the annexation of territory into the district.”

Also necessary to change school district boundaries is a petition signed by 60% of registered voters in the area of Big Sky that would shift into the Big Sky School District.

The memo further states: “When considering whether to approve the petition, the county superintendent considers the best and collective interest of the students in both the receiving and transferring districts… A strong argument can be made that when children in one district cannot physically reach the schools in their district because of transportation blocks, then withdrawal from one district and annexation into another district is warranted.”

Both Big Sky and Ennis school district superintendents and school boards would need to give approval.

When discussing “Big Sky,” the Big Sky Resort Area District (maroon dotted line) represents the community’s all-encompassing boundary, including Big Sky’s territory across county line (orange). COURTESY OF BSRAD

Big Sky Resort Tax recently unveiled a "Roadmap" to improve infrastructure investment, funding and voter representation in Big Sky. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

“If both the trustees of the receiving and transferring school districts have approved the proposed territory transfer in writing, the county superintendent shall grant the transfer,” the memo states, with ‘shall’ emphasized in bold font. A hearing for public comment is also required.

“We will need to express our opinions to decision makers that have control over the topics discussed in this roadmap,” Bierschwale said.

He emphasized that these efforts are being explored through a fiduciary lens.

“Some of this district restructuring is definitely a path forward for being able to bring [tax dollars] back,” he added.

Amending county boundaries

The Roadmap’s initial bullet-point summary (page 6-8) states that “IF the above efforts are unsuccessful, Big Sky could explore amending existing County Boundaries or creation of a new county.”

A subsequent bullet point adds, “Boundary realignment is very difficult politically but could potentially resolve all if not part of taxing and voter [representation] problems.”

In this case, Gallatin County could absorb a portion of Madison County, or Big Sky could also create its own county.

In the legal memo (beginning on page 40), “public safety purposes” are stated as the eligible factor to adjust county lines—because that would be the statutory avenue to do it, Bierschwale said.

A petition would need to be signed by a majority of property owners in the territory in question and submitted to the county clerk of each county. After a public hearing held by each county’s elected commissioners, “the boards of county commissioners shall either accept, reject or amend the boundary as proposed in the petition.”

If agreed upon, an election would be held including all registered voters from each county, requiring more than 50% of votes in favor on both sides.

“The county boundary is an interesting topic,” Bierschwale said. “Most of the initiatives that are outlined in that roadmap require some level of voter approval. With the counties, it’s a pretty high threshold that would be required to make meaningful change. It would be a pretty heavy lift—but nothing’s impossible.”

He reiterated that county boundary adjustment would be a last resort, should efforts including district realignment fail.

A sequence of action

The Gantt chart included in the Big Sky Roadmap illustrates the possible roll out of specific actions.

In some cases, the implementation of one step would make another impossible. Therefore, the order of operations could matter.

For example, the Roadmap’s bullet-point summary states that Targeted Economic Development Districts are not allowed inside a municipalities’ boundaries. Big Sky is currently unincorporated and has no TEDD districts, which use tax increment financing to leverage property taxes from future

growth to pay for existing infrastructure challenges within that district.

Those infrastructure challenges will be outlined in the Capital Improvement Plan, expected in August 2023.

However, exploratory efforts around the benefits, drawbacks and obstacles to incorporating a municipal government of Big Sky have captured local interest in recent months. Municipal structure (incorporation) is listed as one “potential solution” in the Big Sky Roadmap, and charted as an ongoing initiative until 2028.

The legal memo lists questions “worth exploring at the appropriate time,” including how to fund municipal costs; impact on liquor licensing laws; impact on other taxing districts like transportation, library, school, fire, zoning, and water and sewer.

If Big Sky did incorporate, the expected population of between 1,000 and 5,000 people would designate the community as a third-class city. Montana cities of that tier must have a police department, mayor, city judge and at least two city council members. And, as stated, any TEDD districts would need to be developed beforehand. Bierschwale pointed out that the nascent Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District—which, if extended far enough south to include the Big Sky School District, would carry a near $50 million price tag to protect the Gallatin River and human health—would be a perfect candidate for TEDD funding.

“The sequencing in the Gantt chart will change and adapt based on the needs of the community,” Bierschwale said. “But we do know that there are some low-hanging fruits in terms of thresholds that would need to be met, votes that would need to happen.”

He added that Big Sky has a civic engagement hurdle to get over. He urged residents to register and pay attention to local elections.

“At the end of the day, civic engagement is [our] number one priority,” he said. “With the last school district vote being around 722 votes, I think it demonstrates the level of engagement that we have.”

An engineer with the canyon water and sewer district recently said improving septic infrastructure will have the greatest impact on reducing algal blooms in the Gallatin River, which was recently slated for “impaired” status.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

This Gantt chart shows rough timing for actions between now and 2029. COURTESY OF BSRAD

A FOGGY PEEK INTO SUMMER TRAM CONSTRUCTION

LONE PEAK TRAM WILL BE THE FIRST TRAM BUILT IN THE UNITED STATES SINCE 2008 AT JACKSON HOLE

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—With ski season just receding in the rearview, Big Sky Resort is charging full steam ahead with its construction of the new Lone Peak Tram, planning to open next winter.

Despite a deep and lingering snowpack from this winter’s historic snowfall, construction crews have been hard at work on top and bottom of the incoming 75-person tram. Thanks to plowing and shoveling from the resort’s mountain operations team, workers can now drive rugged vehicles from the resort’s base area to the base of the tram. Around May 8, the Upper Morningstar road was cleared to reach the existing Lone Peak Tram, which is being used to convey workers to the peak. EBS donned hard hats for a site tour on Friday, May 12, complete with a flurry of graupel at the summit and the piercing sound of jackhammers chipping ice to make way for a concrete pour.

Chad Wilson, vice president of construction and development, answered questions at his 11,166-foot jobsite. He said the project will employ a handful of different helicopter services. On Friday, a chopper carried two or three loads to the peak before fog and snow caused a weather-hold.

“We try to get as much material up here as we can so when the weather does change, we still have work to do,” said Jas Raczynski, project manager. “And it’s a daily struggle… You just gotta work when you can up here.”

Skilled helicopter pilots represent a small share of the few hundred people that Wilson estimates have contributed to this project. The Lone Peak Tram has hired geotechnical engineers and builders from Bozeman, architects from Salt Lake City, structural and civil engineers from Zurich, and foundation experts from the West Coast.

The new tram is contracted through Austria-based Doppelmayr, Big Sky Resort’s go-to company for chairlift upgrades. Switzerland-based Garaventa is the sister company of Doppelmayr which focuses on gondola and tram projects, like this one.

“A few of our future tram maintenance mechanics are actually working on assembling the tram, which is a really neat opportunity to become familiar with the equipment before they have to operate it,” Wilson said.

Raczynski said the next three weeks are about pouring concrete. The next critical milestone comes the week of May 22: an 80-plus-foot tower crane set atop Lone Mountain which will be used to install components of the tram.

“Once we have the tower crane going, we can get the Swiss guys [from] Garaventa up here, and they can start setting the steel for the structure. Once they’re up here, things are really going to start moving,” Raczynski said.

For that massive tower crane, material will be lifted by a Boeing Chinook helicopter that can handle over 10,000 pounds in the thin air above 11,000 feet.

“The engineers back in Switzerland sort of pieced the whole thing together based on a weight limit

that we gave them,” Wilson said. “So it was always engineered to be carried by helicopter.”

Coming to Big Sky shortly after working in residential construction in Minnesota, Raczynski said the Lone Peak Tram is his dream job.

“I’m just really excited to see this, and I want to make sure I don’t mess it up… Whatever it takes to get the job done, we want to make sure we’re open on Thanksgiving Day,” Raczynski said.

Wilson said the tram is still on track with that goal.

The project’s groundwork was handled last summer by anchoring foundations into the mountain. With that head start, Raczynski expects to begin installing tram components on the peak by mid-June.

Wilson explained, “When we initially evaluated the project years ago, it was pretty evident that we weren’t going to be able to do it in one season, just because of the number of foundational elements. It was always the plan to get the bottom of the foundation done in year one, and then finish it in year two.”

The previous Lone Peak Tram was constructed in one summer, but it did not include any towers. This time, construction includes a 100-foot tower about 650 feet shy of the peak. The new tram follows a significantly different path, requiring a tower to lift the cable over an upper shoulder of Lone Mountain.

Raczynski said things are getting a little better on the supply-chain front, but electrical equipment has been hard to procure.

“That was a big headache and heartache to get that figured out, but… we kept calling around and we finally found some stuff that will show up in time. We need to be energized in mid-July, so it was a bit of a scramble to get that equipment ordered,” Raczynski said.

The summer of 2022 was short on both ends, so Raczynski said they’re trying to make up for two lost weeks. Weather permitting, workers are on the peak by 7 a.m., and they’ll work until 6 or 7 at night.

On May 10 and 11, each of the “rope saddles” were installed at the bottom terminal.

Bull wheels have arrived, and like much of the heavy equipment, they were transported from Europe by cargo ship and trucked to Big Sky from coastal ports.

Construction-related use of the existing tram will continue until Sept. 18, 2023, if all goes to plan, before deconstruction must begin. Afterwards, there will be a four to six week period with no lift access to the peak before the new tram carries its first passengers—members of the hardworking construction crew.

The resort does not yet have a plan regarding the preservation of the 28-year-old tram cabins when they are lowered from the cable.

The Lone Peak Tram construction crew battles a flurry on May 12 as they finish foundation work. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

Wilson raises his voice over the noise of a busy construction scene. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

A scenic spectacle

The new tram will climb 2,142 vertical feet—an increase over the existing tram by more than 600 feet. It will travel at 10 meters per second, keeping a similar ride time of four minutes.

Next winter, the top terminal will operate without an enclosed building at the peak. But after a third summer of construction, the top terminal will be enclosed by a building that includes a glass-floored viewing platform that overlooks the Big Couloir, opening for winter 2024-25.

Wilson said this project has been “a balancing act” between trying to create a scenic experience, while conquering the geotechnical challenges of Lone

Mountain. This all took considerable engineering, he said.

Starting summer 2024, the construction crew will mostly pivot to the next and final phase of Big Sky Resort’s massive lift infrastructure upgrade: bringing a gondola back to Big Sky Resort, expected to open for winter 2025-26.

The gondola will reach the tram’s bottom terminal, creating a base-to-peak lift system.

By 2026, the gondola and tram will open as an ADA-accessible summer attraction to bring tourists to the highest scenic overlook in Montana, according to Big Sky Resort PR Director Stacie Mesuda.

THE BEST MONTANA MADE JERKY & TREATS

Photographed this past winter, tower foundations were already anchored into the mountain. The two smaller blocks will serve as the primary tower base, with the larger block adding structural support.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

These massive installments will help guide the tram cable. PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

The custom tram cabins are under construction by CWA Constructions in Switzerland. COURTESY OF BIG SKY RESORT

COMMUNITY DIGS ‘A MILESTONE’ FOR BIG SKY HOUSING

LONE MOUNTAIN LAND AND HOUSING TRUST BREAK GROUND ON RIVERVIEW APARTMENTS

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Local leaders dug shovels into Big Sky’s next major workforce housing project on Wednesday, May 3.

Construction of the RiverView apartment complex “will definitely be known for years to come as a milestone for the Big Sky Community,” said David O’Connor, Big Sky Community Housing Trust executive director. He took the podium to welcome attendees, adding context to the sunny spring afternoon.

RiverView will include 97 units, totaling 387 bedrooms reserved for income-qualified members of Big Sky’s resident workforce. One quarter of those units will be rented by the Housing Trust—administered federally by the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program and on a state level by the Montana Board of Housing.

To gain LIHTC eligibility, those renters will need to earn an average of 60% of the area median income, which equates to less than $40,000 annually in Big Sky, and work full-time in the resort area district boundary. Rent will be set at 33% of total income.

The remaining three quarters of RiverView units will be owned and operated by Lone Mountain Land Company, a primary Big Sky employer that recently opened its Powder Light Apartments across the street. Some of LMLC’s RiverView units have been built already using modular construction—offsite in Boise, Idaho—and will be ready for occupancy next winter.

A community priority

In a fast and efficient speech, O’Connor told the story of the Housing Trust’s recent action.

“Our need is great, and our goals are ambitious,” he said, pointing out that Big Sky needs 1,000 deedrestricted, affordable homes, which is expected to cost more than $100 million over the next decade.

The Housing Trust cut its first ribbon in June 2019, upon completion of 52 single-family townhomes in the MeadowView condominiums. MeadowView is exclusive to income-qualified individuals who work full-time in Big Sky.

After MeadowView, the housing trust targeted deedrestricted long-term rentals. This led to a partnership with Missoula-based Blue Line Development, which brought experience building income-restricted housing through LIHTC.

BSCHT applied for funding through the Montana Board of Housing. Seeing that the Lone Mountain Land Company had recently acquired the RiverView parcel, BSCHT pursued Resort Tax funding to purchase a portion of that land and build 25 LIHTC apartments.

Matt Kidd, Managing Director of CrossHarbor Capital Partners and Lone Mountain Land Company, also spoke at the groundbreaking ceremony.

“The housing problem in Big Sky is big. It’s real,” Kidd said. “We’ve been working to make Big Sky more livable for more locals and [workers].”

Kidd said that from 2015 to 2020, even before Big Sky’s housing challenge was accelerated by COVID-19, the Big Sky community lost about 1,000 units of housing to short-term rentals.

“We are playing a lot of catch-up,” Kidd said. “And we acknowledge we have a lot of work to do… RiverView is putting a major dent in the problem.”

RiverView fits into LMLC’s multi-year effort to build a wide spectrum of community-based housing, Kidd said. Between Gallatin Gateway and Big Sky, LMLC

has invested over $300 million to create more than 480 long-term rentals and house 1,600 local workers.

“We have plans to develop another 900 units,” Kidd said, referring to the next decade. “Reality is, there’s a vision for another $600 million of capital to be mobilized to invest in housing for this community—on land that we essentially already have access to.”

He added that community partnerships will remain integral in the process—both Powder Light and RiverView projects were enabled by Resort Tax, the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District and the Housing Trust.

The 1% difference

The nonprofit Housing Trust has leverage in water and sewer rights.

It’s a housing-focused bargaining chip, awarded by Big Sky County Water and Sewer District and Resort Tax when Big Sky voters chose in 2020 to enact an additional “1% for infrastructure” resort tax that will be in place until 2032. The additional money raised will fund 60% of the BSCWSD’s new Water Resource Recovery Facility.

“As a community, this was perhaps the wisest thing we’ve ever done,” O’Connor said, with regards to the 600 single-family equivalents of water system tie-in rights that agreement allotted to the Housing Trust.

Danny Bierschwale, Resort Tax executive director, gave Wednesday’s third and final speech.

He reflected on over three decades of Big Sky’s resort tax on luxury goods. Since inception, BSRAD has granted over $100 million to community programming, operations and capital initiatives, he said.

Grants support nonprofits and government services spanning arts and education, economic development, health and safety, public works, recreation and conservation, and housing.

Housing, he emphasized, is a complex issue that must be solved “through the power of partnership.”

“I often hear the word ‘they’ used in the context of change—I wish ‘they’ would do something… Who is they?” Bierschwale said. “In this case, it’s a diverse group of partners that are here today… Federal, state, county and local partners.”

He named and thanked a variety of organizations, “and last but not least, the electorate of Big Sky that made the 1% [tax for infrastructure] possible.”

In Bierschwale’s recent debut column with Explore Big Sky, he described the importance of voting on local issues.

Kidd also gave thanks to the community in attendance, the Housing Trust board, the Big Sky Resort Area District and the water and sewer district.

“Without the foresight of those organizations many years ago to increase Resort Tax to 4% and expand the water and sewer treatment plant: no chance we’d be here today,” Kidd said. “We’re here today because of the work those organizations did several years ago and this community will be forever grateful.”

Dozens of Big Sky community members—including all three Gallatin County Commissioners following the Madison-Gallatin Joint County Commissioner meeting in Big Sky—stood on warm dirt to celebrate a win for local housing.

After tossing a few shovelfuls of dirt, O’Connor commented to EBS on the turnout.

“I think it’s a reflection of the acknowledgment within the community of how serious the problem is,” O’Connor told EBS. “That’s one of the benefits we have right now [for our housing efforts]—there’s substantial agreement that this is an issue we all need to be addressing, and I think the attendance today really emphasizes that.”

Community leaders are chipping away at Big Sky's housing crisis.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

David O’Connor kicked things off at the groundbreaking ceremony. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Matt kidd spoke after o'connor at the groundbreaking ceremony.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Partners in the RiverView project followed ceremonial proceedings, including a dirt-toss on cue.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

ROUNDING UP COMMUNITY PRIORITIES WITH COUNTY LEADERS

EGGS AND ISSUES PROVIDES BREAKFAST AND EDUCATION BEFORE MADISONGALLATIN JOINT COUNTY COMMISSION MEETING

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Wednesday, May 3, started bright and early with coffee, quiche and croissants.

As is tradition, the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce hosted Eggs and Issues, an educationand awareness-focused breakfast, as a prelude to the bi-annual Madison-Gallatin Joint County Commission Meeting. Big Sky leaders from nonprofits and government service districts presented recent happenings and upcoming priorities to county commissioners from both Madison and Gallatin counties. For Gallatin County, Zach Brown, Jennifer Boyer and Scott MacFarlane attended. Madison County Commissioner Bill Todd, whose jurisdiction overlaps Big Sky, also joined. The meeting was moderated by the Big Sky Resort Area District board.

Discussions included upcoming TIGER Grant road work, an update for the Big Sky Post Office, a long-awaited Madison County polling station in Big Sky, funding for the Big Sky Trails and Parks District, an update on the Gallatin River’s impairment status and related talk about the Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District, and the future of the Big Sky Transportation District and Skyline Bus.

Transportation topics

The meeting opened with a brief TIGER Grant update from Kristine Fife, public relations representative for the Montana Highway 64 construction project.

After speaking with the construction crew, Fife said the anticipated mid-May start date might look more like early June—a two-week setback to the projected timeline for summer work.

Commissioner Brown noted that this project has required “all hands on deck” due to inflation, and it’s exciting to finally see construction season here, “although that will come with some pain.”

The project is expected to create daily delays of up to 20 minutes at peak times.

BSRAD board member Kevin Germain added that Montana Department of Transportation is launching a feasibility study to improve traffic flow between U.S. Highway 191 and Montana Highway 64.

“I think everybody in this room is aware of the traffic issues we had this winter specifically,” Germain said.

Later in the meeting, Big Sky Transportation District Executive Director Darren Brugmann shared information about efforts to improve Skyline Bus service.

Brugmann also announced his healthy return from medical leave, met with hearty applause.

He said that as early as August, Skyline should receive its new coach-style buses funded by the TIGER Grant.

BSTD’s upcoming priorities include transition to an electric fleet, investment in a transit facility and doubling bus frequency to a 15-minute circuit between mountain and meadow. That would mark a four-fold increase in bus frequency along Big Sky’s mountain-meadow corridor in two years.

Toward the meeting’s end, Big Sky Community Organization CEO Whitney Montgomery summarized the final transportation topic: in partnership with Montana State University’s Western Transportation Institute, the BSCO will soon implement traffic calming measures on Ousel Falls Road.

Gallatin River health, canyon development Signs point to the possibility of a healthier river flowing past Big Sky in years to come.

Montana Department of Environmental Quality recently moved to list the middle section of the Gallatin River as “impaired.” Andy Ulven, DEQ water quality planning bureau chief, provided an update.

“Really this initiates a more than five-year study the DEQ will be conducting on the Gallatin River, which as you all know, is an important recreational, ecological and cultural resource,” Ulven said.

The Environmental Protection Agency is required to respond within 30 days of the April 13 DEQ proposal. Ulven said the EPA has been tracking DEQ’s Gallatin River study and expects the EPA to use its approval power to confirm impairment and “give us the green light to go ahead with our study.”

Ulven cited increased development and regional pressure seen in Gallatin Canyon.

“We heard the concern from the community, most notably in the form of a petition, but also from visual observations of algae growth that have been more recurrent and more of a nuisance over the last five years,” Ulven said.

He said that DEQ will maintain 19 monitoring sites to track nutrients, temperature, pH and oxygen starting this summer.

“We’re going to be throwing a lot at the Gallatin River the next three-plus years with our field efforts,” Ulven said.

Kristin Gardner, chief executive and science officer with the Gallatin River Task Force, said during public comment that GRTF is looking for

volunteers to help with water quality monitoring this summer.

The Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District has begun annexing willing property owners, according to project engineer Mace Mangold. The new district aims to reduce the impact of existing and future development beside the Gallatin River, by bringing septic systems online with Big Sky’s upgraded treatment plant. Mangold said, “the leading source of potential algae impact, my gut says, it’s septic based.”

When prompted, Ulven added support: “I’ve heard Mace’s presentation previously, and I think the work you’re doing down there is incredible and really will be one of the solutions that can help us out.”

The new district plans to improve the canyon’s standard for wastewater treatment.

As Mangold described the project, he estimated minimum total cost at $30 million, and said the current priority is making it affordable. If the district reaches as far south as the Big Sky School District, it may cost $50 million.

“To pull off that scale of project, we need to tap every financial mechanism we can,” Mangold said. “Re-development is fundamentally going to carry a large capital burden, and also going to set up the base infrastructure for [a community sewer system]

County commissioners from Gallatin and Madison Counties, as well as the Resort Tax board, held their biannual meeting in Big Sky on Wednesday.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

The Gallatin River winds through the canyon in Big Sky. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

that, say, Bozeman has been operating for 50-100 years. We’re trying to build that from scratch— that’s not cheap.”

Mangold also said existing infrastructure poses some threat to public health, as poorly treated sewage interacts with drinking water sources.

“I don’t want to alarm people… It’s not a good situation when you’re mixing wastewater and private wells,” he said.

Commissioner Brown said this project’s need is compelling and will benefit both Gallatin County at large, and Big Sky’s canyon residents.

“A lot of our decision to prioritize this project and give it a maximum [ARPA] award was based on the human health concerns, frankly,” Brown said. “So I don’t think you’re being alarmist to point that out to folks.”

He added that a short-term cost will provide longterm payoff in septage management, which will become “a rising issue for this community, period.”

Post office and Big Sky-Madison polling station celebrate progress

Six months after the Big Sky Post Office made headlines at the previous joint county commissioner meeting, a solution is continuing to take shape.

Al Malinowski, vice president of Gallatin Partners which has operated the Big Sky Post Office on a contract basis for two decades, gave the news: “The USPS is investigating the process of a larger post office [and] it looks like that post office will be run by the United States Postal Service,” Malinowski said.

Since October when Malinowski announced the termination of Gallatin Partners contract, the motive has remained clear and consistent: engage USPS on Big Sky’s need to upgrade from an undersized contract postal unit to a federally operated USPS post office.

“I’m hopeful that in the next couple of weeks… we will have more information that we can share with the community… as to when we believe that transition will take place,” Malinowski said. “At this point, I’m confident enough to say to you, I think a transition is going to happen.”

Malinowski reiterated his past message that Gallatin Partners will continue to extend its contract and continue postal service, as long as the USPS continues to make progress.

Another topic came full circle since the October joint county commissioner meeting.

“Those of you who are residents up here but live in Madison County will now have polling places

up here in Big Sky, and you won’t have to drive down to Ennis any longer,” Madison County Commissioner Bill Todd said. “I know it’s been clamored for for a long time, so we’re happy to deliver on that front.”

Todd said the fire station near Big Sky Resort will be the likely site. At the October meeting, Big Sky Fire Department Chief Greg Megaard offered that space.

Funding what ‘makes this place special’

Malinowski returned to the podium five minutes later, wearing a different hat.

The Big Sky Trails, Recreation and Parks District was formed one decade ago, Malinowski said, and he’s a Gallatin County appointee. For many of those years, “the Big Sky Community Organization has continued to flourish and grow our trails, recreation and parks.”

Malinowski said surveys show that parks and trails are “something that makes this place special,” but a sustainable and responsible plan is needed for long-term funding of BSCO’s maintenance and operations.

Starting this year, BSTRPD is making the request for annual trail maintenance and operations of BSCO. After this year, those needs would be funded on a three-year cycle, “[enabling] our funding to be more consistent and more reliable,” Malinowski explained.

Finally, Malinowski added that BSTRPD is requesting an assessment added to Big Sky tax burden, to help fund annual park and trail work— currently, that entire cost is funded by Resort Tax grants, which Malinowski said is not sustainable as those costs continue to rise with the expansion of Big Sky’s parks and trails.

BSRAD board chair Sarah Blechta said it makes “a ton of sense” from a resort tax perspective. Blechta and board member Grace Young formed a BSRAD subcommittee.

“From our perspective, we want to hear from the taxpayers before we make any concrete decisions,” Commissioner Brown said, and Commissioner Todd agreed.

Belonging in Big Sky

Community members enjoyed breakfast plates and coffee in exchange for four hours of attention. Before the government meeting, four speakers spoke to diversity, equity and inclusion in Big Sky during “Eggs and Issues,” presented by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce.

Montana-based racial equity consultant Meshayla Cox introduced her “Diversity Dictionary,” explaining terms common in the belonging space. Hannah Bratterud followed, hypothesizing a scenario about a stranger being invited to a party. The stranger nearly leaves before another kind individual invites them to dance.

“If diversity is inviting someone new and different to the party, inclusion is asking them to dance. Belonging is when they feel accepted—for who they are, and for their unique contribution,” concluded Bratterud, an immigrant from Norway who now lives in Big Sky.

Belonging in Bozeman is an initiative which happens to share its name and general goals with the new “Belonging in Big Sky” initiative launched by the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce.

Dani Hess and Nakeisha Lyon, both City of Bozeman employees who head the initiative, spoke during Eggs and Issues.

Hess and Lyon have hired a variety of community liaisons to improve representation, trained 180 city staff, and created an internal Belonging in Bozeman team.

Finally, outdoor-industry focused DEI consultant Dylan Thornton summarized the need for Belonging in Big Sky.

He said that by addressing systems in a forwardthinking way, the Big Sky initiative will maintain a community environment that promotes respect and understanding for the many facets of identity, diversity and accessibility.

“This is not about going out there and trying to save people or change peoples’ minds. This is about creating connections and creating more effective systems to support individuals and communities,” Thornton said.

Meshayla Cox answers a question during the Q&A portion of Eggs and Issues. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

A sizable crowd gathered for Eggs and Issues on May 3. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

REGIONAL

YELLOWSTONE-AREA GRIZZLIES HAVE STOPPED EXPANDING THEIR RANGE

AFTER A HALF-CENTURY OF EXPANSION, BEARS REACH LIMIT OF ‘SUITABLE HABITAT,’ FEDERAL SCIENTISTS REPORT

BY MIKE KOSHMRL WYOFILE.COM

CODY—For nearly five decades the grizzly population emanating from Yellowstone National Park has pulsed farther and farther outward, reclaiming old haunts where humans wiped out their forebears in the early 20th century. No longer.

A federal biologist presenting in early May to a part of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee for the Yellowstone ecosystem reported that the expansion into new habitat has ceased—and that their range has even retreated in places.

“I think it’s suggesting that we are reaching the limits of even marginal habitat,” Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team Leader Frank van Manen told fellow members of the subcommittee. “There’s more human influence [on the ecosystem periphery], and so we have a lot more human-bear conflict and higher [grizzly] mortality.”

Grizzly distribution is measured by GPS data from the dozens of bears collared in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. The locations of grizzly deaths are part of the equation, too.

The data suggest that grizzly range was more or less stagnant over the last two years, van Manen said. It even retracted along the northern periphery of grizzly range in southern Montana, according to data he presented. Overall the reduction in range amounted to 142 square miles — about 0.5% of the species’ total distribution.

The news wasn’t entirely unexpected by researchers who’ve seen clues in recent years that grizzly bears were reaching the limits of where they can reproduce and persist. From 2018 to 2020 there was an initial slowing of the expansion, van Manen said.

Decades of steady expansion preceded the stall with grizzlies reclaiming hundreds or even thousands of square miles every year. As recently as 2017, van Manen reported an 11% expansion over the course of just two years.

Counting bears

Although managers measure grizzly distribution throughout their range, they only monitor and estimate numbers in a defined area called the demographic monitoring area. About 40% of grizzly range, however, falls outside the DMA, and grizzly numbers in these outskirt areas are unknown.

Even within the DMA, counting bears is an evolving process. Van Manen announced a change in how the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team estimates numbers within the DMA. The Cody

meeting marked the first time the research team has transitioned to an “integrated population model,” which he described as a “much more advanced” than the past method, which relied heavily on aerially counting females with cubs.

At last count, the old method tallied 1,069 bears. Manager now estimate 965 DMA grizzlies under the new method. That’s the second time in three years that officials have altered how they count bears. The 2020 population estimate—two iterations ago—was 727 bears. Although grizzly

numbers have swung by the hundreds on paper, it’s likely that numbers of flesh-and-blood bruins have more or less stayed the same.

The change to how bears are counted—known as recalibration—was one issue U.S. District Court Judge Dana Christensen cited when he rejected the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s most recent attempt at delisting grizzlies from the Endangered Species Act. The worry was that revising the population estimate upward, without simultaneously adjusting population objectives

After decades of expansion, grizzly bear distribution, in pink, retracted by 0.5% over the last two-year period. Courtesy of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team

upward, could result in more hunting and fewer bears.

Using the old estimate of 1,069 grizzlies, Wyoming could have hunted up to 39 bears if the states successfully regained jurisdiction over the species. It’s unclear what a hypothetical hunt would look like using the new estimate of 965 grizzlies.

Containment

The end of grizzly range expansion in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem fits with Wyoming’s goal of constraining the large, hard to live with, omnivores to the Yellowstone region’s core. Last time the state had authority over bears, wildlife managers pitched

a peripheral hunt as a tool to drive down the population. Such a regime would have mimicked the state’s two-tiered wolf management approach, which keeps wolf numbers outside northwest Wyoming as low as possible.

In the absence of people, much or all of Wyoming would be viable grizzly habitat.

“In theory a lot of that sagebrush country could be suitable habitat, with much lower [grizzly bear] densities,” van Manen told WyoFile. “But there is a human influence on that landscape. There’s more agriculture, more roads, more towns, and that combined creates a different enough landscape context that it becomes much less suitable. Humans

are part of what drives suitable habitat, it’s not just natural vegetation.”

The Cody meeting offered a glimpse of the friction between grizzlies and humans. Curt Bales, of the TE Ranch, spoke of “tremendous” population density of bears on the land he manages up the South Fork of the Shoshone River.

“Quite often we’ll have 11 to 13 bears, spring and fall both, coming in and out of our fields,” Bales said. “We’ll see [them] every morning. We’ve had conflicts already this year.”

WyoFile is an independent nonprofit news organization focused on Wyoming people, places and policy.

A grizzly bear walks near Frying Pan Spring in Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY JIM PEACO

Frank van Manen, leader of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team, at the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee’s Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee meeting in Cody in May 2023. PHOTO BY MIKE KOSHMRL

PEAK SKIS SHOWROOM

GROUP PLANS TO SUE STATE, FEDS FOR FAILURE TO PROTECT GRIZZLIES FROM TRAPPING

BY DARRELL EHRLICK DAILY MONTANAN

A citizens’ task force says that it plans on suing both the state and federal government for not protecting grizzly bears because of the state’s zeal to enact expanded trapping and hunting laws without regard to the bears.

The Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen task force has sent the 60-day notice of intent to sue the United States Fish and Wildlife Service as well as the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks because it says that as the state expanded trapping, snaring and hunting regulations, it failed to take safety precautions that would protect the fragile grizzly bear population, which is protected by the Endangered Species Act, but is being considered for delisting in two areas of Montana.

The 60-day notice is a requirement in order to bring a lawsuit in federal court, and puts the agencies on notice so that they may opt to correct or modify plans to avoid a lawsuit.

Neither the United States Fish and Wildlife Service, nor the Montana FWP responded to the Daily Montanan’s requests for comment.

“The (notice) claims the illegal unregulated taking of grizzly bears is occurring as a consequence of Montana’s Wolf and Furbearer Trapping regulations and that this taking may

threaten … grizzly bear recovery,” the letter said.

The concern, which was voiced as Montana expanded greater hunting and trapping laws during the 2021 Legislature, is that traps set for other animals, such as wolves, may accidentally ensnare and kill “non-target” species like grizzly bear or Canada lynx. While such accidental killings are considered illegal under federal law, the “incidental takings”—the term for such a killing—must be addressed in plans, and reasonable rules to mitigate them must be enacted at either the federal or state levels.

“FWS and the State of Montana are in violation of the Endangered Species Act Section 9 by allowing unregulated illegal takings of grizzly bears in Montana as a result of wolf and furbearer trapping seasons administered by (Montana FWP),” the letter said. “No required incidental take statement has been prepared and no required incidental take permit has been issued.”

Because of that, the citizens group said that both have failed to implement a mitigation plan that would offset the hunting impact.

“Under Section 9, it does not matter how many total animals are taken or how many are injured, any unpermitted takings are illegal,” the letter states.

The letter doesn’t just point out the theoretical possibility that grizzlies will be accidentally killed or “taken,” but notes that the state’s own data shows that between 2012 and 2022 six bears were “non-target captures” of traps, including one grizzly caught in a leg-hold trap set for wolves.

The 11-page letter which outlines the group’s concerns also lists examples from other nearby states and Canadian provinces which have reported similar issues with grizzly bears and trapping.

The letter also outlined concerns with Montana’s specific trapping guidelines.

“In Montana, snares for most species are required to break loose with more than 350 pounds of dead pull strength, while for wolves, this requirement is 1,000 pounds,” the letter reads. “However, (a 2022 study) found that on average an adult grizzly bear has about 342 pound of dead pull weight, not enough to break free.”

The group also said other states and Canadian provinces have developed more sophisticated traps to target certain species, but prevent bears. For example, marten traps have elevated boxes that are too narrow for a grizzly foot.

“In Montana, there are no regulations or recommendations specific to preventing bycatch of grizzly bears,” the letter read.

A grizzly sow and cubs near Roaring Mountain in Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY ERIC JOHNSTON

OP NEWS

BIG SKY PBR VOTED ‘EVENT OF THE YEAR’ FOR NINTH TIME

BY JACK REANEY

Big Sky’s stop on the Professional Bull Riders circuit continues to live up to the hype.

At the PBR World Finals in Fort Worth, Texas, the Big Sky PBR was recognized as “Event of the Year,” which has begun to feel routine around here—it’s the ninth time Big Sky has earned that honor in just 11 years. The award was presented at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth by PBR CEO Sean Gleason.

“The core of the PBR is events of course, and we are so proud for the ninth time that the PBR Event of the Year goes to: Big Sky,” Gleason announced on center stage at the packed arena.

The Big Sky PBR is produced by Outlaw Partners, publisher of Explore Big Sky. The event will return to Big Sky for the 12th time in late July 2023.

Ennion Williams, Outlaw Partners’ vice president of events, said Big Sky PBR’s success comes from “the big three: Fans, bulls and riders.”

“It’s the combination of fan excitement along with the quality of the riders and bulls that creates a magical experience found at no other event,” Williams said.

Jacey and Andy Watson own Freestone Productions, a bull riding production company that works with Outlaw to put bulls in the arena. They remember bringing the idea to Eric Ladd, chairman of Outlaw Partners, more than a decade ago.

Jacey said in terms of PBR’s community impact, the event represents a step back in time and a venue to share Western heritage, with what has evolved into a mainstay sport.

“Having the ability to bring that to Big Sky and have it welcomed into Big Sky with the enthusiasm and energy that the community puts behind it is pretty special. You don’t see that all the time,” Jacey said.

Andy added, “The crew steps up every year—our crew, Outlaw’s crew, all the business sponsors… they step up year after year after year.”

Jacey called the event’s reign “astounding.”

“For Big Sky to sustain this title as long as it has, I think is pretty incredible. And it has all the pieces to continue to perform,” she said.

A big week for community and business

EBS spoke with Twist Thompson, owner of Blue Buddha Sushi Lounge. Blue Buddha became a sponsor for PBR last year, he said.

He said the event provides a huge boom to local businesses, and that his restaurant is extremely busy that whole week.

“I think the biggest real benefit of that event is the community portion,” he added. “It’s just such an amazing thing that exists here that is built by locals.”

Thompson gave praise to Ladd for being a leader and personable member of the community.

“I’m so happy he’s made this event for this town,” he said.

Stephanie Alexander, owner of Caliber Coffee, said their business made its rents in three days.

“Businesses really appreciate it,” she said. “We triple our numbers when PBR is in town. I guess from a business standpoint, we appreciate it. And I’m sure other businesses feel the same way.”

Matt Kidd, managing director of CrossHarbor Capital Partners and Lone Mountain Land

Company, a primary event sponsor, wrote a statement to EBS:

“Lone Mountain Land Company would like to offer a huge congratulations to Eric and the Outlaw Partners team for the recognition that Big Sky PBR is the event of the year once again. The PBR has become a tradition that not only brings our community together but also draws visitors from all over to experience the excitement and charm of Big Sky in the summer. We are proud to be a key contributor to the success of this event and its positive impact on our community’s economy and spirit. We are also pleased to be able to help bring the event back this summer — it’s going to be another great event!”

James Murphy, CEO and co-founder of Drink LMNT, also provided a written statement. Drink LMNT is another top sponsor of the event.

“We plan our LMNT annual team retreat around the PBR event in Big Sky. It’s great fun and one of the best settings within the Mountain West — congrats to our Big Sky community and events teams for cleaning event of the year yet again!”

On July 20, the Big Sky PBR will return for its 12th rodeo.

“We’re just looking forward to another great year of great bulls and great riders,” Williams said. “We will be putting on a great show.”

Ladd speaks at the 2022 PBR.

PHOTO BY TOM ATTWATER

The Big Sky PBR is held in a unique venue and filled with enthusiastic fans. PHOTO BY TOM ATTWATER

“Mutton Bustin'” has become a favorite community tradition at the Big Sky PBR. PHOTO BY JULIA BARTON

Outlaw Partners and Freestone Productions were honored for the Big Sky PBR during PBR World Finals in Texas. OUTLAW PARTNERS

PHOTO

6 SIOUX CASCADE SUBDIVISION

3,559± SF | 5 BD + 4 BA | $2,770,000

DON PILOTTE 406.580.0155

687 SUNBURST DRIVE

MEADOW VILLAGE CONDO

2,413± SF | 3 BD + 2.5 BA | $2,100,000

KATIE MORRISON 406.570.0096

TBD LOW DOG ROAD CASCADE SUBDIVISION VIEWS OF SPANISH PEAKS | VACANT LAND | $1,700,000

DON PILOTTE 406.580.0155

2575

BEAR ROAD, UNIT #154 GLACIER CONDO

1,356± SF | 2 BD + 2.5 BA | $855,000

KATIE MORRISON 406.570.0096

ROAD, UNIT #10511

SUMMIT HOTEL CONDO

855± SF | 1 BD + 2 BA | $799,000

KATIE MORRISON 406.570.0096

ROAD, UNIT #1260

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE HILL CONDO

440± SF | COMPLETE INTERIOR REBUILD | $689,000 DON PILOTTE 406.580.0155

CURLEY

60 BIG SKY RESORT

PRICE REDUCED

BIG HORN BASEBALL FINDS ITS SWING ON THE ROAD

LPHS WILL HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL 2024 TO PLAY IN BIG SKY, AS MHSA’S INAUGURAL SEASON WRAPS UP

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—On May 9, Lone Peak High School’s first-ever baseball team “hosted” its final home game against the Belgrade High School Panthers— in Belgrade.

This snowy winter complicated the Montana High School Association’s inaugural baseball league, especially in Big Sky where the Big Horns weren’t able to start practicing outdoors until after their first game. The Big Horns traveled to dry fields in Columbus, Laurel, Belgrade, Helena and Butte. On Thursday, April 27, the Big Horns played their “home opener”—but it was at Medina Field in Belgrade.

With the Big Horns’ final home game on May 9, Big Sky Community Park still wasn’t ready for a hometown high school showcase.

Coach John McGuire explained that decisions and field reservations must be made in advance.

“It was a super late, super snowy winter,” he told EBS in a phone call. “It was very hard to get the field to a point where we can get rolling consistently and be confident it won’t be overwhelmed by any precipitation… If left field takes any more rain, it’s going to be underwater again.”

McGuire added that the softball-oriented diamond at Community Park lacks a pitcher’s mound, and the field hasn’t been in good enough condition to build one.

“Using the Belgrade field has been a blessing,” McGuire said. “Logistically it was just a lot more feasible.”

He also thanked the Belgrade Bandits American Legion program for hosting Lone Peak games. He said April 27 was a beautiful day for baseball in Belgrade. The Big Horns earned another junior varsity win—the JV squad earned its second victory over Columbus High School, this time blowing out the Cougars, 15-1.

Eighth-grader Sid Morris pitched a complete game, allowing only three hits and striking out as many. Of course, Morris had plenty of run support.

Freshman Brady Johnson swung a hot bat, going four-for-four with a double and four runs batted in. Sophomore Walker Bagby was three-for-three, and freshmen Ian Pecunies and Ebe Grabow both had multiple hits.

“Our young core continues to impress and grow as a team,” McGuire wrote to EBS. In the season preview, McGuire pointed out that the current freshman class is the first group to have played together since Little League on the Big Sky Royals.

Even varsity, which fell 13-3 in its previous matchup with the Cougars, held a 2-1 lead into the fourth inning. McGuire called it the Big Horns’ best baseball of the season, with big hits from seniors Max Romney and Pierce Farr.

Unfortunately, clutch hitting from “the high-powered Columbus offense” got a fourth inning rally going and the Cougars ran away with the game, McGuire wrote.

The Big Horns returned to Medina Field on Friday, May 5, to play against Butte Central Catholic High School. The Big Horns continued to heat up.

“As you’d expect, boys are improving dramatically once we were able to get outside on playing fields,” coach McGuire wrote. The Big Horns began practicing at Community Park last week.

The varsity half was the most competitive effort in its short history, resulting in a “nail biter” loss to the Maroons, 5-4. McGuire is hopeful that on Thursday, May 11, the Big Horns can get their first varsity win in a rematch in Butte.

Trailing by four, the Big Horns sparked a fourthinning rally with RBIs from freshman Oliver McGuire, freshman Eli Gale and senior Pierce Farr. The Big Horns managed four hits and four runs, but Maroons’ senior pitcher Rye Doherty struck out 14 and finished a complete game.

Oliver McGuire and freshman Ebe Grabow pitched for Lone Peak. McGuire went four innings, allowing two hits and four runs. The Maroons made good use of their baserunners, stealing eight bases to manufacture runs.

Varsity finished its season in Lewistown on Saturday, May 13 with make-up games against Sidney and East Helena. The Big Horns did not qualify for the state tournament in Butte which begins May 18.

A strong JV future

In the May 5 junior varsity game, Lone Peak prospects continued to show promise. They earned

another win, this time in dramatic walk-off fashion against the Maroons.

Morris pitched four innings, striking out three while allowing three hits and three runs. Junior Aidan Germain added two innings of scoreless relief.

In the third inning, Gale and Oliver McGuire had RBIs in a three-run Big Horn rally. The game was tied at three, heading into the final inning.

In the bottom of the seventh, Gale raced home on a wild pitch to score the winning run. A sizable crowd of Big Horn fans were on hand to celebrate, coach McGuire wrote. He added the Big Horns played their best baseball of the season, showing continuous improvement.

While Big Sky baseball fans will have to save their peanuts and Cracker Jacks until 2024, another year of development promises even stronger baseball when Big Sky Community Park eventually sees its first pitch of high school ball.

“We’re gonna be good,” McGuire said. “We’ve got some good players in the pipeline.”

Lone Peak High School's new baseball program is showing promise.

PHOTO BY DAVE PECUNIES

The debut LPHS baseball team. PHOOT BY DAVE PECUNIES

Freshman Ebe Grabow throws a pitch in the varsity game. PHOTO BY DAVE PECUNIES

Brady Johnson makes an infield turn against Butte Central Catholic. PHOTO BY DAVE PECUNIES

MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS LINEUP: ANOTHER SLATE OF NATIONAL ACTS

ALL OPENING ARTISTS WILL BE FROM MONTANA

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Back for its 14th summer of free music at Town Center, Music in the Mountains will unify community around free live music—and this year, some really big acts.

Brian Hurlbut, executive director for the Arts Council of Big Sky has been booking shows in Big Sky since 2001. He said this series, which began in 2008, once struggled to attract nationally touring artists, but now they have to turn musicians down. It helps that Hurlbut has built a network of booking agents, and that Big Sky’s summer population continues to grow.

The free concerts will take place every Thursday night through the summer.

“One of the things that I really try to do… is really make sure I hit as many genres as I can,” Hurlbut told EBS in a phone call. He highlighted rock, country, folk and Americana. “I really do try to please a lot of people.”

Midnight North will open the series on June 22. Touring since 2015, the band was co-founded in San Francisco by Grahame Lesh, son of the Grateful Dead bass guitarist, and has roots in folk and Americana.

Midnight North is one of seven artists making their Music in the Mountains debut, Hurlbut said. Just a few headliners will return to a familiar stage:

Futurebirds, performing Aug. 24, has played Big Sky before. In fact, Hurlbut and some three or four hundred other well-dressed rock fans remember that band well—on June 20, 2019, Futurebirds opened Big Sky’s summer series in a winter storm.

“They showed up in a van from Georgia, half of them had never seen snow before,” Hurlbut recalled. “They said, ‘you gotta have us back here when it’s not snowing.’”

There’s never a sure bet on weather, but late August 2023 should feel like Georgia—albeit with less humidity.

Jennifer Hartswick performed solo last year, but she’s bringing her own band on July 13. The Tiny Band will return for their eighth consecutive July 4 show, and Pinky and the Floyd will close out the series for the fourth time on Sept. 7, playing their fifth show at Music and the Mountains.

“This year is pretty fresh lineup,” Hurlbut said, pointing out two artists in particular that will be different than the usual.

Performing July 6, Paco Versailles is a dance-pop band, formed between Ryan Merchant from the hit pop duo Capital Cities and a flamenco guitarist. Hurlbut said Paco Versailles will bring a cool mashup.

And on Aug. 10, pop star Matt Nathanson will bring his “huge mainstream success” to Big Sky, Hurlbut said.

“He’s really established, a really good performing artist… That’s going to be one of the biggest shows we’ve ever done.”

The 1990s chart-topping rock band Freddy Jones Band will also play on Aug. 10.

“That’s going to be a pretty big night,” Hurlbut added. Madeline Hawthorne performed as an opener last year and she’ll headline on July 20.

And Hurlbut is excited about Funk You, coming on Aug. 27.

“They’re just really, really good,” he said. “A funk, kind of soulful band… but they really jam too. I’m really into them, they’re really good.”

Helping local artists emerge

Each show will feature an opening act, thanks to funding from the Spanish Peaks Community

Foundation. The Emerging Artist Series is a way to highlight regional talent, with particular focus on local artists.

This summer, every opening performer will be from Montana, with two or three from Big Sky.

The Arts Council is funded by Resort Tax, grants from local, regional and national foundations, business sponsorships, individual donations and income from ticket sales at paid art classes and events—however, Music in the Mountains is free by design.

“Music in the mountains is a community event,” Hurlbut said. “It’s one of, if not the only event in Big Sky where everyone is welcome. There’s no barrier to entry, no cost. Private club members can mingle with local dirtbags. Everyone is there for the same reason, they love music… A big event, a fun event where we can bring everyone together.”

Music in the Mountains won Best Annual Event at the 2022 Best of Big Sky Awards.

The Last Revel performs a free concert in 2022. PHOTO BY BRAYDON BALL / COURTESY OF ARTS COUNCIL

Locals and visitors rejoice at a free concert in 2018, featuring The Elders. PHOTO BY RICH ADDICKS / COURTESY OF ARTS COUNCIL

DESIGN BY MADELINE THUNDER / COURTESY OF ARTS COUNCIL

BY MARIO CARR EBS CONTRIBUTOR

A series of outdoor and recreation-focused film festivals are scheduled to show in Big Sky thanks to a partnership between the Arts Council of Big Sky and the Waypoint. Officially known as the Adventure Circuit, this brainchild of the Arts Council will consist of five different film festivals. The Arts Council has partnered with the Waypoint in previous years to bring a couple of these mountain-living film festivals to Big Sky, and is hoping this year to bring even more variety of film to the local theater.

Things kicked off on Thursday, May 11 with the World Tour Paddling Film Festival. It was the second time the festival came to town; it also showed at the Waypoint in 2022. The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival is also back for another year, scheduled to return to Big Sky on June 13. The Mountainfilm on Tour, which is essentially the root of this new Adventure Circuit, will be returning on Sept. 13, after several years of success and positive feedback from the community. Come Nov. 28, the No Man’s Land Film Festival, followed by a to-be-determined winter themed film sometime in December.

The rivers are currently ripping and it seemed fitting to kick things off with the World Tour Paddling Film Festival. According to Jane Liivoja, events director for the Arts Council, the main focus of this year's paddling films is whitewater kayaking and rafting, but we can also expect pieces showing different organizations using these water sports as a way to “empower and engage youth.”

Looking into the World Tour Paddling festival program gives us a taste of the variety attendees enjoyed. One of the films being featured, “White Gold,” is a “film with no agenda… the next generation of paddling legends embrace the chaos of high-water laps on the South Fork Clearwater, an Idaho classic.” Whereas “On, In & Under the Sava” documents four friends on their mission down Slovenia’s Sava River to “find the elusive finned monsters that dwell in the deep,

TO TOWN

in order to help protect the Sava from the construction of dams,” according to the program.

And that really is what all these festivals are all about. “As long as there’s a conversation after the fact, then the film festival has done its job,” Liivoja explained, hoping that these conversations will motivate people to come back for the next one. The Paddling Festival is the most sport-specific of the festivals within the Adventure Circuit, according to Liivoja who is working with the Arts Council to select the films that will be shown.

With the Adventure Circuit as the overarching local umbrella under which all the individual festivals live, there are several different types of ticket options available, including family packs and passes that can get you into all five festivals.

“Ultimately, the purpose of this Adventure Circuit is to reach all members of the Big Sky community with the artform of film,” Liivoja said.

These films were selected because they’re likely to appeal to a broad swath of people: from tourists to locals, and from tenured outdoorsmen to the many developing hobbyists who are drawn to the mountains for all the reasons under the sun. Many of them have a specific purpose or message they’re trying to get across, and all should help build appreciation for what it means to call the mountains home.

“There is genuine excitement that builds when you watch these films and the crazy things these people are doing, but they can also expect some heartwarming stories too,” Liivoja said.

EXCITEMENT’ ARTS COUNCIL OF BIG SKY BRINGS THE ADVENTURE CIRCUIT

COURTESY OF the ARTS COUNCIL

BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR

Thursday, May 18 - Wednesday, May 31

If your next event falls between June 1 -13, please submit it to media@theoutlawpartners.com by May 24.

THURSDAY MAY 18

All Levels Pottery

BASE, 8 a.m.

Al-Anon Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 4 p.m.

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7pm

FRIDAY MAY 19

Open Pottery Studio

BASE, 10 a.m.

Small Business Roundtable

Virtual Event, 8:30 a.m.

Big Sky Golf Course Opening Day Big Sky Golf Course, 8 a.m.

SATURDAY MAY 20

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

St Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 20

St. Joseph’s Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY MAY 22

AA Women’s Meeting

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Offices, 5:30 p.m.

Woodburning Community Art Class

BASE, 6 p.m.

NA Meeting

Big Sky Medical Center, 6:30 p.m.

Video Game Night

The Waypoint, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY MAY 23

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Meeting

Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m.

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 5:30 p.m.

American Legion Post 99 Bingo Night Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MAY 24

Community Arts Class

BASE, 6 p.m.

AA Meeting

Big Sky Medical Center, 12 p.m.

St Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

Career & Summer Job Fair Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 1 p.m.

THURSDAY MAY 25

All Levels Pottery Class BASE, 8 am

Al-Anon Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 4 p.m.

AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY MAY 26

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 5 p.m.

SATURDAY MAY 27

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

SUNDAY MAY 28

St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints in Big Sky Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Open Pottery Studio BASE, 4 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

MONDAY MAY 29

AA Women’s Meeting

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Offices, 5:30 p.m.

Pyrography Class BASE, 6pm

NA Meeting

Big Sky Medical Center, 6:30pm

Monday Night Video Games The Waypoint, 7pm

Adult Trivia Night Tips Up, 9pm

TUES MAY 30

AA Meeting Big Sky Chapel, 5:30pm

American Legion Post 99 Bingo Night Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.

WEDNESDAY MAY 31

Saint Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

AA Meeting Big Sky Medical Center, 12 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT:

CAREER & SUMMER JOB FAIR Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, 1 p.m.

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: MONTANA LAND RELIANCE

BY MIRA BRODY

BIG SKY—The increase in development in southwest Montana is one of the largest threats faced by local land trusts. Montana Land Reliance’s Chad Klinkenborg spoke with Explore Big Sky about how his team is facing these challenges headon, partnering with land owners to permanently conserve over 1.2 million acres in the state. Luckily, Klinkenborg says, land owners, with whom they work close with, are some of the most passionate about open land as they come—a partnership that ensures MLR’s success for years to come.

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: I’d like to start with a little background information on you, when did you first come to Big Sky and what brought you here?

Chad Klinkenborg: I moved to Montana in 2003 to attend the University of Montana School of Forestry and Conservation. The beauty and wildness of this place captured me and I never left. I’ve been working in private land conservation in the Greater Yellowstone area for the last eight years now.

EBS: Tell me about Montana Land Reliance; when did it start? How and when did you become involved?

CK: The Montana Land Reliance was founded in 1978 following the passage of the Montana Open Space Land and Voluntary Conservation Easement Act. The law provided legal means for qualified land trusts to hold perpetual conservation easements on private lands. (A conservation easement is a voluntary legal agreement between a private landowner and qualified organization that permanently restricts development and fragmentation while protecting important conservation values on a specific piece of land). MLRs founders were becoming increasingly concerned about the exploitation of Montana’s agricultural valleys and river corridors and wanted to establish a renewable and equitable agricultural way of life in Montana. The conservation easement seemed like the most logical tool to accomplish this mission because it was voluntary and provided landowners with a financial tool to keep agricultural land in production, simultaneously protecting open space, water, and wildlife habitat. Since 1978, MLR has partnered with more than 960 Montana landowners to permanently conserve 1.2 million acres of private land. I was hired by MLR in

January of this year to amplify their easement portfolio in southwest Montana.

EBS: What are some of the biggest challenges MLR has faced over the years?

CK: The increase in development pressure over the last 25 years is surely the biggest challenge faced by MLR and other Montana Land Trusts. Montana loses tens of thousands of acres to development and fragmentation each year and this is open space and habitat we’ll never get back. As land values continue to climb, conservation easements become more expensive and complicated. MLR has amplified its pace of work in recent years yet Montana’s population continues to grow resulting in a net loss of important open spaces. Turnover in land ownership from long-time family held properties to amenity properties held by seasonal occupants has also presented some unique challenges in recent years. The success of our work hinges on personal relationships with landowners and this new wave of landowners in Montana is often insulated by accountants, lawyers, and property managers. Its difficult to collaborate with someone you can’t communicate with directly.

EBS: Tell me about what it’s like to work with local landowners—as land becomes more valuable and growth increases, do you find a common thread or goal among those you work with?

CK: Working with private landowners is the best part of my job. Daily conversations at the kitchen table keep me well caffeinated and motivated to protect the integrity of this place. I am constantly reminded that private landowners are the most important stewards of this landscape and their knowledge of the land and its history is often unmatched. Increasing land values presents a lot of challenges to landowners, especially those who make a living from the land. The common thread I have with most landowners is the conservation of Montana’s natural resources and safeguarding the viability of agricultural as a way-of-life; because both can be achieved by a conservation easement, landowners generally welcome the discussion.

EBS: How big is your team?

CK: MLR has 15 full time staff and 17 seasonal land stewards.

EBS: What is the best part of working at MLR?

CK: Without a doubt, the best part of this job is working with landowners. Their knowledge of, and passion for, Montana is unmatched and keeps me motivate to do more.

EBS: Is there a piece of notable business advice that someone has given you that has led you through the years?

CK: Investing in personal relationships within your community now, will create and abundance of opportunities later. This is especially true in the conservation world. The relationships MLR employees have created within the landowner community over the last 45 years is resulting in incredible conservation success now. In 2022 alone, MLR permanently protected more than 20,000 acres of private lands in Montana.

EBS: Is there anything else that you’d like to tell the Big Sky community?

CK: As popularity of this place continues to increase, it will take an entire community to safeguard the uniqueness and integrity of SW Montana. Some development is inevitable, but we should work together as a community to ensure it happens sustainably. Protecting open space, water, wildlife habitat, and Montana’s agricultural legacy is perhaps the most important gift we can give to the next generation of Montana residents and visitors.

Montana Land Reliance’s Chad Klinkenborg and his English Setter, Finn. PHOTO COURTESY OF CHAD KLINKENBORG

“ Working with private landowners is the best part of my job. Daily conversations at the kitchen table keep me well caffeinated and motivated to protect the integrity of this place.

–Chad Klinkenborg, Montana Land Reliance

$17,450,000

Big Sandy

25,000± acre ranch near Big Sandy, MT. 18,124± acres deeded and over 8,000± acres BLM and State lease the ranch is a 650 cow calf pair and had 5,000± tillable acres plus a 30+ year outfitting history for trophy mule deer and big horn sheep hunts.

Big Sky

Incredible views of Lone Peak, Mountain Village and Andesite. This home has been partially renovated and would be perfect for a new owner to complete the renovation to their own specifications. Ski accessable with local knowledge.

6 SIOUX

ZY BROWN RANCH RD

| #368590

OPINION

ENJOYING THE RIDE

TACTICAL SECTOR INVESTING

BY DAN PARNES PAID ADVERTISEMENT

A good military strategy is a tactical one, but our armed forces aren’t the only ones to use a tactical strategy. As financial professionals, we use them too. Tactical Asset Allocation is an active management portfolio strategy that shifts the percentage of assets held in various categories to attempt to take advantage of market pricing anomalies or strong market sectors.

Tactical allocation using sector investing and relative strength can provide a range of benefits for investors looking to optimize their portfolio returns. In this approach, investors focus on selecting individual sectors and industries that believe they will perform well in the current market environment, and then use relative strength analysis to compare the performance of these sectors to the broader market.

Much like a good tactical strategy can plan for various scenarios, a potential benefit of tactical allocation is the ability to take advantage of changing market conditions. Rather than simply holding onto investments for the long term, tactical investors can adjust their holdings as market conditions shift. For example, during periods of economic expansion, sectors such as technology and consumer discretionary may perform well, while defensive sectors like utilities and consumer staples may lag. By using relative strength analysis, investors can identify the sectors that are likely to outperform and adjust their holdings accordingly.

Tactical allocation may have the potential to provide higher potential returns compared to

passive investing. By actively managing their portfolio and shifting holdings based on market conditions, investors can potentially capture higher returns during periods of market growth while reducing exposure during periods of decline. Additionally, by focusing on individual sectors and industries, investors may be able to identify opportunities for outperformance that could be missed by a more passive approach.

Of course, as with all investing, tactical allocation does come with some risks. For example, it can be difficult to consistently predict which sectors or industries will outperform in any given market environment. Additionally, active management can lead to higher trading costs and taxes, which can eat into returns over time.

For many years, investors have employed sector rotation strategies, which have become more popular with the rise of exchange traded funds, allowing for more efficient sector exposure. Rather than relying on stock-picking, sector rotation strategies aim to capitalize on broad industry trends. Momentum is a popular way to analyze sectors, with many investors using a simple moving price window to rank potential investments based on their performance over a set period of time. This approach is objective and does not require extensive knowledge of each sector. Sector rotation strategies can potentially provide a good performance over longer time horizons, and momentum is an easily back tested factor using simple rules. Using data from the Ken French Data Library on 48 industry groups dating back to the 1920s, we can analyze the performance of sector rotation strategies and the associated risks for investors seeking returns.

A ranking system using price performance relative strength of sectors can provide a manageable way to allocate assets to the areas of the market which

appear to be performing well and attempt to add an extra layer of downside risk management we can include a cash alternatives index allocating to cash when it is highly ranked.

Overall, tactical allocation using sector investing and relative strength can be a powerful tool for investors looking to optimize their portfolio returns. By focusing on diversification, flexibility, and the potential for higher returns, this approach can help investors achieve their financial goals while striving to minimize risk and allowing you to enjoy the ride.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network is not a legal or tax advisor. Be sure to consult your own tax advisor and investment professional before taking any action that may involve tax consequences.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network did not assist in the preparation of this report, and its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network or its affiliates. The material has been prepared or is distributed solely for information purposes and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network and Shore to Summit Wealth Management are not legal or tax advisors. You should consult with your attorney, accountant and/or estate planner before taking any action.

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. Shore to Summit Wealth Management is located at 105 E. Oak Street, Unit 1A Bozeman, MT 59715 # 406219-2900

A LA CARTE VEGAN BBQ

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

As I wandered through Riverhouse BBQ and Events on an early May afternoon, I contemplated the restaurant’s name and my own propensity for “blonde moments.” Or maybe in my case, it’s a blonde decade.

The Riverhouse, you see, feels like a roadhouse… But with better views. It’s along U.S. Highway 191, about three miles south of Lone Mountain Trail—the turn off to the mountain. It’s both on a road and on a river.

Riverhouse, formerly Gallatin Riverhouse Grill, opened in 2013. It is a BBQ joint through and through. Inside, you’re transported to a mash-up of Montana and Texas, like some log cabin-ranch-homestead. Wood is everywhere: tables, floors, walls, ceilings, beams. A playlist of modern country and Americana music plays over the speakers. I notice Sturgill Simpson and Brent Cobb among the artists.

A distinct smokehouse smell hits your nose as you enter the restaurant. The Riverhouse menu leans heavily on meat—smoked baby back ribs, pulled pork, brisket and tri tip. You can’t go wrong with the meats.

And yet, I’m here with a different mission. Someone told me the Riverhouse had recently expanded their vegetarian options, namely a vegetarian BBQ taco. I spy a baked potato with broccoli and cheese sauce as I contemplate the menu. I’d surely enjoy it. Broccoli and cheddar are a sublime flavor combination in my book. But I resist.

Sweet corn nuggets catch my eye. They’re like hush puppies with bits of corn, my waiter says. I order the corn nuggets as an appetizer and

am not disappointed. Crisp crust gives way to a gooey interior, dotted with kernels of sweet corn. The dip is, expectedly, ranch. It’s a decent ranch. I enjoy the contrast of textures while I wait for the main event.

The waiter tells me the veggie version of the BBQ street tacos feature a vegan pulled pork substitute. My exposure to vegan “meats” is limited. I’m a Montanan who still has family raising cattle and whose stepdad and friends’ hunting habits lead to a steady supply of wild game. My stepdad is also a southerner from Alabama, so I’ve been exposed to BBQ joints and their smoked meat-heavy menus from a young age. It feels weird to not order a platter. I order tacos, choosing flour tortillas. Later, I will learn through an Instagram post (@riverhouse_bbq_events) that the flour tortillas are vegetarian, but the dish can be vegan with corn tortillas.

My basket of food arrives. There’s a pair of tacos, a heaping portion of skinny fries and a little side of slaw. I dig in.

The vegan pulled pork sits atop some slightly sweet pickles. It is topped with a little slaw, jalapeño relish and a mustard-based BBQ sauce. The mustard BBQ is slightly sweet and a little fruity. There are apples in it, I’m told. Yet I miss the vinegar bite of a South Carolina mustard BBQ. I try the other house sauce, a pepper BBQ. The sweetness feels more balanced here, like Sweet Baby Ray’s with a little pepper bite. I add a layer to my tacos.

The “meat” has some sort of dry rub. It’s a tad spicy, smokey and flavorful. It has a little more springy chew than pork pork, and I wonder if it’s made of jackfruit. I poke and prod at the thing, ultimately deciding I don’t necessarily care what it is. I don’t miss the real meat. I’m not sad I visited a BBQ joint and didn’t get the brisket. As the taco ingredients meld in my mouth, I’m only thinking one thing: This is delicious.

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.

Vegetarian BBQ tacos at the Riverhouse, although they can be vegan with corn tortillas. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Is it jackfruit? Who cares, it’s delicious. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

Sweet corn nuggets are always a good idea for an appetizer. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

THE BIG SKY WAY

THE NAME IS BOND… BOND LEVY

BY DANNY BIERSCHWALE EBS COLUMNIST

I’m not Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, or for that matter even Austin Powers. However, to set the stage for our ongoing civic discussion, let’s imagine we are sitting at a classic 007 high stakes casino game. The money we bring to the table is extremely important and of course we have a signature Bond gadget to get us out of what is sure to be a sticky situation. What’s most important is for our hero to complete the mission at hand.

Much like this secret agent, many of Big Sky’s government entities also have a mission. To accomplish those objectives, state law provides tools to achieve those goals. In many scenarios, ballot measures and elections are how the public approves or denies implementing those tools.

In our last column, we discussed governance of many Big Sky districts, focusing on the elections/appointment structure of those boards—all of which are outlined through state law. Depending on the complexity of the organization, the roles and responsibilities of serving on any particular board range from operational to strategic or some combination. These roles are often defined in a guiding document called bylaws. For example, the Resort Area District’s outlines operating structure for accomplishing its mission.

In many cases, state law allows some local governments to seek voter approval to acquire funding via property taxes. While this funding isn’t the only revenue stream available, it’s certainly a widely used tool by local governments to accomplish the mission at hand.

Property Taxes:

Demystifying bonds and mill levies

In addition to board/trustee elections, the recent May election included ballot measures for funding requests. Both the Big Sky and Ennis school districts asked the electorate for funding using distinctly different tools, and for different purposes.

One of the tools that voters were able to cast a ballot for was a bond. An easy way to think of bonds is that they’re generally for building. Just like when you want to add an addition to your home, you must decide how to pay for it: you could pay cash, or you could pursue taking out a loan. Similarly, the mission and objectives of a local government often require investment of funds but need to borrow money to take action quickly and deploy

those funds towards a targeted purpose—this referred to as a bond.

A ‘bond,’ ‘bond levy,’ or ‘capital bond,’ if passed, is ”levied” on the tax payer through property taxes. This debt is spread over a term (typically years) and taxes are used to pay off the bond including interest. Once the debt service has been paid, the taxpayer is no longer obligated. The tax has served its purpose and removed from your property tax bill.

In an alternate scenario, let’s assume the local government has a need for funding that isn’t tied to a large-scale capital investment requiring immediate access to a lump sum of funding. The tool used to achieve this is called a mill levy. A mill is an increment of tax based on the taxable value of a property. For a full explanation of calculating taxable value, please reference the guide to understanding taxes in Big Sky.

Mill levies are used for day-to-day expenses and maintenance. They can help supplement a general fund (think salaries) or be for a specific purpose such as technology. There may be multiple mill levies on the same ballot

so it’s important to denote the duration (term) of the mill and the specific financial impact per year based on taxable value of the property.

Side note, the term ‘levy’ is used both as a verb and noun which can be confusing. What’s most important to denote is that bonds are long-term debt for a lump sum and mill levies are for a specific operational purpose—all collected through property taxes.

Regardless of the ballot measure, it’s important to have a clear understanding of the mission. Just like 007, organizations also need the tools to accomplish their mission. It’s up to you—the voter—to determine if you want to support that mission.

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

Graphic by Jason Bacaj

DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: GOT TO KEEP THEM SEPARATED

FATAL PNEUMONIA OUTBREAK FROM DOMESTIC SHEEP KILLS BIGHORN SHEEP

BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST

In my last article, I wrote about winterkill in Wyoming’s pronghorn antelope population and how hundreds starved because they were already weakened by bacterial pneumonia, coupled with not finding a snow-free winter range for grazing. This week’s column deals with another type of pneumonia affecting North America’s bighorn sheep.

Each winter, one of Canada’s native bighorn sheep herds migrates out of the Rockies for lowerelevation habitat near Radium Hot Springs, British Columbia. The west-facing, rolling grassland steppes below the rocky crags surrounding the town are usually snow-free, making them the ideal winter range. Rams, ewes, and lambs congregate in subgroups on the edge of town and along the highway, where there are private land holdings. This brings them close to people and their animals and the potential for contact with domestic sheep farms. These two species are closely related, can mate, and have offspring. Unfortunately, wild sheep can suffer irreversible health impacts with that close contact. Domestic sheep are often carriers of respiratory bacteria that can be transmitted to bighorns. Although these bacteria usually cause only minor symptoms in domestic sheep, they can lead to fatal consequences for the bighorns, causing pneumonia that can lead to die-offs and permanent impacts on populations.

Helen Schwantje, a retired wildlife veterinarian (emeritus) for British Columbia, is trying to limit the transmission of this fatal pneumonia by raising awareness through education and hands-on management. Schwantje has been studying this disease for decades. She did her master’s thesis on this topic in the 1980s in this region.

“Animals at high density have a much easier time transmitting infectious organisms because they’re closer together,” she said.

Mycoplasma ovipneumoniae (M. ovi) is one species of a family of highly infectious bacteria. They enter their host’s nasal passages, attach to the lining cells and cause mucus production and changes in the lower airways that allow additional pathogenic (disease-causing) bacterial species to invade the lungs. The changes lead to coughing and sneezing and often fatal pneumonia. The bacteria are aerosolized within droplets and transmitted to the next animal. Bighorns can seek out domestic sheep during the rut or share feed and water, bringing them into nose-to-nose contact. Once passed to the following individual, that animal can continue the spread to the rest of the herd. The development of a pneumonia outbreak can affect adjacent subgroups and populations up and down the Rockies as animals travel.

“There might be 35% to 85% of the population die initially, but arguably the biggest issue is the impact on lamb survival over time,” Schwantje said. If ewes survive the initial disease event and continue to carry the organism, their lambs will likely be infected from close contact with their mom in the following years.

“While the mom may produce protective antibodies in her colostrum to protect her lamb,

that protection is short-lived. Most often, that lamb will develop pneumonia and die before six weeks of age,” she said.

As lambs age, they band with other lambs and form nursery groups. That mingling allows the further spread of pathogens amongst the group, with most lambs dying by late summer. In fact, while there are other causes of lamb losses, one of the ways to tell if a bighorn sheep herd has respiratory disease issues is to see if there are any lambs in early autumn.

Sheep owners

Most people in the Pacific Northwest live here for the beauty and the wildlife. Nobody wants to kill wildlife inadvertently.

“Most people who own sheep know nothing about M. ovi and have no idea they may impact their natural environment and the animals that live there,” Schwantje said.

Sheep owners can help by educating themselves about this organism and how it affects their animals and wildlife.

“The only way we will achieve anything is by working with people. We can’t tell people what to do on their private land, but we all care about the planet and want to minimize our impact as much as possible,” Schwantje said.

Owners may have access to help. They can contact their wildlife agency and their veterinarian to ask about existing testing and separation programs. M. ovi can affect domestic sheep but is usually less severely than their wild cousins, affecting growth rates and poorer wool quality reported. However, some producers experience higher financial impacts from disease outbreaks. Keeping the two species apart has been the most practical solution to preventing transmission in the past. Still, Schwantje is currently doing trials with specific antibiotic treatments to clear domestic sheep of bacteria.

“There is no vaccine,” she said. “Interestingly, people always gravitate toward the idea of a vaccine. I think it’s probably a hangover from the pandemic.”

Experimental trials

The success of treatment to clear animals is far from 100% guaranteed. Several flocks have been treated, and the data is still being analyzed, but the trials appear more successful with smaller flocks of

less than 20 animals. The owners and Schwantje test the sheep by swabbing the nose. If all animals in a flock are negative by a PCR test on the swab, it’s a good sign that the flock is not infected, but annual monitoring is advised. If some test positive, a discussion is started on what is next. For the experimental trial, infected animals are separated. The treatment involves using the antibiotic by injection and flushing the nose with antibiotic and saline solution for several days in a row. Animals are retested within a month.

“If animals are still testing positive after treatment, we discuss culling the animal so that it is no longer a risk to the population, but we continue to work on other solutions. We work with the owners to find a solution that helps their animals, fits their circumstances, and protects wild sheep,” Schwantje said.

BC government

The recently released film "Transmission" highlights how serious an issue bighorn health is for the BC government and their partners who manage wild sheep. Some M. ovi-infected bighorn populations have declined and are in danger of disappearing. An experiment is underway where bighorn ewes in such herds are captured in nets from a helicopter. In the first year of this project, animals were blindfolded, placed in a body bag, and long-lined to a processing site to be sampled and tested on-site using an innovative testing protocol. After an hour, the test result was confirmed. If the animal was positive, animals were killed. If negative, they were released. The film demonstrates how far the partnership was willing to go—to protect bighorns by killing sheep who test positive. Results from this experiment have shown that lamb survival was restored after removing females that carried the bacteria.

“Sometimes you have to kill the individual to save the herd,” she says.

The disease is avoidable, and while the situation is complicated, there can be successful solutions by working collaboratively.

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

A bighorn sheep ewe with a lamb on Mount Washburn. PHOTO BY NEAL HERBERT

SITTING BULL ROAD, BIG SKY

This Big Sky Mountain Village Home was designed to absorb the warm winter sun yet remain cool during the summer months. Great floor plan with private 2 bed/2 bath suites, located at opposite ends of the home with large lofts above each. Large two-sided fireplace separates the kitchen and living room, with a large entertainment/great room located in the middle of the home. Opposite the air lock entry is a large two-door, 4-car garage. $2,990,000 #380923

DAN DELZER 406-580-4326

LAND | 3.93 ACRES 46950 GALLATIN ROAD, BIG SKY

Located on Highway 191, minutes to The Big Sky Resort. This rare piece of property is adjacent to Montana State Land with access to the Gallatin River. Views abound. No covenants. Septic, well and power utilities are in place.

#377231

KATIE HALEY GRIMM 406-580-3444

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE

FLOWER POWER, SPRING EDITION

BY PAUL SWENSON EBS COLUMNIST

While I spent time around town in late April, I kept hearing people lamenting the long winter. As a first-year retired teacher I must say that it was the best winter I could have asked for. Skiing during the week at the resort, and skiing adventures with my wife either in the backcountry or resort on the weekends, made for a quick winter for me. We still are crust cruising up in Yellowstone National Park at least until mid-May.

But now the snow has disappeared in the low country and one of my other favorite activities has started: finding the first and most beautiful of each of the regional flower species we have. I would like to share with you the most obvious choices since I have a limited amount of space here in the paper.

The first flower that blooms in our region is the Sagebrush Buttercup. They show up within a week of the snow disappearing out in the sagebrush covered flats along the Gallatin River, or down in the valley. We found some two weeks ago during an afternoon walk close to Porcupine.

After finding the buttercups, keep an eye out for the Hookedspur Violet, also known as the early blue violet. Both these plant species are small and inconspicuous, but once you spot them you know spring is officially here.

The next two species that emerge are my favorite early bloomers: the Dogtooth Violet, also known as the Glacier Lily, and the Pasque Flower. You can find Glacier Lilies within inches of a receding snowbank. I found a little patch of these blooming by the Green Bridge today, May 10. As the snow disappears slowly at higher elevations throughout the summer, you can find these flowers through mid-July in the alpine.

Pasque Flowers come and go in a hurry, so once you find them, usually in late May, early June, tell your friends and flower lovers because they’ll be gone in a week. My sister and I have an informal competition to find the first, most, and hairiest one. The name Pasque is attributed to the French spelling of the Hebrew word for Passover, “Pasakh.” In other regions of the world, Pasque flowers usually bloom around Easter.

A quote from “A Sand County Almanac” by Aldo Leopold references this flower in a very apropos manner for our region:

Like winds and sunsets, wild things were taken for granted until progress began to do away with them. Now we face the question whether a still higher 'standard of living' is worth its cost in things natural, wild, and free. For us of the minority, the opportunity to see geese is more important than television, and the chance to find a pasque-flower is a right as inalienable as free speech.

The last three flowers I would like you to look for usually start blooming at the beginning of June through the middle of July: Larkspur, Shooting Stars and Fairy Slippers.

Larkspur is an intensely colored purple flower whose name originates in Shakespearean England.

The horn shaped nectar producing petal resembles the spur claw on a lark’s foot. It is referenced as “Lark’s Heel” by Shakespeare in the late 1500’s.

Several different indigenous groups extracted the purple pigment from the flowers to use as dye in ceremonial artwork and clothing. The pigments were also used in European countries as ink.

Shooting Stars usually bloom in conjunction with Glacier Lilies, or slightly behind. They were my favorite flower as a kid, and still rank in my top five. Their pinkish purple color is very distinct and will be noticed immediately on a hillside.

Last is the Fairy Slipper. It is a wild orchid, one of the few in Montana, and the only one in the mountains surrounding Big Sky. They are difficult to find, but once you do, keep looking around in that area and you are bound to find more. They

are a delicate plant and one should take care not to disturb the plant or soil when observing. I hope that you can get out in the next three weeks and find these flowers. Porcupine Creek trail, lower Beehive Basin trail, Taylor Fork, and Teepee Creek trails are all great places to find these beauties. Please do not pick these flowers. They will not last more than a day or two in a vase anyway, and it’s best to let others enjoy them also. Take photos! Get down low, close to the ground with your cell phone and shoot them with the sun behind them. Better yet, shade them with your hand so the light is not intense or direct. Try to get a dark background for intense colors.

Paul Swenson has been living in and around the Big Sky area since 1966. He is a retired science teacher, fishing guide, Yellowstone guide and naturalist. Also an artist and photographer, Swenson focuses on the intricacies found in nature.

On the left is a Sagebrush Buttercup, while on the right is a Hookedspur Violet, or early blue violet. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Left to right: Glacier Lilly and Pasque Flower. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

From left: Larkspur, Shooting Star, Fairy Slipper. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

SHOULDER SEASON GOT YOU DOWN? TRY BIRDING

BY SILAS MILLER EBS CONTRIBUTOR

The arrival of longer and sunnier days means the return of eye-catching migratory birds to western Montana. Now’s the time to see the Western Tanager, often sighted in trees along the banks of rivers, and whose flaming yellow bodies and red heads recall something you’d run into on the banks of the Amazon as opposed to the Yellowstone River. Now’s the time to see the iridescent reds and pinks of the Lewis’s Woodpecker, often observed darting to and from dead cottonwoods, catching flies mid-flight. Or you might be lucky enough to see the long-tailed, orange and black sparrow with burning red eyes called the Spotted Towhee, often heard before seen on mountainsides as they rummage the brush.

It’s time to awaken your inner birder. Perhaps you’re the fly-fisher in need of a new hobby while spring runoff gorges the rivers. Or maybe you want to clear your mind in the wake of another long, verging-on-unbearable winter in Montana. Or perhaps you want to enliven your backyard with a feeder and play host to charming visitors who’ve arrived from across the continent to grace you with their presence. Maybe you want to feel more present, alleviated of your all-too-busy mind.

Birds are the ticket, and your curiosity and attention are all that’s required.

Let’s say you’re on the lookout for birds while on a casual hike in the mountains that surround the town of Big Sky.

You hear a “krawwwww,” and spot a robinsized grey bird atop a lodgepole pine. You

raise your binoculars and mentally note its black wings and stark dagger-like bill. A soft breeze then rustles the trees, and your new friend is airborne. There’s no more effort needed for remembering its features; its spread of operatic black-and-white wings and striped tail are unforgettable.

Later, you work to identify the species. You might use a field book or borrow the assistance of a bird-identification app (my usual method of choice). You soon realize it was a Clark’s Nutcracker, a member of the Corvid family, which includes magpies and crows (hence the “krawwwww.”) They are described as an “uncommon” sighting, which fires a few endorphins. This bird uses its powerful bill to bust open pine cones and collect and carry up to 90 tree seeds in a pouch located in its throat.

According to the Montana Field Guide, it caches upwards of 90,000 seeds, burying them across the landscape come late summer and fall. Then you learn that this bird can remember where it buried 40,000 of them throughout the winter, even locating them if buried beneath several feet of snow. How’s that for intelligence?

And it’ll come at no surprise that this seed distributing bird is an ecological powerhouse, preserving its own existence as well that of the trees whose seeds it spreads. It especially has an intertwined relationship with the endangered white-bark pine, a gnarled, straggler-like tree that grows at the highest possible elevations and usually defines the tree line. According to Cornell Lab, it’s been estimated that virtually all the whitebark pines distributed along tree lines in the Northern Rockies were born of seeds buried and uncollected by the Clark’s Nutcracker.

Comprehending such evolutionary compatibility might make you question whether there are creatures more apt for Earth than us. You might think of your place in the world and feel a part of a larger whole. And all you did was look up while on a hike and wonder about what caught your attention.

I started paying attention to birds a short three years ago, and what keeps me looking up is the fact that every bird I’ve learned about reveals a story as special as the Clark’s Nutcracker’s. For instance, whenever I see the emerald and ruby plumage of a flying Calliope Hummingbird, I think of its tiny heart, and how that heart, while beating a lightning 1,200 times a minute in flight, very well may have powered a recent journey all the way from the jungles of southern Mexico to breed at high elevations in the Montana Rockies.

Or, when watching a pair of Common Loons hunt fish in Seeley Lake, I may think about their ability to hold their breath for 15 minutes and dive to depths of more than 200 feet, using sight alone to chase down fish after fish. I might reflect on how Loons are monogamous creatures, and that this pair had likely gone their separate ways to ocean coastlines for winter migration, only to meet again at this very lake.

When I observe birds, my mind stills into an awareness of the world outside of me instead of the one constructed by the at-timesuncontrollable stream of thoughts in my head.

This goes for whether it’s a first sighting or the same one for the hundredth time. I’ve slowed down for a conscious pause to consider and appreciate life instead of letting it fly by, and all that’s required is my curiosity and attention.

A Clark’s Nutcracker perched on a tree branch. ADOBE STOCK

COMMUNITY WORKOUT CHALLENGE AT MOVING MOUNTAINS

2023 MEMORIAL DAY

29 MAY 9 AM - 3 PM

5 DIVISIONS

1/2 MURPH PARTNER MURPH FULL MURPH- RX AND SCALED FULL MURPH- COMPETITIVE KIDS MURPH

1 MILE RUN 100 PULL-UPS 200 PUSH-UPS 300 SQUATS

1 MILE RUN

FAMILY FRIENDLY EVENT BBQ AND AWARDS TO FOLLOW AWARDS FOR TOP 3 MALE AND FEMALE ATHLETES IN EACH DIVISION TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL SPIRIT AWARDS

ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE?

hosted by Sign Up: bit.ly/murphbigsky

proceeds benefit

INTRODUCING PHASE ONE AT URBAN + FARM

LISTED BY Darren Streets | 406.570.4862 | darren@outlaw.realty

PHASE ONE AT URBAN + FARM

Bozeman, MT

8.72 ± Acres

Listed at $9.3M

Urban Farm Phase One consists of 8.72± acres located within the 106± acre Urban + Farm mixed-use and master-planned community situated in Bozeman’s growing west side. The Phase One parcel provides an excellent opportunity for developers to build a total of 64 residential units, comprising of 21 single-family homes and 43 townhomes. With amazing views in all directions as well as walking distance to many restaurants and shopping amenities this location cannot be beat! Parcel lies within city limits and will have city utilities installed this summer. With an excellent per door price of $160K per single family lot door and $135K per multi-family lot door, this parcel is an extremely competitively priced development parcel.