Explore Big Sky - June 15 to 28, 2023

RESORT TAX ALLOCATES OVER $8M FOR 2024

HELD V. MONTANA: FIRST-EVER CLIMATE CHANGE TRIAL BEGINS

BIG SKY TRAILER PARK IN JEOPARDY

FARMERS MARKET RETURNS FOR SUMMER

LPHS SENIOR SPEARHEADS GREENHOUSE PROJECT

June 15-28, 2023

Volume 14, Issue No. 12

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

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

Joe Borden, Thom Bridge, Scott Brown, Greg Cappis, Gabriella DiCenzo, Micah Drew, Jacob W. Frank, Rachel Hergett, Jim Peaco, Benjamin Alva Polley, Michael Ruebusch, Brandon Smith, Paul Swenson, Hudson Willett

TABLE OF CONTENTS

RESORT TAX ALLOCATES OVER $8M FOR 2024

In a three-night series of public meetings at BASE, the Big Sky Resort Area District board funded over $8 million dollars to local nonprofits and organizations. Facing over $10.7 million in requests, the board had to make difficult decisions to overcome a $300,000 deficit which emerged after the second night. Projects were funded across housing, parks and recreation, arts and education, public works and conservation.

BIG SKY TRAILER PARK IN JEOPARDY

Since the 1970s, the George Norman Trailer Court has housed a handful of locals in the Gallatin Canyon of Big Sky. In an unfortunate but inevitable turn of events, the property has been listed for sale for over $5 million. If it sells, it will more than likely displace about 20 longtime residents. The park’s oldest resident, Kenny Alley, spoke with Explore Big Sky about this moment in a small but meaningful pocket of Big Sky history..”

FARMERS MARKET RETURNS FOR SUMMER

With roughly 65 vendors on hand for the June 7 kickoff, the Big Sky Farmers Market is open for summer 2023. Repeating every Wednesday from 5 to 8 p.m., the farmers market will host local, regional and national vendors. Explore Big Sky spoke with Erik Morrison, who organizes the event, about the event’s growth and some changes to the summer street market in 2023.

LPHS SENIOR SPEARHEADS GREENHOUSE PROJECT

ON THE COVER:

Outlaw Partners’ videographer Michael Ruebusch recently captured three familiar faces outside his Bozeman home. Ruebusch is lucky to see these young great horned owls roosting in his backyard evergreen nearly every day, often beside their parents (not pictured). Great horned owls migrate in the winter, and Ruebusch recalls their springtime return to his Gallatin Valley backyard in April. PHOTO BY MICHAEL RUEBUSCH

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.

Chloe Nogaret, a recent graduate of Lone Peak High School, accomplished in 12 months what a sponsoring teacher said couldn’t be done in 23 years: Nogaret succeeded in gaining early-stage approvals and funding for a school and community greenhouse on school grounds. Nogaret, who will study sustainable architecture at University of California Berkeley, spoke about her inspiration and drive which enabled the project, and how younger students will pick up where she leaves off.

HELD V. MONTANA: FIRST-EVER CLIMATE CHANGE TRIAL BEGINS

Gaining national attention as the first climate change case to reach trial in America, Held v. Montana began on June 12 in Helena. The lawsuit was filed by 16 youth plaintiffs from Montana, who allege that state policy has violated their constitutional right “to a clean and healthful environment” by promoting fossil fuel use and preventing state agencies from analyzing climate impacts.

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 29th, 2023 issue: June 21, 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

Persistent rainfall throughout May and June has inundated dirt roads around southwest Montana, including some of the U.S. Forest Service roads around Hyalite Canyon. The driver of this Chevy pickup truck learned the hard way just how sloppy some roads have gotten when they tried to motor up a secondary road north of the Moser Creek trailhead and sank bumper-deep into the mud.

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

LOCAL NEWS IN BRIEF

HUNTER KILLS GRIZZLY

IN SELF-DEFENSE IN THE MADISON RANGE

EBS STAFF

A hunter killed a grizzly bear in self-defense last week in the Madison Range southeast of Ennis, according to a press release from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks.

The person was hunting black bears in a remote parcel of private land in the backcountry on June 5 when he was charged by a grizzly bear. The hunter shot and killed the bear with a pistol and was not injured.

The hunter notified Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the same day. A field investigation with help from the landowner was conducted and confirmed the bear mortality. The investigation is ongoing.

The bear’s behavior appeared to be defensive in the surprise, close encounter with the hunter. The 15-year-old female grizzly had previously been captured for research purposes in 2013 and had no known history of conflict with people. No cubs were seen with the bear.

CONSTITUTIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE TRIAL OPENS IN HELENA

BY MICAH DREW

Attorneys in the youth-led constitutional climate change lawsuit Held v. Montana on June 12 delivered opening statements in a crowded Helena courtroom where the landmark environmental trial is set to unfold over the following two weeks.

Lewis and Clark District Court Judge Kathy Seeley is presiding over a bench trial in the high-profile lawsuit brought by 16 youth plaintiffs from across Montana who say the state has violated their constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. The trial is focused on a provision in the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) that prohibits state agencies from considering greenhouse gas emissions and climate change impacts while conducting environmental reviews. The lawsuit is the first youth-led lawsuit focused on climate change impacts to reach trial.

DOLLY PARTON’S LITERACY PROGRAM IMAGINATION LIBRARY EXPANDING IN MONTANA

DAILY MONTANAN STAFF

Montana kids in every zip code in the state up to 5 years old will have access to free books courtesy of country singer Dolly Parton in partnership with the state’s first lady.

Parton’s Imagination Library will provide a free book each month to any Montana child, ages 0 to 5 years old, who is registered with the organization. A child can be registered for the program at imaginationlibrary.com. The partnership will assist programs already in place while also expanding programs statewide to every zip code in all of Montana’s 56 counties.

According to the release, the first lady’s chief initiatives include boosting literacy among Montana children and promoting and expanding access to STEM education, particularly for girls and students in Montana’s rural communities. Inspired by her father’s inability to read and write, Parton’s Imagination Library launched in 1995 and has since become the preeminent early childhood bookgifting program in the world.

CUSTER GALLATIN NATIONAL FOREST BUYS MINING CLAIMS OUTSIDE COOKE CITY

EBS STAFF

Several mining claims outside Cooke City are now part of the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

The forest’s Gardiner District partnered with the Greater Yellowstone Coalition to make a conservation-based purchase of 137 acres—called the Daisy Creek property—about 3 miles northwest of Cooke City that became final in mid-May, according to a June 1 press release. Money for the project included Land and Water Conservation Inholding funds.

The claims were the final remaining privately held mining claims within the New World Mining District, an area of historic patented and unpatented mining claims, the release states.

The Daisy Creek property is adjacent to the Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness. It allows for multiple-use recreation around the historic mining and county roads and is a renowned winter destination for snowmobiling and backcountry skiing.

FOREST ROAD IN HYALITE TO SEE ROADWORK CLOSURES THIS SUMMER

EBS STAFF

Roadwork on the East Fork Hyalite Road in Upper Hyalite Canyon will be closed to all traffic from June 20 through Sept. 30, Monday through Thursday from 8 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., according to a press release from the Custer Gallatin National Forest.

The road will be open outside those hours and all day on Fridays, weekends and federal holidays. Road work between the Chisolm Y to the popular Palisade Falls trailhead will include widening, minor realignment, new culverts, improved drainage and paving. Trailheads impacted by this closure include Palisade Falls and Emerald Lake trailheads.

The Hyalite work is part of a multi-year project adding to the improvements from the past three years on Hyalite Canyon Road (#62), the East Fork Hyalite Road (#6280) and numerous recreational sites. The project is made possible by the Federal Lands Transportation Program.

PUBLIC NOTICE

The Directors of Big Sky County Water & Sewer District No.363 will meet at the District office located at 561 Little Coyote Road, Big Sky, at 8:00 am on Tuesday June 20, 2023 for the purpose of public comment on the proposed rates for the 2023-2024 fiscal year; the proposed rate increases are for both water and sewer user charges. The proposed rate increase is 15.00% for user rates. The water rate increase proposed is 15% for both the base rate and all variable rate user tiers. The rate increase for sewer is 15% for both the base rate and the variable use rate. The Quarterly (calendar year quarter) sewer SFE flat rate is $88.59 a 15% increase to $101.88 is proposed. The Quarterly vacant lot charges $24.81 for water and $24.81 for sewer the proposal is to increase 15% to $28.53 for both water and sewer vacant lot charges. The proposed water base charge is $22.29 or $66.87 a Quarter. Please see the District’s website for the 15% increase in all water tier rates. The proposed sewer base charge is $35.78 or $107.34 a Quarter and usage charge of $8.72 for residential and $9.14 for commercial for each thousand gallons metered. The wholesale user rate will go from $3.79 to $4.36. The Bulk user rate for water hydrant fill will go from $10.00 per thousand to $15.00 per thousand gallons used. The District will also implement a $1.00 per thousand gallons for reuse water for irrigation. The annual user fee cost for a two bedroom two bath residence using three thousand gallons a month is estimated to be $743.28 for sewer, and $403.56 for water. Copies of the rate schedule are available at the District office from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, or online at www.bigskywatersewer.com. For written comments please send letters to PO Box 160670, Big Sky, MT 59716; or by email to billing@ wsd363.com. For more information, please call Terry Smith at 406-995-2660.

Thank You BSRAD Board

The residents of Big Sky would like to thank the Big Sky Resort Area District (BSRAD) Board Members for their tireless commitment to our community.

The locally elected, volunteer board is responsible for guiding Resort Tax investments in Big Sky. Their passion and dedication make our community better today and for the future.

HARD CHOICES, BALANCED BUDGET DEFINE ANNUAL BSRAD ALLOCATION MEETINGS

BY JACK REANEY

The solution may have been unexpected, but it balanced the budget.

On Thursday evening at BASE, the third of three resort tax allocations meetings finalized grants to Big Sky nonprofits and organizations that applied for fiscal year 2024 funding.

At the first session on June 5, the BSRAD board voted on preliminary awards totaling $5.34 million for arts and education, economic development, public works and housing.

At the second session on June 6, the board made preliminary awards totaling $4.07 million for health and safety, and recreation and conservation.

On Thursday, the Big Sky Resort Area District board accomplished their main objective: they squashed the $300,417 deficit resulting from the first two days. But the board went beyond just erasing the deficit — they also voted unanimously to place $550,000 into BSRAD capital reserves and voted unanimously to place the remaining surplus of $147,829 into an opportunity fund for smaller grant requests that appear throughout the year.

If a more-than-half-million-dollar surplus is surprising, it’s because a lot changed in the first 15 minutes of board discussion to move BSRAD into the green.

Early in the meeting, BSRAD Executive Director Danny Bierschwale announced that two organizations reduced their asks: Big Sky Community Organization pulled its request for $100,000 to make BASE a Red Cross disaster relief shelter, and the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center decreased its ask for programming funds by $10,000. Moments later, during public comment, Big Sky Chamber of Commerce CEO Brad Niva offered to halve the chamber’s ask for a wayfinding signage project, removing another $100,000 from the deficit. Before any action, the $300,000 deficit had already shrunk to just $90,000.

Board member Ciara Wolfe later called those sacrifices, and similar ones from Monday and Tuesday, “very commendable and reputable.”

Next, the board took action that removed about $633,000 in proposed grants and created a working surplus of $542,600.

Throughout the allocations process, Wolfe maintained that requests for the same services should be increased by 7.5% year-over-year from 2023, and capital projects not be funded beyond the amount matched one-to-one by philanthropy. On Monday and Tuesday as board members elected to fund certain requests in full—some of which requested year-over-year increases far higher than 7.5%—Wolfe voted against those motions and repeated her philosophy. She noted that with recent resort tax collections trending down, and without the added revenue stream from Montage Big Sky (the hotel boosted tax collections after coming online in 2023), the fiscal year 2025 allocations budget might not be able to sustain annual increases above 7.5%.

Returning to a baseline

Wolfe made the first move on Thursday.

“I would like to make a motion, this isn’t going to surprise anyone,” Wolfe said. “I want us to start

at a baseline. I want us to think in abundance and not scarcity. Can we please move any of the applicants which have been allocated a greater than 7.5% growth… to the 7.5% growth, and any of the capital projects that have a less than one-toone match, to a one-to-one match.”

That motion reduced tentative funding for a wide swath of projects from the Big Sky Community Food Bank, Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, Visit Big Sky, Gallatin River Task Force, Center for Large Landscape Conservation, Big Sky SNO, Grow Wild and Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association—all of which added up to more than a half million-dollar reduction in allocations.

“I know this won’t be the final motion for the night, or the final action,” Wolfe concluded. She later added: “We need to start with a baseline of what’s realistic, and then look at what’s left over, and determine the ones that are the highest priority.”

Not everyone agreed with Wolfe’s reasoning. Board member Kevin Germain commented:

“You gotta look at these projects on an individual basis and I feel that this board has. I am an advocate for the one-to-one match and the 7.5%

[limits], if those rules were stated up front before the application process began. But coming in here and deliberating—” Germain said, and was interrupted by some applause from a handful of public attendees.

“I have some ideas on how to save some money that I’ll make a motion next,” Germain added. “But I do really want to applaud Ciara [Wolfe] for trying to get this community to think about what’s ahead.”

During public comment, BSCO CEO Whitney Montgomery said it’s troubling that there is conversation of adding new criteria at the last minute.

“I will also say [it’s] disappointing that the project scores aren’t carrying much weight in this process. That makes me feel like it’s less objective than perhaps it has been in the past,” Montgomery said.

After a 3-2 board vote in favor of Wolfe’s motion, the budget surplus became $542,600.

‘The ones that are the highest priority’

In the green and facing a number of projects funded below ask amounts, the board began recommending certain projects for full or increased funding.

The BSRAD board assembled Thursday to finalize grant allocations for 2024. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Counting investments to public works made during the government service allocations (fire department, water and sewer, etc), this shows the total $22.7 million invested by BSRAD for fiscal year 2024. COURTESY OF BSRAD

Board Chair Sarah Blechta motioned for full funding to the food bank, the Town Center public bathrooms, and GRTF’s West Fork nitrogen reduction. The board voted 5-0 in favor.

Germain noted that after speaking with water and sewer district General Manager Ron Edwards, the centrifuge sludge press could be built for $500,000—a unanimous vote added $150,000 to the surplus.

Following that, motions to fully fund CLLC’s highway assessment action plan, GRTF’s water coordination and outreach, SNO’s Climate Action Plan and Grow Wild’s Crail Gardens, wildlife habitat conservation and landowner stewardship also passed.

BSCO’s trail projects and safety, parks and trails equipment, and GVSA’s Buck Ridge snowmobile trail grooming also received full funding.

A complicated situation emerged when Germain motioned to reduce funding to Morningstar Learning Center’s campus expansion project—it had been awarded $750,000 on Monday with contingency that the board sees plans before any capital is released.

“After hearing from Morningstar the other night, it’s pretty clear to me that this is not a shovelready project,” Germain said. His suggestion was to grant $200,000 without restriction for MLC to pursue engineering and feasibility costs, and if MLC was ready, they could apply for funds from capital reserves.

After discussion and public comment from MLC Executive Director Mariel Butan, that motion passed 4-1 and placed another $550,000 into the surplus.

Germain motioned to fund Visit Big Sky operations in full—that request earned a tentative grant of $200,000 on Monday.

Discussion around the topic of destination marketing repeated Monday’s talking points: Big Sky visitation has showed signs of slowing, and marketing spend is very low compared to similar destinations.

Germain rescinded the motion after public comment from Visit Big Sky which stated that marketing dollars are the main priority, not operations. He added a motion to fund marketing and events in full at $275,000.

That motion failed, 3-2, but Blechta added a third motion to fund Visit Big Sky marketing at $200,000, which passed.

With nearly $700,000 still on the table, the night appeared young. It aged fast.

Wolfe motioned to move $550,000 into reserves, to be set aside for Morningstar Learning Center in case MLC settled upon a final and definite plan for its campus expansion project.

If not used, that money would shift to unrestricted reserves.

“I’m a big fan of the reserve for big capital, so next year we have [additional reserves] to put toward some big projects if needed, if the right projects come to the table,” Wolfe said.

The motion carried unanimously. Wolfe followed with another motion, to place the remaining surplus of $147,829 into the opportunity fund for small and immediate projects. That motion carried

THE BEST MONTANA MADE JERKY & TREATS

unanimously, and the faint light at the end of the arduous tunnel that is the allocations process started to shine.

On a lighter note

After the meeting, BSRAD Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale commented to EBS about public engagement in this process.

He said public engagement was “fantastic” in written format before the first meeting, and that verbal public comment at the meetings was “decent.”

“Our new prioritize tool was a wonderful success that got approximately 10% of the population to participate. Next year, I would love to see that double, and we would also love to see more public comment from folks at the meeting itself, if possible,” he concluded.

A final note that cannot be overlooked: Bierschwale’s name plate read “Walter White” on Thursday night to accompany his bald head and horseshoe mustache.

“I am Danny Bierschwale, yes I did lose a bet, yes I am more bald than I was on Tuesday,” he said during introductions. EBS withheld a detailed image of Bierschwale out of sympathy, but the same courtesy was not extended by KBZKBozeman whose reporter interviewed him for live television.

Haircuts were top of mind for Bierschwale, who told KBZK that he was impressed by the many organizations that took “a haircut on their initial request.”

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

SMALL

BY JACK REANEY

BIG SKY—Robert “Kenny” Alley said he’s been in Big Sky for, let’s see, 34 years now.

He’s semi-retired—he found out you can’t just sit around, so he’s been working with Warren Bibbins, former Olive B’s owner, splitting and piling wood for sale outside the Whitewater Inn on U.S. Highway 191.

Not far from the woodpile is the trailer court where Alley lives, at 46950 Gallatin Road, a parcel listed for sale at $5.3 million this past winter. If it sells, he won’t be able to move his trailer.

“I’d hate to go back to work,” Alley said. He’s almost 71 years old. “That threw a curveball to me.”

He skied about 80 days in 2021-22, but had “a slow year” with 60 ski days in 2022-23 and hopes for 120 next winter. He’s won both of his battles with liver cancer. As the commander of Big Sky’s American Legion Post No. 99, he had the idea for the quarterly rent assistance program which raffles $2,000 every three months to a pair of eligible renters in Big Sky. Now he’s preparing to leave his home of 28 years: the trailer he bought in 1995.

“This used to be the cheapest rent in Big Sky, and you were real lucky to get one of these, to tell you the truth,” said Alley, the park’s oldest resident who’s watched neighbors cycle through, some starting families. Soon, he expects about 20 people to be displaced from their homes, assuming that the buyer won’t keep the lot as a trailer park. Most of the trailers aren’t mobile. Alley would abandon his trailer, right after he added a master bedroom extension, a metal roof and new windows.

“A lot of people got their start right here in this trailer park,” Alley said. “You’d be surprised who lived here.”

Dave O’Connor, executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust, lived in the park for two different stints in the early 1990s. He was bartending at Buck’s T4—a staple of Big Sky hospitality which he eventually co-owned—and was grateful to rent an affordable home with the Gallatin River in his backyard.

“It started my lifelong preference for living in the canyon,” O’Connor told EBS. “And I formed friendships with people that I have to this day. Many of the people that I lived next to in the trailer court at that time are still living in Big Sky, if not living in the trailer court.”

O’Connor named names. He said he could think of dozens of examples—the park dates back to the 1970s, when the land was first developed by George Norman. He said many of his neighbors from 1992 are still there, still working full time and approaching retirement.

“It’s a group of residents that have given quite a bit to this community over the years. I don’t know if the American Legion would have gotten off the ground if it weren’t for Kenny. I know Joe Mama [Rogers] has cooked in every kitchen in town, and had his own restaurant, and there’s lots of stories like that. It’s a unique group of residents that I think are just an integral part of the community.”

O’Connor said it’s undeniably a high-value piece of property, and that for anyone’s purchase to pencil out, they’d need to build for a greater density of residents or construct much higher value structures—in either case, the current situation won’t make financial sense.

But water challenges, including the recent impairment designation of the Gallatin River which could halt canyon development for a handful of years, might limit buildout density. O’Connor said the limiting factor

on that property is wastewater disposal. The Gallatin Canyon County Water and Sewer District aims to pump canyon septic up to Big Sky’s top notch wastewater resource recovery facility—which would enable a bigger build—but the river impairment may complicate that project.

EBS asked about the possibility of someone purchasing the lot and electing to keep the trailer court. At first, O’Connor was doubtful, noting that it would need to be a philanthropic angel investor. But he didn’t rule anything out.

“I’m always blown away what this community is able to accomplish with its philanthropic efforts. I’m always optimistic that within this community there could be some willingness to keep that community as it is,” he said.

“If someone walked in today and said, ‘we’re going to donate you [$5.3 million], we’d jump at it and operate [the trailer court] in a heartbeat. But those visitors are few and far between,” O’Connor added.

‘Fingers crossed’

On Jan. 27, 2002, the Olympic torch made its way north from Idaho Falls toward Bozeman on day 55 of its roundabout relay to Salt Lake City. Alley and his neighbors put every ski they could find beside the highway, spelling “USA 2002” in the snowbank. The torchbearers stopped and barbecued with Big Sky locals for three hours, eating elk steak.

When EBS stopped by in April, Alley pointed around the neighborhood, describing each neighbor by name.

He pointed around the Levinski Ridge, telling stories of his hikes, climbs, an old gold-mining camp and a giant wagon wheel his friend discovered high on the ridge. He reminisced, sharing how the original ski trail sign for Elk Park Ridge ended up on his home’s exterior.

“It’s got hope in this [park]. We’ve lived here so long—it would break our heart to have to move… There’s several movable trailers,” Alley said. Then he listed which ones can’t move, and would be demolished.

“It’s sad to see it go,” Alley repeats. “You talk about workforce housing—this is one of the originals. This trailer park has been like an institution in Big Sky, since way back… It was here when I showed up in ‘86.”

Alley remembers another original; Hidden Village was once a trailer park, until the units were pulled out around 1989 or ‘90. Alley said that was one of John Kircher’s biggest regrets.

“We’ve been here for years and never thought it would be up for sale,” Alley said. “But these days in Big Sky, everything’s up for sale.”

As for any interested buyers, Alley said the tenants don’t know anything.

“I don’t think really anybody’s that interested in this [property] right now… Who knows, somebody might step up off the highway and buy this thing… Nobody wants to be the bad guy and make us move, you know.”

He said the neighborhood is trying not to be negative about the situation. After all, while it’s been a harsh reality to face, they’ve known for years that the property

Alley called this ‘66 chevy “the truck that built Big Sky” for its longforgotten work building bridges with logs before it belonged to him.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

Alley showed Explore Big Sky around the neighborhood, stopping to chat on his front porch.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

In the Gallatin Canyon of Big Sky, a longtime trailer park is for sale, and its residents are thinking of a backup plan. PHOTO BY MICHAEL RUEBUSCH

A

BUT PAINFUL BLOW TO AFFORDABLE HOUSING INEVITABLE REALITY: A BIG SKY LEGACY IS FOR SALE WITH THE GEORGE NORMAN TRAILER COURT IN THE GALLATIN CANYON

could hit the market. Alley said the property owner Jeannette Fell is “a good gal.”

Alley noted she once owned Fell’s Old Time Bakery and helped build the classic mall in Westfork Meadows, now home to Blue Moon Bakery, BYWOM, Milkies, the Broken Spoke and three dispensaries.

EBS was unable to reach Fell for comment. Alley said she got tired of living beside so much development in the Gallatin Canyon.

“We always knew it was going to happen, just not so fast,” he said back in February.

In a June follow-up phone call, Alley said they’re still trying to keep upbeat about it.

“Kind of just, keep your fingers crossed,” he said.

“Hopefully it will just kinda get forgotten about. Can’t guarantee it, but sometimes that’s what you hope.”

The property’s listing agent, Katie Haley Grimm, declined to comment to EBS.

Grimm has been in Big Sky since the 1970s, and Alley pointed out that her husband, Jake, plows the trailer court. Alley used to work for Jake, who owns Jake’s Horses about 2 miles south.

When the ‘For Sale’ sign was blown over by the winter wind, Alley said the tenants called to let Katie know, and to assure her they didn’t do it.

O’Connor emphasized, “there’s no black hat in t his story.”

He said Fell has owned this property for decades, and nobody faults her for selling it as she reaches retirement.

Be a river hero.

“It just is still a difficult outcome that I hope these people don’t have to face,” O’Connor said. “At the very least I hope we can find [RiverView] apartments for them.”

‘We’re just old ski bums here’

Alley said he figured he’d live in his trailer until he was an old man.

“Right now, it doesn’t look good. I don’t know where I can go [in Big Sky]… I’ve got some ideas of where I need to move in Montana,” he said.

As a skier, he said it’s hard to think of leaving. If he does stay in Big Sky, he’s sure he can’t retire. He rattled off a few neighbors that are also close to retirement. Then he added that Big Sky isn’t built for retirement unless you’ve got a lot of money.

“We’ve talked about doing a co-op thing, where everyone here buys into [the property]. But nobody here can afford it. We’re just old ski bums here. Nobody’s rich. This has always been our little sanctuary right here,” Alley said. “We all know each other, we help each other out, we’ve always been supportive. I just hate to see it go. If it goes, a lot of us are going to have to move to Bozeman. Or get six roommates and move up into the meadow.”

O’Connor is hopeful that the RiverView low-income housing tax credit apartments would be a viable option for those residents, with a similar rent to what they’re paying in the trailer court. However, they would need to apply through the same federal program as other applicants. The housing trust cannot earmark any units for those displaced from the trailer park.

“We sure would if we could,” O’Connor said.

Since 1973, American Rivers has been the leading conservation organization working to protect and restore our nation’s rivers and streams. Today, our rivers face more threats than ever due to harmful development and climate change. That’s why we’ve committed to protecting 1 million river miles by 2030. We’re getting started by working to pass the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act to permanently protect 20 of our state’s most cherished rivers, including the Gallatin and Madison.

Help us protect the rivers you love.

This land was first developed as a trailer park in the 1970s by George Norman. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

“This thing’s immobile,” Alley said. “You’d have to bring a canister— crumple it and throw it in a canister.” PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

SYMBOL OF SUMMER: FARMERS MARKET RETURNS

BY JACK REANEY

The 2023 Big Sky Farmers Market season opened on Wednesday, with streets blocked off from cars and swarmed by eager community.

Despite the recent trend of intermittent rain, balmy and sunny weather glowed welcome to a Big Sky summer favorite. Town Center was lined with dozens of booths and stands at Fire Pit Park and Town Center Avenue. Event organizer Erik Morrison estimated around 65 or 70 booths for the June 7 market.

Local students swarmed the streets, salivating at the thought of Big Sky School District’s summer break less than 48 hours away. Families visited artisan vendors, live music filled the air, and at least one young adult was seen carrying two cans of Coors Light in one hand, and one more socalled “silver bullet” in the other. A can-to-man ration of three-to-one, in that case.

Distant thunder rumbled around 6:30 p.m., and rain came around 7:30, but businesses got their dose of face-to-face interactions under the big sky.

Morrison, owner of Love Street Media which produces the farmers market with Town Center, spoke with EBS about the summer kickoff.

“It’s a blur to me,” Morrison said, on the event’s growth. “I took a tally of how many vendors we have this year… We have over 140 vendors.”

Morrison notes that not all of those vendors will be at the market at the same time, but he expects to see over 100 vendors each week during peak markets in July and August.

EBS asked about the economic impact of this tradition. Morrison believes the farmers market drives some of the highest rates of pedestrian traffic downtown all year.

“I have a feeling that it’s a positive impact on Big Sky by bringing more people into the downtown and giving them a great experience,” Morrison said. “Supporting all the businesses, brick and mortars alike… Walking down the street I can see that every bar and restaurant is packed.”

He added that his vision and intent has always been a balance between bolstering local artists and small business owners, and bringing in goods and services that aren’t typically found in Big Sky.

“Trying to find a good synergy and symbiotic relationship between everybody who’s there,” he said. “It’s a delicate balance, and it’s a hard thing to do.

“The whole scene and vibe, the whole culture of the market, is something I’m very passionate about and protective of, and I want to see it grow in a sustainable way to support our local businesses,” Morrison said.

The Big Sky Farmers Market sees applications from businesses all over the place, even the East Coast, Morrison said. If the farmers market does allow a foreign vendor in, it’s because they offer something that Big Sky doesn’t have.

“It must fit and jive with the whole vibe of Big Sky’s culture,” Morrison added.

New for 2023

In the event’s 15th year, Morrison continues to work toward improving the experience for vendors and visitors. He’s been involved with this event since 2014.

“We are trying to build out a food court area over in the Town Center Plaza. All of our food trucks [and snack foods, desserts] we’re trying to have on that side of the venue,” Morrison explained, referring to the area near the Wilson Hotel and Town Center playground.

That area was intentionally designed with modern infrastructure including Wi-Fi and electrical hookups which food vendors use, he said.

The Fire Pit Park area is a better fit for certain vendors including farmers, cottage food producers, regional meat producers, florists and purveyors of craft goods.

“We still want to keep vibrancy over there,” he said. He listed a few examples: A beef vendor from Shields Valley, a regenerative agriculture hub from Gallatin Gateway called RegenMarket, and Peeler’s Wild Alaska Seafood—a local guy who brings back his catch from Alaska.

Another source of vibrancy, the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center added a tiny theater trailer. Audiences can watch a mini-play every 15 minutes or so, Morrison said.

In the nonprofit space—the second-largest vendor category—Morrison said Grow Wild (formerly Gallatin Invasive Species Alliance) “really stepped up their game” by adding an informational trailer to teach people about invasive species and native flora. That hands-on, interactive education is also being implemented with Wild Big Sky’s wildlife education trailer, and Hey Bear’s bear spray rental and education program, Morrison said.

Second Season Co., Morrison’s culture-focused education program, will provide wildfire awareness and campfire education throughout the summer, he added.

Not much is new in the food realm, mostly because the farmers market lacks turnover from typical booths, Morrison said.

“Super consistent, a lot of veteran vendors,” he said. Montage Big Sky’s Wildflower Market, Bakery and Café will bring baked goods to the party, however.

On the beverage side, Block 3 Kitchen and Bar and the Wilson Hotel are hosting a beer trailer, filling a void left by Lone Peak Brewery, Morrison said.

He gave shoutouts to sponsors, including Lone Mountain Land Company who stepped up to fund live music at the farmers market for the entire summer—one artist on each end of the venue.

Svalinn Dogs, a Livingston-based guard dog training service, and Summit Aviation both sponsored sustainability aspects of the event: with waste-reduction guidance from Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO), the farmers market is pushing for compostable and recyclable materials only and will feature water refill stations beginning next week.

And Morrison’s Second Season Co. will run an information booth and set up signage, starting next week.

Two kinds of high traffic

One concern, visible as usual on Wednesday, was the confluence of pedestrians crossing Ousel Falls Road and the ever-bustling traffic of worker vehicles and large trucks after 5 p.m.

Morrison said the Farmers Market has been keenly aware of that hazard. He looks forward to the traffic calming project designed to slow vehicle speeds and increase pedestrian visibility on Ousel Falls Road. That project is expected to begin any day, just the first of many improvements to pedestrian safety in Big Sky.

Weather was warm and sunny to kick off a Big Sky summer tradition.

PHOTO BY JASON BACAJ

LONE PEAK SENIOR INITIATES GREENHOUSE PROJECT

ONE TEACHER SAYS THIS PROJECT HAS BEEN 23 YEARS IN THE MAKING—CHLOE

NOGARET GOT THE BALL ROLLING IN 12 MONTHS

BY JACK REANEY

If a handful of Lone Peak High School students can carry the torch passed to them by graduating senior Chloe Nogaret, the Big Sky School District will soon have a longawaited greenhouse.

The greenhouse would grow herbs and vegetables in the fall and spring to be used by the cafeteria staff, Nogaret explained. In the summer—during school break and peak growing season—the greenhouse could become a community asset and responsibility.

Nogaret recently tossed her blue cap and will study sustainable architecture at University of California Berkeley’s School of Environmental Design. Since June 2022, she has been pursuing permission, funding and support to build a greenhouse on school grounds, a concept which had fallen flat for 23 years without enough support or interest, according to teacher Jeremy Harder.

By the end of her time as an LPHS student, Nogaret is confident that the project has enough support to reach completion in the next couple years.

But that won’t be possible without a pair of green-thumbed incoming seniors, Dylan Klein and Ella Meredith. When they heard about Nogaret’s initiative, they listened to her ideas and agreed to take over next year.

“I don’t want the next students to be so overwhelmed that they don’t carry it through, I’d like them to be able to [finish] it out,” Nogaret told EBS. She’s confident her hard work will result in a greenhouse, eventually.

Klein and Meredith described their plan via email. They will lean on the school district’s new science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) laboratory to finalize designs and construct the greenhouse. The lab is expected to open in fall 2023.

“For next year we plan to have the structure built and finished so that the project can then be handed off to the next year’s juniors. Once the juniors take over they can continue and build off of our ideas. Hopefully, to build the structure next year we will be able to use the new [STEAM] wing to create a structurally sound design that will last through the years for many students to enjoy,” the pair wrote.

Nogaret first imagined the project as selfsufficient—no plumbing or electricity— and began using the architecture software SketchUp to show how it could be built from scratch. However, she found the cost of materials would be too high, and as she passes the project to Klein and Meredith, she’s been open to the idea of connecting to plumbing and electric lines to make the project more feasible.

“So, at the beginning, sadly it won’t be a sustainable greenhouse like the original plans. However, we hope that when future students take it on, they can help develop it into a sustainable greenhouse as the years continue,” Nogaret said.

Talk with Nogaret, and it’s clear how much she prioritizes sustainability. From her early years living in Denmark, she remembers her brother’s kindergarten class building a greenhouse entirely of recycled plastic bottles. During early high school in Houston, Texas—her family moved to Big Sky in 2021—her class created a

hydroponic garden. She handled the plumbing and was inspired by the project’s student leadership.

Nogaret doesn’t believe she has a high bar for sustainability, but believes everyone should be working toward an ambitious goal and trying to improve.

“I think it’s just doing whatever you can to help the environment,” she explained. “I don’t think it’s a certain bar, because some people might not be able to have solar energy on their house or cannot afford [other renewable energy sources]… If I can make it as sustainable as possible, I’d like to.”

Chloe Nogaret will attend University of California Berkeley to study sustainable architecture. COURTESY OF LPHS

If all goes to plan, this cabin beside U.S. Highway 191 at Lone Peak High School will be moved, and its foundation used for a greenhouse.

PHOTO BY JACK REANEY

She also credits her parents for setting an environmentally conscious example.

In her junior year at Lone Peak, she saw a greenhouse during a school trip to the Rocky Boy’s reservation in north-central Montana. She didn’t realize a greenhouse would be possible in Montana’s harsh climate, she said. Months later, as she explored the possibility of a school greenhouse, she connected with Mr. Harder who’d been involved with past greenhouse efforts.

“She wanted to do it as a big project, and I said, ‘go for it,’” Harder said. However, he had seen similar attempts fail in the past, and wasn’t sure Nogaret could pull it off.

“She was in her senior year—she’s trying to complete high school, get into a university. And then to [add] this,” Harder recalled. However, he soon realized that the greenhouse was a passion project for Nogaret — it helped create balance with the demands of finishing high school, which many students find through extracurricular activities and sports.

“She really did this independently, which is commendable,” said Harder, who added that all he provided was “cheerleading and signing some forms.”

“Whatever she’s done, she’s done it top notch,” he added. “Whether it’s securing funds, or getting permission, or land use.”

Nogaret said the biggest challenge was gaining support from people who lacked faith after others’ failed attempts to build a greenhouse.

“I just feel like a lot of people automatically think it won’t work out, and they’re apprehensive on supporting,” she said. “Finding grants and donations has been difficult.”

However, she said the Moonlight Community Foundation has provided significant funding, and Lizzie Peyton from Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization (SNO) has been a resource for advice and a little funding.

“We’re still talking with other people to hopefully increase the budget because it’s still not where I’d like it to be,” Nogaret said.

The greenhouse will be built on the existing foundation of the old cabin located on school grounds—Harder said the greenhouse project coincided with an existing effort to bring that cabin to a more historically accurate location, on Crail Ranch.

It will also be constructed using leftover materials from school construction projects, some of which will need to be cut and measured by students.

“They have the windowpanes we need, and they have a lot of it that’s going to be thrown away if we don’t use it,” Nogaret said. She added that School District Superintendent Dustin Shipman was eager to put those excess materials to good use.

Klein and Meredith wrote that the greenhouse will be student-run and should serve as an excellent resource for students interested in biology, agriculture and STEM careers. It will also bring students together to maintain the greenhouse as a team.

“We are both excited about the project and are looking forward to jumping into it next year,” they concluded.

“I know the current junior group is really motivated, and they’re really good students so I’m not worried about that,” Harder said. “And the younger group is equally motivated.”

Students as young as current freshmen have expressed interest.

“Hopefully there are enough people that it will continue, and there will always be some sort of facilitator especially as the grades get bigger,” Nogaret said. “And I just hope it amounts to something.”

Harder added that these students are “intrinsically motivated”—they’re not doing this to get a grade.

“It will be cool to see them build resilience and learn how to communicate differently, and persevere through a long-term project,” he said. “This allows them to see a lengthy process over months, years. That might be the biggest lesson learned.”

“In the past, we have asked one thing of our gardens: that they be pretty Now they have to support life, sequester carbon, feed pollinators and manage water ”

Dr Doug Tallamy

REGIIONAL

WHO IS ‘HELD’ OF HELD V. STATE OF MONTANA?

EARLY EXPOSURE TO SCIENTIFIC RIGOR AND CLIMATE CHANGE’S IMPACT ON RANCHES LED RIKKI HELD TO CONFER HER NAME TO THE NATION’S FIRST CONSTITUTIONAL CLIMATE CHANGE LAWSUIT TO REACH TRIAL

BY MICAH DREW FLATHEAD BEACON

Rikki Held’s last name has been referenced in legal briefs, news articles and water cooler conversations for two years now, since the court case Held v. State of Montana was filed in Montana’s First Judicial District Court. Held was one of 16 youth plaintiffs who filed the 2020 lawsuit against several Montana government agencies, and its governor, alleging that the implementation of two energy-related policies is an infringement of the youths’ constitutional right to a clean and healthful environment. Since she was the only plaintiff of age when it was filed, it’s her name that will be forever attached to the decision made in the landmark case.

Held was brought to the legal table by a meandering path that runs through the heart of her family’s ranch. Held grew up on a 7,000acre cattle ranch and saw the destruction of the land and her family’s livelihood caused by the changing climate — an experience she feels can

be understood by the rural state’s ranching and farming communities.

“I think that ranchers see it in a different way, ranchers are on the ground every day,” Held said. “Maybe they aren't having as many conversations about climate change necessarily, but they are seeing these changes with wildfires and are worried about the daily impacts of hay prices going up because of drought and losing cattle from water variability or fires.”

Between growing up on a ranch and a chance encounter with the world of scientific inquiry at a young age, Held charted a unique path to the courtroom. And while Held didn’t set out to become a climate activist, she felt compelled to act on behalf of her younger peers. Those who are too young to vote on the actions of the government look at the world through a different lens than their older counterparts, she says.

“As youth, we are exposed to a lot of knowledge about climate change. We can’t keep passing

it on to the next generation when we’re being told about all the impacts that are already happening,” Held said. “In some ways, our generation feels a lot of pressure, kind of a burden, to make something happen because it’s our lives that are at risk.”

Before it was a legal reference, Rikki

Held’s name was first published in the acknowledgments of a 2015 peer-reviewed paper in the scientific journal GeoResJ titled “Preserving geomorphic data records of flood disturbances.” Though Held was in middle school at the time, she is credited with helping U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) researchers survey cross sections of Montana’s Powder River, one of the longest undammed waterways in the West, which happens to pass through her family's 7,000-acre ranch.

The Powder River begins in the Bighorn Mountains of Wyoming and flows north through Montana before joining the Yellowstone River between Miles City and Glendive. With no man-made modifications along the route

other than some diversions to irrigate farmlands, Powder River provides a lengthy, natural, outdoor laboratory — a scientist’s dream. A study on the river that began in the 1970s has quantified the natural erosion, transport and deposition of sediments throughout the riverbed, and mapped changes to the river’s channel with specific focus on years of high flood or periods following nearby wildfires. Researchers have established 24 survey sites along a 57-mile stretch of Powder River, several of which are accessed through the Held family ranch.

Several scientific papers have come out of the study over the years. One documented the aftereffects of a major flood event in 1978 where as much as 65 feet eroded from sections of the river bank. Regular follow-up studies characterized sediment composition, erosion patterns and plant distribution along the river.

“Even when I was little I would go out with [the researchers] during surveys, just following them around and learning from them,” Held said, adding that she “got kind of caught up” in the science, which later led to internships and ultimately the mention in the 2015 paper. “I think that really got me interested in science, I was able to connect it back to my ranch, my home.”

Throughout high school, Held gravitated toward the hard sciences. “I remember a wind pattern diagram with Hadley cells, and I just thought that was fascinating how things could be explained,” she said. “I got really interested in environmental science that way and learned about climate change in high school. I just knew that this is a really serious issue that we need to focus on.”

Held, now 22, graduated this spring from Colorado College with a degree in environmental science and is figuring out how to use her aptitude for environmental research to carve out a career path. Speaking about a recent NASA-funded study she contributed to, Held grew visibly excited as she described her work on “combining ecology and geomorphology to map out invasive Russian olive species.” She said she’s considering future studies in climatology or hydrology, something “about Earth processes where I can bring it back to the people and use science to help them.”

While Held was learning to survey stream widths and how Hadley cells circulate tropical air around the globe, she was also witnessing the effects of extreme weather events on her family’s livelihood.

The complaint states that in 2007 following several years of drought in southeastern Montana, the Powder River dried up, eliminating the water source for the ranch’s crops and livestock. A decade later, an early spring thaw flooded the river basin, nearly reaching Held’s house and eroding several feet of riverbank. Increased risks of major flooding events, such as the 2022 floods that damaged an entrance road to Yellowstone National Park, have been linked to global warming. One study published using the Powder River data also cites climate change as a contributing cause for the river’s changing migration rate over time.

The Held family has lost cattle to flooding events, an economic hardship for any ranch. On the elementally opposite side of the extreme weather spectrum, the Helds also lost a great number of animals in 2012 to starvation following a wildfire that burned through acres of grazing land. The fire took out miles of powerlines in the area, leaving the ranch without electricity for weeks. During another spate of nearby fires in 2021, Held recalls ash falling from the sky, dusting the ground for days and local schools were set up as shelters for families that had to evacuate their homes. The wildfire smoke, along with a record-breaking string of triple digit days that summer, didn’t keep Held inside — there was ranch work that couldn’t wait.

“When you're in the moment, you have to just keep going with daily life, you have to do everything you can to keep up with the business or keep your livestock as safe as you can and figure out issues like how to get them water,” Held said. “It's hard to think about it more broadly in terms of climate change … but from studying this, I know that we need to make some big systematic changes in what we're doing to not continue down the route we're taking.”

The increased effects on her family’s ranching lifestyle, along with her growing interest in

studying environmental science in college, led Held to reach out to Our Children’s Trust when she heard about the potential lawsuit.

“When I was first learning about climate change in high school, I saw it as something on the other side of the world, like polar bears and ice melting or the coastlines with sea level rise,” Held said. “Living in the U.S., in a land-locked place I didn’t really think about how it affected me, even though I’d seen these changes while I was growing up.”

“Being part of this case, it’s been nice to put my own story into the broader climate change narrative and make the connections through science and observation of how my home plays into it,” she said. “Montana is a big emitter of fossil fuels and is contributing to climate change. I know it's a broader global issue, but you can't not take responsibility.”

Held doesn’t know whether she’d consider taking over the family ranch, saying she’s “unsure what the future will be there.” It’s a sentiment about the viability of the industry she thinks is shared by many farmers and ranchers in the state — indeed it’s her lived experience on the family ranch that she thinks will allow the lawsuit to resonate with a greater portion of Montanans who may not as readily engage in discussions of climate change.

Across the state though, Held believes that Montana is still a place where residents value their neighbors and the land and resources they’re entrusted, making it a unique place for this lawsuit to play out.

“Those values could play into this conversation and make a change,” she said. “It’s important that this case is happening here.”

This article is part of a series on the youth-led constitutional climate change lawsuit Held v. Montana, which goes to trial in Helena on June 12. The rest of the series can be read at mtclimatecase.flatheadbeacon.com

This project is produced by the Flathead Beacon newsroom, in collaboration with the Montana Free Press, and is supported by the MIT Environmental Solutions Journalism Fellowship.

Rikki Held is the lead plaintiff in the constitutional climate change lawsuit Held v. Montana. COURTESY OF RIKKI HELD

The Gardner River flooded in June 2022 and washed out the North Entrance Road to Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY JACOB W. FRANK

A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

‘A COMMUNITY EFFORT’ BIG SKY HELPS BRING INDEPENDENT FILM TO THE SILVER SCREEN

BY HUDSON WILLETT EDITORIAL INTERN

“Somewhere in Montana,” an independent film set and shot in Montana premieres Thursday, June 22 at Showboat cinema in Polson, the setting and shooting location for the film.

The film tells the story of a multigenerational Montana rancher John Alexander (played by Graham McTavish) on the brink of losing his family’s ranch and the life he knows. This desperate circumstance forces Alexander to allow a Hollywood film crew to shoot a film on his land.

When the film crew arrives Alexander and an up-and-coming film director Fabian Vergudo (played by Matt Drago) are forced to confront their vastly different backgrounds and beliefs. The producer of the film, former Big Sky resident and current Bozemanite Joe Borden said that the movie “serves as a discussion between two people who do not see eye to eye ideologically, and right now in our country it's an important example of how people should act.” Borden is also the co-host of the Explore Big Sky with Hoary Marmot podcast.

The film stars Irish actor Graham McTavish, who’s perhaps best known for his roles in the fantasy series “Outlander," HBO’s “House of Dragon '' and the Hobbit trilogy.

Along with the setting and plot firmly grounded in Montana, the film was also funded, produced, written and directed by Montana residents. Writer and director Brandon Smith, a Polson resident Polson, had been trying to make “Somewhere in Montana” for a couple of years. After a postponement because of COVID-19, Borden joined the team to produce the film and help gather funding. Most of this funding came from Big Sky residents, local businesses in the area and state grants.

“If it weren't for folks in Big Sky who were willing to help out and take a bit of a risk on an independent film, it would not have happened,” Borden told EBS, noting that making of the film was “a community effort.”

Much of this funding and belief in the film came from McTavish joining the film as the lead in the early stages.

“(McTavish) read the script, and it spoke to him, having his interest and participation got us where we are,” Borden said.

The production team also focused on hiring local crew members and actors; Borden said “we were focused on employing Montanas and doing right by the state of Montana and this film certainly does that.” Over 80% of the crew are Montanans along with many of the actors in smaller roles in the film.

“Somewhere in Montana” is also completely independent from the studios currently affected by the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. And Nova Vento, the production company, will continue to make films and support filmmakers and writers throughout the strike.

The premier at the Showboat theater in Polson later this month is only fitting. The Montana made and funded film was shot entirely in Polson, the Flathead Lake area and a working cattle ranch outside of town.

“Polson is a character in the movie,” Borden said, adding that he has “fallen in love with the town.”

The breathtaking views of the Polson and the flathead area will be on display throughout the film and the night of the premier at the Showboat theater.

The premier will feature a red carpet, the entire cast and much of the crew will be in attendance and many of the businesses and individuals who helped fund the film. Tickets are available now, and anyone interested can call 406-883-5606 for more information.

The cast and crew of “Somewhere in Montana” filming a scene in Polson. PHOTO BY JOE BORDEN

Graham McTavish (left) speaks with Joe Borden (right) during the filming of "Somewhere in Montana." PHOTO BY BRANDON SMITH

MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY GRADUATE TELLS NAVAJO STORIES THROUGH ARTWORK

BY GREG CAPPIS MSU NEWS

Before art student Katelyn Bauer started her senior thesis project at Montana State University, she didn’t know how to sew.

But she learned and created traditional Navajo rug dresses accented with metalwork, which were displayed in the Helen E. Copeland Gallery in MSU’s Haynes Hall. Adjacent to the dresses were earrings, a shoulder guard and Japanesestyle screen doors imprinted with traditional Navajo rug designs.

Bauer learned many art forms during her time at MSU, which helped her tell the stories of her Navajo ancestors. She enjoys mixed media, and most of her pieces combine modern and traditional techniques, stoking her passion for learning all types of art.

“I’m like, ‘Oh, that looks cool, I want to learn how to do that,’” she said.

This spring, Bauer received the School of Art’s Richard Helzer Bronze Pencil Award for metalsmithing, a prize given to the top student in their discipline. She graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in studio arts with a metalsmithing emphasis, her second degree from MSU. Her gallery exhibit was part of her thesis exhibition.

“For this exhibit I wanted to tell Navajo legends and make them wearable art, so that the wearer

can kind of embody the stories, so people can ask questions and share the lore,” Bauer said.

One featured piece was a body chain made of enameled silver, turquoise, bone, cedar beads, leather and sinew. It tells one Navajo legend of Coyote becoming impatient with the sky god deliberately lighting and placing stars. Coyote flicked the remaining stars off a blanket and into the sky, creating the Milky Way.

That piece was part of Bauer’s schoolwork in instructor Victoria Burchill’s metalsmithing class. Burchill said the assignment involved a specific technique, but Bauer went above and beyond, incorporating other new-to-her methods to make the piece, which is a favorite of Burchill’s.

“She could’ve really simplified it,” Burchill said. “She just really created a beautiful piece, and it tells a story. She took on a challenge of doing things she’s never done.”

Bauer’s art degree stemmed from trying new things, too. She originally earned a degree in the School of Film and Photography at MSU, focusing on film production. She took some art classes to help with set design and ended up enrolling in the School of Art.

“During COVID, I just decided to get another degree because the film industry was shut down, and I was like, well there’re no jobs right now, so I’ll just get another degree while I’m here,” she said.

She still has an interest in film and acting, recently landing a role in “The Old Way,” a 2023 Western starring Nicholas Cage that was filmed in Montana. Bauer credited MSU’s College of Arts and Architecture for helping her become a well-rounded artist.

“The more you know, the more you’re forced to explore with things that you normally wouldn’t have the opportunity to, or you wouldn’t choose to, which makes you a stronger artist,” she said.

Katelyn Bauer received the MSU School of Art’s Richard Helzer Bronze Pencil Award for metalsmithing, a prize given to the top student in their discipline. COURTESY OF KATELYN BAUER

BIG SKY EVENTS

THURSDAY, JUNE 15

AL-ANON Meeting

Big Skay Chapel, 4 p.m.

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7 p.m.

Visit Big Sky Board of Directors Meeting

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, 8:30 a.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 16

Block Party in the Plaza

The Wilson Hotel, 4 p.m.

Karaoke

The Waypoint, 9 p.m.

Mix Master Mike Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 17

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

Wim Hof Fundamental Workshop: Mindset Mastery

Santosha Wellness Center, 11 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Happy

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

Jazz Cabbage Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 18

St. Joseph’s Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 8 p.m.

All Saints Big Sky Service

Big Sky Chapel, 10 p.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

Throwback Movie Night

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 19

NA meeting

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

Monday night competitive video games

The Waypoint, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 20

Lone Mountain Ranch Rodeo

Lone Mountain Ranch, 11:30 a.m.

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 5:30 p.m.

Claim Freedom (Outdoor Film Series)

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 21

AA Meeting

Big Sky Medical Center, 12 p.m.

Farmers Market Town Center, 5 p.m.

Community Art Class: Experiential Abstraction Class with Jesine Munson Spanish and English instruction available BASE, 6 p.m.

Trivia Night

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 22

Goosebumps: Kids Movie Series

The Waypoint, 3 p.m.

Al-ANON meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 4 p.m.

Big Sky Connections & Cocktails

The Waypoint, 4:30 p.m.

Music in the Mountains: Midnight North Len Hill Park, 6 p.m.

Flap Jack: 60s/70s Rock & Roll

Tips Up, 9:45 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 23

Total Archery Challenge (23-25)

The Exchange, Big Sky Resort, 7:15 a.m.

Karaoke

The Waypoint, 9 p.m.

Mr. Mota: genre-blending 5 piece jam band Tips Up, 9:45 pm

SATURDAY, JUNE 24

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 7:30 a.m.

Total Archery Challenge (23-25)

The Exchange, Big Sky Resort, 7:15 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Jacob Rountree & The Somethings

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

DJ Moe: Jazz/ Hip Hop

Tips Up, 10 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 25

Total Archery Challenge (23-25)

The Exchange, Big Sky Resort, 7:15 a.m.

St. Joseph’s Mass

Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

All Saints Big Sky Service

Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.

Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service

Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.

Throwback Movie Night

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 26

Glazing Workshop

BASE, 6 p.m.

NA meeting

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

Monday night competitive video games

The Waypoint, 7 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 27

AA Meeting

Big Sky Chapel, 5:30 p.m.

The Last Ascent (Outdoor Film Series)

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 28

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

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

Annual Big Sky Farmers Market Town Center, 5 p.m.

Community Art Class: Resin Floral Pendants and Earrings with Kelly Reynolds BASE, 6 p.m.

Trivia Night

The Waypoint, 8 p.m.

Kailey Marie Solo Tips Up, 9:30 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT

Farmers Market Town Center, 5 p.m. Every wednesday through

BUSINESS

MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: YELLOWSTONE SCENIC TOURS

BY GABRIELLA DICENZO CONTENT PRODUCTION INTERN

BIG SKY—Following the completion of her Outdoor Recreation and Education degree at Ohio University, Laura Callaghan left the quaint town of Athens, Ohio with the intention of applying her acquired knowledge. During the winter season, Callaghan’s friends embarked on a journey to Big Sky and returned with enthusiastic accounts of the captivating lifestyle they encountered. Intrigued by their experiences, Callaghan made the bold decision to depart from her summer job in North Carolina and relocate to the West. Driven by an unwavering passion for boundless possibilities and the everevolving beauty of nature, Callaghan has dedicated the past 14 years to conducting guided tours, with eight of those years being specifically in Big Sky.

In this edition of Making it in Big Sky, Explore Big Sky had the privilege of conversing with Laura about her journey, tracing her path from humble origins to becoming a guide for her own enterprise, Yellowstone Scenic Tours. Through her work, Callaghan has the remarkable ability to share her profound admiration for the outdoors with individuals, one awe-inspiring view at a time.

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?

Laura Callaghan: While working summers in North Carolina, friends invited me to join them for the winter in Big Sky. They loved the ski bum/raft guide life, so I decided to check it out for a winter season. I moved to Big Sky in the fall of 2013, having never been to Montana before. Ten years later, those friends have moved away, but I’m still here.

EBS: Tell me about the history of Yellowstone Scenic Tours. When did it first come to be?

LC: Yellowstone Scenic Tour’s first season was in 2017. I had spent the previous summer as a guide for another tour company in town. I loved guiding in the park, but that company wasn’t a good fit for me. Then, I met a woman who was interested in starting a business in Big Sky. It wasn’t my intention to start a company, but it seemed like a great option to be able to keep guiding.

Our tours are not just for people visiting the area. We love to show locals the park! Yellowstone is a vast place. There is always something new to learn! I guarantee our team can teach you new things and show you places you’ve never been before!

–Laura Callahan, Yellowstone Scenic Tours

Yellowstone Scenic Tours allows me to continue guiding, and I have found I really enjoy operating a business. My degree is in Outdoor Recreation and Education therefore I am still using my degree every day!

EBS: Tell me about the different services you offer.

LC: We offer fully customized private tours into Yellowstone National Park, which removes the hassle of planning, driving, park fees, and lunch. By fully customizing each tour, we can design the day based on the needs and desires of our guests. Our experienced guides love educating and showing guests around Yellowstone and the surrounding area. Most often, these tours are booked as single-day tours. There is also the option to book multiple days with us.

EBS: How big is your team?

LC: The team includes 10 guides and one office administrator. As of fall 2019, I am the sole owner of Yellowstone Scenic Tours. Each guide has a unique story and set of experiences that have brought them to the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. Most of the team has been guiding in some capacity for over 10 years.

EBS: What’s the best part or your favorite thing about your job?

LC: My team!

When guiding, my favorite part is having the opportunity to share my passion for Yellowstone with others. I feel super fortunate to have an incredible team that also shares this passion and commitment to consistently create great experiences for our guests.

EBS: What is the best business advice you have ever received?

LC: Employees are your most valuable asset.

This is a core value of Yellowstone Scenic Tours. Each year, I invest in the guides through various continuing education opportunities. This allows us to provide the best service for our guests year after year.

EBS: Anything else you would like to add?

LC: Our tours are not just for people visiting the area. We love to show locals the park! Yellowstone is a vast place. There is always something new to learn! I guarantee our team can teach you new things and show you places you’ve never been before!

Yellowstone Scenic Tours provides an unforgettable experience to those looking to explore Yellowstone National Park’s many wonders. PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA CALLAGHAN

Service Operations Director

Photo by Audrey Hall

OPINION

A LA CARTE PIZZA, PIZZA

BY RACHEL HERGETT EBS COLUMNIST

There are some people who can happily eat pizza every day: I am not one of those people. So when wandering around Westfork Meadows recently, I was surprised to be reeled in by the aroma of the Blue Moon’s pizza oven.

I’m no stranger to pizza. What American could be? Though Italian in roots, Americans have long claimed pizza as their own. When Ricky Bobby (Will Ferrell) first meets Frenchman and Formula One racer Jean Girard (Sasha Baron Cohen) in “Talladega Nights,” the Frenchman asks what America has given the world aside from “George Bush, Cheerios and the Thighmaster.” “Pizza,” Bobby confidently says, while his teammate chimes in with “Chinese food” and “chimichangas.”

The movie is a farce, sure, but there is a kernel of truth there. Americans have taken pizza and made it our own. While options abound for Italian-style pizza—thin and crispy with pockets of mozzarella and sparse ingredients possibly baked in a wood-fired oven—most American pizza cravings seem to lean heavily on the goo factor. In America, crusts of (place-

dependent) variable thickness are heaped with toppings and oh-so-much cheese. You can see the commercial now, some wide-eyed kid is pulling a slice from a box, its cheese holding strong to the slices around it in a ropey net. This is American pizza.

As America has taken this Italian staple and made it our own, our corporations boost its image, further spreading the American pizza ideals to a global audience. Chains like Papa John’s, Pizza Hut and Dominoes have locations around the world. Somehow, American pizza is the pizza of the global masses. Ingredients do, however, differ.

While living in England, my team of student admissions representatives would be rewarded with a pizza party after each evening of cold calls, diving into the boxes slung around a conference room table. There would be the standard pepperoni, or plain cheese, but also something that felt very foreign at first. The English pizza of choice features sweet corn— kernels of corn, usually with a white sauce base and cheese. It’s plain and simple and quite delicious.

As to where I stand on the pineapple debate, I’m firmly for pineapple on pizza. I always grabbed for the Hawaiian slices at pizza parties as a kid, savoring the sweet fruit and ham combo. Later, my mind was blown when

I tasted pepperoni and pineapple (consider upping the alliteration factor and making it a pepperoni, pineapple and pepperoncini pizza). In college, when I was slinging pizzas as a server at MacKenzie River, my go-to was the hot Hawaiian pizza, with chicken, bacon and pineapple over barbecue sauce (add a layer of honey below the sauce to give it a little something extra).

I’ve tried many pizzas in my life. With respect to my Windy City friends, Chicago deep dish isn’t for me. It’s just too much—especially the disc of sausage at Lou Malnati’s. Instead, I love a classic margherita on a thin, crispy crust. For me, it’s the simple things that make a pizza spectacular.

At Blue Moon, which has been in Big Sky for more than 30 years, it’s the herb-heavy marinara that serves as a base for the toppings. And it’s the smell of the house-made crust, twisted to perfection around the edges of a pan, drawing me in for a slice as it bakes.

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.

It’s nearly impossible to simply walk past the Blue Moon Bakery when the pizza oven is firing. PHOTO BY RACHEL HERGETT

DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: GETTING THE LEAD OUT

AMERICA’S NATIONAL BIRD SUFFERS FROM A SEASONAL THREAT OF LEAD EXPOSURE

BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY EBS COLUMNIST

Imagine a hunter in western Montana late in the fall comes across America’s national bird grounded and unable to fly. The majestic raptor looks drunk and hungover--it can hardly stand, its head droops, its talons are clenched, and the wings fall away from the body. The bird can’t take flight. It seems to have lost control of bodily functions, generally taken for granted. The mighty bird is lethargic and quiet. Its eyes have become more almond-shaped and have dulled in the sense of reactions to stimuli. Lead bullets used by some hunters have inadvertently poisoned the scavenger. This bird may die.

A recent scientific article co-authored by MPG Ranch researcher and big game hunter Michael McTee and others was just published by Science of the Total Environment about how raptor biologists teamed up with raptor rehabilitators to paint a comprehensive picture of seasonal lead concentrations in bald eagles from western Montana. The statewide study had two parts: they looked at free-flying bald eagles in the winter right after Montana’s big game hunting season. During this time, bald eagles fly around eating fish, waterfowl, foraging, and scavenging gut piles left over from hunting season and road-killed animals. Biologists from Raptor View Research Institute used traps to capture the birds on or near carcasses to look at blood-lead concentrations, and roughly 90 % of the eagles had blood-lead concentrations above baseline. Then the researchers looked at free-flying data from four rehabilitation centers throughout western Montana, showing a clear seasonal link with very high lead concentrations in bald eagles following hunting season.

“You probably won’t catch many researchers saying this about their study, but this study is not incredibly novel,” McTee said. “It shows this seasonal trend where bald eagles have lead concentrations that climb during and after hunting season and subside into the spring. It adds another data point to a scatterplot full of these studies.”

This study is regionally focused on Montana, where the dataset looked at over 200 bald eagles in western Montana. The data spans roughly a decade from four rehabilitation centers, including Wild Skies Raptor Center in Potomac, Montana Wild Wings Recovery Center in Kalispell, Montana WILD in Helena, and Montana Raptor Conservation Center in Bozeman.

A little bit of lead in the body directly affects the mighty bird to not be at its top performance, affecting maneuverability. Eagles hit by automobiles are often slow to take off from the roadway, and that split-second slower because their wings aren’t working correctly can mean life or death for that eagle.

“Lead affects everything in their body,” said Brooke Tanner, one of the study’s co-authors and a Wild Skies Raptor Center wildlife veterinarian. “It’s just not neurological. It affects appetite, G.I. issues, and breathing and dehydrates them by starving them of

electrolytes. Eating a tiny piece of lead, a BB size, is all it takes to kill an eagle.”

Once wildlife rehabilitators receive sick birds, they hydrate them with water and electrolytes. Wildlife veterinarians and rehabilitators treat raptors that test positive at a clinical level for the lead with chelation therapy, which consists of calcium disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (CaEDTA) injections; this “chelator” binds to the lead to take it out of the bird’s bloodstream—essentially “scrubbing” the blood clean. The therapy helps most birds unless the blood lead concentration is too severe and the birds are too far gone beyond the point of recovery.

A recent yet different study came out last year where researchers used an X-ray looking at ballistic tests to decipher how many fragments came off lead bullets in gel and found thousands upon thousands of shards.

“I’ve done quite a bit of ballistic testing with lead and copper bullets,” McTee said. “When I shoot a lead bullet and watch it fragment, I’m still stunned by how many particles will shed from a bullet. And those end up in gut piles and carcasses that bald eagles and other scavengers eat.”

These fragments end up on the landscape, inside scavengers, or in the meat at your dinner table. Lead is highly toxic and has been eliminated from paint, gasoline, plumbing, and household products. In animals (humans), lead is unhealthy at any level. Many Montana birds scavenge, including barred owls, crows, great horned owls, golden eagles, gray jays, northern goshawks, magpies, ravens, red-tailed hawks, and Stellar jays. Many mammals scavenge, including but not limited to black and grizzly bears, coyotes, foxes, mice, pine martens, lesser weasels, wolves, and wolverines. Lead is also found in fishing tackle, affecting freshwater species, and can linger in waterways on the bottom of marshes, lakes, rivers, and streams.

Many people use lead shot to kill ground squirrels and prairie dogs. Raptor rehabilitators like Tanner use rehab birds for education purposes to increase awareness surrounding lead poisoning by visiting school groups. McTee teaches for the Montana Master Hunter Program three times each spring and discusses the benefits of using lead-free bullets. “Copper bullets perform really well.”

California and Denmark have banned lead bullets for hunting. A new bill in Colorado proposes a nontoxic bullet replacement program. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service banned lead shot for waterfowl hunting in 1991, hence saving an estimated 1.4 million ducks in 1997. No, hunting is not being outlawed. Science is just questioning the ingredients used in ammunition. If you live in the states of Alaska, Montana, New York, or Wyoming, conservation programs are offering a $20 voucher for non-lead bullets and ammo.

Lead is prevalent in the landscape but doesn’t have to be. After learning about the inherent dangers, many anglers and hunters voluntarily switch to lead-free ammunition and tackle. Hunters are some of the most prominent conservationists, and once they become aware of the risks, they vote with their wallets and make the needed changes. Call your local raptor rehabilitation center if you encounter a grounded raptor that can’t fly.

“It's tough to see these animals that are supposed to be up in the sky, stuck on the ground,” Tanner said. “It can be a slow horrible death.”

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.

Two bald eagles fight as they scavenge a bison carcass in Yellowstone National Park. PHOTO BY JIM PEACO

LOCAL KNOWLEDGE “FIND

ANOTHER SHRUBBERY…”

BY PAUL SWENSON EBS COLUMNIST

It is another landmark time in the summer, the bushes and trees are blooming. Since I got great feedback from the EBS readership on my evergreen article earlier in the winter, I thought I would give you all another identification article. This time you will find these trees and plants along the river and creek valleys around our region.

To begin with let’s start big: deciduous trees. Our region does not have many, so this makes it easy. There are two species that dominate the landscape: Quaking Aspen and Narrowleaf Cottonwood.

In the figure you can see a number of distinguishing characteristics for these two trees. Both have a smooth white bark, but the Aspen’s extends the majority of the trunk, while the Cottonwood has the white bark on the branches and younger trunk, but a dark grey, rough bark for the majority of its trunk. The Aspen’s branches grow more horizontal, while the Cottonwood’s grow more vertically upwards.

Another major difference is leaves; shape, size and color. Aspen leaves are more intense green, more rounded, and “quake” more in a breeze. Aptly named, the Narrowleaf Cottonwood’s leaves are narrow and arrow shaped, sticky, glossy, and have a little reddish hue throughout the leaf.

These two trees are in the same genus, Populus, so do share a lot of similar characteristics also. They both grow where there is a shallow water table, produce “cotton” which disperses their seeds on the wind, have smooth white bark, and grow from suckers and seeds.

The world’s largest living tree is reportedly the Pando aspen grove in Utah. It is comprised of a single system of roots and shoots that include over 47,000 genetically identical trees spread over 106 acres. Most of our local aspen groves are also clones of a central maternal tree. When you find a small grove, look toward the center to find the original source tree. It might be dead, and it may have already rotted away, but there will still be evidence around.

Montana has four species of Cottonwoods: Black, Lanceleaf, Plains, and Narrowleaf. These trees provide food, shelter, nesting habitat, riparian bank stabilization, and bioremediation of toxins that may exist in ground water. The Plains Cottonwood was instrumental to the success of river trade and exploration of the west. On William Clark’s return voyage down the Yellowstone River, it was at “Big Timber” where they found Plains Cottonwood trees large enough to fashion into dugout canoes. These trees are usually found at lower elevations and become prevalent along the Gallatin River downstream of the Lava Lake trailhead.

Here are a few other leafy shrubs I would like you to look for: Willow, Elderberry, Red-osier Dogwood, and Serviceberry. These shrubs all grow together along the stream and river banks.

There are at least 45 species of willow in Montana, and it’s typical to find four or five growing together near the river. Look across the river from the Riverhouse and you can spot different types by leaf color, bark color, shape, size, and flower. Willow had been used for hundreds of years as a pain reliever and the chemical found in it led to the discovery of aspirin.

The shrubs that have the most notable flowers that one will see are the Elderberry, Red-osier Dogwood, and Serviceberry. Elderberries have large pom-pom, cream colored flowers one can spot from a large distance. In the fall they ripen to dark red to black colored berries that make great jelly and wine. Indigenous peoples used different parts of this plant for food, medicine, dyes, pipes, and instruments.

Serviceberry flowers are white and can be seen on both sides of 191 from the green bridge to Beckman Flats. They grow in rockslides and along the river. In the fall they produce blueberry-size fruits that are quite yummy. Don’t eat the red ones because they are not ripe and are sour. Another name for this plant is the Saskatoon blueberry. Saskatoon is derived from the Cree name for the plant, “Mis-sask-quah-toomina.”

The last is the Red-osier Dogwood. This shrub has the bright red bark you notice along the river, especially after the leaves have fallen. It produces a large inflorescence of white flowers nestled in between four arrow shaped leaves. So how can you identify the dogwood? By its bark.

So now it’s your turn to get out there and find these plants. If you are the one driving, please have someone else do the looking.

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.

The leaves of an Aspen (left) and Cottonwood (right) trees. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Quaking Aspen, on the left, and Narrowleaf Cottonwood in the center image. Trunks of both trees are seen on the right. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

From left to right: Elderberry, Red-osier Dogwood, Serviceberry flowers. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

Two different species of willow growing together. PHOTO BY PAUL SWENSON

ROAD TRIP

BOULDER HOT SPRINGS, BOULDER MONTANA

BY LESLIE KILGORE

Boulder Hot Springs is one of those out-of-the-ordinary spots in Montana. The kind you talk about extensively to friends or co-workers, simply because it’s too unique not to share with fellow Montanans.

Just over an hour’s drive from Bozeman, the long, windy driveway at the entrance to the 150-year-old resort and the massive main building gives a sense that there’s a story to this place, which winds its way through the history of the Old West. Several Native American tribes traveled to the springs for rest and healing and called the area Peace Valley, laying down their weapons when visiting. They believed that the land and the waters were for everyone to share and could not be owned. But in the 1860s, James Riley came upon the springs by chance, filed a land and water rights claim, and built a bathhouse and tavern. When Riley caught smallpox in 1882, new owners built a small, more fashionable hotel. It was then remodeled and enlarged in 1891 with 52 rooms, electricity, a resident physician, a gymnasium, and various entertainment and activities for guests. Between 1910 and 1913, the present bathhouse and several additions were built and Boulder Hot Springs became one of the last large-scale hot spring retreats for early Montanans.

Now on the list of National Historic Landmarks, the deceased author and psychologist, Anne Wilson Schaef purchased the property in 1989, and spent a lot of time and money to bring the property back to a place of healing and history where she could host wellness workshops long before health and wellness became household words.

While the resort still caters to many multi-day wellness retreats, it’s also open daily to the public for soaking and as a bed & breakfast. On weekends, they serve a healthy buffet dinner, which was more like a home cooked meal, especially with a geothermal greenhouse, an organic chicken coop, and an organic veggie garden on the property.

The springs are bare bones, but with incredible views from their outside pool and a restorative feeling in their steam rooms and hot and cold plunges inside. Simple, quiet, and rustic. Along with soaking, meandering through the hotel is worth the overnight trip alone. The lobby, former saloon, dance hall and dining room all feel like a Western museum tour rather than a resort.

They even have a room guests can reserve dedicated to their resident ghost, Simone.

On day two of our trip, we ventured into the town of Boulder to visit the Sweet Spot, which sells out of most baked goods and its daily cinnamon roll special before noon, so get there early. While in town, my daughter and I noticed a sign painted on one of the town’s old brick buildings that said “Turn Here” for the Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine. Curious, we followed several more signs to the base of a mountain that overlooked the town and Peace Valley.

Established in 1952, the ranchers who own the mine claim that spending several hours for several days exposed to the radon has a healing effect for

pain, certain diseases, and general health. They also have an area for pets to visit who are suffering from diseases, old age, and various health issues.

Even if not partaking in the trip down to the radon mine, the lobby alone is an experience, with its seven decades of memorabilia, framed LIFE magazine articles from the 1950s and 60s, displays of glowing minerals, and a view into the above-ground radon room where people nap under blankets, do puzzles and relax while hoping for better health.

When wandering around the property and the main building, it felt like we had stepped back in time, or were at least touring a movie set from the 1950s. While we didn’t feel any health benefits after visiting for an hour, I do plan on returning to venture into the underground mine with the intent to stay longer and heal some old injuries. Who knows, it could work, especially after a long soak in the hot springs.

After living in Montana for some time, I’ve grown more accustomed to the rugged way of life outside of Big Sky and Bozeman, the awe-inspiring scenery everywhere, and the fascinating Western history that trickles throughout the entire state. It becomes easier to forget that Montana is not like any other place in the country—or the world for that matter. Places like Boulder are a good reminder that in just a few hours’ drive, you can be immersed in what still

Montana feel like the Old West.

makes

Boulder Hot Springs was first established more than 150 years ago. The resort even has a room dedicated to a resident ghost.

PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE

The hot springs pool is behind the main building and features a shade structure for sunnier days.

PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE

The Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine’s owners claim that radon exposure can help ease ailments. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE

The nearby Free Enterprise Radon Health Mine has clippings from when it was mentioned in Life magazine years ago. PHOTO BY LESLIE KILGORE

A SOURCE OF PROFIT FOR NONPROFIT PROFESSIONALS

BY SCOTT BROWN EBS CONTRIBUTOR

Sponsored Advertisement Content

Believe it or not, summer has arrived in southwest Montana, and our “blink or you’ll miss it” summer is well underway. For all of us across this great country, summer’s arrival brings with it barbecues, vacations, outdoor activities, and for students the joy of another well-deserved summer break.

For our wonderful educators out there, it is hopefully an opportunity for a little relaxation, some quality time with family, tackling some household projects, and an opportunity to organize other aspects of their lives. We all know it’s a race to squeeze it all in before summer ends and the school year begins, but summer is a great time for those in the education field to review their finances.

We won’t sign you up for financial literacy summer school, but the class is in session for those that are interested. While most professions come with a 401(k), some, like teaching, often have a 403(b)-deferral distribution. This is a tax-sheltered annuity plan or TSA designed for certain employees of public schools and other 501(c)(3) or taxexempt organizations. This could include but is not limited to, government employees, medical professionals, librarians, and self-employed ministers. The plan is named after the section of the tax code that describes it and is similar to a 401(k), but with a few key differences.

Like a 401(k), a 403(b) account enables you to defer a portion of each paycheck for your retirement, and your employer may match some of your contributions if it chooses. A 403(b) may be either tax-deferred, meaning your contributions reduce your taxable income this year and you pay taxes on distributions in retirement, or a Roth 403(b), if your employer

chooses to offer this option, meaning you pay taxes on your contributions this year and your money can enjoy tax free growth potential.

One benefit is the tax advantages you receive on your savings as well as future retirement income. A second key benefit is high contribution limits. In fact, you may contribute up to $22,500 yearly to a 403(b) in 2023 or $30,000 yearly if you're 50 or older and of course, there is the potential for an employer match.

Last, extra catch-up contributions may be available to adults 50 and older. 403(b)s may allow for participants who have worked for the same employer for at least 15 years to contribute up to $3,000 in additional funds per year to their accounts.

There are a few drawbacks to remember when contributing to a 403(b) account. First, in most cases, there are fewer investment options other than an IRA.

Some plans have high fees so be sure to understand your plan's fees so that you can attempt to avoid higher fees and maximize your returns. Like other retirement plans, there may be early withdrawal consequences. If you withdraw funds from your tax-deferred 403(b) before age 59 1/2, you'll pay a 10% early withdrawal penalty in addition to the distribution being taxed as ordinary income in the year taken, although the additional tax is waived if you have a qualifying reason, such as a large medical expense. For a Roth 403(b) you can withdraw contributions you made anytime, tax- and penalty-free. However, you may have to pay taxes on the earnings. To avoid this, you must wait until you reach the age of 59 1/2 and the account must have been open for at least five years. Otherwise, the distribution of earnings may be subject to taxation as ordinary income and a 10% additional tax. As with a tax-deferred 403(b) there may be ways to have the 10% additional tax waived if you have a qualifying reason.

Finally, some plans are not subject to ERISA

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act (ERISA) institutes minimum standards for retirement plans, including reporting and fiduciary standards, to protect employees. But many 403(b)s aren't subject to ERISA. That doesn't mean they're bad plans, but you should do some more research to decide if it's the right home for your money before you begin contributing.

Regardless of your chosen profession or hobby, summer should be a time for relaxation, reflection, and a general reboot of your physical and mental well-being. With this in mind, enjoy the weather, your loved ones, your passions, and as always enjoy the ride!

Scott L. Brown is the CEO and Founding Partner of Shore to Summit Wealth Management. His wealth management career spans more than 25 years and he currently works and lives in Bozeman, MT with his wife and two sons.

The opinions expressed here reflect the judgment of the author as of the date of the report and are subject to change without notice. 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. Additional information is available upon request.

Wells Fargo Advisors financial network is not a legal or tax advisor.

All investing involves some degree of risk, whether it is associated with market volatility, purchasing power or a specific security, including the possible loss of principal. Stocks offer long-term growth potential but may fluctuate more and provide less current income than other investments. This is not a recommendation to invest in any s pecific securities.

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Shore to Summit Wealth Management LLC is a separate entity from WFAFN

PEAK SKIS SHOWROOM

Summer unlocks a new season of adventure in Big Sky - one full of outdoor activities, music and events. Whether starting a new business or returning as a vendor, make sure you’re aware of the Resort Tax requirements.

Resort Tax is collected by businesses and vendors on behalf of our community. Customers, not the business, pay 4% tax on luxury goods and services. All collections are reinvested within the District and fund projects and programs that are important to Big Sky.

Be especially cautious if you see a female with cubs; never place yourself between a mother and her cub!

Bear cubs attend their own type of school: They are expected to follow their mother and learn how to find food or hunt.

RESIDENCE 203 3B, 2BTH | 2,307 SQFT

Wildlands is located in Bozeman’s vibrant Northeast neighborhood and consists of 12 high-end residences only four blocks from downtown and 10 minutes from Yellowstone International Airport.

With a mix of Scandinavian-modern architecture and industrial elements, the finishes at Wildlands are the highest of quality, including Poliform cabinetry, 11-foot ceilings, wide plank American white oak floors, 8-foot window bays and an outdoor deck. With a private rooftop deck boasting breathtaking views, Wildlands offers an unmatched living experience in Bozeman, MT.

And the Nominees Are…

Every year for the past 26 years, the Big Sky Chamber has honored excellence in the business community with the Black Diamond Business Awards. Our members nominate their peers in this celebration of the hard work that is done in service of Big Sky. This year, the nominees are:

NONPROFIT PERSON OF THE YEAR So much of the community building that happens in Big Sky is thanks to the robust nonprofit organizations

¨Anna Shipley, Moonlight Community Foundation

¨David O’Connor, Big Sky Community Housing Trust

¨Julie Edwards, Arts Council of Big Sky

¨Kimberly Hall, Greater Gallatin United Way

¨Kristin Gardner, Gallatin River Task Force

¨Mariel Butan, Morningstar Learning Center

¨Ruthi Solari, Yellowstone Club Community Foundation

¨Sarah Gaither Bivins, Big Sky Community Food Bank

¨Whitney Montgomery, Big Sky Community Organization

BUSINESS PERSON OF THE YEAR This person helps elevate Big Sky with their service to our community

¨Ece Walkup, Big Sky Print & Ship

¨Erik Morrison, Lovestreet Media

¨Jennifer Fitzhugh, Thorn Apple Baking Co.

¨Jeremy Harder, Big Sky School District 72

¨John Delzer, Delzer Diversified Incorporated & Café 191

¨Kaley Burns, Big Sky Natural Health

¨Kara & Ben Blodgett, The Rocks Tasting Room

¨Mandy Hotovy, The Wilson Hotel

¨Monica Duling, Laundry Liberator

¨Sydney Desmarais, Lone Peak Veterinary Hospital

¨Tallie Lancey, Big Sky Sotheby’s International Realty

¨Tanner Dunlap, First Tracks Tire Service

¨Twist Thompson, Blue Buddha & Tres Toros

EMERGING ENTREPRENEUR Someone who has brought fresh entrepreneurial engagement to the Big Sky business community

¨Andrea Saari & Denise Wade, Big Sky Adventures & Tours

¨Benjamin Axe, The Waypoint

¨Dylan Thornton, Hale Creative Consulting

¨Emily Burke, Big Sky Thrift

¨Jennifer Fitzhugh, Thorn Apple Baking Co.

¨Kaley Burns, Big Sky Natural Health

¨Megan Porter, Moving Mountains

¨Tanner Dunlap, Fist Tracks Tire Service

¨The Tran Family, Big Sky Noodles & Scoops

¨Twist Thompson. Blue Buddha & Tres Toros

BUSINESS OF THE YEAR This award honors the business that best exemplifies success and care in our community

¨Big Sky Build

¨Big Sky Natural Health

¨Big Sky Resort Area District

¨Blue Buddha Sushi

¨First Tracks Tire Service

¨Moving Mountains

¨Peak Skis

¨Snow Country Limousine

¨The Rocks Tasting Room & Liquor Store

¨The Waypoint

¨Thorn Apple Baking Co.

¨Wellness in Action

CHET HUNTLEY LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD Honoring a person who has, over a period of time, provided leadership and their personal touch to building our Big Sky Community.

¨Al Malinowski, Gallatin Partners

¨Andy Dreisbach, Cornerstone Management Services

¨Brian & Mary Wheeler, Big Sky Resort & PureWest Christies’s Real Estate

¨Eric Ladd, Outlaw Partners

¨Hans Williams, Yellowstone Club

¨Jackie Robin, Former Hungry Moose Market & Deli owner

¨John Haas, Haas Builders

¨Kevin Barton, ACE Hardware Big Sky

¨Lynne Anderson, Country Market of Big Sky

¨Madeleine Feher, BSCO/BASE

¨Pam Flach, By Word of Mouth

¨Steve Johnson, BSRAD Board

26th Annual Black Diamond Awards Dinner

Thursday, June 29th | 5 9pm | The Montage Big Sky

Presented by Our Event Sponsors:

Underwriting Sponsor: Presenting Sponsors: