August 22 - September 4, 2024 Volume 15 // Issue 17
JERRY PAPE LEAVES 51-YEAR BIG SKY LEGACY
LOCAL GROUP SUES MADISON COUNTY
TRUMP, BUSSE GATHER CROWDS IN BOZEMAN
AI-POWERED CAMERA CATCHES WILDFIRE START
UNITED WAY EXPANDS BIG SKY AFTER-SCHOOL CARE
August 22 - September 4, 2024 Volume 15, Issue No. 17
Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana
PUBLISHER
Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com
EDITORIAL
VP MEDIA
Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Jack Reaney | jack@theoutlawpartners.com
DIGITAL PRODUCER
Jen Clancey | jen@theoutlawpartners.com
EDITORIAL CONSULTANT
Leslie Kilgore | leslie@theoutlawpartners.com
DIGITAL MEDIA LEAD
Fischer Genau | Fischer@theoutlawpartners.com
CREATIVE
LEAD GRAPHIC DESIGNER
ME BROWN | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com
SALES AND OPERATIONS
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
Josh Timon | josh@theoutlawpartners.com
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com
VP DESIGN & PRODUCTION
Hiller Higman | hiller@theoutlawpartners.com
DIRECTOR OF RELATIONSHIPS
Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com
MARKETING MANAGER
Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com
CONTENT MARKETING LEAD
Taylor Owens | taylor@theoutlawpartners.com
SENIOR ACCOUNTANT
Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD
Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com
CONTRIBUTORS
Daniel Bierschwale, Kaley Burns, Johnathan Finch, Marne Hayes, Stephanie Kissell, Dave Pecunies, Lee Peters, Benjamin Alva Polley
TABLE OF CONTENTS OPENING SHOT
AI-POWERED CAMERA CATCHES WILDFIRE START
On Aug. 12, an AI-powered camera system on the summit of Lone Mountain identified a plume of smoke and notified Big Sky Fire Department personnel. Local firefighters responded with their type three engine, an off-road vehicle, and quickly extinguished the fire. Local officials praised the Pano AI technology for detecting another fire, at least the third since the first camera was installed in 2021.
LOCAL GROUP SUES MADISON COUNTY
A lawsuit filed on Aug. 6 claims that Madison County officials mishandled a petition signed by more than 200 Big Sky residents. Plaintiffs claim that two signatures were not properly counted, in addition to the 219 signatures that were rejected due to an unexpected methodology used by the county clerk and recorder.
UNITED WAY EXPANDS BIG SKY AFTER-SCHOOL CARE
Throughout Gallatin County, Greater Gallatin United Way has worked with elementary schools to meet childcare needs in communities including Big Sky. A collaboration between GGUW, the Big Sky School District and several community organizations, kidsLINK will provide after-school childcare and educational programming every weekday until 5:30 p.m. for working parents.
JERRY PAPE LEAVES 51-YEAR BIG SKY LEGACY
Jerry Pape, a prominent Big Sky realtor and community member for more than 50 years, passed away in mid-August. EBS spoke with Pape’s children, and his friends who spoke to his cowboy spirit and enduring character.
BIG SKY BIGGIE IMPRESSES THE BEST
In the Big Sky Biggie’s sixth year, the event continued to challenge riders while showcasing a variety of local trails. From roller-coaster flow trails to “raw” backcountry and “oldschool” single-track, top riders were impressed by the Aug. 17 event, held under bluebird skies with only a few puddles to speak of.
The Big Sky Biggie took place on Aug. 17, challenging riders on 50-, 30- and 15mile courses. In the event’s sixth year, participants raved about the Biggie’s development into a hub for Northern Rockies cross-country mountain biking.
PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
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.
TRUMP, BUSSE GATHER CROWDS IN BOZEMAN
Former President Donald Trump hosted an Aug. 9 rally at Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse. The event included speeches from Montana republican politicians including Tim Sheehy, who is running against three-termed Sen. Jon Tester. That same night in downtown Bozeman, Democrat Ryan Busse hosted his Montana Freedom Rally to bolster his run for governor and counter the Trump rally.
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 September 5th issue August 28th, 2024
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
Summer lightning storms ripped through Big Sky on Aug. 12, just one of many storms across southwest Montana in recent weeks. Thankfully, increased rainfall has reduced the fire hazard caused by lightning strikes. Pictured here, a bolt strikes beyond Levinsky Ridge in the Gallatin Canyon. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
NEWS IN BRIEF BRIEFS
BIG SKY CONNECT EXTENDS HOURS UNTIL 10 P.M.
BY JEN CLANCEY
BIG SKY—On Aug. 15, the Big Sky Transportation District unanimously approved an extension of hours of its fare-free transportation service, Big Sky Connect. Mandi Dibble, operations manager for BSC, hopes the decision will support the local economy, quality of life and meet demand for rides.
The service area between the Conoco gas station on the corner of Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail) and U.S. Highway 191, to Ousel Falls and Lone Mountain Ranch will operate from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The area, which includes Big Sky Town Center, previously ran from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. during the Sept. 18 to Nov. 24 off season.
BSC has a broader service area, which runs throughout Mountain Village and between the Conoco and Riverhouse BBQ & Events. The extended service will operate from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday. Riders must request rides via the dispatch area phone number, 406-898-4438.
“We did it to help with the economy because there are more and more businesses open in the evening,” Dibble said.
She said the change also allows for more full time, year-round drivers, as the previous 10-and-a-half hour shifts were difficult to staff. The new 14-hour days allow for regular shift hours for employees.
The demand for BSC rides in the off season has only gone up in the past year. Ridership this spring increased 72% from the 2023 fall off-season.
Ridership this fall is expected to rise 50% compared to fall’s numbers last year, but according to Dibble, that’s a conservative prediction.
Riders can find Big Sky Connect information on the Skyline website. Skyline also offers bus routes through the Gallatin Canyon via the Link, and across Big Sky.
CLASSIFIED
JOB OPENING: MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS—DIRECTOR FOR MARKETING AND GAME OPERATIONS
Montana State University is a NCAA Division I institution. As a member of the Big Sky Conference it sponsors 15 varsity sports. The Director of Marketing and Game Operations reports to the Deputy Athletic Director – External Relations and is responsible for the comprehensive marketing strategy of Bobcat Athletics, promoting its brand, teams and events through multiple marketing channels, and operating in-game operations.
Read more and apply at jobs.montana.edu/postings/42944
RUSH HOUR: CHIP SEAL COMPLETE, CREWS ENTER ‘FINAL PHASES’ OF TIGER CONSTRUCTION
EBS STAFF
Crews completed the chip sealing activities that caused heavy delays during the week of Aug. 12 along Montana Highway 64 (Lone Mountain Trail).
As an added bonus, the section of improperly painted road has been fixed— between the Meadow Village stoplight and Ousel Falls Road, crews made a series of errors in June that created hazards and confusion.
On Thursday, Aug. 15, crews added another layer of temporary striping to correct the errors by adding left-turn lanes at Huntley Drive, Meadow Village Center and the nearby stoplight.
“Crews will return in a few weeks to conduct permanent striping activities,” according to an Aug. 16 project update from project officials.
EBS followed up with project representatives regarding the irregularities along Highway 64, including cracks and potholes.
“The scope of the TIGER project includes chip seal just within the areas where we have widened for the turn lanes and are providing new pavement markings,” the project representatives explained in an Aug. 15 email to EBS.
“The crew has worked to fill any potholes within the widening areas prior to chip sealing, but beyond that we won’t be addressing the condition of the pavement with this project.”
Bozeman Yellowstone International Airport will receive $1,266,730 in federal money to improve systems that clear the runway of snow and ice hazards.
In an email to EBS, airport President and CEO Brian Sprenger confirmed that the money, which was enabled by Sen. Jon Tester, will be used for equipment to improve snow and ice removal. Sprenger wrote this is the second of two grants, and this round of funding will cover three pieces of heavy machinery: two runway brooms and one runway blower.
“Senator Tester plays a significant role in funding the Airport Improvement Program from which these funds are coming,” Sprenger wrote, responding to a question regarding Tester’s role in securing the grant.
A press release from Tester’s staff announced the funding on Aug. 13, praising it as a win for Montana’s rural economies as part of his larger efforts to support rural airports during his six-year term. In the release, Tester stated that the funding will help keep the Bozeman airport safe and reliable year-round.
“As one of Montana’s fastest growing cities, it’s critical that Bozeman’s airport has the infrastructure in place not just to support the influx of tourism, but to ensure folks in the community can run their businesses and stay connected with the rest of the country,” Tester stated.
The funding will be available to Bozeman’s airport within 45 days.
EBS STAFF
ENGAGE WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT
LAST CALL FOR BIG SKY CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN PROJECTS
If your organization has a public-benefit capital project that is in active planning stages with the potential of starting before June 30, 2027, acquires, constructs, or improves real property, has estimated project costs, and is taking place within the Big Sky Resort Area District boundary, please contact Big Sky Resort Area District by emailing daniel@resorttax.org by Wednesday, September 4. The District is in the active process of collaborating with community partners to assemble a financing stack potentially including public, private and philanthropic funding for qualified capital projects. Participation in this process does not guarantee any Resort Tax funding.
As required by law, a sponsor must be a legal entity formed under the laws of the State of Montana. The sponsor must be “an entity” that is capable of both “legally and practically” carrying out the project purpose and located within the Resort Area District.
OBITUARY
TIM SAMARDICH
MAY 29, 1968 - JULY 25, 2024
Timothy Richard Samardich, age 56, passed peacefully in the comfort of his home with his wife Lisa by his side. In 2017, Tim was given the shocking and devastating news of an extremely rare tumor located in his brain stem. Successful initial treatments allowed Tim a few more relatively healthy years to do the things he loved most: horn hunting, fishing, appreciating the beauty of Montana, and spending time with loved ones. In 2022, when his doctors identified the growth of his tumor, Tim fought hard and courageously endured every available treatment in an attempt to defy all odds.
Tim was born on May 29, 1968, in Royal Oak, Michigan to Donald and Anita Samardich. Tim, the youngest of four in the Samardich family, grew up in Cadillac, Michigan. He was a shy and quiet boy. From a young age, he displayed a love for animals; he felt a strong connection to them, and they were attracted to his calm, kind demeanor.
Tim was also a natural athlete, enjoying a variety of sports throughout his life, but he was truly exceptional at playing tennis. Upon graduation from Cadillac High School in 1986, he went on to accept a full-ride scholarship for tennis to Northwood University and gained the honor of All-American in his sport. Anyone who ever challenged Tim in a game of ping-pong, would not be surprised to learn this.
After college, Tim joined his sister Suzy in Big Sky, Montana, and their
brother, Michael followed shortly after. The three Samardich siblings lived together for seven years making Big Sky their true home. Tim etched out a life living on his terms, and he turned his passions into a lifestyle. His early years in Big Sky working at the Corral, the Sun Dog Cafe and later owning the Lone Perk Coffee Hut cultivated the freedom to spend countless hours skiing and shed hunting. He made lifelong friends, built a community, and treasured the rivers and vastness of Big Sky’s empty spaces. Tim’s talents flourished, and in 2003, Tim was able to make a career out of one of the activities that brought him the most joy in life: fly-fishing. Just like everything else in Tim’s life, he honed in on his skills and then used them to give back to others. His patience in teaching, his ability to know exactly which fly to use, when and where to cast to hook a fish, and his connection with his clients earned him respect from all. Tim’s calming and peaceful presence on the river put other anglers and guides at ease. It is no wonder to anyone who went on a float trip with Tim, that he was one of the most highly revered guides in the area. In 2005, Tim and Lisa reconnected in Big Sky. After growing up in the same small town and knowing each other throughout high school and college, a romance blossomed between the two. They resolved the long distance between Oregon and Montana in 2007 when Lisa moved to Big Sky. Their love continued to grow, and they married in 2013, with their closest friends and family joining in on the celebration.
Over the next decade, Tim and Lisa enjoyed off trail adventures in Yellowstone National Park and explored multiple fishing holes throughout Montana rivers. They trekked numerous miles looking for antlers, mushrooms, and artifacts. The couple valued the years they spent caretaking and marveling at the majestic views and abundance of wildlife out their back door. As a guy who loved solitude, there was nothing better to Tim than hiking, horn hunting, and spending quiet time with his canine companions. Tim respected nature; he appreciated its beauty, power, and history, and Lisa cherished their time together in the outdoors that they both loved. After a long day, Tim found comfort lounging next to Lisa in his favorite chair with a big bowl of ice cream and their cat Buddy in his lap.
Tim’s love for his family, friends, and community knew no bounds. He was thoughtful of others and was quick to smile and laugh with the people in his life. Tim was always ready to help tie a fly, cast a line, net a fish, and row a boat for the enjoyment of those around him. Ever the humble man, he kept his accomplishments private, allowing others to shine. Tim was authentic, truly one-of-a-kind, and his spirit will live on in the ways that he gave back to nature, to his community, and to all who were lucky enough to know and love him. Tim was preceded in death by his father, Donald Samardich.
Tim is survived by his wife, Lisa (Goodrich); mother, Anita Samardich; siblings: Christine
Samardich (Jason Raffaele), Michael Samardich, Suzanne Samardich (Alex Hassman); in-laws: Dave (Missy) Goodrich, Peggy (Lee) Jones, Angelia Goodrich, Geoff (Melissa) Goodrich, Maggie (Jacob) Myers; and nephews and nieces: Aidan, Kjetil, Wren, Ian, Elliott, Evelyn, Parker, Molly, Violet, Benjamin, Tyler, and Mateo.
A Celebration of Life will be held at Michaelangelo’s in Big Sky on Sept. 21, 2024 at 4:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Tim’s EverLoved Memorial Fund: everloved.com/lifeof/tim-samardich/. Contributions will assist in bereavement costs and the construction of the Lone Peak Veterinary Clinic.
- There are 208 mountain goats in and adjacent to Yellowstone
- Mature male (billy) weighs 300 or more pounds; female (nanny) weighs 150 pounds.
- Both sexes have horns; females curve less and are thinner and sometimes longer than males.
Competition with high densities of mountain goats could also negatively affect bighorn sheep, whose range overlaps that of mountain goats.
Mountain Goat // Oreamnos americanus
NPS PHOTO
PROTECTING OUR WILD SPACES MEANS ADVOCATING FOR THEM, TOGETHER LETTER TO THE EDITOR
To the editor,
Running down the trail with rosy cheeks and muddy shoes my kiddos shout, “Look what we found!” One brandishes a wooden lightsaber (mini tree stump) and one hands me a freshly picked lupine. This is why I love wild spaces–they imprint lasting memories on our hearts.
The proposed Greater Yellowstone Conservation and Recreation Act will protect 250,000 acres. Think about the land you live on–it’s likely less than one acre. Two-hundred and fifty thousand acres is over 390 square miles. For you skiers, that’s equivalent to the terrain of 32 combined Big Sky Ski Resorts and Bridger Bowl Ski Areas.
The edge of the current Gallatin Wildlife Management Area is our backyard and we want to prevent the irreparable consequences of losing this unbroken corridor to development. Please consider this an open invitation to come play in our backyard anytime. The freedom to run, hike, horseback ride, mountain bike and hunt on this land is sacred to us.
Now is the time to protect what we love. How many photos have you saved of your most loved subdivision or paved road?
As a direct descendent of Montana ranchers and copper mine workers, I appreciate the balance between land conservation and use. The Gallatin Forest Partnership, the coalition behind this act,
unites recreationists like me with others under the common goal of protecting our beloved wilderness.
Protecting wild spaces means advocating for them. Together, we need more purposeful actions than adorning water bottles with wildflower stickers, doling kudos on Strava, or gushing wilderness posts on social media (yeah, I’m guilty on all counts). Instead, let’s endorse this act and make the next generation proud.
To keep the Gallatin and Madison ranges untamed we should take our queue from modern poetry and, “Love her, but leave her wild.”
Jenny Heglund Gallatin Gateway, Montana
AI-POWERED CAMERA DETECTS WILDFIRE NEAR MOONLIGHT BASIN LOCAL
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—A lightning strike was the likely cause of a small fire on the evening of Aug. 12, just west of the Moonlight Basin golf course in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.
A tree was torched, or fully aflame, according to Big Sky Fire Department Deputy Chief Seth Barker. Within minutes, a camera on the summit of Lone Mountain—part of a system powered by AI, installed in 2021—detected the smoke and notified Big Sky Fire Department personnel just before 7 p.m. Local firefighters responded with their type three engine, an off-road vehicle.
“We got eyes on it really quickly and realized it was not a false alarm,” Barker told EBS in a phone call Tuesday. Thankfully, Monday’s fire event was “pretty simple,” and responders quickly extinguished it. Barker said it’s helpful how much rain the area has received in the past two weeks.
The Pano AI camera technology features a 360-degree camera system with 30x tactical zoom—privacy mechanisms are built into the software—and was installed through a collaboration between the Yellowstone Club, Big Sky Resort, Big Sky Resort Area District and BSFD.
It’s also not the gadget’s first save. In 2021, the new camera detected a plume of smoke from the Shedhorn Fire in the Taylor Fork drainage, helping to ultimately contain that fire to 74 acres. In 2023, Barker added, “We had a tremendous stop over in Taylor Fork… It probably would have burned for several hours and been very terrible if the camera didn’t pick it up.”
Barker said the community is “extraordinarily lucky” to have the Pano AI cameras as a result of the public-private partnership.
A Facebook post from BSFD added gratitude to BSRAD.
“A big thanks to Big Sky Resort Area District for their continued funding of our wildfire detection camera program. They save vital time when detecting and locating fires which helps keep them small,” BSFD stated.
Kevin Germain, BSRAD board member and VP of Moonlight Basin, told EBS the Pano AI system is “a no-brainer” and an important preventative resource.
“I, as one [BSRAD] board member, really recognize that wildfire is probably our greatest risk as a community that’s living on the wildland urban interface,” Germain told EBS in a phone call.
Germain worked as a wildland firefighter throughout college. He speculated that because the fire ignited near dusk, the fire may not have been located until Tuesday morning if not for the technology, unless the Forest Service sent a flight to locate it.
“It would sure be speculation, but… I think [the technology] easily made, call it a 12-hour difference on response,” Germain said. He added that if a similar event happened during a period of prolonged dry weather—like southwest Montana experienced in July—the fire might spread quickly. Germain thanked Pano AI and the Big Sky Fire Department, namely Fire Chief Dustin Tetrault, who pushed for the technology.
“Those guys made quick work of it,” Germain said.
LMLC LAUNCHES ‘BIG SKY FACTS’ WITH BIG SKY CHAMBER TO COMBAT MISINFORMATION
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—Between July 30 and Aug. 7, a new account called “Big Sky Facts” became active on Instagram and Facebook.
The new pages are being spearheaded by Lone Mountain Land Company with support from the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce, and both plan to invite more businesses and organizations to join the partnership. The effort represents an early stage of a community strategic communications task force being developed by entities associated with LMLC and the chamber, according to an Aug. 9 press release.
“The Big Sky community is made up of remarkable folks doing good for their neighbors and we are
pleased to have a social media account highlighting these efforts,” Brad Niva, chamber CEO, stated in the release.
Posts are intended to aggregate facts and informational resources to educate viewers about various topics in Big Sky—a handful of early posts described topics including the Big Sky Resort Area District’s commitments for fiscal year 2025, the Yellowstone Club’s snowmaking using treated wastewater, Big Sky’s new wastewater treatment facility, and efforts to educate residents and visitors about wildlife safety.
In an introductory post, the page states, “We are a coalition of businesses in Big Sky, Montana sharing the facts about the community where we live, work,
and recreate. This account provides reliable data and encourages constructive dialogue.”
The release explains that Big Sky Facts aims to clearly communicate positive local programs and initiatives, fostering constructive dialogue to reduce misinformation. Informational posts will encourage community members to reach out directly with questions.
“We are actively involved in local programs and boards and there is a deep personal investment in the well-being and future of Big Sky,” stated Krista Traxler, LMLC senior vice president of marketing. “This level of community engagement brings a great sense of responsibility and care to be direct communicators to help find solutions.”
Site of the fire after being extinguished. COURTESY OF SETH BARKER / BSFD
WELLNESS COALITION SUES MADISON COUNTY OVER CONTROVERSIAL FAILED PETITION
AUGUST LAWSUIT LISTS ERRORS SINCE JANUARY, ASKS FOR A RE-TRY OF THE HEARING IN 2024
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—A lawsuit filed on Aug. 6 claims that Madison County officials mishandled a petition signed by more than 200 Big Sky residents.
Big Sky stretches across Madison and Gallatin counties, and the petition sought to withdraw the Madison County portion of Big Sky from the Madison Valley Hospital District. A group of Big Sky leaders, including health and wellness providers, believes that the Madison Valley Medical Center is not reasonably accessible to Big Sky’s Madison County taxpayers. Located in Ennis, the hospital is nearly an hour away for those with access to the private Jack Creek Road, or roughly 90 minutes away via public roadways—not accounting for adverse road conditions common during winter.
If the petition and subsequent withdrawal were successful, the group would seek to establish a hospital district, or “Wellness District,” that encompasses all of Big Sky and funnels tax dollars toward Big Sky’s own health and wellness providers. Last December, the group now known as the Big Sky Wellness Coalition submitted the petition to Madison County. Following standard procedure, commissioners scheduled a hearing for Jan. 18, 2024. In the hearing’s opening remarks, the petition was rejected based on methodology used by the county which resulted in 219 of 242 signatures being rejected.
When the petition failed, leaders of the coalition— befuddled by Madison County’s methodology which recognized only 23 signatures, less than 10% of all who signed—suggested the effort was not dead.
Nearly eight months later, it was revived in Montana’s fifth judicial district court, which covers Madison, Beaverhead and Jefferson counties.
Plaintiffs claim two signatures were not counted
According to the complaint filed Aug. 6, plaintiffs seek preliminary and permanent injunctive relief, asking the court to order that commissioners reschedule the hearing within the 2024 calendar year.
Plaintiffs claim that even following the methodology used in January—which reduced eligible signees to just 48 residents—Madison County Clerk and Recorder Paula McKenzie was erroneous in her omission of two residents that did sign. Two was the exact number of names required for the petition to reach 51% and warrant the January hearing.
Furthermore, the filing claims that McKenzie, as clerk and recorder, “had no authority” to deny the petition, which must be considered and decided on by county commissioners.
“The Commissioners—not Mckenzie (sic) or anyone else—have decision making authority on the Petition, including ‘the merits’ and ‘all objections.’… This necessarily includes reviewing and making a final decision on whether the signatures collected were sufficient to meet the 51% threshold,” the filing stated (page 14).
An Aug. 7 press release from the Big Sky Wellness Coalition explained the grounds of the lawsuit,
noting that the filing followed “months of unsuccessful attempts to communicate with and obtain records from Madison County regarding the Madison Valley Hospital District,” and the county commissioners’ refusal to hold a hearing even after the additional two signatures were recognized in February by McKenzie (page 16) and in July by the Madison County Attorney’s Office (page 19).
“Despite the coalition’s best efforts, the Madison County Commission refused to reconsider the Clerk and Recorder’s erroneous methodology and signature tally and refused to hold a hearing on the merits of the petition,” the press release stated.
In addition to seeking injunctive relief—through which the hearing would be ordered to occur—the complaint asks the court to order that Madison County commissioners cease levying taxes on Big Sky residents, “given that it appears the special hospital district does not legally exist and/or is not legally operating,” the filing stated (page 21).
According to the coalition’s press release, “The petitioners assert their tax dollars should fund services within their community that they actually receive and use, rather than fund services they cannot and do not access.”
Madison County Commissioner Bill Todd, whose jurisdiction includes Big Sky, was advised by legal counsel to decline to comment to EBS. McKenzie also declined to comment.
The Big Sky Wellness Coalition did not respond in time on Aug. 7 to requests from EBS for comment.
The western third of Big Sky is located in Madison County, including Big Sky Resort, Moonlight Basin, the Yellowstone Club and other residential areas. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
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KIDSLINK SPREADS WINGS AT OPHIR ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
GREATER GALLATIN UNITED WAY LAUNCHES NEW AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM IN BIG SKY
BY LESLIE KILGORE
BIG SKY—As most working parents know in Big Sky, finding accessible and affordable options for after-school childcare and educational programs has been a challenge. If you speak to families in the community, it’s a subject that has created much dialogue and concern for employers needing to hire those with families, and employees wanting to raise children in the area.
Now, as the community continues to grow, more support for working parents has increased as well which in turn provides families with more realistic opportunities to stay in Big Sky long term. One of the burgeoning programs is kidsLINK at Ophir Elementary, made a reality through a partnership with the Greater Gallatin United Way.
Established in June of 2023, kidsLINK was launched in response to discussions with Big Sky residents who had challenges finding affordable childcare for four- and 5-year-olds during the summer months.
Last summer, GGUW President and CEO Kimberly Hall worked with her team, Big Sky School District Superintendent Dustin Shipman, and several community foundations to secure space and staffing for a full-day, 10-week program that served more than 15 families in the area. After more input about the lack of options for young families, the program expanded again, adding 3-year-olds to the group.
“The Greater Gallatin United Way kidsLINK after-school program came together through collaborative efforts with funders, the school district and area partners,” Hall said. “We knew there was a need for consistent and fully accessible out-ofschool-time care and know that school-based programs are successful.”
GGUW has established similar programs at a variety of elementary schools throughout Gallatin County. Their teams continue to see success for the families who partake in the programs and academic progress with the students who are consistently engaged and attending.
“With our model operating at 15 other elementary sites, we knew we could put a plan together with the support of Dustin and his team,” Hall said. “Because of the support of the foundations and the donation of space from the school district, this fall we will start the kidsLINK after-school program at Ophir Elementary.”
Commencing this school year, the after-school program will run from the first day of school on Monday, Aug. 26, to the last day of school in June, providing families with childcare and educational programming until 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.
“GGUW’s kidsLINK programs use inquiry-based curriculum. It’s intended to be fun, exploratory and educational for the students,” Hall said. “Many of the themes are STEM-based—science, technology, engineering and math—but are tailored to meet the needs of our students. We want them to have an opportunity to expand their interests outside of school-based academics.”
Hall explained that kidsLINK is more than just a childcare solution, but an economic solution for the community. She hopes they can increase
the available workforce in Big Sky by providing an additional after-school option for young families.
“Parents are making tough choices. Our hope is that this program provides relief to those needing support and that this program can be a catalyst for additional program support in the Big Sky community,” Hall said. “GGUW takes a collaborative and innovative approach in all we do. We want to continue to listen, respond, convene and collaborate to make meaningful change.”
Hall mentioned that studies show after-school programs can support higher academics for kids, better behaviors and critical social and emotional support.
“As a parent myself and someone who uses the program, I know firsthand the positive impact this has for working families,” Hall said. “Last year our survey reported 90% of current kidsLINK parents could keep their current job working a full day and/ or earn more because of kidsLINK. The children in the program also reported that they enjoy the program, are developing friendships outside the classroom, and feel they have an adult they can talk with at kidsLINK.”
With the high cost of living in the area, GGUW said they understand the importance of providing parents with a seamless opportunity to work, and in many cases, both parents need to provide income to live in Big Sky. Their goal is for kidsLINK to support parents in focusing on their careers, not worrying about childcare, and enjoying the lifestyle Big Sky provides for their families.
“In a community growing so rapidly, it’s critical to have a steady, well-supported workforce. Child care is critical to support a thriving community and we are grateful to be a partner and for the input and support,” said Hall. “We can’t do this work alone— it truly does take a village and we are just one piece in this giant puzzle.”
For more information and to enroll, parents can visit kidsLINK.org. For further questions, families can email kidslink@gguw.org or call 406-587-2194. The weekly cost is $50 per child, per week with tuition assistance available from funding partners.
Counting and colors with blocks.
PHOTO COURTESY OF KIMBERLY HALL
Gym time playing “Skylar says” with camp staffer Skylar Molina. PHOTO COURTESY OF KIMBERLY HALL Exploring the plant life cycle
terrariums. PHOTO COURTESY OF KIMBERLY HALL
REMEMBERING BIG SKY’S BIGGEST AMBASSADOR, JERRY PAPE
BY FISCHER GENAU
BIG
SKY—Jerry
Pape Sr. lived life on his terms, all the way to the very end.
Jerry, born Gerald Pape in 1939 to legendary Chicago cop Frank Pape, died on Aug. 15 after 50 years in Big Sky as a pioneering realtor, community giant and cherished friend. He was 85.
Jerry paved his own way in Big Sky since moving here with his family in 1973, starting one of the first real estate businesses, Triple Creek Realty, becoming a cowboy, and befriending scores of people along the way.
“Dad was everyone’s best friend whether he knew it or not,” said Rebecca Pape, Jerry’s daughter.
Jerry was a known extrovert who could talk with anyone—quite the opposite of his wife Becky, a self-described introvert. His youngest son, Frank, said that when you’d go to a restaurant with him, before you would even order, he’d often be sitting at another table talking to someone else.
“He was kind of like a butterfly, flying around to the next set of flowers,” Frank said.
He was also a notorious entertainer. Jerry told hilarious stories that sometimes defied belief, and he was a known prankster, swapping out golf balls with exploding soap balls or talking over the loudspeaker at Big Sky Resort’s Arrowhead Mall, where his realty office was located, to make people think they were going crazy.
“He made me laugh more than anyone I’ve ever been around,” said Don Hanson, one of Jerry’s closest friends who knew him for over 40 years.
Jerry’s friends describe him as gregarious, outgoing, and always on the move. In Big Sky’s early days, Jerry would stay up late around town dancing or playing guitar and singing in local bars like the Caboose. In his later years, he was known to drive around town checking in on his many friends, neighbors, and even the local wildlife.
“Jerry was not one to keep still,” said Kevin Kelleher, who worked with Jerry for over 40 years at Triple Creek Realty.
Jerry remained active all year long—a former captain of the swim team at the University of Notre Dame, he set several school records and eventually became a scratch golfer, a skilled skier and ski racer, and a proficient horseman in Big Sky.
He couldn’t keep still at work either. If Jerry’s real estate clients wanted property near the golf course, he’d go golfing with them; if they wanted something on the mountain, he’d go skiing with them; if the property was remote, he’d take them there on horseback in the summer or on snowmobiles in the winter.
“He figured out a way to get to do whatever he wanted while he was doing his job,” Frank said.
That was Jerry—he always did things his way. Rebel with a heart of gold
After Jerry underwent quintuple bypass surgery, his doctor told him, “If it tastes good, spit it out.”
So Jerry asked his son to take him to dinner and proceeded to order everything he wasn’t supposed to eat.
“He was not someone you could tell what to do,” Jerry Jr. said.
Jerry Jr. likens him to Dennis Farina’s character in the 1995 film “Get Shorty,” or certain characters on the Chicago-set television hit “The Bear”—he wouldn’t take crap from anybody, and he lived unapologetically by his own principles.
Jerry got a law degree from DePaul University that he never took the bar for; he built a school for his kids when he was dissatisfied with their options for education; and despite being a self-proclaimed “city slicker” from Chicago, Jerry became a skilled “heeler,” lassoing cows in team roping events at rodeos across the West. Jerry Jr. also describes him as a wild child.
“He knew how to get in trouble, which is something that happens when you have a cop for a dad,” Jerry Jr. said.
But for how willing Jerry was to fly in the face of authority, he always knew right from wrong. Sometimes that led him to pay the health insurance of a young man he met with cerebral palsy; other times it led him to walk onto the field at a middle school football game and cold-cock a father berating a kid, knocking him out at the 50-yard line.
“He knew injustice when he saw it, and he knew what you had to do, even if it wasn’t easy,” Jerry Jr. said.
But Jerry was a gentle man, too.
“For a tough guy, he had a very soft heart,” said Scott Foster, former owner of Lone Mountain Sports and one of Jerry’s closest friends.
Known as an expert horseback rider and for his ease with big, powerful creatures, Jerry had an abiding love for tiny dogs like Pomeranians and chihuahuas, and he adored children. Jerry Jr. says he could soothe a crying baby in seconds and that he “enchanted” kids.
“He was probably even better as a grandfather than as a dad, because he learned so many lessons as a dad,” Frank said. “He was so competitive, I think he tried to make himself the best grandfather that ever was.”
Frank remembers Jerry showing up, apparently to take the grandkids out for ice cream, then bringing them back four hours later after going fishing or looking for bears.
Jerry looked after the kids in Big Sky as a supporter of the kids ski program and local school system. He and Becky were very generous, contributing to the Heart of the Valley Humane Society and the Montana State University Rodeo Team as well as the Catholic Church.
“He was generous to a fault,” Foster said. “He always wanted to help people.”
Jerry was known for taking care of people. He sold JC Knaub, founder and CEO of Andesite Construction who describes Jerry as a mentor, his first home in 1980 when he and his wife hardly had any money.
“He made it possible for me to have my own place, my own home, which I was eternally grateful for,” Knaub said. “I’m still there, on the property that Jerry sold us when we were broke, young, and newly married. He always helped people out like that when he could.”
Big Sky’s ambassador
After a half-century in Big Sky, Jerry leaves behind an immense legacy.
“He’s one of the original locals of what Big Sky was to become,” Kelleher said. “He was there through thick and thin and took his family with him, and it was pretty amazing what they accomplished in all those years.”
His friends and family describe Jerry as larger than life, one in a million, and a man who touched many lives simply because it’s who he was.
“I think he’ll be remembered as the ambassador to Big Sky,” Frank said. “I think he’s the one that brought the most people out there.”
When Jerry Jr. arrived at his father’s hospital room in the hours leading up to his passing, he saw more adult men crying than he’d ever seen in his life, “weeping inconsolably” as they left Jerry Sr.’s bedside. Jerry Jr. said his phone has been blowing up with hundreds of messages from people in Bozeman and Big Sky, as well as old friends from Chicago and beyond.
“So many people, so rapidly, fell in love with my dad,” Jerry Jr. said.
Jerry’s death was somewhat unexpected. He experienced medical complications while being treated for lymphoma, and his condition deteriorated rapidly. Rather than prolong his life with an indeterminate, Jerry decided to end things on his terms.
Jerry is survived by his wife Becky and his three children Jerry Jr., Frank, and Rebecca. He will be remembered by many more.
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SPORTS
ALL-NEW COACH SQUAD TO LEAD LPHS GIRLS VOLLEYBALL
TRIO HAS COMPETED IN VOLLEYBALL TOURNAMENTS TOGETHER, COACHED THREE
BIG SKY YOUTH CLINICS
BY JEN CLANCEY
It’s 7:25 a.m. and varsity volleyball coaches Ashley Muckway, Steven Reid and Gavin Dean are in the Lone Peak High School gymnasium. The high school girls volleyball team filters into the gym for their first practice of the 2024 fall season, and their first time with all new coaches.
Head coach Muckway, and assistant coaches Reid and Dean, began two-a-day preseason practice sessions for the girls volleyball squad—a 14-strong roster—on Aug. 16. While it’s their first time coaching Big Horn volleyball, it’s not their first stint coaching the sport in Big Sky.
The trio have competed in Bozeman volleyball tournaments together and played pickup volleyball at the BASE community center, and upon realizing the sport’s local popularity, hosted three successful youth clinics. Clinics included two eight-week sessions starting in January and April as well as an outdoor week-long session in June.
“Coming in as a first time coach, I was confident because we work well together and we have the same mentality towards community building and developing our youth,” Muckway said. She’s played volleyball her whole life and began the coaching experience by helping lead youth volleyball nights at BASE.
Reid, who serves as the recreation coordinator with Big Sky Community Organization, was excited to see so much participation in the sport. In total he’s coached volleyball for six years in North Carolina, Colorado and now Montana.
“I didn't think ever moving to a small town like this, that there would be such a large and competitive volleyball community here,” Reid said. “That rubs off on our kids, because the kids see us playing, they see us playing competitively, having fun.”
The trio also has a former Division I volleyball player in Dean. He hopes to work alongside Muckway and Reid to support the players in the gym and help them grow outside of athletics.
“Passing on the knowledge that we have in athletics is great, but ultimately it's about the development of these people and making them great humans, you know?” Dean said.
As for the fresh season, Muckway said the energy of the first practice showed that the
girls are enthusiastic, and she hopes that excitement remains.
“I want to see the attitude in them to go for everything and do everything in their power to make that play … if I can say you did everything you could in that game, that's my goal,” she said.
The coaches also aim to build lasting relationships with the team.
“I want them to be able to look back on this … as a really great year for them, maybe for some of them, a turning point,” Reid said. He spoke of his hope to support student-athletes in a variety of ways, from technique pointers to writing college recommendations. “I want them to be able to remember this and be able to use us as resources forever.”
At the end of the first practice, the coaches smiled when they overheard an upperclassman offer a ride home to an underclassmen in the parking lot. They said that seasoned players have already taken on a leadership role by communicating with the team about practice times and connecting with players.
Captains will be selected before the season begins.
The girls volleyball team will play their first game away on Sept. 5 in Boulder against Jefferson High School and will play their first home game on Sept. 7 against Three Forks High School.
The youth outdoor volleyball clinic in June was organized by Reid through BSCO, with the help of a local volleyball committee. Ashley Muckway, Gavin Dean, Steven Reid, Natalie McGaughy, Cam Mainland, high school volunteer Stella Haas coached the clinic. PHOTO COURTESY OF STEVEN REID
From left to right, assistant varsity coach Gavin Dean, head varsity coach Ashley Muckway, and assistant coach Steven Reid. PHOTO BY JEN CLANCEY
BIG SKY BIGGIE TESTS RIDERS WITH ‘SOME REAL MOUNTAIN BIKING’
EVENT’S SIXTH YEAR HIGHLIGHTED BY OPTIMIZED COURSES, IDEAL WEATHER
BY JACK REANEY
BIG SKY—The Big Sky Biggie cross-country mountain bike race is seriously hard, and commands serious respect from its riders.
For 2024, the punishing 60-mile course was shortened to a still-punishing 50 miles, and the 30- and 15-mile options aren’t designed for leisure, either.
Race Director Natalie Osborne said people weren’t afraid to sign up for the 50-mile course. This year, 129 riders attempted it, up from 100 riders in the 2023 60-mile race, and 81 in 2022.
“The 60 was really challenging, super challenging, and it scared a few people away,” Osborne said during the event on Saturday, Aug. 17. She said the 50-mile course is “still one of the hardest courses in Montana, so it’s no walk in the park, but it just allowed us to reach that many more people.”
Overall, the 2024 event had roughly 600 riders, a slight decline compared to 2023. This year, the Biggie was scheduled one week earlier than usual to avoid conflict for Big Sky locals involved with the softball tournament, which was ultimately rescheduled as well. Next year, the event will take place on Aug. 23, back on its typical schedule.
The six-year-old event continues to make a name for itself, attracting new riders like 47-year-old Emma Maaranen. From Bend, Oregon, she was the top female in the 30-mile race with a chip time just over three hours and 11 minutes.
It was Maaranen’s first time mountain biking in Montana. She found the Biggie community to be impressive and supportive, and loved the trails.
“You guys have something really special here,” she said.
Maaranen said the Mountain to Meadow descent felt like a roller coaster, roughly halfway through the 30-mile race. She tackled that section alongside a couple men, and they were hooting and hollering the whole way down.
“It was hard to remember that we were even racing, it was so fun,” she said.
Maaranen praised the entire course, noting the “grindy climbing” and a few “old-school singletrack” descents. Toward the end, she was humbled by climbing the Ralph’s Pass switchbacks.
“Oh my gosh, it was so fun,” she said. “The very first single-track climb was surprisingly stout, and I was like, ‘oh, we’re in for some real mountain biking today,’ which was totally my jam.”
‘Man, this event rocks’
Caleb Swartz, 25, of Missoula, has won the Biggie’s longest race in both years he entered, 2023 and 2024. This year, he took the 50-miler in just over four hours and 14 minutes.
Swartz said last year’s Biggie was one of the hardest bike races he’s ever done in 16 years of racing—10
more miles and a muddy course. This year, he said the trails were “primo.”
He found the Mountain to Meadow and Coolridge descents to be “super groovy,” and the 14-mile loop of second and first Yellow Mule to be “heinously hard.”
To add to the pain, he made a wrong turn about eight miles in, costing him a handful of precious minutes and sending him from first place back to eighth.
“So then I had to basically chase back all day long,” Swartz said. But he caught up.
“Man, this event rocks. I think they said this is the sixth year, and they’re crushing this race like they’ve been doing it for 20,” he said, a nod to event organizers.
It’s an event carried by helping hands and “incredible” sponsors, Osborne said.
She estimated 60 race-day volunteers in addition to roughly 20 crew members who help leading up to the event. She thanked six safety agencies: bike and ski patrollers from Big Sky Resort and the Yellowstone Club, Gallatin County Sheriff, Spanish Peaks Security, Big Sky Search and Rescue and the Biggie EMT crew.
Osborne gets emotional seeing her friends involved, and entire families racing. She said the race has become a community of its own.
“The way the Bozeman and Big Sky communities—and Missoula and Helena—have all adopted this race as their own… fills my heart. It just makes me feel so good that they feel like they can count on this race,” she said.
The 50-mile female winner, 37-year-old Kait Boyle of Victor, Idaho, had never ridden in the area before. She was impressed by the showing of roughly 600 people at a six-year-old event.
“That’s incredible, and I think that just speaks to how great of a job Natalie is doing at continuing to evolve it based on, presumably, people’s experiences,” she said. “And it seems to be working.”
Boyle noticed the course felt surprisingly remote while riding Big Sky Resort’s Coolridge trail.
“I think oftentimes with ski areas you expect it to feel more manicured, but those felt more like raw backcountry trails, which are my favorite,” Boyle said. She loved the Yellow Mules loop, especially the “epic” views from Buck Ridge, and appreciated the relentless switchbacks on Ralph’s Pass.
She finished in five hours and five minutes, winning with a brace on her recently sprained wrist.
‘Not a cloud in the sky’
The Biggie appeals to hardcore adults, but the 15mile race opens it up to more casual riders—and the hardcores of tomorrow.
Twelve-year-olds Owen Axelson and Tommy Nelson are middle school riders in the Bozeman and Gallatin High School bike programs. They made their Biggie debut in 2024.
For their team, they’ve done much shorter races, closer to four miles. But they weren’t overwhelmed by a race three-times longer—they simply adjusted their pace and got the job done.
Nelson said the 15-mile course was really fun, but he preferred riding on dirt and technical downhill sections.
“The uphill on the asphalt was difficult,” Nelson said. Axelson agreed. The first four and a half miles were an uphill battle, climbing paved roads near the Spanish Peaks Mountain Club area.
“Great to be up here,” Nelson said, a few minutes after finishing and dropping his bike by the team tent. “The weather was great today, not a cloud in the sky.”
Osborne said the two sunny days leading up to race day dried out the course, and race day was the best forecast in about three weeks.
“We couldn’t have gotten any luckier,” she said.
The Big Sky Biggie's terrain and community impressed Emma Maaranen, 30-mile champion, as she biked in Montana for the first time. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
REGIONAL
RYAN BUSSE, CANDIDATE FOR GOVERNOR, HOSTS FREEDOM RALLY IN DOWNTOWN BOZEMAN
WIFE
SARA, SENATE CANDIDATE CORA NEUMANN, AG CANDIDATE BEN ALKE AND BAND SHAKEWELL GRACE RIALTO STAGE
BY MIRA BRODY
BOZEMAN—On the evening of Friday, Aug. 9, a line of people slowly made its way into the Rialto theater for the Montana Freedom Rally hosted by gubernatorial candidate, Ryan Busse, and his wife, Sara. Inside, as the building filled to capacity, Cora Neumann, a democrat running for state senate district 30, took to the stage and addressed the crowd.
Neumann spoke of her childhood in Bozeman, and how her father had died due to a lack of access to emergency services after an accident at the lumber mill he worked at. The experience inspired her to get into public health, a topic that stands as a prominent platform of her campaign.
The event, largely inspired by the rally for former President Donald Trump taking place at the same time at Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, focused on the importance of access to reproductive rights and related healthcare needs.
“This national abortion ban that is being promoted by Trump and Sheehy will kill women,” Neumann said.
After departing for school, Neumann returned to Bozeman in 2019 and has since devoted her efforts toward rural healthcare through her nonprofit We are Montana. She currently works for the Native American Development Corporation as chief health officer. Neumann launched a campaign for a Senate seat in 2019 but dropped out when former Gov. Steve Bullock entered the race, and lost the Democratic primary for U.S. House District 1 in June 2022.
Between speakers, Missoula-based jam band Shakewell played funky tunes to a swaying crowd. A balloon artist twisted balloon hats for attendees,
“People are ready for something better. Give it to them.”
– Ryan Busse
and hand-made posters lined the walls touting support for IVF, access to abortion and other reproductive healthcare rights. At one point, the band had the crowd chanting the word “Love” as a part of one of their songs.
“It’s not a bad thing to marry above your head,” Busse joked as he hugged his wife Sara following her speech about raising their sons, Badge and Lander, in Montana; Badge and Lander are two of 16 youth plaintiffs in the constitutional climate change lawsuit, Held v. State of Montana.
“I heard about a political rally,” Busse said, referring to the Trump rally across town. “… I wanted all of you to be here.”
Busse is a former firearms executive and campaign adviser for President Joe Biden. He announced his intent to run against current Gov. Greg Gianforte in September 2023.
While on stage, Busse spoke at length about reproductive rights, right to privacy and access to public lands—values he said are at the core of Montanans and upheld in the Montana constitution. He called modern day politics “ugly and divisive.”
Busse also spoke praises of Sen. Jon Tester, and endorsed Ben Alke, a Bozeman attorney running against Austin Knudsen for attorney general.
“People are ready for something better,” Busse said before handing the stage back to Shakewell, who played well into the night. “Give it to them.”
Pro-reproductive rights posters hang on the walls of the Rialto during the Ryan Busse rally. PHOTO BY MIRA BRODY
Cora Neumann talks to a full house at the Rialto. PHOTO BY MIRA BRODY
TRUMP, MONTANA REPUBLICANS PRAISE SHEEHY, LAMBAST TESTER AT BOZEMAN RALLY
RALLY GATHERS THOUSANDS FOLLOWING FUNDRAISER AT YELLOWSTONE CLUB
BY JEN CLANCEY AND JACK REANEY
BOZEMAN—On the morning of Aug. 9, a line formed outside of Montana State University’s Brick Breeden Fieldhouse, where former President Donald Trump would host a rally in 10 hours. The parking lot exhibits the hallmarks of a Trump event—bedazzled baseball caps donning his name and “Make America Great Again,” golden honey in bottles shaped like the former president, and a paint job on the door of a pickup truck likening him to George Washington.
The rally was a first for Sarah Torres-Black, 45, a Kalispell resident. She believes Trump was effective during his last term.
“He helps the community. He helped the lower class,” Torres-Black said.
She stood near the front of the line, having camped out since 8 a.m., and said she’s excited that Trump decided to visit Montana.
“It’s really nice, you know, because Montana don’t get a lot of recognition. You know what I mean?”
The rally itself began shortly after doors to the arena opened at 6 p.m., and as a result of Trump appearing roughly 90 minutes behind schedule, it was after 11 when the event let back out into the cool, gusty Bozeman night.
The Bozeman visit follows time spent at the Yellowstone Club for a large fundraising event. According to an invitation for the event, the fundraiser required a $100,000 minimum donation and included dinner and photos with the former president. The 25-car motorcade passed through Town Center following the event, and briefly paused traffic as it passed through Gallatin Canyon yesterday afternoon before he arrived at MSU.
‘The most important election in our country’s history’
From 6:15 to 8:30 p.m., Montana republicans discussed border security, economic woes under democrats—namely President Biden, Sen. Jon Tester, VP Kamala Harris and her presidential running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz—as well as law and order, education versus indoctrination, gender norms, and most prominently, Tim Sheehy in his race against a three-term senator in Tester.
Troy Downing, Montana state auditor running for U.S. House of Representatives in Montana’s eastern district, said the U.S. needs a president who puts his fist in the air and fights. The crowd, still trickling through security to fill the upper bleachers, began chanting, “Fight!”
Montana’s Attorney General Austin Knudsen berated Walz and Tester.
“The closer it is to election day, the more Jon Tester pretends to be a republican,” Knudsen said, praising Sheehy.
Attendees lifted red and blue campaign signs when Rep. Ryan Zinke began his speech. “We need a commander-in-chief that knows the difference between our enemies and our friends.”
Zinke called this November “the most important election in our country’s history.”
Sen. Steve Daines called the event “Jon Tester’s retirement party,” and got the crowd chanting to build a wall at America’s southern border.
At 8:50 p.m., Gov. Gianforte addressed the crowd. He said Kamala Harris’s border policy is as effective “as a screen door on a submarine.” Before introducing Tim Sheehy onstage, Gianforte explained the significance of the U.S. Senate election in western Montana for republicans. “When we elect Tim Sheehy, we have won back majority control of the U.S. Senate.” The audience roared in response.
Sheehy said that the U.S. is at a crossroads. “How is this economy taking care of you?” Sheehy asked. “It’s not.”
Echoing Gianforte’s remarks on republican power in the senate, Sheehy urged the crowd to avoid Tester.
“You need to deliver [Donald Trump] the senate by retiring Jon Tester,” Sheehy said. He added that he himself is a “common sense” politician, and plans to restore Montana to what he said Montanans are looking for.
“Cops are good, criminals are bad, boys are boys, girls are girls,” Sheehy said, a return to the way he began his speech—a joke about the pronouns in his last name.
Trump addresses Montana
Applause and cheers showered through the stadium as Lee Greenwood’s “Proud to be an American” played in tune with Trump’s footsteps toward the microphone at 9:28 p.m.
“I was all over your state today,” Trump said. “Everything takes two hours… I gotta like Tim Sheehy a lot to be here.”
“It’s a big state. It’s a beautiful state. And we won it every time by a lot,” Trump added.
Trump would eventually end his speech at 11:10 p.m., speaking for nearly an hour and 45 minutes.
The past month of the 2024 election season has been rife with historic events: It’s been 28 days since a July 13 assassination attempt at a rally in
Butler, Pennsylvania grazed Trump’s ear. Eight days later, current president Joe Biden withdrew from the presidential race, and this week on Aug. 6, Kamala Harris was named the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee.
Trump searched for a sticky phrase when he discussed Harris at Friday night’s Bozeman rally. “We’re going to evict crazy Kamala, reverse the Kamala crash, avoid the Kamala chaos.”
Various speakers shared language about Harris on Friday, calling her “weak”, “failed,” “radical” and “dangerous.” Trump added that Harris is “dumb.”
Sen. Jon Tester was another target of Trump’s harsh words.
While discussing Harris’ stance on the southern border, he called Tester an ally of Harris and remarked on the senator’s appearance.
“I don’t speak badly about somebody’s physical disability but he’s got the biggest stomach I have ever seen,” Trump said.
“Tester and I have nothing to do with each other and if you watch his commercials you can forget it,” Trump said later on. “He never votes for me … that guy voted to impeach me, stomach brimming out like a big slob.”
Trump also promised to prevent low-income housing from being built next to suburban neighborhoods, and to support a mass deportation policy. He called America “a failing nation” and blamed it on the Biden administration.
Toward the end of his remarks, he began urging supporters to register and plan to vote.
“So in conclusion, from Bigfork to Billings, from Glendive to Great Falls, and from Big Sky to right here in Bozeman. This state was built by some of the toughest men and strongest women ever to walk the face of the earth,” Trump said.
“Montana is the land of cowboys and cattle hands, ranchers and farmers, frontiersmen and soldiers, adventurers and pioneers who… carved out a life in one of the most beautiful places in all of God’s creation,” he concluded.
With the Nov. 5 general election 87 days away, Bozeman earned a small chapter in American history as national politics sprung close to home.
Donald Trump speaks at Montana State University on Aug. 9. PHOTO BY JACK REANEY
Q&A WITH MONTANA’S STATE AUDITOR, EASTERN DISTRICT U.S. HOUSE CANDIDATE
TROY DOWNING
BY JEN CLANCEY
After winning Montana's eastern district primary in June, Republican Troy Downing, who currently serves as Montana State auditor, will face off with Democrat John Driscoll in the November U.S. House election.
Downing lived in the Big Sky and Gallatin Gateway area from 1998 to 2021, and has since lived in Helena, located in Montana’s eastern district, while serving as auditor.
Born in California, Downing noted that his family was poor—he was the son of a teenage mom and met his father later in life. Starting out, Downing taught and researched at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences and eventually left NYU to form a tech startup that merged with Yahoo! Inc. in the 1990s. After the deal, his career shifted to building companies and supporting entrepreneurs through angel investing.
While spending time in Alaska, Downing heard news of the September 11 attacks and said he entered a recruiter’s office as soon as he returned home. He was sworn into a combat search and rescue squadron, a special ops group.In his time in the Air National Guard, Downing built a commercial real estate company and a securities company. He was honorably discharged from the military in 2009.
Downing ran for and won the Montana state auditor election in 2020. He believes the role matches his interests in protecting consumers while helping businesses thrive. EBS spoke to Downing to learn more about why he is running for a U.S. House seat.
Responses have been edited for brevity.
Explore Big Sky: So Troy, I'm interested to hear what brought you to run for a U.S. House seat for Montana's eastern district.
Troy Downing: There are so many bigger issues right now that really negatively affect the American dream and I'm really concerned about that. I'm worried that those opportunities that allowed me to be successful are not there for our kids and our grandkids, and I look at what's happening with national security, with uncontrolled debt, with no fiscal restraint, with our deficits going through the roof, with inflation climbing like crazy, and I wonder how any normal person starting out their life, starting out a new family, getting out of college, getting out of a trade school—how [do] they even buy their first home? I don't even see a path … and that really scares me.
... We need to start sending people to D.C. that understand that relationship of money: the fact that you put too much money in a system, [then] everything gets more expensive … Nobody can afford anything. I'm concerned about that, and so I am running to protect this great nation, because I need to feel that I deserve all the opportunities that she's afforded me, and to make sure that I'm protecting that American dream.
EBS: For those key issues that you see Montana and the nation struggling with, what are the major issues that you want to deal with while you're in the U.S. House of Representatives?
TD: I'm going to start with the first and most important one … national security is of paramount importance. If we can't protect this nation, we don't have stability—then all is lost. And we have a lot of big issues right now, and one of those is that furthest southern border, and these are not just refugees from South America crossing that border. I was actually there in Arizona a couple of months ago, and they just walked around. There's a wall there … and they just walk around it. They walk down the U.S. side until they get picked up, processed and released on their own recognizance. … And so the question arises, ‘Who are these people, and what are they doing here?’... I think that the southern border problem is a huge issue.
... The second thing is …I fully understand that food security is national security … And as we start to see production agriculture coming out of production, we start to see foreign adversaries buying up production land, [and] we start to see it become more and more difficult for our farmers and ranchers to succeed … that's something that I'll fight strongly for to make sure that I am advocating for agricultural producers in the state.
Another part that I firmly understand is that energy security is national security. If we can't produce our own energy—we need to heat our homes and move goods across the country and put fuel in our cars— we're at risk.
In terms of the other part of your question, [is] fiscal responsibility: if you put a lot of money into any system, everything gets more expensive. We saw that with the subprime lending [mortgage] crisis … We see that with very loose student loan programs … We see that with the Affordable Care Act, with Obamacare. I mean, we put so much money into the system that one of the biggest growth areas is just the cost of healthcare.
The other thing is... we need to be much more thoughtful about our discretionary spending even though that's a small part of the national budget … I think we need to get to the point where we are looking at single title appropriations bills, that we're not signing off 1,000 page omnibus spending bills,
[and] we're given time to review and redact and modify spending bills before they're voted on … I understand there's a process building up to that, but we need to be very thoughtful about every time that we are spending one dollar.
Then, we need to have the intestinal fortitude to sit down and start talking about what we're going to do to fix our mandatory spending programs, because that is really the lion's share of where we're spending.
EBS: What did your experience as Montana state auditor teach you, and how did it prepare you for running for a U.S. House position?
TD: I’ll talk a little bit about when I was running for auditor. A lot of times people would say, ‘how are you going to make a difference?’
My response was: I'm going to get things done the way that I've always gotten things done … I'm going to change the culture … I'm going to show up every day, roll up my sleeves. I'm going to do the work, and those employees are going to hear me, and I'm going to hear them, and we're going to understand each other.
One of the things that I'm incredibly proud of is … we had a [Montana Federation of Public Employees] union in my office. And when the collective bargaining agreement came up—the renewal— employees actually petitioned to decertify [after the agreement expired in 2022]. So they got together and did a vote … and my office actually went unionfree, and they cited a positive work environment and leadership … I learned that you can really move mountains if you work honestly, ethically, diligently, you show up and you're respectful.
I'm not saying I'm pro-union or anti-union … but I think it really put an ‘us versus them’ in the office, and we all decided to be a ‘we.’
EBS: That actually leads right into my next question, which is, what is your leadership style?
TD: My promise then, as it is now, is I will listen and not just listen, but consider anyone. Somebody in the early part of my administration was going into a meeting and said, ‘I'm going to listen, but they're not going to change my mind.’ And that really bugs me. If you go into a meeting saying they're not going to change your mind—you're telling me you're not going to listen and you're not teachable and you're not willing to learn.
My style is to make sure that you have a plurality of voices and that you consider them because you never know where a good idea may come from or where unintended consequences may be revealed. I made it really clear that everybody's got a seat at the table to get their opinions on these issues, but ultimately, I'm the decision maker. So with that information, I try to surround myself with smart people—those are my appointees in my office. We deliberate, we listen to stakeholders, and then ultimately, it’s my name on the bill, so I'm the one that makes the policy decision based on all that information. That's how I'm going to continue to work—open to ideas, open to innovation, but ultimately, [I’m] the one with [my] name on it, and I'll be the one making the final decision on policy.
Downing called his time in the combat search and rescue squadron as a “great mission.” PHOTO COURTESY OF TROY DOWNING FOR MONTANA
EBB AND FLOW IN BIG SKY: GALLATIN RIVER GALLERY CLOSES AFTER 25 YEARS AS
A THRIVING COMMUNITY BUSINESS
BY LESLIE KILGORE
BIG SKY—Julie Gustafson opened the Gallatin River Gallery in Big Sky in 1999. Her first reception was on the winter solstice; only a few people came. But an interesting woman named Buzzy Vick attended that night, a cowboy poet, and she and Gustafson connected over their love for the West. It was then Gustafson knew this was what she was meant to do.
“I remember thinking, this is new territory for me, this will be fun,” Gustafson said. “I didn’t even own a car and I used to hike from the meadow down to the canyon through the woods, with my gallery clothes in a backpack. I put a secret log across the river to get across and trekked on down through the woods to get to my first gallery location in the canyon. I was determined to make it!”
Fast forward to present-day Big Sky, and Gustafson not only made it with her gallery, but she has also been a celebrated community member and contributor to the growing art scene in the area for more than two decades. Gustafson first came to Big Sky more than 30 years ago for a friend’s wedding and then kept returning. She moved here full time 18 years ago.
“I’ve been involved in the art world for 40 years, and after I got a degree in geology from Colorado University, I totally switched gears and went to California College of Arts, and then worked in high end galleries in Napa, San Francisco and Mill Valley, participated in art fairs in Chicago, New York, Florida and San Francisco, and got really good training from the best,” Gustafson said.
“The Fuller Goldeen Gallery in San Francisco, where I was the archivist, showed Deborah Butterfield in the mid-eighties and that was really thrilling to be a part of,” Gustafson continued."So
for many years and wanted to be immersed in nature more, and I love to ski.”
“Inspired from nature” was the theme when Gustafson first began describing the gallery. She chose to call it the Gallatin River Gallery because she thought that resonated since the Gallatin River was such an integral part of the community and continues to be now. The gallery moved through four different locations throughout its years, in the canyon, the meadow, above the former Lone Peak Brewery, and now in Town Center.
Recently, Gustafson decided to close the gallery after being in her current location in Town Center for 12 years. She will close the doors for the last time and begin a new chapter for herself in Big Sky on Aug. 31, with many fond memories of the past four decades.
“Quite honestly, I will not miss the current speeding huge construction trucks down Ousel Falls Road, and I won’t miss haggling about discounts on art purchases,” Gustafson said. “I will miss dearly the relationships with artists, being surrounded by amazing one-of-a-kind art and looking up at the mountains and alpenglow sunsets while listening to Pandora music.”
Gustafson shared that along with selling her own art, the many enduring friendships with artists, employees and clients were highlights of owning the gallery, particularly showing the work of renowned Montana painter, Russell Chatham and his original oil paintings in the last years of his life.
“He was a riot, his personality so different from his quiet ethereal landscapes,” Gustafson said. “We
would meet up at the McDonalds in Bozeman and trade-off really expensive paintings, which was kind of hilarious.”
Gustafson added that what stands out the most for her as she closes the gallery doors for good were her first employees, local artists, Diana Tremaine and Jill Zeidler, who have gone on to have incredible careers.
“They were enthusiastic when I was sometimes having doubts and I have to give them huge credit for their support and enduring friendships,” Gustafson said.
As she shared other anecdotes of years past in Big Sky, Gustafson added that the Arts Council of Big Sky has been integral in evolving the arts within the community, particularly the public art displays, educational classes, artist residencies and field trips.
“I hope that continues to grow, and that local artists and small businesses are supported here,” she said. “I would have to say my longevity speaks for the appreciation of the arts in Big Sky, and I hope it continues to thrive.”
While Gustafson is sentimental about closing the gallery, she also looks forward to what’s next for her within the community of Big Sky and beyond.
“I’m just so grateful to be a part of the community and for the great journey,” she said. “I look forward to doing my own art, singing, dancing, skiing, traveling and all that life has to offer. Life is change, so I am excited.”
The Gallatin River Gallery girls (left to right) Diana Tremaine, Jill Zeidler and Julie Gustafson. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE GUSTAFSON
Julie Gustafson says goodbye to Gallatin River Gallery after 25 years in Big Sky. PHOTO COURTESY OF JULIE GUSTAFSON
BIG SKY COMMUNITY THEATER ANNOUNCES FALL PRODUCTION AND AUDITIONS
RAUCOUS COMEDY
“TONY AND
TINA’S
WEDDING” TO TAKE STAGE NOV. 8 AND 9
BY STEPHANIE KISSELL GUEST COLUMNIST
BIG SKY—It’s 30 minutes to curtain time and 23 Big Sky Community Theater cast members huddle in a circle, costumes and wigs in place. The production, "A Monologue Show (from Hell)," is about the culmination of a high school drama class’s final project and its ultimate undoing.
Actor John Hannahs—Lone Peak High School teacher and athletic director—leads the diverse group at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center, some business owners, some bartenders, others ski patrollers and retirees, in a pumped-up cheer. While the countdown ensues, actors employ various methods of managing their nerves. Some do push-ups, others rehearse their lines facing a wall, some chat excitedly, while others are focused and quiet.
Big Sky Community Theater has been gathering locals to the stage yearly since 2013 with the purpose of entertaining, inspiring and enlightening audiences. Funded through Big Sky School District’s Adult Education Program, the theater group comprises volunteer community members of all backgrounds and levels of stage experience. Maggie Luchini, who has been in multiple productions, finds BSCT a welcome setting for Big Sky community members.
“[It’s] a place where people of many ages, many abilities and many interests can come together and create something fun,” Luchini said. “We get to play, let go of outside stressors, and be a part of something greater than ourselves in a fun, inclusive setting.”
The troupe’s fall 2024 production is the raucous comedy “Tony and Tina’s Wedding,” directed by BSCT veteran Vanessa Wilson. Wilson, who has been involved in every BSCT production since its inception, is thrilled for her directorial debut.
“I’m very excited about this particular show for our community,” said Wilson, a teacher at LPHS. “It gives a lot of creative freedom when developing the characters and it’s a great one for community members who would love to get their feet wet without the intimidation of being on the stage. So,
if you’ve been thinking about joining a production, this is your time to shine!”
Jeremy Blyth loves the opportunity and challenge of community theater. He first got involved with BSCT in 2021 for the production of “Almost, Maine” after seeing the deleterious impact COVID-19 had on live theater. For Blyth, who is also a director and playwright, community theater has been a favorite. He appreciates the “effort and vulnerability it requires from non-professional actors,” he said. “I had seen a number of previous productions … and I trusted the people of BSCT to respect and uplift all involved.”
Laura Seyfang, who made her acting debut in “A Monologue Show,” agreed.
“BSCT felt like a safe way to engage in theater— the Big Sky audience is always supportive and appreciative,” she said. “The cast felt like family. It was a great experience overall.”
Over the past several years, BSCT productions have covered a variety of themes and genres, from “The Great Gatsby” and “The Importance of Being Earnest” to “Almost, Maine” and “Nothin’ Serious.”
Local interest in community theater involvement has been steadily rising, while sold-out fall productions have garnered overwhelmingly positive feedback and a demand for more opportunities to learn about theater. Audiences want the theater to produce more shows that utilize this art form in ways that broaden its range of storytelling and provide opportunities to entertain and educate viewers.
The performance of “Tony and Tina’s Wedding” will be BSCT’s first foray into “dinner theater,” an interactive evening with the audience participating as wedding guests. With the support of the Big Sky School District Lunch Ladies, the crew is delighted to bring “Tony and Tina’s Wedding,” a production that has been performed in more than 100 cities worldwide since its opening in 1988, to the WMPAC on Nov. 8 and 9.
Auditions will be held Sept. 3 from 6-8 p.m. at WMPAC, and no experience or preparation is required. For those who cannot make auditions, or would like to be kept up to date on future
productions, contact Ashley Dodd at ashleyhegseth@gmail.com
BSCT will be holding a spring production in May 2025, a series of one-act plays exploring the spectrum of story telling with participants encouraged to try out new roles within theater. Blyth is looking forward to directing this spring.
“I enjoy nights made up of one act plays, they are a great way to explore a number of playwrights in conversation with each other on the stage,” Blyth said. “I hope to help start up those conversations and see where they lead.”
Seyfang emphasized the many ways folks can get involved. She would like to act next spring, but plans on helping with set design and build this fall, and hopes to try directing eventually.
When asked what message BSCT should share with its audience, both Seyfang and Blyth replied that it should deepen our introspection and impact our actions as individuals and as a community.
“Theater should always raise questions about vulnerability. The power dynamics involved in situations of vulnerability make excellent theater and hopefully inform the ways we act towards each other,” Blyth said. Echoing this sentiment, Seyfang added that theater has the ability to raise important themes and issues, and create opportunities for constructive dialogue. “It should frequently entertain but also make us think a little deeper about who we are and what we do,” Seyfang said.
Back on the stage, these lofty ideals could prove to be a difficult objective for some 25 volunteers. After 10 weeks of rehearsals, several set build days and countless hours of memorizing, character development and honing in lighting and sound cues, their time and emotions are maxed.
The anticipation excites and motivates some while filling others with nervous energy. Each actor grabs their assigned letter card for the opening number and files in line silently backstage. The electrifying hum of the audience on one side of the curtain merges with thumping heartbeats on the other and, for just a moment, all are connected as one vibrant entity surging with life, open to endless possibility. The curtain opens and the story begins.
“The Monologue Show (From Hell)” cast on stage at the Warren Miller Performing Arts Center. PHOTO COURTESY OF BIG SKY COMMUNITY THEATER
‘ART FOR EVERYONE’ TO SELL LOCAL ARTWORK OVER LABOR DAY WEEKEND
EBS STAFF
BIG SKY—On Aug. 31 and Sept. 1, the Big Sky Artists’ Collective will host a public art sale at the Wilson Hotel for its seventh annual “Art For Everyone” event.
The sale will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Aug. 31, followed by a “Whiskey, Wine and Art” evening from 5 to 8 p.m., featuring whiskey from several Montana distilleries and wine from the Pacific Northwest, according to a press release from the Artists’ Collective. The event is free and open to the public, no registration required.
“This reception will provide an opportunity to meet all the artists in a casual atmosphere, browse a collection of the very best new art, and sample some of the region’s finest liquor and wine,” the release stated.
The art sale will be open from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 1.
The entire event will feature a range of fine art including paintings, photography and mosaics at various price points. The following artists will be featured, according to the release.
Georgia Baker, palette knife painter: “My mission is to inspire the love of nature. Wildlife and wildlands are ever more threatened by habitat loss in our changing world. My greatest hope is giving the wild ones a presence in our hearts and encouraging the guardian in You to help preserve and sustain the lands on which they need to thrive,” Baker stated in the release.
A portion of all sales will be donated to regional conservation efforts.
Carol Barmore, oil painter: “My work connects the viewer into a story, a moment where you are engaged with the intimacy of place, a character or emotion,” Barmore stated.
Patty Bauchman, photographer: “My main goal with wildlife photography is to capture a moment that tells a story of animal behavior and their interactions with the environment or other wildlife,” Bauchman stated.
Michelle Kristula-Green, mosaic artist: “Capturing the vastness, beauty and character of the Yellowstone ecosystem, its wildlife and nature shows what was, what is and what can be,” Kristula-Green stated.
Ryan Drewes, photographer: “Life inspires me to create. My creations inspire others to reflect,” Drewes stated.
Annie McCoy, outdoor painter: “The love of the landscape here in Big Sky is why I paint. Often, I will incorporate a fisherman or wildlife,” McCoy stated.
Jake Mosher, photographer: “Remarkable moments in extraordinary country,” Mosher stated.
Mosher’s images from the Big Sky area have won international awards, according to the release.
Maggie Shane, landscape artist: “New art, new year. I hope to see old friends and new art collectors at our group show and sale. Thankful of the ongoing support of The Wilson and the members of the Big Sky Artist Collective for banding together to make this show an annual reality,” Shane stated.
Shane is the gallery director and president of the Artists’ Collective.
Sara Meredith, oil painter: “Take a plain canvas and create a beautiful piece with texture and color. Not sure of the piece’s direction at the start, always know when it’s finished,” Meredith stated.
Miles Heespelink, ceramics: “My wood-fired ceramics use local Montana materials like rhyolite and granite, making the work truly Montanan and paying homage to a long line of ceramicists who preceded me,” Heespelink stated.
“Bull Moose Duel.” PHOTO BY PATRICIA BAUCHMAN
Award-winning photographer Jake Mosher is one of more than 15 artists on display during the Labor Day Weekend event. Pictured here, "Once Upon a Time on the Yellowstone." PHOTO BY JAKE MOSHER
CAPTURING YELLOWSTONE IN BLACK AND WHITE
BY TAYLOR OWENS
Acclaimed photographer Kevin Noble has carved out a niche in the art world with his strikingly minimalist black-and-white images. His work, known for its simplicity and emotional depth, is a tribute to the wild, untamed landscapes and creatures that reside in the West.
Noble's journey into photography began in high school, where he fell in love with the process of developing film. However, life initially took him in a different direction. He first built a successful tech company, which he eventually sold. It was only after the tragic loss of his son seven years ago in Big Sky that Noble found himself drawn back to his first passion.
"After that, it changed everything for me," Noble said. "I decided not to waste any more time doing things for other people or chasing money. I wanted to pursue fine art photography."
Noble’s work is deeply influenced by the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, a place he describes as "magical."
He spends a sizable amount of his time in Yellowstone National Park, particularly during the winter months when the snow provides a natural canvas for his minimalist compositions.
"I like the negative space the snow provides," Noble said. "I try to eliminate stuff in the piece instead of adding a bunch of things. What's not in my piece is just as important as what›s in it."
This philosophy extends to Noble›s choice to shoot primarily in black and white. He believes that color can be distracting and that stripping away the visual noise allows the true essence of his subjects to shine through. His images feature wildlife, with a particular focus on wolves and bison, animals that embody the spirit of Yellowstone.
Noble’s approach to photography is deliberate and methodical. While he may take hundreds of shots in a single outing, he is incredibly selective about the images he ultimately presents.
"I only take six to eight images a year that I feel are truly worthy," he said.
This attention to detail is evident not only in his photography but also in the presentation of his work. Each piece is meticulously framed in handmade oak frames, designed to appear as if they are floating on the wall, with no visible hardware.
A recent addition to his collection is his Diamond Dust series, inspired by the rare and stunning weather phenomenon that occurs when temperatures drop below 30F. These pieces incorporate crushed glass and actual diamond particles, adding a subtle sparkle that enhances the ethereal quality of his images.
Noble's work is not confined to the Yellowstone region, though it remains his primary source of inspiration. He has traveled globally, always in search of locations that offer the same sense of awe and serenity he finds in the park. However,
he admits that Yellowstone's proximity and everchanging landscapes make it difficult to leave.
Through his art, Noble hopes to share the magic of Yellowstone with others. He envisions his work as timeless, something that will endure long after he is gone.
"I want people to feel the magic of Yellowstone when they look at my pieces," he said. "I hope they last a long time and continue to inspire others."
Noble's gallery and studio in Bozeman is a shared space with his wife, Kimbie Noble, an accomplished artist in her own right. Her vibrant abstract paintings contrast beautifully with Kevin's stark black-and-white photography, creating a dynamic artistic environment.
Noble’s photos are currently on display in several locations in Big Sky and Bozeman, including the new Wildlands building in the Northeast Neighborhood.
Aside from Kevin Noble’s gallery, seen here, you can spot his photographs in the new Wildlands building in Bozeman’s northeast side. PHOTO BY TAYLOR OWENS
Kevin Noble loves shooting Yellowstone in winter time when the snow provides a blank canvas. PHOTO BY TAYLOR OWENS
Studio Noble is located in Downtown Bozeman along Main Street’s north side. PHOTO BY TAYLOR OWENS
BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR
Thursday, Aug. 22 –
Wednesday, Sept. 4
If your next event falls between Sept. 5 – Sept. 25 please submit it to explorebigsky.com/calendar-event-form by Aug. 28
THURSDAY, AUG. 22
Music in the Mountains: Fruition
Len Hill Park, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUG. 23
Wilson Lobby Concert with Alex Robilatta Duo
The Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.
Montana State Fiddle Contest
Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 6 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUG. 24
Montana State Fiddle Contest
Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.
Big Sky Shootout Rerun Party
The Waypoint, 7:30 p.m.
SUNDAY, AUG. 25
St. Joseph Mass
Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
Montana State Fiddle Contest
Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 9 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky Service, 10 a.m.
Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Sunday Service
Soldiers Chapel, 11 a.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service
Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, AUG. 26
Hike Big Sky: Beehive Basin
Upper Beehive Basin Trailhead, 9 a.m.
Open Mic Night Tips Up, 9 p.m.
TUESDAY, AUG. 27
Western Roots Dancing Tips Up, 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, AUG. 28
Community Yoga
Len Hill Park, 12 p.m.
Big Sky Farmers Market Town Center, 5 p.m.
Trivia The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
THURSDAY, AUG. 29
Music in the Mountains: The Lil Smokies Len Hill Park, 6 p.m.
FRIDAY, AUG. 30
Wilson Lobby Concert with Aaron Young The Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.
SATURDAY, AUG. 31
“Art for Everyone” public art sale
The Wilson Hotel, 10 a.m.
LPHS football vs. Lame Deer
Lone Peak High School, 1 p.m.
Live Music: Desperate Electric The Waypoint, 8:30 p.m.
Whiskey, Wine and Art
The Wilson Hotel, 5 p.m.
SUNDAY, SEPT. 1
“Art for Everyone” public art sale
The Wilson Hotel, 7 a.m.
St. Joseph Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.
All Saints in Big Sky Service, 10 a.m.
Big Sky Chapel, 10 a.m.
Sunday Service Soldiers Chapel, 11 a.m.
Big Sky Christian Fellowship Service
Big Sky Chapel, 4:30 p.m.
MONDAY, SEPT. 2
Open Mic Night Tips Up, 9 p.m.
TUESDAY, SEPT. 3
Western Roots Dancing Tips Up, 7:30 p.m.
WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 4
Wellness in Action’s Par the Peaks Big Sky Golf Course, 9 a.m.
Community Yoga
Len Hill Park, 12 p.m.
Big Sky Farmers Market Town Center, 5 p.m.
Trivia The Waypoint, 7 p.m.
FEATURED: LONE PEAK HIGH SCHOOL BEGINS FALL VARSITY SPORTS
Lone Peak High School's fall sports season will begin on Aug. 31, as varsity football hosts Lame Deer at 1 p.m. Both soccer and volleyball will have play their first home games the following weekend on Sept. 7. Stay tuned for local high school sports at bssd72.org
BUSINESS
Moonlight Basin’s director of membership and wellness, Bridget French, recalls early memories of her grandparents locker at the club, and grabbing a snack at what was then a deli called the Timbers. Born and raised in Big Sky, French today is happy to have had the opportunity to return after leaving briefly for college, and to work and live in the area. French spoke with Explore Big Sky about Moonlight’s history, sustainability efforts and partnerships with area nonprofits in this recent Making it in Big Sky column.
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: Let’s start with you—Bridget, when did you come to Big Sky and what brought you here?
Bridget French: I am fortunate enough to have been born and raised in Big Sky. My parents moved to Big Sky in the late 70s and never left. I had the opportunity to grow up in this incredible community and eventually ventured off during high school to pursue my ski racing career in Park City, Utah, which then led me to the University of Denver for college. I ended up in Los Angeles for three years after college, when a great work opportunity at Moonlight presented itself five years ago and I decided to make my way back to Big Sky, and I am very grateful to be back here.
EBS: When did your relationship with Moonlight Basin begin?
BF: I remember when the Moonlight Lodge opened in the early 2000s, my grandparents had a ski locker there and we would dine at the restaurant which used to be called the Timbers. There was a great little deli where the Members Lounge now is, and it’s always been a unique place that I have cherished.
EBS: Tell me a bit about the history you know of Moonlight and how the club has grown over the years?
BF: I know there are various people in the community that know the history of Moonlight better than I do, however, my understanding is the original land was purchased back in 1992 by three gentleman. The goal was to preserve 75% of that land in conservation easements, which is
still true today. The Moonlight Lodge opened in the early 2000s and was originally opened to the public. Following the recession, Moonlight was bought by CrossHarbor Capital Partners and later became a private member community. The club has seen exponential growth over the years with added amenities for the membership and we will continue to see that for years to come.
EBS: What would you say Moonlight’s primary goal is for guests who cherish the area and experience?
BF: Our primary goal for Moonlight is creating memorable experiences for the members and guests so they share all Moonlight has to offer with their family and friends. We strive to create an environment that feels comfortable like the member's living room, while maintaining a high level of customer service, we refer to it as “casual elegance.”
EBS: What is your favorite thing about working for Moonlight Basin?
BF: The people. Not only do we have incredible members who really make coming to work enjoyable, but the team at Moonlight is oneof-a-kind. The tenure of our leadership team is
testament to how great it is to work for Moonlight. I truly appreciate how they have given me the opportunity to grow my role and allow me to take on things that I am passionate about.
EBS: Big Sky is a beautiful place—tell me about any sustainability or environmental efforts at the club:
BF: Moonlight’s mission, vision and values all highlight the importance of sustainability within the community. We have implemented various efforts to enhance our sustainability within the club, encompassing the development side of things with building LEED-certified, focusing on development that blends into the natural environment, and placing entitlements into conservation easements. Operationally, we have implemented recycling and compositing, effluent water on the golf course, a canned food drive each season with Yellowstone Club, Spanish Peaks, and more.
EBS: Tell me about Moonlight’s efforts to give back in the Big Sky community, partnerships with nonprofits, etc:
BF: I can’t say enough good things about the Moonlight Community Foundation and what they have done for the Big Sky community. They are our nonprofit charitable arm of Moonlight and assist with grants for over a dozen nonprofits in the area. We also work very closely with the Big Sky Community Food Bank, Big Sky SNO, Visit Big Sky and more. Our leadership team sits on various boards throughout the community to ensure that we are involved.
EBS: Can you provide a brief overview of the arrival of the One&Only and what it means for Moonlight to be a part of that project?
BF: It’s remarkable that the first One&Only in the U.S. is being built within the Moonlight Basin footprint. It’s a huge benefit for our members to have added amenities on property. The plan is to open the ski lodge this winter season and the rest of the resort will open June 2025. We have been offering weekly tours for our members to see the project and that has really heightened the excitement around the opening.
EBS: Is there any business advice you’ve received that has stuck with you?
BF: Have integrity with everything you do, even if it isn’t in your immediate self-interest.
Bridget French, Moonlight Basin’s director of membership and wellness. PHOTO BY JOHNATHAN FINCH
THE BIG SKY WAY: GROOMING THE TRAIL
NAVIGATING THE PATH THROUGH THE CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN
BY DANIEL BIERSCHWALE
EBS COLUMNIST
Last October, I reported on Big Sky’s Capital Improvement Plan—what it is and why it is important. In ski terms, the CIP was described as a solid base, laying the groundwork for Big Sky’s future. To recap, a CIP is a strategic plan outlining large-scale infrastructure deficiencies and projects necessary for the community’s growth and sustainability.
Through the help of planning consultants from TischlerBise, Big Sky’s CIP was updated for the first time since 2011. The new CIP reflects current community need, incorporates the previously excluded Madison County portion of Big Sky and provides actionable steps forward. However, the base is only the beginning. Now the real work begins as we groom the trail, so to speak, refining our approach and preparing the path ahead.
At the time of the previous article, the plan was still a draft. Since then, the Big Sky CIP has been adopted by the Big Sky Resort Area District board and both county commissions and is now a functioning document for future investment. This article will provide an update on what has happened since the plan’s adoption and what steps are still to come.
The Big Sky CIP identified a staggering $777 million in infrastructure needs over the next 10 years. To address these needs strategically, the plan now moves into the following phases of evaluation for those projects forecasted through fiscal year 2028: vetting, prioritization, finance stack development and project implementation.
The goal of the vetting phase is to determine which of the projects are shovel-ready—those fully
planned, approved, and ready to begin assuming funding becomes available. The vetting process currently underway involves detailed conversations with project sponsors to assess their readiness and capability to move forward.
Do they own the necessary property or have the legal rights been secured? Have engineering plans been drawn up, and if so, are they comprehensive and approved? Is there a long-term operating plan in place for the project once it’s been constructed?
Answers to these questions will help guide the engagement into prioritization. In this phase, projects will be evaluated for their alignment with the community’s long-term vision. There will be a thorough assessment of their potential benefits and contributions to the impact areas identified in the CIP.
Here’s a list of impact areas and their scope.
Arts and education: projects aimed at enhancing cultural and educational opportunities for residents and visitors alike.
Economic development: initiatives designed to boost local businesses, create jobs and stimulate economic growth.
Health and safety: investments in healthcare facilities, emergency services and public safety infrastructure.
Housing: efforts to address the housing needs of the growing community, ensuring affordable and sustainable living options.
Public works: improvements to essential services such as water, sewer and transportation infrastructure.
Recreation and conservation: projects that preserve natural resources and provide recreational opportunities for the community.
Once vetted and prioritized, the project list will highlight those that are both feasible and strategically impactful for the community. The next steps will involve securing funding and then moving forward with implementation.
We will take a deeper dive into exploring the funding options in a future column.
It’s important to note that the CIP is a living document, not a static one. It is actionable and dynamic. It will require regular updates to stay relevant and effective, adapting to changing community needs and circumstances. This ensures that the CIP remains a valuable tool for guiding Big Sky’s growth and investment decisions well into the future.
When 2033 comes around, our community will be well-prepared and thriving. The trail we’re grooming today ensures our strategic investments will shape a tomorrow where infrastructure meets community needs. It’s the Big Sky Way—finding ways to navigate and maintain our shared future.
Daniel Bierschwale is the Executive Director of the Big Sky Resort Area District. As a dedicated public servant, he is committed to increasing civic engagement and voter education. Many ballot issues impact government services and public funding including subsequent property tax impacts. BSRAD is the local government agency that administers Resort Tax, which offsets property taxes while also funding numerous community-wide nonprofit programs.
Big Sky faces a long list of infrastructure needs in the next 10 years. COURTESY OF BSRAD
ENVIRONMENT
COMMUNITY TO CLEAN ENTIRE GALLATIN WATERSHED
BY FISCHER GENAU
The Gallatin Watershed Council and Gallatin River Task Force will host a volunteer trash clean up between Sept. 20 to 22 across the entire Gallatin River Watershed, from its headwaters in Yellowstone National Park to its terminus at the Missouri Headwaters near Three Forks.
This is the sixth fall clean up event hosted by the two organizations. The watershed council will organize the cleanup of the Lower Gallatin on Saturday, Sept. 21 from 2-4 p.m., while GRTF will host a cleanup of the Upper Gallatin Friday through Sunday, Sept. 20 to 22. Last year, the two groups removed 3,300 pounds of trash from the river.
“These cleanups bring the community together, have a tangible impact on our beloved water resources, and bring awareness to water quality issues that we face,” said Tess Parker, the watershed council’s community engagement manager. “It’s a special way to bring in a lot of people and to steward the resources that we all really value living in the Gallatin Watershed in the greater Bozeman and Big Sky area.”
Last year, 330 volunteers came together between both organizations to pick up beer cans, trash bags, tires, car parts, and other refuse from the Gallatin. This is the largest volunteer event for both the watershed council and GRTF each year.
“People just get really excited, and it’s really cool for people to see the type of work we’re doing on the ground,” said Lauren Myli, Big Sky Watershed Corps member. “People feel a part of something bigger than themselves.”
While most of the groups’ volunteer events are capped, Myli said it’s the more the merrier for the fall river cleanup.
“We can use as many people as possible, as many hands as possible, picking up as much trash as possible,” Myli said.
The watershed council’s cleanup will be followed by a volunteer celebration with ice cream sundaes, cold drinks and prizes of gear and clothing. Volunteers for GRTF also have the chance to win prizes—the volunteer or team who picks the strangest item of trash will win a prize—past prize-winning items include an empty wine bottle found in a mailbox, and a fake thousand dollar bill with Jesus’ face on it. All volunteers are automatically entered into a raffle for the chance to win $1,000 worth of goodies through GRTF’s “No Empty Nets” initiative, a
program that encourages recreationists to collect trash while they’re out on the river.
The watershed council, based in Bozeman, and GRTF, based in Big Sky, are both nonprofits that promote stewardship of the Gallatin River Watershed through various programs including water monitoring, restoration projects and community action.
“We are the headwaters of the headwaters, and I think we have responsibility to keep our water resources clean for all of the millions of people down below who will use this water after us,” Parker said.
People can sign up to volunteer in the Big Sky and Gallatin Canyon area with GRTF at gallatinrivertaskforce.org/event/gallatin-river-cleanup-2024/, or in the Bozeman area with GWC at gallatinwatershedcouncil.org/fall-cleanup.
Gallatin River Task Force’s cleanup crew from a past cleanup. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN WATERSHED COUNCIL
Last year, the Gallatin Watershed Council and Gallatin River Task Force’s combined teams removed 3,300 pounds of trash from the river. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN WATERSHED COUNCIL
Volunteers have the chance to win prizes—the volunteer or team who picks the strangest item of trash will win a prize. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN WATERSHED COUNCIL
ARCTIC GRAYLING GETS ANOTHER CHANCE AT PROTECTION UNDER ENDANGERED SPECIES ACT
FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE MUST USE BEST AVAILABLE SCIENCE TO ADDRESS
ARCTIC GRAYLING POPULATION, ACCORDING TO BUTTE U.S. DISTRICT COURT DECISION
BY JEN CLANCEY
BUTTE—On Aug. 6, a federal district court ruled that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service must return to the drawing board and review the best available science to inform its decision on Arctic grayling protection in Montana, and that current Arctic grayling conservation programs don’t ensure protection for the species in the near future.
Arctic grayling used to swim in lakes and rivers in Michigan and Montana. The cold temperatures of local waterways like the Gallatin River and Bozeman Creek used to host a healthy habitat for the fish. Now, Montana is the only state outside of Alaska that hosts a native population of the species. Today, native Arctic grayling solely reside in portions of the Big Hole River, Madison River, Ruby River, the Centennial Valley and mountain lakes and reservoirs in Montana.
At the end of January 2023, the Center for Biological Diversity, Western Watershed Project and Butte resident Pat Munday—represented by Earthjustice—filed a complaint against the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, its director and the secretary of the U.S. Department of the Interior. The lawsuit stated that the service does not analyze the efficacy of its Arctic grayling protection programs and that the service did not use the best available science in a 2020 decision to not list the species as endangered.
A year and a half after the filed complaint, USFWS must return to its 2020 finding, which denied the Arctic grayling protection under the Endangered Species Act. The court also determined the CCAA, a fish protection program on the Big Hole River among private landowners with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, may not exist after its 2026 expiration date. In a year's time the service will need to make a new finding about the Upper Missouri River Basin Arctic grayling population using up-to-date science.
In the new finding, plaintiffs hope the service will choose to grant Arctic grayling protection under the Endangered Species Act.
“The science shows us that these fish need protection,” said Emily Qiu, lead attorney with Earthjustice. Earthjustice is a nationwide nonprofit public interest environmental law organization, with over 15 offices, including one in Bozeman. “The service at times has recognized that, and more recently has not looked at the best available science.”
“That analysis should include everything that has happened in the past 40 years,” Qiu continued. Organizations fighting for the fish note factors like climate change, irrigation withdrawal, habitat loss and warmer water temps as some of the issues that have impacted the population, which is at only 4% of its historic range.
Patrick Kelly, the Montana and Washington director of the Western Watershed Project, is concerned about the
population change. In a way, the Arctic grayling is like a swimming thermometer, and their population is put under immense stress in temps 70F and up.
“The water flows are so low and the water temperatures are so high,” Kelly said. “This is sounding the alarm.”
He noted that when rivers get too warm for Arctic grayling, it means other cold water fish like trout will be put under stress too.
“We have to see if [the service] is going to do the right thing this time,” Kelly said. He explained that the CCAA’s work to protect Arctic grayling is commendable but at the very least, holding the line in maintaining a struggling Arctic grayling population.
For Noah Greenwald, endangered species director at the Center for Biological Diversity, the situation is dire. Just a couple of bad years on the water and Arctic grayling could be extinct from Montana rivers, according to Greenwald. “Scientists from around the world are warning that we are in an extinction crisis,” Greenwald said. “The grayling is a part of that.”
The August court decision brings hope for Arctic grayling and Montana’s natural heritage.
“We hope that USFWS takes a hard look at the science and gives the grayling a fair shake,” Greenwald said.
Arctic grayling live in both rivers and lakes in Montana. PHOTO BY PAT CLAYTON
EVERY DROP COUNTS PROTECTIONS FOR THE GALLATIN RIVER BEGIN AT HOME, END IN CONGRESS
BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST
Ask anyone who calls Big Sky home what summers mean to them, and it’s likely that the Gallatin River will get an honorable mention in some capacity. The way the mist rises off the river in the morning, the feel of that feisty trout on a fly line, a quiet riverside meandering, or the thrill of a whitewater experience shared with friends and family. It’s all part of how we experience, and love, the Gallatin.
And with all cherished assets, the Gallatin is among Montana’s treasured rivers that deserve protection in the highest form. Many of our rivers are facing unprecedented challenges and impacts from pressures like development, high recreational use, warming temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns. Hot summers, like the one we are currently experiencing, remind us how valuable cool, free-flowing rivers are to Montanans, and why passing legislation like the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act is so important. Today, we are closer than ever to protecting the Gallatin, with MHLA pending committee action in Congress, giving us hope for the protections in perpetuity that the Gallatin and other rivers deserve.
The Task Force has been an unwavering proponent of this federal legislation that was crafted by Montanans and for Montanans, and introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, with the end goal of ensuring our rivers—including the Gallatin—remain cold, clean and free-flowing now and for future generations. The MHLA would accomplish this by placing the highest level of federal protection, under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, on the section of the Gallatin from the Yellowstone National Park boundary to the confluence with Spanish Creek.
In total, it would permanently protect 384 river miles along the Boulder, Gallatin, Madison, Smith, Stillwater, and Yellowstone rivers, preserving the remarkable values of some of Montana’s most iconic waterways. The bill would grant federal protection
under a Wild and Scenic designation for hundreds of river miles across 20 rivers and streams, marking the biggest advance for river conservation in Montana in almost 50 years. With so much at stake for these waterways which are essential for healthy fishery habitats, and are part of a delicate ecosystem balance, MHLA seems to be a long-overdue winwin that is imperative to protect the rivers we love.
As Montanans who love our rivers, we are a diverse community of recreationists, conservationists, business owners, developers, agricultural producers, loggers and more. The one thing we all have in common is our interest in fiercely protecting the places where we find solitude, where we make memories with our friends and families, and where we can tell our stories about experiences on the rivers we love. For Big Sky, this includes the Gallatin.
The last piece of this legislative puzzle lies in the hands of Montana’s congressional delegation. Montana and Washington, D.C. can seem worlds apart, but with four out of five Montanans in support of MHLA, it should be an easy ask of our elected officials to support these rivers that are the lifeblood of our communities.
It is time to get the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act across the finish line. Its significance for Montana’s rivers and the communities that surround them is invaluable, and your voice can make a difference. By reaching out to Sen. Steve Daines, we can take our voices to Washington, letting our Montana decision makers know that we support the protections that MHLA will deliver to rivers like the Gallatin.
To encourage Sen. Daines’ support, please reach out: steve@daines.senate.gov or 202-224-2651.
Marne Hayes is the communications manager for the Gallatin River Task Force.
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PHOTO BY DAVE PECUNIES
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DISPATCHES FROM THE WILD: SAVING THE SAGEBRUSH SEA ONE SPECIES AT A TIME
A NEW STUDY LOOKS AT HOW UMBRELLA SPECIES PROTECT OTHER SPECIES IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA
BY BENJAMIN ALVA POLLEY
EBS COLUMNIST
Published in the esteemed Journal of Applied Ecology, a 2024 paper by researcher Elise Zarri and Bureau of Land Management biologist Katie Benzel sheds light on how managing conifer trees to enhance sage grouse habitat inadvertently aids numerous species, such as songbirds, in the sagebrush country of southwest Montana. These findings are crucial for understanding the complex interplay of species in our ecosystems.
Zarri and Benzel found that the more closely nontarget species’ habitat overlaps with target species, such as sage grouse, the more benefits other species reap. Sage grouse and many other species rely on healthy sagebrush habitat.
Habitat managers refer to “umbrella species” as an important concept for habitat overlap.
Ecologists first proposed the concept of umbrella species as a way to manage ecosystems and protect the needs of many species by focusing on protecting the needs of just one species—this species’ needs encapsulate many others, like an overarching umbrella. This strategy simplifies management and monitoring efforts, helping conservationists create a more significant influence with fewer resources. Ecosystems are very complex, so focusing on just a few species can make conservation planning more practical.
This strategy, exemplified by removing conifers to benefit sage grouse, is a powerful tool in conservation. It provides hope for the many other species shaded by that umbrella, like songbirds or larger mammals like mule deer and pronghorn antelope.
Sage grouse are game animals managed by states for hunting. They are used as an umbrella or indicator species because game managers have been studying them for years. Their numbers have declined for years, and researchers are honing the reasons for this. Hunting limits and bans will be placed if their numbers fall too low.
The BLM’s interest in funding this research project was piqued by the potential benefits it could bring to their conservation efforts. This promising study opens up new possibilities for enhancing biodiversity in southwest Montana.
Elise Zarri also worked closely with The Nature Conservancy, a key player in the partnership, to lead the way in this vital research. In 2017 and 2018, the Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership, a collaborative effort that includes BLM lands, state of Montana lands and private ranching lands, identified several areas for the mechanical removal of conifers.
Annually, the BLM’s Dillon Field Office removes conifers from encroaching into grasslands and sagebrush habitats to help save sage grouse and their necessary biome. The goal is to prevent grasslands from turning into forests because once grasslands surpass the threshold, the sagebrush becomes more arduous to re-establish. Getting that habitat back takes lots of planning, funding, human power and time.
The study’s process and findings
Zarri and Benzel’s study aimed explicitly to see how songbirds respond to conifer expansion into grassland habitats and how conifer removal benefits or impacts ground-dwelling songbirds. Their research spanned four summers in the Medicine Lodge area of southwest Montana.
Songbirds are generally abundant and wideranging, so it was easy for the seven researchers
to compare each songbird’s population and reproductive successes in areas where conifer removal had occurred and where it had not.
Brewer’s sparrow and sage thrasher are considered “sensitive species” on BLM’s special status species list, which is used for special management considerations to reduce the likelihood of them ever being placed on the Endangered Species List.
The researchers discovered that in edge habitats where conifers were encroaching into sagebrush or grasslands, there were much lower populations of songbirds and lower success rates of babies surviving because conifers provide perches for predatory raptors.
Sage thrashers are extremely sensitive to conifer presence, and researchers didn’t find a single nest or a territory near trees. Brewer’s sparrows’ abundance and reproductive success increased when and where trees were removed. Vesper sparrows also benefited from conifer management in sagebrush grasslands. Removing the conifers was a win-win situation for these three bird species.
This study was a resounding success, benefiting many species that fit under the umbrella, including big game animals like mule deer, pronghorn antelope, and sage grouse, people working the land, and cattle producers. It shows that promoting and maintaining sagebrush habitat and removing conifers helps further grasslands and those who depend upon them. The positive outcomes of this research give hope for the future of these species and the ecosystems they inhabit.
Benjamin Alva Polley is a place-based storyteller. His stories have been published in Audubon, Esquire, Field & Stream, The Guardian US, Outside, Popular Science, Sierra, and other publications on his website. He holds a master’s in Environmental Science and Natural Resource Journalism from the University of Montana.
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WRITERS ON THE RANGE MONTANA’S POLITICIANS HAVE LOST THEIR TIES TO LAND
BY JOHN CLAYTON
Tim Sheehy, the Republican seeking to unseat Montana
Democratic Sen. Jon Tester, is a business executive born and raised out of state. That same description applies to Troy Downing, a Republican running for one of Montana’s two Congressional seats. Same for Montana’s Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte and his challenger, Democrat Ryan Busse.
I have nothing against out-of-staters moving to Montana or working at a business. I fit both categories myself years ago. But I think this change in politicians’ backgrounds reflects a change in how Montanans view their identity.
Previous Montana politicians who weren’t government lawyers often came from farming and ranching or related businesses. Today’s business backgrounds are less intimate with Montana’s land. Gianforte started a software company. Sheehy founded imaging technology and aerial firefighting businesses. Downing, a real estate developer, has owned everything from self-storage units to vineyards.
Seeking business-friendly policies, Republicans have long favored candidates with business backgrounds. But today’s desire for political outsiders includes Democrats like Busse, a former firearms executive without experience in elected office. And recent high-profile Democratic candidates have included educators, managers, and a musician—in other words, people who have not worked daily with nature and its resources.
Montanans used to mistrust government officials who lacked intimacy with the land. But today, both parties elevate politicians who lack that intimacy, probably because Montanans care more about ideological issues such as immigration, abortion, inflation or gender identity.
Political power used to flow from grazing stock and vast acreages. Now it flows from Wall Street stock and scenic mansions. For example, Sheehy and Downing own homes in the chichi resort of Big Sky; Gianforte comes from the expensive Bozeman area; Busse comes from the scenic and pricey Flathead region.
Sure, those places are Montana. But Montana’s politicians once came from less-glamorous places, including bare-knuckle Butte, the faded mining metropolis; remote Libby, with its logging and mining economy; and dusty Billings, an oil and cow town. In the 2000 and 2004 gubernatorial elections, Democrat Brian Schweitzer owned a Flathead mint farm but bragged that he was raised on an eastern Montana cattle ranch.
In other words, politicians once claimed Montanan identity through shared experience. That often included in-state birth and always included landbased pastimes like hunting. Today it’s less “Are you a hunter?” than “Are you endorsed by the National Rifle Association?”
The shift makes it hard to interpret politicians’ actions. For example, in 2021, Governor Gianforte a killed a mountain lion and trapped and killed a wolf. Because he’s not a rancher-politician, we can’t understand, much less endorse, such acts in the context of a lifelong working relationship with land and livestock.
Similarly, Gianforte, Busse, and Downing have all been cited for various gradations of hunting violations. Should we judge them differently than
we would a native-born hunter? And Sheehy’s company is deeply in debt. For a ranch, that wouldn’t be surprising. But for an aerospace company?
To the rest of the country, choosing leaders based on ideologies may sound familiar. But Montana, aka “Big Sky Country,” used to pride itself on being different. More place-based, more rural, more centered on the individual.
Outsiders may have dismissed such philosophies as insular and backward—but that dismissal was what made them outsiders.
How should we react to this change? We might celebrate that Montana is leaving behind its tired frontier myths. Or we might mourn the shift, because Montana’s extraordinary landscapes—and people’s deep relationships to them—were what once made the state special. As Montana changes from bovines to business and from rural to resort, its politics can feel like yet another big-box store featuring all the latest national trends.
Then there’s Senator Jon Tester, the lone elected Democrat who’s running for re-election. The thirdgeneration farmer from the wide-open plains of Big Sandy represents the land-based tradition that Montanans once cherished. But do Montana voters still want a senator like that?
Regardless of outcomes this November, the act of choosing by ideology rather than deep roots in the land marks a huge change.
John Clayton is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. The author of books including Stories from Montana’s Enduring Frontier, his newsletter is naturalstories.substack.com.
PHOTO BY LEE PETERS VIA UNSPLASH
BY KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST
The thyroid gland is a tiny, butterfly-shaped organ located at the base of your neck. Despite its size, the thyroid has many jobs in the body. The thyroid gland is your metabolism firehouse and every cell in your body depends on thyroid hormone. If your thyroid is not functioning optimally, you may experience weight gain, constipation, dry skin, fatigue, brain fog, depression, and hair loss.
The thyroid’s main role is regulating metabolism through two hormones—thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3). T4 is converted into T3 in the liver, kidneys, gastrointestinal tract, brain and muscles. Therefore the health of your thyroid is also intricately tied to the health of your gastrointestinal tract, gut microbiome, liver, kidneys, adrenal glands and even your immune system. It is the active form of T3 that stimulates cells to produce energy.
Problems with thyroid function arise when something throws off the delicate balance between any of these connections. Eventually thyroid hormone production gets out of whack, conversion of thyroid hormone into its active form falters, or thyroid tissue gets damaged. This is when your thyroid, and overall health, gets compromised.
If the thyroid is not properly nourished this can lead to hormonal imbalance and thyroid dysfunction. Iodine is essential for optimal thyroid hormone production. Food sources include seafood, seaweed and free-range eggs.
Selenium is another important mineral that assists with conversion to T3, reduces inflammation and protects the thyroid. Food sources include Brazil nuts, salmon, free-range eggs and mushrooms.
Vitamin D is a hormone that is also key for regulating balance. Food sources of D include salmon, free-range eggs and mushrooms. Among its many functions, magnesium also helps balance blood sugar, supports serotonin production, and assists the pituitary-thyroid connection. Food sources highest in magnesium are leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, bananas and avocados,
but supplementation is often warranted due to declining amounts in our soils.
A comprehensive thyroid panel is also essential to understanding your personal thyroid function. The conventional ranges for these labs are also misleading; we often need to evaluate not only the optimal range, but also how you as an individual are feeling.
Dysfunction of thyroid hormone performance is quite common and may result from conditions such as thyroiditis and hypothyroidism. Research continues to reveal the complexity of the thyroid’s hormonal interplay with other biological processes. Make sure to discuss any concerns with your health provider to empower your optimal health.
Dr. Kaley Burns is a licensed Naturopathic Physician providing a wide range of services for her clients, including: Naturopathic Medicine, IV Nutrient Therapy, Regenerative Injections, Rejuvenation Therapies, Vitamin Shots, and Nutrition Counseling. She embraces a natural approach to health and aims to similarly inspire and guide others on their health journey.
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TBD TIMBERLOFT DRIVE
Big Sky
40± acre alpine meadow overlooking the Gallatin Canyon, outstanding views of the Spanish Peaks and Lone Mountain. Two adjacent 40± acre properties, designated building sites, end of the road privacy easy all season access. Close to Ophir School and the West Gallatin River.
TBD SKYWOOD ROAD
Big Sky
What’s wrong with this campsite? ACTIVITY: Bears are always sniffing around for food. Can you circle all the things that will attract bears?
Enjoy privacy and outstanding views of Lone Peak from this beautiful Skywood Preserve property. Rolling forested hills combined with a grassy alpine meadow complete with a small natural pond create a beautiful 21± acre parcel, just minutes from Town Center or Meadow Village.
$1,600,000 | #380146
TBD LOW DOG ROAD
Big Sky
Ski accessable w/ biking and hiking access to area trails. Convenient to all the services at Big Sky’s Mountain Village. Great access to the Middle Fork of the Gallatin River by taking an established trail from the building site directly to the stream. Property located on the North side of Low Dog Rd.
COLORING PAGE
Bears are opportunistic feeders, taking advantage of a readily available food source and expending the least amount of energy for the highest caloric intake.
SAFETY TIP
Make sure to place garbage in an airtight plastic bag and put into a bearproof trash can!
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HOT TUB SALE
Don’t miss the Bullfrog Spas Big Factory Sale! This weekend only at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds in Bozeman. Huge selection of spas and swim spas, including factory-certified clearance, scratch n dents, and refurbished, all priced to move at prices as low as 50% off. With our patented JetPaks, Bullfrog Spas are the only hot tubs you can personalize for your unique therapy needs, and Bullfrog Spas’ reliable quality is legendary. This Friday through Monday only at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds. Hurry in while supplies last!
