Explore Big Sky - June 16 to 29, 2022

June 16 - 29, 2022 Volume 13 // Issue #12

HISTORIC FLOODING CLOSES YELLOWSTONE RESORT TAX: INSIDE FY23 ALLOCATIONS FINDING SANCTUARY IN BIG SKY POST OFFICE FULLY FUNDED FEDERAL PROTECTION FOR THE GALLATIN

OPENING SHOT

Snow begins to fall at the Beehive Basin trailhead on June 13.

PHOTO BY LEONORA WILLETT

June 16 - 29, 2022 Volume 13, Issue No. 12

Owned and published in Big Sky, Montana

PUBLISHER Eric Ladd | eric@theoutlawpartners.com

EDITORIAL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF, VP MEDIA Joseph T. O’Connor | joe@theoutlawpartners.com MANAGING EDITOR Bella Butler | bella@theoutlawpartners.com

TABLE OF CONTENTS

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Gabrielle Gasser | gabrielle@theoutlawpartners.com DIGITAL PRODUCER Julia Barton | julia@theoutlawpartners.com EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Leonora Willett | editorial@theoutlawpartners.com

CREATIVE GRAPHIC DESIGNER ME Brown | maryelizabeth@theoutlawpartners.com

SALES AND OPERATIONS CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER Megan Paulson | megan@theoutlawpartners.com CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER Treston Wold | treston@theoutlawpartners.com VP OF SALES EJ Daws | ej@theoutlawpartners.com MEDIA AND EVENTS DIRECTOR Ersin Ozer | ersin@theoutlawpartners.com EVENTS & MARKETING COORDINATOR Tucker Harris | tucker@theoutlawpartners.com MARKETING MANAGER Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGIST Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT LEAD Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS Jamie Bertelson, Brian D’Ambrosio, Jacob W. Frank, Jim Hagenbarth, Doug Kraus, Forest Ledger, Scott Mechura, Gina Riquier, Micah Robin, Larry Ryckman, Brian Scott, Benjamin Spiker, Jennifer Steele, Shannon Steele, Cy Whitling, Todd Wilkinson.

4 6 21 22 25 28 32 42

LETTERS 8 LOCAL REGIONAL BUSINESS 10 ENVIRONMENT A&E 11 OPINION FUN 12 ON THE COVER: The North Entrance Road in Yellowstone National Park from Gardiner to Mammoth was extensively damaged by the historic floods on June 13. Turn to page 8 to read more about how southwestand southcentral Montana was affected and see scenes from around the region.

PHOTO BY DOUG KRAUS/NPS

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HISTORIC FLOODING CLOSES YELLOWSTONE Record-breaking flow rates in the Gallatin, Yellowstone and Gardner rivers damaged infrastructure, destroyed roads and isolated gateway communities around Yellowstone National Park.

Due to the extensive damage, the park will likely not open its North and Northeast entrances this summer.

FINDING SANCTUARY IN BIG SKY A new functional art piece and bench named “The Sanctuary” stands in Town Center as a memorial to late community member Mark Robin. The annual Soul Shine celebration on June 23 will dedicate this bench and celebrate Robin’s life along with Eric Bertelson, who this winter also died from ALS.

POST OFFICE FULLY FUNDED The U.S. Postal Service fully funded the Big Sky Post Office for the first time since the early 2000s. This funding increase is the first step in a larger effort to engage USPS in seeking long-term solutions for the over-capacity post office.

RESORT TAX: INSIDE FY23 ALLOCATIONS At two public meetings on June 6 and 9, the Big Sky Resort Area District Board awarded nearly $8 million in resort tax funding to 63 projects in its fiscal year 2023 allocations cycle.

FEDERAL PROTECTION FOR THE GALLATIN The Montana Headwaters Legacy Act proposed by U.S. Sen. Jon Tester seeks to protect a 39-mile section of the Gallatin River as part of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The act would nearly double the current 388 river miles, or 1 percent of Montana’s rivers, currently designated as wild and scenic.

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.

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

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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.

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ADVERTISING DEADLINE For the June 30, 2022 issue: June 22, 2022 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@outlaw.partners © 2022 Explore Big Sky unauthorized reproduction prohibited

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Also, offered as part of the package is a 1.02 acre ski in/ski out lot at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club which provides either a golf or ski social membership. Enjoy a world class Signature Weiskopf 18 hole golf course, tennis & pickle ball courts, miles of hiking and mountain biking trails that double as groomed Nordic/snow shoe trails in the winter, 2 1/2 miles of a tributary of the Gallatin River and a clubhouse with fine dining, a lively bar, men’s and women’s locker rooms, workout facility, private pool, hot tubs & ski access. Enjoy benefits at the Montage hotel as well.

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

4 June 16 - 29 , 2022

LETTERS

Explore Big Sky

OP-ED

I-191 WOULD DEVASTATE MONTANA’S AG INDUSTRY

BY JIM HAGENBARTH EBS CONTRIBUTOR Agriculture is Montana’s top economic industry, generating approximately $4 billion last year alone, according to Montana Department of Agriculture statistics. Our farmers and ranchers not only feed Montana but provide for people across the country and the globe, all while being stewards of the land.

My great grandfather started a portion of our family ranch around Glen over 150 years ago and I’m blessed to have the opportunity to continue its operation along with my brother and son. Our family has lived off the land for generations, working hand in hand with Mother Nature. Conservation of the land and water is not only our livelihoods, but our responsibility and passion. Best practices and stewardship today help ensure our ability to pass along the business to our kids and grandkids.

Farmers and ranchers work regularly with watershed groups, state and federal government agencies, wildlife and fisheries biologists, and conservation districts to ensure the highest standards of land and water management. Montana’s agricultural industry has been at the table to help create some of the most stringent environmental protections found in the country. And we are proud of that record.

That is why Montana’s ag industry is troubled by a proposed ballot measure that would disregard collaboration and local control, circumvent the existing strict environmental protections, and prohibit farming and ranching families in southwest Montana from operating near vast stretches of water.

The state’s leading agricultural groups, including the Farm Bureau Federation and the Stockgrowers Association, have come out in opposition to proposed ballot measure I-191, which would designate over 100 miles of the Madison and Gallatin rivers, and their tributaries, as Outstanding Resource Waters. An ORW designation has never been used outside of a national park or wilderness area, and state law already spells out a rigorous process for creating an ORW, including public involvement, an Environmental Impact Statement, and review by experts.

I-191 would circumvent that entire process and prevent the issuance of any new discharge permits, or expansion of existing ones, in the affected area if they would result in even a “temporary” change in water quality. There are all kinds of farming and ranching activities that require a permit from the state, including maintenance of headgates, diversions, bridges and other infrastructure.

All of these permits would be restricted if I-191 is enacted.

In practical terms, this initiative would restrict the ability of farmers to irrigate and ranchers to water their livestock and could cause some family agriculture operations to go out of business.

The unintended consequences of I-191 also include devaluing property, prohibiting road and bridge maintenance, shutting down an entire area of Gallatin and Madison counties to affordable housing development, and undermining current river restoration efforts that require permits for temporary water change.

I-191 would prevent all land resource managers from fulfilling their responsibility to nature and society by enhancing the resource through the development of solutions to mitigate past, present and future impacts that degrade the resource.

I-191 would not only be a direct hit to Montana’s top industry, but it could also put family farms and ranches out of business. I urge Montanans to support their farming and ranching neighbors along with responsible management of the resource and oppose I-191.

Jim Hagenbarth is a founding member of the Big Hole Watershed Committee and is active in the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, the Montana Stockgrowers Association, and the Montana Farm Bureau.

BETTER TOGETHER A biweekly District bulletin Thank you Big Sky, for your feedback on Project Applications. Over the course of 2 meetings on June 6th & 9th, the District’s locally elected Board used your feedback to help guide them in making strategic community investments. This year’s awards (not including $5,176,784 of preexisting interlocal commitments) total 63 projects sponsored by 21 organizations. Below is an overview by impact area. Individual project awards and details can be found at ResortTax.org/funding.

TOTAL FY23 AWARDS

$7,998,179

13%

7%

16%

36%

22% 6%

Arts & Education = $1,053,485

Addresses multi-disciplinary, inclusive education, stewarding awareness and understanding of cross-cultural ideas and values.

Economic Development = $512,500

Addresses balancing Big Sky’s tourism-driven economy by sustainability growing prosperity and ensuring a high quality of life for Big Sky workers.

Health & Safety = $1,311,135

Addresses emergency, medical, and social services essential to the welfare of Big Sky, in many cases, resulting in property tax or fee reduction.

Housing = $1,772,200

Addresses long-term (30+ days) rental and ownership opportunities for Big Sky workers.

Public Works = $ 442,060

Addresses core utilities and services used broadly by the community, in many cases, resulting in property tax or fee reduction.

Recreation & Conservation = $2,906,799

Addresses sustainable efforts for current and future generations to live and play in Big Sky through thoughtful mitigation of human impact on the natural environment.

Visit ResortTax.org for more info.

Administered by the Big Sky Resort Area District, Resort Tax is a 4% tax on luxury goods & services.

OUR VISION: “Big Sky is BETTER TOGETHER as a result of wise investments, an engaged community, and the pursuit of excellence.”

Info@ResortTax.org | ResortTax.org | 406.995.3234

6 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

LOCAL

NEWS IN BRIEF BIG SKY FARMERS MARKET TO PROMOTE WILDFIRE SAFETY

GLACIER NATIONAL PARK TO ENFORCE FEDERAL INDOOR MASK MANDATE

EBS STAFF

EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Farmers Market will host a wildfire safety-themed market on June 22 to engage with locals and visitors to spread awareness about wildfires and public safety information.

WEST GLACIER – Glacier National Park announced via Twitter earlier this week that masks will be required in all federal buildings within the park.

The mandate will apply to all visitors, regardless of vaccination status. The park cites rising COVID-19 cases within the surrounding community for the reinstatement of the mandate.

Big Sky Fire Department and Big Sky Rotary Club worked in partnership with the Town Center to plan the special market and offer various activities and informational signage. The market will include many family-friendly activities, such as a firewood scavenger hunt, an ember toss and tours of fire trucks. Visitors will also learn how to build and extinguish a campfire correctly at the Town Center fire pit.

“The fire department is leading [the effort] to bring together a community coordination group around becoming more fire adapted in Big Sky and preparing to be more resilient,” Crystal Beckman the community risk reduction coordinator for BSFD said.

RELIEF FUND TO SUPPORT FLOODIMPACTED COMMUNITIES EBS STAFF

PARK COUNTY – Severe flooding across southwest Montana has devastated homes and communities in various regions of the state. The Southwest Montana Flood Relief Fund has been created to support Park County, Madison County and other areas of Southwest Montana that have been impacted by flood damages.

The funding will support both immediate and long-term needs, offering emergency shelter, potable water and food as well as rebuilding aid.

Greater Gallatin United Way and Park County Community Foundation collaborated to start this fund and have already raised $350,000 toward their relief efforts. “Our community is resilient and generous. There is a strong desire to help our neighbors in need,” said Gavin Clark, executive director of PCCF.

The national park spans parts of Flathead and Glacier counties. While Flathead County reports low community COVID-19 levels, Glacier County reports high community levels, at 109 cases per 100,000 and 269 cases per 100,000, respectively.

The park thanks visitors for their patience and commitment during this time.

MOONLIGHT COMMUNITY FOUNDATION AWARDS SPRING GRANTS EBS STAFF

BIG SKY — Seventeen local nonprofit organizations received a total of $236,700 in funding through Moonlight Community Foundation’s annual spring grant cycle. The foundation reported that this is the largest spring grant cycle it’s had to date.

Each grant was awarded to an organization that supports initiatives for youth, education, conservation or underserved needs in the Big Sky community.

The full list of grant recipients is available on explorebigsky.com.

Donations to the SW Montana Flood Relief Fund can be made by texting Flood22 to 41444 or through greatergallatinunitedway.org.

BIG SKY COMMUNITY RODEO RETURNS FOR FANS OF ALL AGES OUTLAW PARTNERS

BIG SKY – The Big Sky Community Rodeo makes its third appearance at the Big Sky Events Arena in Big Sky Town Center on Friday, July 15 from 6 to 9 p.m.

Designed for rodeo fans of all ages, the Community Rodeo features some of Montana State University’s finest up-and-coming rodeo athletes as they entertain with a variety of rodeo disciplines including bareback riding, steer wrestling, team roping, saddle bronc riding, tie-down roping, breakaway roping, barrel racing and bull riding.

Each rodeo discipline will feature five athletes

competing in one long round and a shootout style short round format.

Mutton bustin’ and an additional special feature of 406 Rodeo miniature bucking stock ridden by junior roughstock kids will highlight the evening.

Professional PBR and Western sports announcer Matt West will be announcing the event. Ticket holders can enjoy food and drink options at the venue including food trucks and bar service.

Art Auction and continues with a series of familyfriendly events including the Community Street Dance, Community Day and Mutton Bustin’, the Dick Allgood Community Bingo Night and PBR Golf Tournament.

Limited tickets will be on sale soon.

The week will lead up to three nights of Big Sky PBR as the Challenger Series brings the best athletes and bulls in competition for the toughest sport on dirt, followed by live music each night.

Read about the full lineup of events and buy tickets at outlaw.partners/bigskysbiggestweek/.

Outlaw Partners produces Big Sky’s Biggest Week, which kicks off July 13 with the Big Sky

Outlaw Partners produces the Big Sky Community Rodeo. Outlaw Partners publishes Explore Big Sky.

7th Annual Big Sky Art Auction

Collectors Collecting July 13th-16th, 2022

Join us in the Grand Tent at the Town Center Plaza by Wilson Hotel in Big Sky, Montana. The 7th Annual Big Sky Art Auction will feature carefully curated paintings, photography, bronzes, furniture, and jewelry crafted by skilled artists.

This year’s theme is Collectors Collecting.

There will be three panel discussions that will highlight the theme.

A portion of sales will go to this year’s beneficiaries: Warriors and Quiet Waters, Big Sky Bravery, Bozeman Art Museum, Gallatin River Task Force, Greater Yellowstone Coalition, Big Sky Arts Council and Big Sky Community Organization.

Trish Stevenson, Hot Pursuit, 12” x 15”

Averi Iris, The Story Inside, 24” x 20” x 2”

Gary Bryd, Wondering What’s Beyond, 22” x 28”

Terry Nybo, Winter Silence, 18” X 24”

Cliff Rossberg, Standing His Ground, 24” x 20”

Ott Jones, Precarious Pinnacle, 8.5” x 6” x 3.5”

Auction Schedule July 1st at 5:30pm Preview at Bozeman Art Museum and Virtual Bidding Begins July 8th at 5:30pm Art Walk in Big Sky

PRE-REGISTER WITH AUCTRIA

July 13th at 4p.m. Grand Tent is Open July 16th at 6p.m. Live Bidding takes place July 16th at 8:30p.m. Virtual and Live Bidding ends

Information and schedule also available at bigskyartauction.com

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HISTORIC FLOODING TEARS THROUGH MONTANA LANDSCAPES, COMMUNITIES

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK CLOSES AFTER FLOODING DESTROYS ROADS

BY BELLA BUTLER GALLERY CURATED BY EBS STAFF

SOUTHWEST MONTANA – It’s mid-June and Yellowstone National Park is empty.

This time of year, the park is buzzing with as many as 10,000 visitors a day, but tourists were evacuated from the park June 13 as rivers swelled and flooding tore through Yellowstone’s Northern Range, decimating sections of roads, bridges and other vital infrastructure. For one of the only times since the nation’s first park was declared “for the enjoyment of the people” upon inception 150 years ago, the wild landscape is unpeopled.

GALLATIN RIVER

Crowds began forming on the side of U.S. Highway 191 in the Gallatin Canyon on the morning of June 13 as swift, brown water in the Gallatin River spilled over the top of the famous river landmark known as House Rock in a technical stretch known as the Mad Mile. Only in significantly high-water years does the river topple over the massive rock, and travelers piled along the busy corridor to watch.

A shuttered Yellowstone is one of the many fallouts from the floods after heavy weekend rainfall sent snowmelt into the Gallatin, Yellowstone and Gardner rivers, among others. Record-breaking flow rates instigated road closures, power outages, human displacement, community isolation and a statewide disaster declaration.

As a result of the extensive damage in Yellowstone, the park will likely not open its North Entrance in Gardiner and its Northeast Entrance in Cooke City for the remainder of the season, dealing a major economic blow to these gateway communities.

Throughout the day, water eventually submerged House Rock as flows climbed to a peak of 8,980 cubic feet per second. Though it didn’t supersede the river’s record of 9,160 cfs, logged by the U.S. Geological Survey on June 2, 1997, it washed away last year’s peak of 5,230 cfs on June 5, 2021.

on the road. The congested traffic on the common commuter route was exacerbated as cars retreated north from West Yellowstone, where the park’s West Entrance had closed that morning.

By midday, the Montana Department of Transportation had launched emergency erosion mitigation work in the Canyon, closing one lane

Traffic moves slowly by House Rock which is covered by the high water. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

House Rock was fully submerged on June 13. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

Water rages over Ousel Falls on June 14. PHOTO BY JENNIFER STEELE

The high water in the Gallatin River damaged the 100-plus-year old Williams Bridge. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

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YELLOWSTONE AND GARDNER RIVERS Flooding on the Yellowstone River from Livingston to Gardiner and on the Gardner River in Yellowstone National Park has been chronicled in news outlets and on social media channels throughout the country.

Footage showed the Yellowstone River taking out the Carbella Bridge near Tom Miner Basin and sweeping an entire home off the bank, carrying it downriver for 5 miles. As the Yellowstone rose to 55,400 cfs on June 13 per the Livingston gauge, up from the previous record of 40,600 in 2011 and even more from 18,500 last year, MDT closed U.S. Highway 89 through the Paradise Valley to Gardiner. Cut off from the national park and northern egress, the communities of Gardiner and Cooke City were effectively isolated.

Several thousand visitors were stranded in Gardiner after being evacuated from the park. The floods impacted some power and water sources in the community, and a Facebook page was quickly organized where people were offering up a full range of relief, from donated ground beef to benefit concerts.

On June 14, U.S. 89 opened to slow-moving traffic, allowing for some egress.

“Supplies at the grocery store [in Gardiner] were dwindling,” said Park County Commissioner Bill Berg at a June 14 press conference. “Hotels certainly were willing and able to serve visitors another day, but restaurant provisions were almost entirely gone so it was critical that we were finally were able to get people out of Gardiner.”

While flows are dropping as of EBS press time on June 15, the floods have left an uncertain future

Employee housing drifts down the Yellowstone River on June 13.

PHOTO BY GINA RIQUIER/NPS

Explore Big Sky for the park in its wake. The North and Northeast entrances are closed indefinitely until an entire road and other damaged infrastructure can be rebuilt as the National Park Service works to reopen the southern section of the park as soon as possible.

Though reprieve may be near for the three other park gateway communities of West Yellowstone along with Cody and Jackson in Wyoming, Gardiner and Cooke City have likely lost their most lucrative seasons.

“To make a living in Gardiner, which I expect is true in all the gateway communities, you have to budget pretty hard,” Berg said. “You have to make hay while the sun shines and you have to hang on to your cash over the winter so that you can afford to open the doors in the spring … It’s going to be pretty tough for Gardiner businesses to recover from. And that’s not even to mention the impact of the infrastructure.”

Water blows out the bridge at Rescue Creek in Yellowstone on June 13.

PHOTO COURTESY OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

The Northeast Entrance road is washed out by the Yellowstone River on June 13. PHOTO BY JACOB W. FRANK/NPS

WANT TO HELP?

Flooding washes out the Pebble Creek Campground. PHOTO

BY JACOB W. FRANK/NPS

A truck sits in high water in Livingston, MT. PHOTO BY MICAH ROBIN

Donations are being taken by the Southwest Montana Flood Relief Fund and the Carbon County Disaster Relief Fund to help impacted Montana communities. https://tinyurl.com/carbondf https://tinyurl.com/swmtfrf

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‘THE SANCTUARY’ MEMORIALIZES LATE COMMUNITY MEMBER SOUL SHINE EVENT TO CELEBRATE MARK ROBIN, ERIC BERTELSON

BY BELLA BUTLER BIG SKY – One day in May, passersby in Fire Pit Park noted a large structure that wasn’t there the day before.

Word spread about the mysterious conglomerate of metal and wood, and people began asking about the “ship” in Town Center.

The structure, a functional art piece that’s part bench and part spectacle, is a memorial to late Big Sky community member Mark Robin. It’s in fact not a ship nor any vessel of movement, but rather the opposite, Mark’s family suggests. It’s a place to spend a moment suspended in time, in peace, in memory; a Sanctuary.

Mark, a prolific Big Sky figure, father, husband and cofounder of the Hungry Moose Market & Deli, died in 2017 after living with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s disease, for 13 months. The summer before Mark’s passing, he and his family organized what became the first annual Soul Shine event, at the time an expression of gratitude to the community and eventually a celebration of Mark’s life and legacy in Big Sky. Typically held on the first Music in the Mountains concert of the summer in Town Center, Soul Shine is a vibrant evening of connection fostered by music, storytelling and fundraising. On June 23, Soul Shine 2022 will launch with the dedication of Mark’s memorial bench, called The Sanctuary, and will also celebrate the life of another Big Sky community member, Eric Bertelson, who died from ALS this winter.

After morning meetings on June 13 with the Arts Council of Big Sky to prepare for this year’s Soul Shine, Mark’s wife, Jackie, was joined by her three sons, Andrew, Micah and Howie, and family friend Eliza Granger, at The Sanctuary where artist Ken VanDeWalle was putting the final touches on his creation: a plaque with words both about Mark and written by Mark to give the bench context.

Adorned with the letter Mark wrote to his community when he was diagnosed with ALS, the final words on the plaque read: “Life is a blessing. Every day is a blessing. I am surrounded by so much love and beauty every day.”

L-R: Andrew, Jackie, Buddy, Micah and Howie Robin seated on The Sanctuary, a functional art piece created in memorial of father and husband Mark Robin, who passed away from ALS in 2017. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

Micah suggested that maybe The Sanctuary is not only a place to honor Mark, but also the Big Sky that Mark lived in.

“It’s kind of like a little homage to that period of time and trying to hold that dear,” Micah said.

The Robins all nodded in agreement as Micah described the bench as a place for people to slow down. Indeed, it’s part of the original inspiration for the bench.

“One of the things about Mark is he actually used to say, ‘I have no sanctuary.’” Jackie said. “The guy ran around doing a million things all the time … It was hard for him to kind of get his sanctuary.”

Where he could take refuge, Jackie added, was on the trail and the river and in writing. In the last year since first meeting with Jackie, VanDeWalle’s task was encapsulating pieces of Mark’s sanctuaries as well as other aspects of his life into an art form.

Resonant traits of Mark’s that the artist took away from conversations with the Robins were Mark’s uplifting spirit, his identity as a family man and community member, and his love for the outdoors. “[I] wanted to communicate that into a threedimensional object, the form and the curve, shape …

But then taking that abstract, to really create a space, a protective space in a sense,” VanDeWalle said.

The broad, sloped seats of the bench embrace the natural curve of your back and angle you toward the mountains and the Hungry Moose, places Mark loved.

As VanDeWalle suggested, it’s both a restful, supportive seat and an uplifting space.

“It’s a great place for people to relax,” Howie said.

The shelter above the bench climbs upward from one end of the bench to the other, resembling the curve of a fly line snapping in the air.

Andrew and Howie both agreed: what they first noticed about the piece was its size.

Eric Bertelson (left) and his wife, Janie pose together. Eric passed away from ALS in 2022. PHOTO COURTESY OF JANIE BERTELSON

“Mark was a little larger than life in Big Sky,” Jackie said.

“And when it came time to creating something in his memory we wanted to represent that.”

The Sanctuary is not only a reminder of who Mark was, but also of the adversity that he faced with ALS, an

experience that has now touched another family in Big Sky. Eric Bertelson battled ALS for nearly two years before his passing in February, and his wife Janie and three sons will join the Robins this year at Soul Shine to celebrate Eric’s life.

“I just want people to remember him as that happy, dedicated family man who loved life and was an active physical, athletic human being,” Janie said.

Eric had the chance to attend Soul Shine before he was even diagnosed, and Janie said the event represents everything he loved: An opportunity to enjoy community and support something important. Soul Shine is also an opportunity to raise funds for Team Gleason, an organization focused on supporting those diagnosed with ALS as well as their families.

Like the disease itself, Team Gleason’s work is unique to each case. Janie and Jackie both said the nonprofit was critical in first making them feel supported and then navigating everything from insurance to assistive technology.

“When you’re diagnosed, the cure and the treatments are … [are] not coming fast enough for most people who are diagnosed today, and certainly not six years ago,” Jackie said.

While some organizations focus on a finding a cure for ALS—of which there is currently none—she said Team Gleason focuses on living fully with the disease.

“They allow people to live with ALS as opposed to just sitting back and letting the disease take over,” Janie said.

Those looking to donate to Team Gleason will have the opportunity to do so at Soul Shine, and donation links are also available on the Soul Shine website.

Soul Shine 2022 will kick off with dedication of The Sanctuary in Fire Pit Park at 4 p.m. on June 23 and will be followed by a concert featuring bands Cole & The Thornes and headliner Satsang at 7:15 p.m. The Hungry Moose, now owned by Kristin Kern, will be providing food and hospitality in Len Hill Park throughout the music.

Visit bigskysoulshine.org to learn more about Soul Shine and its effort to raise funds for Team Gleason.

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USPS FULLY FUNDS BIG SKY POST OFFICE LOCAL, STATE AND FEDERAL STAKEHOLDERS LOOK TO FACILITY EXPANSION

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – For the first time since the early 2000s, the Big Sky Post Office doesn’t have to ask for local public tax dollars to support operations.

The U.S. Postal Service notified Big Sky’s contract post office in March of the fulfillment of its $547,000 funding request, which is effective March 1, 2022. This funding increase is the first step in a larger effort to engage USPS in seeking long-term solutions for the over-capacity post office.

In the past, the post office has relied on Big Sky Resort Area District funds to operate the facility.

According to Al Malinowski, president of Gallatin Partners, Inc., which operates the post office, the fiscal year 2023 ask for resort tax dollars would have been for more than $200,000. In addition, because of this funding, the post office was able to return about $46,000 of its fiscal year 2022 funds to BSRAD for re-allocation.

The increase in funding from USPS frees up local public dollars for other uses and represents the first step in a much longer process to address larger issues plaguing the post office like lack of space and outdated equipment.

“That’s a huge win for the community that we should all pause and celebrate,” said BSRAD Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale. “And after the celebration [we can] turn towards continuing to ensure that the future of the post office, amidst the growth that the community is experiencing, addresses the needs of Big Sky residents.”

The next step in the process, according to Malinowski, would be a site visit from a USPS representative so the federal agency can see the challenges firsthand to make a plan and pursue effective solutions.

“You can’t know what’s going on out in the Big Sky community from a desk elsewhere,” Malinowski said. “You really need to come here and drive around for a few minutes. And then it doesn’t take long to recognize what’s happening here.”

What’s happening is Big Sky’s tremendous growth that is outpacing the post office’s ability to serve the

Three post office employees sort through incoming packages. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

community. The current post office has 1,661 post office boxes, and census data from 2020 reports that the population of the Census Designated Place of Big Sky is more than 3,500 people.

The three-term senator emphasized the importance of the postal service being in rural America, pointing out that many residents rely on it for access to vital medications among other necessities.

Already, representatives from the offices of U.S. Sens. Jon Tester and Steve Daines, U.S. Rep. Matt Rosendale, Montana Sen. Pat Flowers, Montana House District 64 Rep. Dr. Jane Gillette as well as Gallatin and Madison county commissioners have visited the post office to see the issues it faces.

“Big Sky is one example of many rural towns or rural communities in some cases around the state that needed some help,” Tester said. “We spend quite a bit of time on this issue.”

“I think if we’re able to get [USPS] out there, and once again, to get them talking to the contractor and the different community leaders that’ll be a big step forward as far as getting a bigger facility,” Tester told EBS in a June 8 interview.

Those involved in advocating for the Big Sky Post Office expressed hope that a site visit would take place soon. In the meantime, the post office continues to do its best to serve the community with limited resources in a cramped space, Malinowski said.

“We really are packed to the seams because of the visitation,” he said. “We believe we’ve outgrown our facility. So we want federal help to … tell us what the next best step would be.”

Malinowski said there is a waiting list to get a coveted P.O. Box and many people use general delivery to receive their mail which is inefficient and inconvenient. He added that the post office has no storage space and often piles packages waist high impeding walkways during high-volume mail times.

Despite these challenges, post office employees are working to get Big Sky residents their mail.

“I want everyone to know that our community is first,” said post office Manager Christine Alexander.

“So, despite our challenges, it is about the community and we want everyone to feel like we care about them because we truly do.”

New carts of packages are received and stored in this narrow hallway space. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

Malinowski praised the post office staff for doing an outstanding job with limited resources, adding that he hopes to see some changes come soon that will benefit the entire community.

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12 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

RESORT TAX BOARD AWARDS $8M TO BIG SKY APPLICANTS projects in the housing impact area which received the second largest chunk of funds. Vice Chair Ciara Wolfe and board member Kevin Germain expressed hope that eventually 25 percent of the board’s total budget will fund housing projects.

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – The Big Sky Resort Area District board awarded nearly $8 million in resort tax funding to 63 projects in its fiscal year 2023 allocations cycle.

In addition to the awards, the district made at the meetings, it also has $5.1 million in preexisting interlocal commitments including the 1 percent for infrastructure commitment and the TIGER Grant commitment, among others.

With a heavy focus on funding community-identified priorities, the resort tax board held two public meetings on June 6 and 9 to review project applications totaling $8.7 million and make decisions about where and how Big Sky’s public tax dollars will go to work in the community.

Resort tax, established in 1992, is a 3 percent tax on all luxury goods and services sold within the Big Sky Resort Area District boundary. Each year in June the district board awards the collections to community projects and organizations for the fiscal year beginning in July.

The general electorate voted in May of 2020 to add an additional 1 percent to the tax to fund infrastructure projects.

Vice chair Ciara Wolfe speaks during the June 6 meeting. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

Recycling and Composting, was withdrawn by the organization after two other groups agreed to absorb the project.

Just two out of the 66 total projects requesting fiscal year 2023 funding were given zero dollars: a $90,000 request from Visit Big Sky for Community Event Sponsorship and a $56,000 request from Big Sky Discovery Academy for Teacher Housing Stipends.

This year the board categorized projects into six impact areas: Arts and Education; Economic Development; Health and Safety; Housing; Public Works; and Recreation and Conservation.

One other project, a $5,400 request from Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization for Town Center

Recreation and conservation received the largest portion of allocations with 29 different projects garnering $2.9 million. The board allocated $1.7 million across five

The board identified a handful of other funding priorities including childcare, transportation, workforce development, destination management and mental health resources.

“Workforce and small business development was definitely a priority for our community [and] for the chamber of commerce,” Wolfe said during the June 6 meeting.

This year was the first year the board used its new scoring system, which defines a score under 70 as “not recommended for funding.” Twenty-five projects received failing scores that were passed with the addition of a contract contingency requiring a score consultation with the resort tax board chair.

“Moving forward, I hope that everybody really does everything they can do to get the highest score they

Recreation & Conservation

TOTAL FY 23 AWARDS

$7,998,179

Public Works

13%

7% 16%

Economic Development

Arts & Education

63 PROJECTS

36%

Housing

21 ORGANIZATIONS

22% 6%

Health & Safety

Arts Council of Big Sky: $225,000 1 project

Big Sky Owners Association: $262,000 1 project

Gallatin River Task Force: $573,722 8 projects

Big Sky Chamber of Commerce: $279,000 5 projects

Big Sky School District #72: $55,000 1 project

Gallatin Valley Snowmobile Association: $27,000 1 project

Big Sky Community Food Bank: $51,570 1 project

Big Sky SNO: $139,000 4 projects

Morningstar Learning Center: $450,000 3 projects

Big Sky Community Housing Trust $1,675,000 4 projects

Big Sky Skating and Hockey Association: $38,000 1 project

The Montana Land Reliance: $20,000 1 project

Big Sky Community Organization: $1,789,852 8 projects

Friends of the Big Sky Community Library: $143,845 4 projects

Visit Big Sky: $622,100 5 projects

Big Sky Discovery Academy: $44,000 2 projects

Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office: $83,000 2 projects

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center: $225,000 1 project

Big Sky Fire Department: $876,565 3 projects

Gallatin Invasive Species Alliance: $118,525 5 projects

Wellness In Action: $300,000 2 projects

13 June 16 - 29 , 2022

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Explore Big Sky make sure all the organizations’ restoration efforts are aligned to the same big-picture goal.

The board also voted on June 9 to reduce funding for the $80,000 Sustainable Tourism Materials request from VBS, opting to fund the ask at $40,000 after an extended discussion. The board received five public comments in support of funding the full amount at the meeting, including from VBS CEO Brad Niva.

“This is one of the first phase[s] of our destination management,” Niva said. “We cannot manage visitors if we don’t communicate with visitors.”

Germain expressed his support for funding the project in full.

“I think [the] chamber and VBS have really responded to where we’re at in our cycle: We don’t need to promote tourism; We need to manage the tourists that are coming here, and that’s exactly what this accomplishes,” he said.

Wolfe proposed the motion to fund the VBS request at $40,000 which was ultimately passed by the board.

About 80 attendees gathered in-person and on Zoom for the June 6 Big Sky Resort Area District board application review meeting.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

possibly can for next year,” said Board Chair Sarah Blechta in a June 10 interview with EBS. One way that an organization can improve its score is through collaboration and submission of joint applications in the new system. Throughout the allocations process this year, the board emphasized the need for collaboration and even added the requirement of a collaboration letter to three projects prior to releasing funds.

“We want Big Sky to thrive,” Blechta said, “and the way that Big Sky thrives is for us all to work together.”

One of the projects the board earmarked for collaboration was the Little Coyote Pond and Westfork River Restoration project submitted by the Big Sky Owners Association. The board voted to fund this project for $262,000, half of the requested amount.

Three board members said they support the restoration work, but not the recreational amenities included in the project.

The board asked that BSOA work with Big Sky Community Organization, Gallatin River Task Force and the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District to

“I felt that it was a compromise that would meet both the pros of that sustainability marketing campaign but also meet the recognition that it may not be the highest priority,” Wolfe said in a June 10 interview with EBS. She added that funding the request at 50 percent would allow the organization to do the campaign and to be smart with how they use those dollars.

“The board continues to focus on objective decision making in the context of areas of impact and community need,” said BSRAD Executive Director Daniel Bierschwale. “The investments and commitments that were made in FY 23 were a result of a continually refined process that we will continue to work with the community and applicants to ensure that the needs of Big Sky are being met.”

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lkrealestate.com | 406.995.2404 All information given is considered reliable, but because it has been supplied by third parties, we cannot represent that it is accurate or complete, and should not be relied upon as such.These offerings are subject to errors, omissions, and changes including price or withdrawal without notice. All rights reserved. Equal Housing Opportunity. If you currently have a listing agreement or buyer broker agreement with another agent, this is not a solicitation to change. ©2016 LK REAL ESTATE, llc. lkrealestate.com

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2022 PRIMARY ELECTION RESULTS EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – The June 7 primary election placed prevailing candidates from the Democratic and Republican parties on trajectories for the general election in November in races ranging from local county commissioners to federal congressional seats.

Below is a list of official results from contested races that appeared before Madison and Gallatin county voters in the 2022 Montana Primary Election.

FEDERAL

U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 1 (DEMOCRAT)

Jim Rice – 76 percent

Brian Conklin – 37 percent

Bill D’Alton – 24 percent

Bill Todd – 31 percent

MONTANA SUPREME COURT (SEAT 2)

Kristy Wright Ranson – 28 percent MADISON COUNTY JUSTICE OF THE PEACE (NON-PARTISAN)

Monica Tranel – 65 percent Cora Neumann – 27 percent Tom Winter – 8 percent U.S. HOUSE DISTRICT 1 (REPUBLICAN)

Ingrid Gustafson – 57 percent James Brown – 34 percent Mike McMahon – 9 percent MONTANA HOUSE DISTRICT 64 (DEMOCRAT)

Jordan Allhands – 53 percent Marc Glines – 34 percent Wes Collette – 13 percent

GALLATIN COUNTY

GALLATIN COUNTY ATTORNEY (DEMOCRAT)

Ryan Zinke – 42 percent Al Olszewski – 40 percent Mary Todd – 10 percent Matt Jette – 6 percent

Alanah Griffith – 74 percent

Mitch Heuer – 2 percent

Michelle Vered – 26 percent

STATE

MADISON COUNTY

MONTANA SUPREME COURT (SEAT 1, NON-PARTISAN)

MADISON COUNTY COMMISSIONER DISTRICT 3 (NON-PARTISAN; TOP 2 ADVANCE)

Audrey Cromwell – 76 percent Bjorn Boyer – 23 percent

BALLOT ISSUES (ALL GALLATIN COUNTY BALLOTS) ​​Recreational marijuana local option 3 percent sales tax -Passed with 56 percent Medical marijuana local option 3 percent sales tax – Passed with 77 percent

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REGIONAL

‘WHAT THE GROWTH!?’: BOZEMAN’S AMENITY TRAP

BY JULIA BARTON BOZEMAN, MT – Community members and leaders filled the Bozeman Event Space on Wednesday, June 8 to discuss the city’s amenities and the subsequent challenges they pose. The conversation focused on five areas of focus: outdoor recreation, conservation, infrastructure, housing and tax policy, looking at examples of how other amenity-rich communities have combatted each issue.

The event, dubbed the Amenity Trap, was hosted by the Gallatin Valley Land Trust and Headwaters Economics, who define an amenity trap as loving a place to death. In other words, as amenities such as a beautiful landscape and outdoor recreation draw people to an area, increased traffic risks ruining or depleting such resources.

Speakers Megan Lawson and Samantha Estabrook with Headwaters Economics outlined some of the problems Bozeman is facing within the five focus areas. “We’ve been working for several years on trying to understand the economic opportunity from amenities and outdoor recreation,” Lawson said in an interview with EBS after the event, explaining that there are tradeoffs with any economic development strategy. “We started researching a bunch of different topics, and there’s a lot of really important lessons Bozeman can learn from other communities.”

Recreation economies often bring growing populations, and there are plenty of communities nationwide facing challenges because of this growth. The presenters used another Montana town as an example for how recreation can impact a community: Whitefish. The town of just over 8,000 sought to provide community members with an expansive bike trail system that ultimately became so great, out-of-towners started visiting to use the trails, increasing pressure on trail maintenance and raising upkeep costs.

Locals set out to solve this problem by determining the value their trail system brought to the town in terms of tourism dollars, and after presenting their findings to the town, were able to secure enough funding through the local resort tax board to adequately maintain their trail amenity.

Similarly, Estabrook explained how locals in Winter Park, Colorado are solving the issue of affordable housing with an incentive program that encourages people renting their properties out short-term to transition to long-term rentals to house the local workforce, similar to work the Big Sky Housing Trust has done locally.

“The Winter Park example is interesting because it shows the ability to be flexible,” Lawson told EBS after the event. Through a partnership with the local government, 40 local workers were housed through the initiative to work during the ski season.

Bozeman City Commissioner Christopher Coburn took the stage following Lawson and Estabrook to outline how these ideas can be put into action locally.

“I understand the pain and pressure of the housing crunch,” he said, explaining that he had been alerted of a rent increase for his apartment earlier in the day.

Coburn’s underlying message encouraged creative solutions, whether they come from other communities or are native to Bozeman. He pointed the audience toward Engage Bozeman, a website run by the city that allows locals to follow and provide comment on initiatives.

The final speaker of the evening, Lila Fleishman, community development project manager for the Human Resources Development Council, echoed the importance of workforce housing in amenity-rich areas.

“We need housing to have a healthy community,” Fleishman said to the audience, many of whom nodded in agreement. She went on to outline ways that HRDC is providing accessible and stable housing in southwest Montana, including access to emergency shelter and helping locals retain housing.

After the event, attendees were invited to stay and continue the conversation. “One of the most important pieces of the success in each community example we provided is that element of locals coming together, being creative and looking for solutions,” Lawson said.

Based on the amount of people that stayed after the presentation, it seems that some Bozeman locals are ready to do just that.

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22 June 16 - 29 , 2022

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BUSINESS MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: LONE PINE BUILDERS

BY MIRA BRODY BIG SKY – When Brian Scott started Lone Pine Builders, he was 25 years old, two years out of college and ready to make his mark in Big Sky. Now, 18 years later, the general contracting company with a strong team of 10 has grown to where Scott can use it to give back to the community who has supported him over the years.

He says he’s learned to be picky about the projects Lone Pine Builders takes on, channeling his effort toward what he feels passionate about.

Learn more about Scott, his business and he and his wife’s longstanding participation on the Huckers Softball team in this issue’s Making it in Big Sky. This series is part of a paid partnership with the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce. The following answers have been edited for brevity.

Explore Big Sky: I’d like to start with a little background information on you, when did you come to Big Sky? Brian Scott: I’ve been coming here with my family since I was 10 years old and I moved here full time, after college, in the summer of 2002.

EBS: Tell me about the history of Lone Pine Builders, when did you open or acquire it?

B.S.: My aunt and uncle have lived here since the early ‘90s and my cousins grew up here. So thankfully, because of my family, I had some connections and I was able to start in the trades as soon as I moved here, whether it was drywall, snow removal or carpentry. My father is an architect back in Boston, and I began working with him at his firm when I was 15. Through that experience, while architecture didn’t end up being my passion, I discovered that construction was. I started Lone Pine Builders in September of 2004 and haven’t looked back.

EBS: Tell me about the different services offered at Lone Pine Builders?

B.S.: We are a general contracting company that specializes in custom residential homes and condominiums.

“

We love living and working here and we're grateful that Lone Pine Builders has given us the ability to give back.

”

– Brian Scott, Lone Pine Builders, owner & founder

EBS: How has the business grown over the years?

B.S.: I would say my mindset has grown more than anything and the business has afforded me that luxury. When I started Lone Pine Builders, I was 25 years old. I was a bachelor and I was ready to work as much as I could; I wouldn’t say no. Over the years, I got married and started a family— number five is on the way! My priorities have shifted to where my business has become a vehicle to support and engage in our community and most importantly has given me the opportunity to raise my family here; I’ve learned how to say no and to choose the projects that I want to be a part of and have the most passion for.

EBS: What is your favorite memory and/or favorite part of running the business?

B.S.: The people. Like any small business, there are growing pains. We’ve certainly experienced those, however, the team we have in place at LPB

are like family to me. So getting to a place where I have surrounded myself with people that I love and respect and getting to work with them every day, doing what I love the most, is something that I treasure.

EBS: What is your favorite activity to do around here when you’re not at work?

B.S.: My wife and I love to golf and have been on the Huckers Softball team since we moved here.

I LOVE to ski and that is why I initially started visiting here so young. Now that I have children of my own and they participate in the locals program, I’m ready to start making skiing a priority again.

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

B..S: There are several pieces to the puzzle, they all need to fit in order to have a successful project.

EBS: Anything else you would like to let the Big Sky Community know?

B.S.: Giving back to and being a part of the Big Sky Community is of the utmost importance to us.

We love living and working here and we’re grateful that Lone Pine Builders has given us the ability to give back.

When not running Lone Pine Builders, Brian Scott and his wife Kate enjoy golfing, skiing and playing on the Huskers Softball team. They are looking forward to adding baby number five to their family soon. PHOTO COURTESY OF BRIAN SCOTT

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25 June 16 - 29 , 2022

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ENVIRONMENT

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester from Montana addresses a crowd gathered on the banks of the Gallatin River in October of 2020 when he announced his intention to sponsor the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER.

GALLATIN RIVER UP FOR FEDERAL PROTECTION PUSH FOR WILD AND SCENIC RIVER DESIGNATIONS IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA REACHES U.S. SENATE COMMITTEE

BY JULIA BARTON BIG SKY – A 39-mile section of the Gallatin River is being considered for the highest federal protection possible as part of the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, a bill introduced by Montana’s U.S. Sen. Jon Tester.

Tester stood along the bank of the Gallatin River in October of 2020 to announce the bill, which would serve to federally protect nearly 350 miles of river in southwest Montana, including the Gallatin, Madison and Smith rivers. Now, nearly two years later, the battle over this potentially monumental piece of legislation is still underway. The MHLA would protect 39 river miles of the Gallatin, running from Yellowstone National Park to the Spanish Creek confluence, by federally designating these waterways as wild and scenic.

Members of the U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources met in Washington D.C. on June 8 to discuss a number of topics relating to land preservation and agricultural practices nationwide, the MHLA among them. This act would nearly double the current 388 miles—approximately 1 percent of Montana’s rivers—of river designated in the state as wild and scenic.

“I think [the Gallatin] is such a precious resource for our community it really behooves us to make sure that it’s protected in perpetuity,” said Kristin Gardner, chief executive and science officer for the Gallatin River Task Force.

Congress established the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System in 1968 to federally preserve the free-flowing nature of pertinent rivers, and the MHLA would be an offshoot from the initial act.

River classifications include: Wild river areas, those free of dams, accessible only by trail and are largely unpolluted; scenic river areas, those that are free of dams, accessible by roads and largely undeveloped; and recreational river areas, those that are that are readily accessible, may have some development and may have previously been dammed.

This protection would ensure that the Gallatin remains a free-flowing river, Gardner explained.

The Gallatin is, however, already being managed as wild and scenic by the U.S. Forest Service, but Gardner said that without protection, that could change.

By implementing the bill, the Forest Service would be required to develop a comprehensive river management plan to maintain the water quality of the river at the time of designation. This would require the Forest Service to protect the Gallatin, as well as the other rivers protected in the bill, from degrading water quality.

At the June 8 hearing, representatives from the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management provided testimonies in support of the MHLA. On the other side, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines from Montana expressed his concerns with the bill, citing letters of opposition received from 173 Montana landowners expressing unease about how the act

would affect agriculture, irrigation and land management.

Brad Niva, CEO of the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce and Visit Big Sky, joined Gardner and other local stakeholders to lobby for the act in D.C. in early May. The group discussed the MHLA with both Tester and Daines, advocating for what the bill would protect in southwest Montana.

Niva said the chamber has supported the act since its inception and will continue to stand in support of designating the Gallatin and other Montana rivers as part of the National Wild and Scenic River System. In his eyes, federal protection of the Gallatin is vital to its longevity as a resource to the Big Sky community. “[Protection] would actually improve business and ensure the fact that [the Gallatin] will be here for generations to come,” Niva told EBS, addressing concerns raised by Daines in the hearing.

“You’re not gonna get 100 percent support,” Gardner said. “But I think we have over 80 percent of Montana’s support with this effort, so we feel like we have a lot more support than what was indicated from [Daines] at the hearing.”

For now, the hearing is the latest in governmental process regarding the MHLA and while next steps have yet to be determined, members of the public can submit letters of support or opposition to the senate committee until Wednesday, June 22 for consideration.

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28 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

SATSANG’S DREW MCMANUS CLIMBS FROM ROCK-BOTTOM TO SACRED SONG

BY BRIAN D’AMBROSIO EBS CONTRIBUTOR BIG TIMBER – Music put Drew McManus on the threshold of a changed life. Montana secured him there.

Founder of the spiritual roots group Satsang, McManus once plummeted hard and deep into the dark pits of substance abuse. Luckily, he was able to discover those things that would help redirect his life from blight to bright.

“Music was my way of kind of reconnecting with myself,” McManus told EBS during a phone interview he took from his vehicle in early April. “It was my way of figuring out who I was and who I wanted to be.

Montana gave me enough space to do that.”

A native of Billings, McManus’ mother’s family ran cattle near Roundup, and his biological father was a preacher. Although he grew up in the Midwest, primarily Iowa and later Illinois, he spent clusters of his youthful summers in Montana.

But McManus’ childhood was a far cry from a fairytale.

McManus described his stepfather as an abusive tyrant who made the family’s domestic life insufferable. He sold drugs for a living, a career which took him to all sorts of seedy, dangerous spots. He siphoned drugs for his own use and drank prodigiously.

“The stepfather who raised me was pretty abusive,” McManus said. “He’d kick the s*** out of me and my brother every day. We didn’t grow up in the best neighborhoods. We grew up having to deal with violence inside the house and outside the house, pretty much everywhere; Violence was a big part of our growing up.

My brother ended up in prison for a little bit. I managed to stay out of jail.”

While in junior high school, McManus took to skateboarding and stuck with it for many years.

Skateboarding introduced him to the rabid sounds of Los Angeles punkers Bad Religion and other left-wing punk activists such as Anti-Flag and Black Fag. “I enjoyed the social commentary and anything outside of the mainstream,” he said. “I’d look at the back of the

VHS and see what the name of the song was and go buy those records.”

Between ages 15 and 24, McManus said he abused alcohol virtually every single day. After intentionally slicing his wrist one night while supremely drunk, he entered treatment, but soon relapsed. Shortly thereafter, he traveled with a friend to Nepal and stayed there for about five weeks. Getting to the country was “a long, crazy haul,” he said, but the Himalaya would in time fill him with a clarifying perspective, one that blessed his life with true believing and sanctified his darkest hours.

“Nepal planted the seeds of a future in music,” McManus said. “Those big, long trails make it a full day’s walk from village to village. And each village has a monastery and a little tea house, and so that’s what your day consists of, walking, thinking the whole time, sifting through your s***. It just healed me. Like Montana, it provides that quiet and that space to reflect. And I think if you’re a good thinker, you start asking good questions. You know, like, what kind of man do I want to be? What kind of legacy do I want to leave? What do I want to be remembered for?”

Around that time McManus said he decided he didn’t want to be remembered as some kid “that blew his potential” and miserably squandered his life away. A big part of the redemptive journey, he returned to Montana about 12 years ago.

“I always knew that I wanted to be back in Montana,” he said. “I moved out and followed a girl to Red Lodge and we’ve been married for 11 years. We’ve got a gaggle of kids.”

Journals from his trip to Nepal framed the songs that consisted of Satsang’s 2016 debut, “The Story of You,” in which McManus addresses the lonelier, wearier and more restless elements of the human experience.

From the onset, he’s cross-pollinated his rural roots and extreme childhood with the glory of meditation and raw gusto of the landscape.

Montana has provided more than just a beautiful twilight, a beautiful goal and a beautiful rest; It’s added a visible, heartfelt sheen to his music that is wonderful and positive. Similar to the profound experience he felt

McManus looks out over a vast landscape. PHOTO BY GREYSON CHRISTIAN PLATE

in Nepal, Montana lined McManus’ spirit with gold.

Sustained and soothed by an unfaltering trust, he rolls the essence of life, death and that vast forever of home into one grand, spiritual ride.

“The first song, ‘From And I Go’, I sat down and wrote on a rock in the middle of the Stillwater River, loving the openness, and aiming to make it visual,” he said.

“I see the Beartooths and tie my music to the places that I spend my time, so that’s such a huge thing for me…There is a stoicism here that’s kind of lost on modern culture and I kind of try to be a delegate and a representative of that with my art. Montana is just such a unicorn of a place to so many people, it’s just steeped in so much mysticism … people are so blown away that it’s even a real place.”

One sure thing that living in Montana has taught McManus is vulnerability, a humbling aspect of existence here in Montana that has greatly informed his songwriting. For example, at a period when McManus felt the most desolate and lonely, his life overwhelmed by the constant struggle of taming addiction, he scribbled a few lines of self-reflection which he later titled, “I Am.” “In the beginning, ‘I Am’ felt like an overshare,” McManus said. “But that’s how most people find our music is from that song. It’s been a huge lesson for me: The more vulnerable the song, the more people seem to cling to it.”

Satsang’s hymn is immersed in the sacred strumming of inner self; Everything dynamic about their live music is predicated on being in readiness. Drawing from this crossroad of forces, McManus said he intends to make each new performance a critique on the last.

“Live is where the magic happens,” he said. “That’s what keeps me eternally tied to this craft. It’s somewhere between here and heaven. And we get to hang out in there for a while.”

Satsang will kick off the summer Music in the Mountains series on Thursday, June 23.

Drew McManus of Satsang struggled with a challenging upbringing and personal substance abuse before finding his way to music.

PHOTO BY GREYSON CHRISTIAN PLATE

A version of this story originally ran in an April 2022 edition of EBS.

Join us for the 10th Annual

PREVENTION IS KEY.

Big Sky Community Park Weed Pull Tuesday, June 21 5-6:30pm

Clean your gear and watercraft. Remove mud, water, and vegetation after every trip. Use a brush and water, there is no need for chemicals.

Meet at the River Pavilion

Drain water from your boat and equipment at your access point. Pull the drain plug. Use a sponge for items that can’t be drained.

Bring gloves Pull weeds Get fed @ BBQ following!

Dry your equipment thoroughly.

The longer you allow waders and other equipment to dry out between trips, the better.

The health of the Gallatin depends on you.

Learn more at CleanDrainDryMT.com

gallatinisa.org

Pretty wildflower?

THINK AGAIN!

Houndstongue is a noxious weed.

Noxious weeds (invasive plant species) are ecological tumors. They establish easily, grow quickly, and cause environmental and economic harm.

Need help identifying & managing noxious weeds on your property?

The Alliance provides free on-site landowner assistance!

406.209.0905

Land Stewardship Partners:

www.gallatinisa.org Native plants evolved with our local climate, soil types, and animals. Their deep roots stabilize soil, increase water infiltration, and enable them to survive during drought conditions. When used in the garden, they save water, sustain wildlife, and preserve our historic landscape.

Join us for: - Crail Garden Open Houses · June 12, July 14, Aug 30 - Wildflower & Weed Hikes · June 23, July 14, Aug 18 - Big Sky Wildflower Festival · July 11-15 - Noxious Weed Bouquet Contest · July 13 - Bag the Peak Cornhole Tournament · Aug 2

Sign up to volunteer at Crail Gardens on events page @ gallatinisa.org!

Visit Crail Gardens, our native demonstration garden, to get educated and inspired!

Located at the Historic Crail Ranch, open 7 days a week during daylight hours @ 2100 Spotted Elk Road.

Crail Garden Partners:

A&E

30 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR Thursday, June 16-Wednesday, June 29

If your event falls between June 30-July 13, please submit it to media@theoutlapartners.com by June 22.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 22

THURSDAY, JUNE 16

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

Bear Safety Training Big Sky Community Park, 10 a.m.

An Evening with John N. Maclean The Independent, 5 p.m.

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

Live Music: Telemark Tom Dou Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Trivia The Independent, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 17

Film: "Daughter of a Lost Bird" Tinworks Art, 7:30 p.m.

Bear Safety Training Fish, Wildlife and Park’s Bozeman office, 11:30 a.m.

SNO Community Recycling Day Big Sky Community Park, 12 p.m.

Soul Shine Fire Pit Park, 4 p.m.

Women’s Mountain Bike Clinic Moving Mountains, 9 a.m.

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

BSSEF Annual Swing into Summer Charity Golf Tournament Big Sky Golf Course, 10 a.m.

Live Music: Madeline Hawthorne Kelly Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Live Music: Lang Termes The Independent, 8 p.m.

FRIDAY, JUNE 24

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

Soldier’s Chapel Service Soldier’s Chapel, 11 a.m.

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

Film: "War of the Worlds" The Independent, 8 p.m.

MONDAY, JUNE 20 After Dark with the Big Sky Library

The Independent, 10 p.m.

TUESDAY, JUNE 21

River Maintenance Day Deer Creek on U.S. Highway 191, 1 p.m.

Big Sky Chamber Black Diamond Business Awards Dinner Bucks T-4, 5 p.m.

Big Sky Weed Pull Big Sky Community Park, 5 p.m.

Live Music: Wyatt Hurts Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, JUNE 23 Origin Stories Workshop with Kendra Mylnechuk Potter Tinworks Art, 10 a.m.

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

MONDAY, JUNE 27

Tuesday, June 28 Live Music: Mandy Rowden Band Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.

Live Music: Robby Hutto Duo Tips Up, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 19

Film: "Ready Player One" The Independent, 8 p.m.

Meet the Author: Hugh Grinnell The Independent, 8 p.m.

Wildflower & Weed Hike Deer Creek Trailhead, 9 a.m.

Live Music: Maxwell Hay Tips Up, 9 p.m.

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

Live Music: Kayli Smith Tips Up, 9 p.m.

Live Music: Craig Hall Trio The Independent, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 18

Soldier’s Chapel Service Soldier’s Chapel, 11 a.m.

Big Sky Firefighter Challenge The Wilson Hotel, 9 a.m.

Live Music: Tom Marino Band Riverhouse, 5:30 p.m.

Live Music: Leif Christian Tips Up, 9 p.m.

SATURDAY, JUNE 25 Big Sky Firefighter Challenge The Wilson Hotel, 9 a.m.

Gallatin Whitewater Festival Lava Lake Trailhead, 9 a.m.

Live Music: Mike Haring Riverhouse, 5:30 p.m.

Yellowstone Ballet Co. Gala ft. Sarah Lane The Emerson, 7 p.m.

Film: "The River Runner" The Independent, 8 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29 St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 12 p.m.

Live Music: Brian Stumpf Riverhouse BBQ & Events, 5:30 p.m.

Trivia The Independent, 7 p.m.

Live Music: Daniel Phillip Dubuque Tips Up, 9 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT: MUSIC IN THE MOUNTAINS/SOUL SHINE The highly-anticipated return of Big Sky’s free Thursday night concert series is here on June 23.

Hosted by the Arts Council of Big Sky, music from Satsang will fill Len Hill Park starting at 6 p.m.

This first concert of the series will also be part of the annual Soul Shine event hosted by the Hungry Moose Market & Deli and the Robin Family to honor late community members Mark Robin and Eric Bertelson and spread awareness for ALS. Soul Shine will kick-off at 4 p.m. in Fire Pit Park with the dedication of a functional new art piece in memory of Robin. Read more on page 10.

Live Music: Ticket Sauce Tips Up, 9 p.m.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26 St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

Big Sky Firefighter Challenge The Wilson Hotel, 9 a.m.

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

PHOTO BY FOREST LEDGER

Do You or Someone You Know Need Help Getting Sober?

Contact A.A. - We’re alcoholics helping other alcoholics stay sober.

Call 1-833-800-8553 to talk to an A.A. member or Get the Meeting Guide app or Go to aa-montana.org for virtual and face-to-face meeting times and locations

PUBLIC NOTICE WATER, SEWER BUDGET AND RATES HEARING BIG SKY COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT The directors of Big Sky County Water and Sewer District No. 363 will meet at the district office located at 561 Little Coyote Road, Big Sky, Montana at 8:00 am on Tuesday June 21, 2022 as an online only Zoom meeting at https:// us02web.zoom.us/j/4069952660 for the purpose of taking public comment on the proposed rates for the 2022-2023 fiscal year; the proposed rate increases are for both water and sewer user charges.

The water rate increase proposed is 5 percent for both the base rate and all variable rate user tiers. The rate increase for sewer is 5 percent for both the base rate and the variable use rate. The quarterly (calendar year quarter) sewer SFE flat rate is $84.36 and a 5 percent increase to $88.59 is proposed. The quarterly vacant lot charges $23.64 for water and $23.64 for sewer and the proposal is to increase 5 percent to $24.81 for both water and sewer vacant lot charges. The proposed water base charge is $19.38 or $58.14 a quarter. Please see the district’s website for the 5 percent increase in all water tier rates. The proposed sewer base charge is $31.36 or $94.08 a quarter and usage charge of $7.58 for residential and $7.95 for commercial for each thousand gallons metered. The annual user fee cost for a two-bedroom, two-bath residence using three thousand gallons a month is estimated to be $649.20 for sewer, and $351.00 for water. Copies of the rate schedule are available at the district office from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday, or online at www. bigskywatersewer.com.

140 Upper Beehive Loop Road | $6,250,000 | 4 Beds | 4.5 Baths +/- 6,705 Sqft | +/-20.67 Acres | MLS# 366377 Listing Advisor: Stacy Ossorio, Broker | Private Office

stacy.ossorio@engelvoelkers.com | 406.539.8553

170 Gray Owl Lane | $4,850,000 | 4 Beds | 5.5 Baths +/- 4,832 Sqft | +/- 3.8 Acres | MLS# 368621 Listing Advisor: Stacy Ossorio, Broker | Private Office

stacy.ossorio@engelvoelkers.com | 406.539.8553

For written comments please send letters to PO Box 160670, Big Sky, Montana 59716; or by email to office@wsd363.com. For more information, please call Terry Smith at 406-995-2660.

25 Blue Spruce Way, The Pines B-4 | 3 Beds | 2 Baths +/- 2,016 Sqft | $1,900,000 | MLS# 368974 Listing Advisor: Stacy Ossorio, Broker | Private Office

stacy.ossorio@engelvoelkers.com | 406.539.8553

DON PILOTTE, BROKER | 406.580.0155 | RANCHMT.COM

ZY BROWN RANCH RD Big Sandy

$17,450,000 | #360321

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

BEAVER CREEK WEST Big Sky

$2,500,000 | #361811

40± acres. Forested land directly adjacent to National Forest land!

Incredible views once the home site is established. A feeling of remoteness but within 15 minutes of Big Sky Town Center.

Gentle slopping forested hillside with several building sites.

©2022 BHH Affiliates, LLC. An independently owned and operated franchisee of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of Columbia Insurance Company, a Berkshire Hathaway affiliate. Equal Housing Opportunity.

2270 Yellowtail Road | Golf Course Location | 4 Beds | 3.5 Baths +/- 2,757 Sqft | $2,795,000 | MLS# 371585 Listing Advisor: Stacy Ossorio, Broker | Private Office

stacy.ossorio@engelvoelkers.com | 406.539.8553

DON’T JUST VISIT HERE, LIVE HERE.

© 2021 .. All rights reserved. Engel & Völkers and its independent franchisees are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act. Each property shop is independently owned and operated. All information provided is deemed reliable but is not guaranteed and should be independently verified. If your property is currently represented by a real estate broker, this is not an attempt to solicit your listing.

32 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

NEW WEST

OPINION

WILDLANDS FESTIVAL: A ‘FARM AID’ FOR LAST, BEST WILDLIFE ECOSYSTEM IN LOWER 48?

BY TODD WILKINSON EBS CONTRIBUTOR

In the American West, cowboys have long been portrayed as arch-hero underdogs for whom it’s easy to cheer. And owed to the past, there is almost a universal sense of respect for local agrarians who grow healthy food and safekeep lands often situated at the center of community identity. During the mid 1980s, hearing of the plight of mom and pop farmers struggling to survive, musician Willie Nelson and a group of big-hearted fellow performers came together and staged Farm Aid as a benefit concert.

Farm Aid is still going strong, and so, too, amazingly is Willie. Today, there’s another annual music event that lovers of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem are trying to get off the ground. Like Farm Aid, its values are rooted in championing the plight of another underdog whose once-ubiquitous abundance continues to dwindle—wildlands.

Yes, wildlands, as in those rare places still capable of perpetuating the survival of species large and small.

Nowhere in the Lower 48 does the full complement of large native mammal species exist as it does in Greater Yellowstone—an artifact in many ways and now itself threatened by a number of factors, including the danger of humans loving it to death.

Greater Yellowstone not only commands international attention in the world and holds arguably the most beloved nature preserve in the country—Yellowstone National Park—but its admirers include Willie Nelson’s son, Lukas, and an esteemed group of Grammy Award-winning musicians who have an affinity for our region.

They will be arriving in August for the second annual Wildlands Festival in Big Sky, Montana with concert proceeds donated to protectors of land, water, and a third group devoted to humanpowered recreation.

He and I agree that once a person becomes aware of ecological thinking and starts pondering what’s at stake in Greater Yellowstone, it is impossible to “unthink it” and then remain passive if one really cares. We are stewards of lands and wildlife whose innate value is far greater than ourselves and it is part of our legacy. Ladd counts himself among a group of business people willing to give back, doing more to embrace conservation and preservation of the natural world.

“This is a gathering for a cause—a way for people to have fun while elevating public awareness about the things that make this region special,” Ladd says. “For me, the inspiration came from my friend, Lukas Nelson, and what his dad and other great musicians have done with Farm Aid. Music unites people and it becomes a way to channel our collective energy toward doing something good in times like these when individuals struggle to know how.”

The three nonprofits benefitting from ticket sales this year are the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, a group in the trenches of keeping agrarians on the land, protecting wildlife habitat and open space and building recreation trails amid a tidal wave of development; Gallatin River Task Force which is confronting water quality issues on the Gallatin River (which served as a backdrop for the movie, “A River Runs Through It” 30 years ago), and the Big Sky Community Organization devoted, in part, to building and maintaining recreation trails.

That the Wildlands Festival is set in Big Sky (the first one was held at Montana State University in Bozeman) is more than ironic because the pandemic has only elevated concerns related to land, water and people who make great

The lineup for Wildlands 2022 is stellar. Taking the stage on Friday, August 12 are Lukas Nelson & Promise of the Real along with Jason Isbell and The 400 Unit, followed Saturday night with Brandi Carlile and the dynamic duo of Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers.

Interrupted in 2021 by Covid (and ironically made more important than ever by the pandemic and the surge of development it ignited in Greater Yellowstone) the Wildlands Festival is certain to provide cathartic relief and it is intended to become part of a larger movement, says Eric Ladd, whose company, Outlaw Partners, is producing the event.

In recent years, Ladd, an avid reader of Mountain Journal, and I have had many focused and intense conversations about the future of Greater Yellowstone, on topics ranging from Grizzly Bear 399 to water issues, the role of wilderness in protecting the character of the wildlife-rich Gallatin Range, and impacts of the expanding human footprint on things like wildlife migration corridors.

PHOTO SHUTTERSTOCK/MOHD KHAIRILX/I269775350

contributions to local towns but can’t afford to live in them. Sympathetic to all three of those concerns are the musical acts, some of whom have played on behalf of Greater Yellowstone issues before and appreciate the value of wilderness and wildlife.

“There’s power in world-class musicians bringing people together around the goal of trying to protect a world-class ecosystem,” Ladd says.

The festival coincides with a special edition of Mountain Outlaw magazine called “The Action Issue” that is a creative collaboration with nonprofit media organization Mountain Journal. Free copies are being distributed throughout the Northern Rockies and that, too, coincides with release of my new book “Ripple Effects: How to Save Yellowstone and America’s Most Iconic Wildlife Ecosystem” with royalties from that going to MoJo to expand its coverage of issues in the region and to the Yellowstone friends nonprofit, Yellowstone Forever.

“I think we all have felt a large shift occurring in public attitudes toward the rapid change and growth occurring in our region and that we need to do something or we are going to lose the essence of the very things that make people want to live and visit here,” Ladd said, noting that he wants the Wildlands Festival to be an annual summer touchstone.

If time allows them, Ladd said, the musicians are excited by the possibility of going wildlife watching in Yellowstone National Park while they’re here.

Tickets for Wildlands Festival are limited and can be ordered by clicking here: wildlandsfestival.com.

OPINION

33 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

WRITERS ON THE RANGE

I’M A JOURNALIST AND SOMEHOW STILL AN OPTIMIST with pop-ups that get in the way of reading stories. Don’t lure them in with clickbait headlines or offer thinly rewritten press releases. Hold the powerful accountable.

Celebrate the beauty around us and spotlight the people trying to make this a better world.

BY LARRY RYCKMAN WRITERS ON THE RANGE Journalism has always been a tough way to make a living.

It’s generally offered low wages, the constant threat of layoffs and consolidations, and the opportunity on any given day to enrage just about everyone who might disagree with the facts and observations you share.

So why am I such an optimist about this business?

It’s true that the facts about this essential branch of democracy are grim. Since 2004, about 1,800 newspapers have closed in the United States. More than 100 local newsrooms closed just during the COVID pandemic.

Hedge funds that buy publications have left a path of destruction in their wake, with furloughs, layoffs and cutbacks.

Many newspapers have become a shadow of their former selves. News deserts are spreading around the country, places where people have lost access to trusted local news sources, and where local coverage has disappeared.

But it isn’t journalism that’s failing. It’s the old business model that funded news outlets for more than a century by relying too heavily on paid advertising.

Four years ago, as a senior editor at the Denver Post, I was faced with a choice. I could accept the inevitability of that decline and help a hedge fund dismantle our Pulitzer prize-winning newsroom piece by piece, laying off friends and colleagues, while investors pocketed the profits. Or I could try something new.

I co-founded the digital-only Colorado Sun with nine Post colleagues, and we launched in September 2018

The staff of Colorado Sun. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE COLORADO SUN

with zero subscribers, zero members and a full-time staff of 10. But we also had plenty of determination and know-how.

Today, we have more than 200,000 subscribers, nearly 17,000 paying members, and a full-time staff of 25.

We have been recognized as one of the best news outlets in our region for our public service and highquality journalism.

We started with the premise that news matters, that readers—our democracy even—deserved more than the hedge funds were willing to provide. There’s a reason the Founding Fathers enshrined freedom of the press in the First Amendment to the Constitution.

They knew that a healthy democracy depends on informed citizens, on journalists who ask uncomfortable questions and serve as a watchdog to those in power.

Vladimir Putin understands the same thing all too well, which is why he has clamped down on and targeted the press in Russia.

The Colorado Sun developed a business model that is so simple it sounds naive: Give readers non-partisan journalism that is deeply reported, well written and well edited. Treat readers with respect. Don’t bombard them

Our journalism is free to read for those who can’t afford to pay. We ask readers to support our work at whatever level they choose and to share our work with family, friends and colleagues. Our paying members provide most of our financial support, with the rest coming from philanthropy and sponsors.

I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished in four years, and I’m absolutely thrilled at the response not only from readers, but from journalists around the country who have been inspired in part by our success, just as we’ve been inspired by the Texas Tribune and others who came before us. Many have reached out seeking advice and tips as they contemplate creating their own news outlets.

We’re happy to help.

The Poynter Institute, which studies, champions and supports journalism, says more than 70 local newsrooms launched in the United States in 2020 and 2021. More than 50 local newsletters started publishing in that time.

It’s difficult to see proud legacy newspapers in decline.

But there is new energy and excitement all around us. Journalists, readers and philanthropists are talking about how news matters, how we all suffer when quality journalism goes away. I see growing support for new forms of journalism as we realize how important the profession is to our lives.

That’s cause for us all to be optimistic.

Larry Ryckman is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, an independent nonprofit dedicated to spurring conversation about the West. He is the editor and co-founder of the Colorado Sun in Denver.

ENJOYING THE RIDE SCHOOL’S OUT FOR SUMMER

BY BENJAMIN SPIKER SPONSORED CONTENT

Personally, I love June.

It’s the beginning of the warm days of summer and a month when spending time outdoors in the fresh air surrounded by nature is virtually a given.

As a middle-aged man, it seems a bit silly, but I think the reason I still get so excited this time of year goes back to the words of Alice Cooper when he wrote the classic, “Schools Out for Summer.”

The pent-up excitement of the last day of school, the freedom from structure and the joy of being out running around as a young boy escaping the confines of formal education have been ingrained in my—and probably many others’—psyche.

Back then, I associated freedom with no homework, no set schedule and no sitting still in a classroom.

The lyrics say it all: “No more pencils, no more books, no more teachers, dirty looks.” Of course, as we age, freedom begins to mean a whole lot more to each of us individually. The one sense of freedom I think that is fairly common in most is the freedom associated with being financially secure.

Financial freedom can mean a lot of things depending on where you are at in life. Early on, as a young adult, it may mean having the ability to comfortably pay bills on time and keep your basic needs in place. This definition may grow to mean being able to do that, but also make the occasional planned or unplanned purchase without having to depend on credit. Perhaps as a young family, financial freedom may mean all of the above, but also having a cushion should an unexpected expense or, worse yet, an unexpected event like losing a job, occur.

Soon enough, as you navigate through life, freedom may mean simply the ability to pursue the things you are passionate about without having to forego the security and confidence of all the above. In some cases, true financial freedom sometimes grows to mean the ability to financially care for those most important to you now and for future generations down the road.

Whatever the term financial freedom means to you, rest assured, if the will is there, there is likely a way to reach it. Just keep your head down, stay focused, do your homework and listen to your teachers (or the financial professionals in your life)! If you do, then one day soon, the bell will ring and you can charge out the door excited for your personal sense

of freedom. You may not actually shout out Alice Cooper’s infamous lyrics as you experience this freedom, but you can lay the foundation and truly feel the sense of exhilaration as you work toward your financial freedom and definitely Enjoy the Ride!

Benjamin D. Spiker is the Co-Founder and Managing Director of Shore to Summit Wealth Management. His wealth management career spans more than 23 years and he currently works and lives in Annapolis, MD with his wife, two sons and daughter.

Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network did not assist in the preparation of this report, and its accuracy and completeness are not guaranteed. The opinions expressed in this report are those of the author(s) and are not necessarily those of Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network or its affiliates.

The material has been prepared or is distributed solely for information purposes and is not a solicitation or an offer to buy any security or instrument or to participate in any trading strategy Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network and Shore to Summit Wealth Management are not legal or tax advisors. You should consult with your attorney, accountant and/or estate planner before taking any action.

Investment products and services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors Financial Network, LLC (WFAFN), Member SIPC. Shore to Summit Wealth Management is a separate entity from WFAFN. Shore to Summit Wealth Management is located at 105 E. Oak Street, Unit 1A Bozeman, MT 59715 # 406-219-2900

OPINION

34 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

LET’S TALK ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH PRIDE MONTH

BY SHANNON STEELE EBS COLUMNIST

“Without community, there is no liberation.”

– Audre Lorde Pride Month is a celebration throughout the month of June of the LBGTQAI+ community, the progress that’s been made toward acceptance and inclusion, the heroes who got us here and a renewal of commitment toward a more supportive, open and loving future.

It’s also a time to honor lives lost to hateful acts, government indifference and personal despair.

With the parades and recognitions, it’s also important to remember that each person who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, asexual, intersex, and/or other is on their own journey—one that’s often painful, risky and scary. As individuals and within families and in society, the fight to merely exist and love openly never ends.

For everyone who is “out,” we must keep in our minds and hearts the disappointed senior citizen who was blocked from true, reciprocal love, the scared teen who doesn’t know who to trust, the bullied school kid wondering what’s wrong with them and the small child who hates their toys and clothes.

Throughout history and today, risk is permanent, and victory never is.

Many states enforce equal protections and marriage equity as the law of the land. However, we continue to see bills that target specific groups, perpetuate and allow discrimination and limit local protections. The LGBTQIA+ community must also navigate safety, relational, communal and intrapersonal challenges that have a tremendous impact on their mental and behavioral health. Compared to heterosexual people: • • • •

LGBQIA+ adults are more than twice as likely to experience a mental health condition Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely to experience a mental health condition Four times more LGBQIA+ youth attempt suicide Members of the LGBTQIA+ community report, on average, higher rates of binge and heavy drinking

More than one in five LGBTQIA+ Americans say they have withheld information about their identity/ orientation while seeking support for fear of discrimination or disrespect,

and more than 50 percent report they’ve personally experienced healthcare providers denying care, using harsh language or citing their sexual identity or gender orientation as the cause of their illnesses.

The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce is organizing a diversity, equity and inclusion committee and hosted educational workshops for the community this spring. This is just the beginning.

A personal story

“Overall, I feel really positive about how this area is developing,” Lee said.

“More and more people are coming out here … And I genuinely think it’s been good for the community.

More people will be open to the various identities.”

Lee (they/them), a former Big Sky seasonal worker and current Montana resident who identifies as gender queer and is bisexual, reflected recently on what it was like to “come out” and their experience moving from Atlanta, Georgia to Yellowstone National Park and eventually Big Sky. “I waited until 19 to come out,” Lee said. “Many kids were sent to ‘pray the gay away’ camps where I am from, and I knew people that would at least attempt suicide after those camps. I decided to stay quiet and wait it out.”

After coming out around college, Lee found a supportive queer community in Atlanta but certainly experienced and continued to witness discrimination and harassment.

Lee described moving out West with a friend who hesitated because of the story of Matthew Shepard, an openly gay 21-year-old who was brutally murdered near Laramie, Wyoming in 1998. That fear was heightened during a stop in Livingston when a man yelled, “Faggot!” while throwing a bottle from his truck window.

The seasonal work culture, thankfully, is much better, according to Lee. They shared that most people are open-minded. They continue to meet people who are open about their gender identity and sexuality. Lee makes it a point to seek out social spaces that they know are safe and accepting.

Resources are available for LGBTQIA+ folks seeking community, connection and support, and allies who would like to know what more they can do.

Lee offered a few ideas for Big Sky to expand its focus on inclusivity: • Fly those rainbow flags! They really do help.

• Plan events to celebrate pride and elevate LGBTQIA+ voices • Create queer-centered spaces and activities like drag shows • Support an LGBTQIA+ advocacy group • Launch awareness and education initiatives Big Sky businesses have created safe and celebratory spaces for the LGBTQIA+ community in the past, according to Lee.

GRAPHIC BY SHANNON STEELE

Shannon Steele is the behavioral health program officer at the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, and values a collaborative and community-centered approach to mental/behavioral health and wellness. She has a background in mind-body wellness and community health, and is also a certified yoga instructor and active volunteer.

Community, wellness and the outdoors have always been pillars in Shannon’s life.

What Does the Chamber Do?

Support our Business Community!

Join the Big Sky Chamber today and find out how we can help support your business, advocate on your behalf, and celebrate you in the work that you do!

TO BECOME A MEMBER OR GET ENGAGED CONTACT ANNA JOHNSON

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Additional funding for this programming and advertising is supported by Big Sky Resort Tax

Come work with us!

Big Sky Visitors Center is looking for a Local Resident to be a Community Ambassador and Travel Counselor. If you enjoy meeting & greeting visitors, are knowledgeable and experienced in the activities and services that our area has to offer, a great multi-tasker, computer proficient and have a nice smile give us a call now! Position is full time seasonal, possibly yearround.

Send resume, letter & references to: Brad@bigskychamber.com

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38 June 16 - 29 , 2022

OPINION

Explore Big Sky

AMUSE BOUCHE NEW & CONSIGNED GEAR FOR ALL YOUR OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

WHAT’S IN A LABEL?

BY SCOTT MECHURA EBS COLUMNIST

So many ingredients, so many big words.

We’ve been encouraged for years to read the labels of the foods we buy, as we should. That sounds great, but what are all these things and why are they in my food? Food is food, right? Why are there all these words I can’t pronounce, and what do they do?

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As a rule, food ingredients are listed in order of quantity. For example, the first ingredient is the largest—but with a caveat. Some ingredients or variations go by many names, so individually they may not be the most, but collectively, they might turn out to be the highest volume. Sugar, sodium and trans fats are the biggest culprits.

Here’s a quick breakdown of some of the usual suspects.

Niacin, thiamine mononitrate, folic acid and riboflavin: You see these inside the flour ingredient. I put them together because they are all part of the vitamin B family. When we bleach flour, we are making it aesthetically pleasing and when we enrich it, we are improving its baking qualities.

But we lose the few nutrients wheat has. So, we reintroduce vitamins back to the flour. It seems we could just mill it and age it naturally, but this takes time.

High fructose corn syrup: I’ve covered this one before. HFCS is an inexpensive sweetener in many foods as well as a processed preservative. I’ve even seen this on the ingredient list of organic dried blueberries.

Lecithin: Lecithin is yet another vitamin B derivative. While it’s found naturally in foods such as soybeans and egg yolks, once again it’s processed and introduced back into our food, which makes it virtually useless.

Maltodextrin: Maltodextrin is a highly processed carbohydrate. It’s intensely broken down, then enzymes are added to it. It’s a sugar substitute and also contributes mouthfeel and texture. Amateur homebrewers can find this in most homebrew stores and will use it for some additional body and mouthfeel that malt syrup extracts sometimes lack.

Monosodium Glutamate: MSG adds the umami mouthfeel we so love. It’s also where the word umami originated. It’s a naturally occurring ingredient found in many plants and vegetables which is, once again, highly processed and therefore more difficult for the body to process.

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Xanthan gum: Technically yet another sugar, xanthan gum is used as a thickener and stabilizer. Xanthan is made from a specific bacterium fermenting sugar and then dried with alcohol into a powder form. A popular ingredient used by chefs in recent years, it’s a useful ingredient in achieving a specific texture. And despite my personal use of it, a good rule of thumb is if it prevents food from separating, it prevents your body from breaking it down.

Guar gum: Yet another sugar technically, guar is a polysaccharide made from guar beans. It’s used in much of the same way that xanthan is used.

It provides a stabilizing consistency, texture and mouthfeel to liquids such as salad dressings. It’s also a soluble fiber but has a higher protein content since it is bean-based.

Artificial flavors: To me, these come down to semantics and technicalities.

But here it goes. A flavor like vanilla for example has about 200 compounds that make up its flavor. The most familiar of those compounds is isolated and enhanced in a lab, then intensified, sometimes with alcohol. And because the compound has seen the inside of a lab, the Food and Drug Administration requires they be listed on a label.

You start to see a pattern here of ingredients that originate in real foods but are so manipulated in a lab to isolate one specific property or use that it is then government regulated.

I once again encourage you to read Michael Pollan’s “Food Rules.”

Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry and is a former certified beer judge.

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Beaver // Castor canadensis

Help preserve Montana’s open spaces.

DID YOU KNOW?

- 100 colonies estimated in 2015 in Yellowstone National Park - One colony may support 2–14 beavers that are usually related. Six is considered average - YNP’s beavers escaped most of the trapping that occurred in the 1800s due to the region’s inaccessibility

Unregulated trapping, deforestation, and destruction of dams due to unwanted flooding have continued to affect the beaver population.

Respect. Protect. Cherish.

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Loan approval is subject to credit approval and program guidelines. Not all loan programs are available in all states for all loan amounts. Interest rates and program terms are subject to change without notice. Visit usbank.com to learn more about U.S. Bank products and services. Mortgage, home equity and credit products are offered by U.S. Bank National Association. Deposit products are offered

by U.S. Bank National Association. Member FDIC. ©2020 U.S. Bank 448802c 4/22

42 June 16 - 29 , 2022

FUN

Explore Big Sky

ILLUSTRATION BY CY WHITLING

BY CY WHITLING EBS CONTRIBUTOR This summer—when and if it ever comes—you should go bikepacking. And you shouldn’t worry about all the expensive gear that’s been keeping you from giving it a shot. Let me explain: Bikepacking is just like hiking, except that instead of putting all your camping gear in a heavy pack and trudging around with it, you strap all your camping gear to your bike and pedal around with it.

It’s a subtle distinction, to be sure, but it makes all the difference.

If you listen to the wrong people, they’ll tell you that you need a specific sort of bike and a whole host of expensive, specialized gear to go bikepacking. That’s not true. You just need whatever bike you own or can borrow, whatever camping gear you own, and a whole bunch of ski straps.

Start by taking your camping gear and strapping as much of it as you can to your bike. It will make riding a little easier if you carry the heavy stuff like water lower down on your frame near the bottom bracket and axles, and the lighter stuff like sleeping bags and tents higher up behind your seat or off your handlebars. If you can’t get it all to fit, don’t sweat it, put the rest of it in a backpack.

Now go ride your bike into the woods.

Sure, you can spend thousands on specialized bags.

But honestly, unless you fall in love with bikepacking and you’re trying to do very long rides very fast, you really don’t need much. Nearly every group bikepacking trip I’ve been on, someone has bought or borrowed an expensive, fancy handlebar yoke or harness system, and every time, that system has failed within the first day.

When that happens, I commiserate with that friend, and then I pull a few ski straps out and help them replace their $200 harness with $10 of Voile strap. I have yet to see a bikepacking-specific handlebar harness that was as lightweight, secure and reliable as my "two-ski-strapsand-a-drybag” setup.

The same goes for saddlebags, which attach to your seat.

They have a tendency to wiggle a lot, work their way loose and get sucked into the back tire. Sure, sometimes they’re fine. But a $15 rack from the thrift store will be more secure and often easier to use.

The only bikepacking-specific bag that’s really worth investing in at some point is a frame bag. You don’t need one to start out, but if you get hooked, they’re really nice to have. And a good frame bag works for casual riding and grocery store runs as well. Sure, you can spend hundreds on a custom frame bag. Or you can buy the materials needed for around $40, and then follow one of the excellent tutorials on the internet and sew it yourself.

Your mom, or your friendly local Maker Space probably have a sewing machine you can use. Or, if you’re really into it, you can buy your own sewing machine for the cost of a nice custom frame bag and then sew all your own bags and repair all of your clothing and be the envy of all your friends.

When it comes to bikes, use whatever bike you already have. If you don’t have a bike, and you’re in a city with one of those public bike-share systems, grab one of those and start riding. The “wrong” bike is still better than no bike. Do you only ride bike park, or only own a burly downhill bike? Heck, I bet you can still pedal that thing faster than you can walk, and when you’re going uphill

you’ll be pushing a bike loaded with heavy gear instead of having all that weight on your back.

The same goes for camping gear. You could spend a bunch of money on “bikepacking-specific” tents and the like. Or you could just use that tent that still smells like your little brother’s farts from when you last used it when you were 12.

Don’t own camping gear? That’s fine too. Choose a warm night, pack a few blankets and some sort of water purifier and go sleep under the stars. If the Cub Scouts can do it, so can you.

There’s something really special about camping off a bike. It’s hard to beat waking up somewhere beautiful with the knowledge that the only thing on your agenda for the day is to ride your bike to the next beautiful campsite.

Take your commuter bike and find some camping off a bike path. Load up your road bike and ride it from B&B to B&B. Strap your gear to your trail bike and rip some sick singletrack before bed. Pony up your fat bike and disappear into the woods to build a cabin, surviving on foraged berries and small game you hunt with a slingshot. Bikepacking is whatever you want to make of it. Pedal to your campsite instead of driving. Ride from home.

Take your bike camping. It’s simpler than it’s made out to be, and it’s a whole load of fun.

Cy Whitling is a freelance writer and illustrator from Idaho.

He likes bikepacking trips that involve hot springs, chasing kids into new jumps, and buying art supplies that he doesn’t really need.

FUN

43 June 16 - 29 , 2022

Explore Big Sky

BIG SKY BITES COCONUT GRANOLA

Ingredients: • 6 cups of rolled oats (not instant) • 2 cups of raw pumpkin seeds • 2 cups of raw sunflower seeds • 2 cups of unsweetened shredded coconut • 1 cup of maple syrup • 3/4 cup of olive oil • 1 tsp. of salt

BY MIRA BRODY Rolled oats, sweetener and oil–these are the three base ingredients of granola, yet for some reason companies for years have gotten away with selling the diverse and tasty cereal relative for nearly $5 per small, one-pound bag. This recipe marks the end of all that nonsense.

Tips: • Add fresh or dried fruit to the granola when served – consider adding dried fruit after cooking, but it hardens the longer you store it • Try experimenting by adding different nuts and seeds! This is just the mix we like.

• You can also get creative with spices, such as pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, etc.

Here’s why granola is great: it’s easy to make, keeps well, can be used as a standalone cereal or trail snack or a topper for yogurt, and the oats deliver impressive levels of fiber and iron, while nuts and seeds add heart-healthy unsaturated fats and protein.

In the past I’ve stuck with brown sugar and vegetable oil, but the maple syrup and olive oil combo in this recipe provides a nuttier flavor that pairs well with the coconut.

So, next time you sidle by the “healthy” granolaesque section of the cereal aisle (you know, the one with the Grape Nuts and sugarless Bran Flakes) to grab an extra large box of Froot Loops for no one but yourself, do so proudly and with the burning notion that you have your own healthy, homemade stash of granola in the repurposed Costco-sized Andy’s Peanut Butter jar at home – or at least that’s where I keep mine. Enjoy!

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 300 F 2. Mix all ingredients and stir well to make sure oil and syrup evenly coat dry ingredients.

3. Spread ingredients on two cookie sheets 4. Bake until granola is toasted golden, stirring every 10-15 minutes for approximately 45 minutes PHOTO BY MANUTA/ ADOBE STOCK

BIG SKY

BEATS SUMMER KICK-OFF

BY JULIA BARTON We’ve had our fair share of rain this spring and although the precipitation is great for our ecosystem, I’m sure many like me many of you are eagerly looking forward to some of that long-awaited summer sunshine. Whether you’re out on the trail hiking or hosting a backporch barbeque, we hope this playlist helps you embrace the spirit of summer—even if it takes a little time to get here.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

9.

10.

“Lemon Sun” by Grady Strange “Sweetie Little Jean” by Cage the Elephant “Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino “Left Hand Free” by alt-J “Sol Del Sur” by Sun Room “Nellie” by Dr. Dog “Sunbleached Girl” by Shag Rock “The Store” by Mills “Island In The Sun” by Weezer “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers

A version of this article was originally published in a February 2020 edition of EBS.

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Ranch 3

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