Explore Big Sky - May 5 to 18, 2022

May 5 - 18, 2022 Volume 13 // Issue #9

WOLF HUNT IMPACTS BEHAVIOR, YELLOWSTONE RESEARCH WILDLANDS FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED

HOUSING TRUST ENTERS NEW ERA LOCAL GROUPS LAUNCH FUNDING COLLABORATIVE ARTIST PROFILE: KATHERINE BERCEAU

OPENING SHOT

Shoulder season is here and with it comes quieter streets and changing business hours. Turn to page 7 for a directory of shoulder season restaurant hours to stay informed when seeking a bite to eat.

PHOTO BY TUCKER HARRIS

May 5 -18, 2022 Volume 13, Issue No. 9

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 Tucker Harris | tucker@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 MARKETING MANAGER Sophia Breyfogle | sophia@theoutlawpartners.com CONTENT MARKETING STRATEGIST Mira Brody | mira@theoutlawpartners.com SENIOR ACCOUNTANT Sara Sipe | sara@theoutlawpartners.com DISTRIBUTION MANAGER, LOCAL SALES Patrick Mahoney | patrick@theoutlawpartners.com

CONTRIBUTORS Molly Absolon, Dr. Kaley Burns, Gus Hammond, Marne Hayes, Neal Herbert, Katheryn Houghton, Neil Krug, Mike Koshmrl, Scott Mechura, Walt Sales, Kene Sperry, Dan Stahler, Dennis Stogsdill, Todd Wilkinson and Cy Whitling

4 6 19 20 23 26 28 31 33

LETTERS 8 LOCAL REGIONAL 15 OP NEWS BUSINESS ENVIRONMENT 20 SPORTS A&E 26 OPINION

ON THE COVER: An alpha female wolf from the Canyon Pack in Yellowstone National Park peers through the trees. Read about the impact Yellowstone scientists have observed in park packs following recent wolf hunting on p. 26. PHOTO

BY NEAL HERBERT/NPS

31

HOUSING TRUST ENTERS NEW ERA Under new leadership effective May 1, the Big Sky Community Housing Trust moves forward with several irons in the fire as the local housing crisis persists.

LOCAL GROUPS LAUNCH FUNDING COLLABORATIVE Elevate Big Sky, a new funding collaborative comprised of community members, local philanthropy groups and organizations recently held its inaugural meeting to roll up its sleeves and get to work tackling some of Big Sky’s pressing issues with pooled resources.

WILDLANDS FESTIVAL LINEUP ANNOUNCED Outlaw Partners, which publishes Explore Big Sky, is bringing another star-studded musical lineup to the Big Sky Events Arena this summer for the two-day Wildlands Festival.

WOLF HUNT IMPACTS BEHAVIOR, YELLOWSTONE RESEARCH The National Park Service, wolf watchers and some state officials are making a push to dissuade Montana from continuing aggressive pursuit of naive wolves at Yellowstone National Park’s doorstep.

ARTIST PROFILE: KATHERINE BERCEAU When Big Sky artist Katherine Berceau first moved to town, she struggled to find community to support her work. Now, she’s a rising local creator and is paying forward knowledge and time at the BASE community center.

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 April 21, 2022 issue: April 13, 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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S PAN I S H PEAK S M OU NTAI N CLU B

TOWN CE NTE R

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70 Upper Whitefish 5 BED + 4.5 BATH | 3,769 +/- SQ. FT. | $3,400,000

Martha Johnson VP of Sales Founding Broker martha@bigsky.com 406.580.5891 View all my listings at bigskyrealestate.com/team/martha-johnson

S PAN I S H PEAK S M OU NTAI N CLU B

Inspiration Point 5 BED + 5-6 BATH | 4,146-4,275 +/- SQ. FT. | PRICING BEGINS AT $7,550,000

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Golf or Ski Membership at Spanish Peaks Mountain Club is Available

S PAN I S H PEAK S M OU NTAI N CLU B

S PAN I S H PEAK S M OU NTAI N CLU B

Highlands #60, 545 Outlook Trail 6 BED + 5.5 BATH | 4,620 +/- SQ. FT. | $7,250,000

422 Elk Meadow Trail 4 BED + 4.5 BATH | 5,641 +/- SQ. FT. | $10,500,000 Three Premier Properties Sold as a Package

GALLATI N CANYON & S PAN I S H PEAK S M OU NTAI N CLU B

528 Karst Stage Loop 4 BED + 4 BATH + 2 HALF BATH | 5,905 +/- SQ. FT. | 20 +/- ACRES Elkridge Lot #39 - Ski-in/Ski-out 1.02 +/- ACRES | $16,500,000

60 Exquisite Acres with 2 Trout Ponds

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7000 Beaver Creek Road 10 BED + 12 BATH | 9,156 +/- SQ. FT. | 60 +/- ACRES | $23,500,000

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 May 5 - 18, 2022

OP-ED:

LETTERS

Explore Big Sky

I-191 RESTRICTS PUBLIC ACCESS, AGRICULTURE AND MORE IN SOUTHWEST MONTANA

BY WALT SALES EBS CONTRIBUTOR

As part of a multigeneration farm/ranch family in the Gallatin Valley, I understand the vital importance of protecting our land and water resources. Farmers’ and ranchers’ stewardship of t he land and water is our livelihood.

When I heard of the proposed ballot initiative 191 that would apply new, strict regulations to stretches of the Gallatin and Madison rivers—the type of regulations usually reserved for national parks and wilderness areas—I looked at the fine print.

The proponents are selling this initiative as a move to protect the rivers. But as is typical with ballot initiatives, there are significant downsides they won’t tell you about.

I-191 is aimed at shutting down most human activity on these water bodies. That includes current restoration efforts driven by science and being conducted by local and statewide conservation groups aimed at improving stretches of these rivers. Because it would stop these restoration activities, I-191 could actually result in degrading water resources. That’s why several prominent conservation organizations oppose I-191.

I-191 would reduce public access. It would halt construction and improvement of fishing access sites and prevent maintenance of trails in the surrounding area. For these reasons, numerous

outdoor recreation groups, specifically those supporting anglers, oppose I-191.

Perhaps the biggest impacts of I-191 would be on agriculture. The initiative could reduce irrigation and stock water usage. The result would be devastating to the ag families that have farmed and ranched in this area for generations. That’s why Montana’s leading agricultural organizations oppose I-191.

I-191 would also dramatically reduce new workforce housing development in Gallatin and Madison counties by prohibiting new permits from being issued in the affected areas. Gallatin County is ground zero for Montana’s housing crisis, and I-191 would only make it worse. As such, several housing affordability groups oppose I-191.

I-191 has been described as having a “chilling effect” on projects necessary for highway safety and maintenance, by potentially prohibiting even basic projects like chip sealing on roads near the specified water bodies. That’s why Montana highway safety experts oppose I-191.

Overall, I-191 is projected to have a detrimental effect on the economies of the affected areas. It’s no wonder then that a bipartisan group of local elected officials has come out strongly against I-191.

After reviewing I-191, the attorney general took the unprecedented step of requiring a warning label to be printed on the initiative petition, alerting voters that the measure would “cause significant material

harm” to Montanans living in the target area.

The legislature’s bipartisan Water Policy Interim Committee weighed in with their own warning on the I-191 petition, voting 8-2 to advise voters that they do not support placing the initiative on the ballot. The vote is significant as an all-too-rare example of bipartisan agreement.

It’s clear I-191 creates more problems than it solves.

It’s not well thought out and its sponsors failed to work with stakeholders. The measure circumvents the stringent environmental review already in place at the Department of Environmental Quality.

The experts have weighed in with near unanimous opposition—dozens of organizations representing conservation, public access, agriculture, affordable housing, and economic development all oppose I-191.

Montana’s water resources are one of our most valuable assets, and we all want those resources preserved for future generations. That’s why Montana’s have worked together over the years to enact some of the toughest water quality laws in the country. The group that sponsors I-191 wants to override those existing protections.

I-191 would actually set us back. Remember that when you’re asked to sign the petition to put I-191 on the ballot, and please decline to sign.

Sen. Walt Sales, from Manhattan, represents Senate District 35 in Gallatin County. He is a member of the Senate Agriculture, Livestock, and Irrigation Committee.

DRINK WITH YOUR FRIENDS. TEQUILA IS FOR SHARING.

BETTER TOGETHER A biweekly District bulletin

Project Proposals Part 2 of 3

We invite you to participate in this year’s application process by reviewing the requests below and reading project applications at ResortTax.org/funding. The District’s locally elected Board uses your feedback to help guide funding decisions. We strongly encourage you to get engaged in the funding process and share productive feedback for projects and their deliverables, goals, and milestones.

It’s important to note, that FY23 is the first cycle without operating requests from local government organizations. Those funds are committed through Interlocal commitments reviewed annually but applied for on a revolving 3-year cycle (Interlocal commitments for FY23 are $5,176,784.) This year’s project proposals total 66 projects sponsored by 21 organizations for a total of $8,765,234.

Share public comment by emailing Info@ResortTax.org or by attending District meetings.

HEALTH & SAFETY - $1,538,533 -

HOUSING - $1,828,200 -

PUBLIC WORKS - $442,060 -

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

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

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

Fire Training Facility - $739,874 Big Sky Fire Department

Deed Restriction Incentive - $750,000 Big Sky Community Housing Trust

Fire Pit Park Public Bathrooms - $333,600 Visit Big Sky

RiverView Apartments on Lone Mountain Trail - $600,000 Big Sky Community Housing Trust

Big Sky Community Library Operations - $62,360 Friends of the Big Sky Community Library

Replacement of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus - $281,659 Big Sky Fire Department Counseling Service Hub - Building Remodel - $231,000 Wellness In Action (WIA) Wildfire Detection Cameras - $70,000 Big Sky Fire Department

Rent Local Incentives - $150,000 Big Sky Community Housing Trust

Counseling Service Hub - Equipment - $69,000 Wellness In Action (WIA) Emergency Food & Social Services - $64,000 Big Sky Community Food Bank Search & Rescue Equipment - $59,000 Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Search & Rescue Training - $24,000 Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office

6

JUNE

BSCHT Operations - $175,000 Big Sky Community Housing Trust

Maintenance Building Completion - $97,200 Big Sky Community Organization BSDA Teacher Housing Stipends - $56,000 Big Sky Discovery Academy

Upkeep of Town Entrance Lights & Bus Stop - $15,000 Big Sky Chamber of Commerce Library Copier Replacement - $10,000 Friends of the Big Sky Community Library Library Facility Improvements - Prep - $5,000 Friends of the Big Sky Community Library

All information is accurate as of April 1st, 2022.

Project applications available @ ResortTax.org/funding

Application Review Meetings: Monday, June 6th @ 5:30 pm

Western Transportation Institute Safety Study - $16,100 Big Sky Community Organization

Thursday, June 10th @ 5:30 pm

10

JUNE

All meetings are open to the public and held via Zoom. Public comments are welcome and highly encouraged.

Visit ResortTax.org for more info.

Info@ResortTax.org | ResortTax.org | 406.995.3234 |

6 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

LOCAL

NEWS IN BRIEF

STUDY FINDS QUALITY OF LIFE TOP REASON FOR MOVING TO MONTANA

THE INDEPENDENT TO CELEBRATE KENTUCKY DERBY

EBS STAFF

EBS STAFF

BOZEMAN – A study released in late April by Montana State University and MSU Extension revealed that better access to the outdoors, a less congested place to live and a slower pace of life were the most important factors for moving into and within Montana between 2016 and 2021.

BIG SKY – Choose your horse, place your bets and get dressed up with your favorite hat accessory—derby weekend is approaching.

About a third of respondents surveyed said they moved for financial factors, including finding a higher or better paying job or finding a lower cost of living, said Tara Mastel, principal investigator on the study and associate specialist for community development at MSU Extension.

Notably, only about half of the respondents moved to Montana from another state. Most out-of-staters moved from California, Washington, Colorado, Oregon and Idaho, according to the study.

The Independent will host a Kentucky Derby party on Saturday, May 7 from 1 to 6 p.m. The local theater will elevate the classic derby experience with yacht rock beats from DJs Take a Chance and Jenn & Juice and specialty cocktails including mint juleps.

Several contests will precede the race, which kicks off at 4:57 p.m. Contests will include Best Hat, Best Dressed and Best Dressed Couple.

RSVP at theindependentmt.com to get on the guest list for complimentary entry, or pay $20 at the door for entry on the day of the race.

“We hope this survey data can help local leaders understand who these newcomers are and the value they bring to rural communities,” Mastel said.

Visit msuextension.org/communitydevelopment/newcomerresearch to read the report of the study findings.

HARBOR’S HERO RUN RETURNS MAY 22 EBS STAFF

LEGION HOSTS FLAG CEREMONY, GUN RANGE CLEAN-UP EBS STAFF

BIG SKY –The American Legion Post No. 99 will host two events for the community on Saturday, May 14.

First, the American Legion and Sons of the Legion are partnering with the Soldier’s Chapel to replace all 13 flags along the driveway leading up to the chapel. Local students will join to learn how to replace the flags and how to properly fold the ones that are removed.

The public is invited to join the legion for a flag ceremony at The Soldier’s Chapel at 10 a.m. before the flags are transported to the Red Cliff Gun Range for proper disposal and burning.

Following the flag ceremony and burning, American Legion invites all community members to volunteer for the Annual Spring Clean-Up of the Red Cliff Gun Range starting at noon. The spring clean-up will involve picking up trash and replacing the wood shooting targets. The Legion will then host a BBQ lunch for volunteers.

BIG SKY – The annual 5K color run organized in memory of Harbor deWaard will return this spring on Sunday, May 22. Hosted by the Lone Peak High School chapter of National Honor Society, Harbor’s Hero Run will raise money for the Harbor deWaard Scholarship Fund and local nonprofit Wellness in Action.

The run honors the life of 6-year-old deWaard, a Big Sky boy who died tragically in 2015.

The in-person run will take place starting at 9:30 a.m. on May 22 at the Big Sky Community Park. There will also be a virtual option where participants can register, run their own 5K route and submit photos to keisele@bssd72. org. Top finishers will be awarded with prizes.

The event will include live music courtesy of NHS member Orrin Coleman from 10:30 a.m. to noon.

Racers can register online at my.raceresult.com/196543/registration or inperson at the Big Sky Community Park Pavilion on race day starting at 8 a.m. Registration is $20 and the first 100 registrants will receive a t-shirt.

Participants are encouraged to get decked out in their best superhero gear— some of deWaard’s favorites were Spiderman and Captain America.

NHS asks participants to share any pictures from the event on Instagram using #harborsherorun.

TWO LEVIES PASS IN SCHOOL ELECTION EBS STAFF

BIG SKY – Two Big Sky School District levies passed in the recent local election, according to final unofficial results of the Gallatin County School and Special District Election from May 4.

The general fund levy, intended to provide funds to pay for operating expenses associated with teacher salaries, passed by an almost 60 percent majority with 347 votes for and 234 votes against.

The building reserve levy, which supports the district’s Building Reserve Fund and provides funds to pay for facility maintenance and repair, grounds maintenance

and improvements, and equipment upgrades, passed with a 54 percent majority with 306 votes for the levy and 260 against it.

“The trustees are thrilled, I’m thrilled that the community has once again used their voice to support the school from a financial perspective,” said BSSD Superintendent Dustin Shipman.

7 May 5 - 18, 2022

L O CA L

Explore Big Sky

Big Sky ‘shoulder season’ hours – spring 2022 Below is a working list of “shoulder season” restaurant hours in Big Sky. Please email tucker@theoutlawpartners.com with updates or additions.

This list has been compiled by The Big Sky Chamber of Commerce.

BIG SKY TOWN CENTER ACRE Kitchen (406) 993-2333 Wednesday-Sunday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Alberto’s Mexican Cuisine (406) 995-2326 Reopens mid-June Beehive Basin Brewery (406) 995-7444 Open daily, 12-8 p.m.

Big Sky Dough (406) 995-4488 Reopens in June Blue Buddha Sushi (406) 993-2583 Reopens May 24, Open for takeout Thursday-Saturday Open Tuesday-Saturday, 5-10 p.m.

The Cave Spirits & Liquor (406) 995-4343 Open Monday-Saturday, 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.

China Café (406) 995-4488 Reopens in June Copper Whiskey Bar & Grille (406) 995-2233 Open Thursday-Sunday, 3-9 p.m.

Hungry Moose Market and Deli (406) 995-3045 Open daily, 6:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.

The Independent (406) 995-7827 Open Tuesday-Saturday, May 1-16, Return to normal hours May 17

Lotus Pad Asian Cuisine (406) 995-2728 Open daily 5-9 p.m., Tuesday and Thursday Taco Days 12-8 p.m.

Tips Up (406) 995-2773 Open Monday-Friday, 3 p.m. to close, Saturday and Sunday, 12 p.m. to close

Niseko Ramen (406) 995-4350 Open Thursday-Sunday 3-9 p.m.

WESTFORK PLAZA

Ousel & Spur Pizza (406) 995-7175 Closed May 1-15, Reopens May 16, 5-9 p.m.

Perch at The Independent (406) 995-7175 Reopens mid-May Open Wednesday-Saturday, 5-9 p.m.

Pinky G’s Pizza (406) 995-7492 Open Thursday-Monday, 1-9 p.m., Tuesday and Wednesday 5-9 p.m.

The Rocks Tasting Room (406) 995-2066 Open Sunday-Tuesday, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m., Wednesday-Saturday, 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Roxy’s Market (406) 995-2295 Open daily, 8 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Steele Pressed Juice & Java (406) 489-2900 Open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m.

Sweet Buns Bakery (813) 340-0422 Open Wednesday-Friday, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday, 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Blue Moon Bakery (406) 995-2305 Open daily, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.

The Broken Spoke Bar & Grill (406) 995-2750 Open daily, 4 p.m. – 2 a.m.

BYWOM (406) 995-2992 Open Monday-Friday, 11:30 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Caliber Coffee Roasters (406) 995-7311 Open Monday -Saturday, 7 a.m. – 3 p.m., Sunday 7 a.m. – 1 p.m.

The Gourmet Gals (406) 995-7300 Reopens early June Open Thursday, Friday and Monday, 10 a.m. – 6 p.m.

Milkie’s Pizza & Pub (406) 995-2900 Closed. Reopens early May. The Wrap Shack (406) 995-3099 Reopens May 31

MEADOW VILLAGE The Country Market (406) 995-4636 Open daily 6:30 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Michaelangelo’s (406) 995-7373 Reopens June 9 Olive B’s Bistro (406) 995-3355 Reopens May 23, 4-9 p.m.

GALLATIN CANYON

Bucks T-4 (406) 993-5222 Reopens May 15 Open daily, 5:30-10 p.m.

Café 191 (406) 995-3232 Open daily 6 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Corral Bar, Steakhouse (406) 995-4249 Reopens May 9 Open Wednesday-Sunday, 3-10 p.m.

Big Sky Community Food Bank (406) 995-2088 Open Tuesdays and Thursdays 3-7 p.m., Wednesdays and Fridays 11-3 p.m.

Closed Saturday-Monday

Cosmic Café Food Truck (Exxon) (406) 599-7269 Open Thursday-Tuesday, 8 a.m. – 2 p.m., Thursday and Friday late hours, 4 p.m. to close Pre-booked catering meals available all of May

Big Sky Conoco Travel Shoppe (406) 995-4275 Open Monday-Saturday, 6 a.m. – 10 p.m., Sunday 6 a.m. – 9 p.m.

Lone Perk Coffee Hut Open daily, 6 a.m.–2 p.m.

McGill’s Restaurant and Saloon (406) 995-4283 Reopens May 27 Open Thursday-Monday, 5-8:30 p.m.

Rainbow Ranch Wild Caddis Restaurant (406) 995-4132 Open Wedneday-Sunday, 5-9 p.m.

Riverhouse BBQ & Events (406) 995-7427 Reopens late May/early June Open daily 3-10 p.m.

Slider’s Deli (Conoco) (406) 995-4275 Closed, Reopens TBD

OTHER LOCATIONS The Bunker Deck & Grill (406) 995-5567 Reopens late May

Carabiner (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Peaks Restaurant (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Horn & Cantle (406) 995-2782 Reopens May 19

Chet’s Bar & Grill (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Pizza Works (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Mi Pueblito Taco Bus (406) 223-6421 Open Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 7 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Closed Sundays

Headwaters Grill (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Scissorbills Saloon (406) 995-4933 Reopens June 11

Hungry Moose Market & Deli (406) 995-3075 Open daily, 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Shedhorn Grill (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Huntley Dining Room (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Vista Hall (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Andiamo Italian Grille (406) 995-8041 Reopens June 11

Montana Jack (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Westward Social (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Cabin Bar & Grill (406) 995-4244 Reopens June 11, open daily 6-9:30 p.m.

Montana Yurt Dinners (406) 995-5000 Reopens June 11

Yeti Dogs (406) 797-2017 Reopens June 11

Montage Big Sky (406) 993-8142 Closed

MOUNTAIN VILLAGE

L O CA L

8 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

CREATING ‘OPPORTUNITY ACROSS THE SPECTRUM’

AS THE NEW HOUSING TRUST EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, DAVID O’CONNOR TACKLES BIG SKY’S NO. 1 ISSUE

BY BELLA BUTLER BIG SKY – When David O’Connor helped establish the Big Sky Community Housing Trust around 2016, he was like a spectator after an explosion. He felt sorry for whomever would be in charge of sweeping up one of Big Sky’s biggest messes. Now, nearly a decade later, O’Connor is holding the broom himself, but with confidence and enthusiasm for the task at hand.

Effective May 1, O’Connor, a longtime Big Sky resident, stepped into the role of executive director of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust to replace now-retired Laura Seyfang.

Since its inception, the housing trust has implemented several programs and developments to alleviate pressure on Big Sky’s limited housing options by a few hundred units. But with an estimated need for more than 650 additional units to meet the workforce housing shortfall, O’Connor inherits the task of leading the community toward his vision of a more sustainable future of equal opportunity.

O’Connor’s new role at the trust marks somewhat of a full circle for him and the organization. Though it didn’t officially become an independent nonprofit until July of

2020, the nonprofit started as an effort of the Big Sky Chamber of Commerce around 2012, when O’Connor was chamber board chair. Even then, the chamber’s former executive director, Kitty Clemens, told EBS that Big Sky was “way behind the 8-ball.”

“Our [housing] problem was—it is— very wide. It's not just that there's one part of the community that's underserved. I t's all of us.”

Big Sky’s housing crisis didn’t materialize for the first time in the mid-2010s—news articles dating back to the ‘90s address the issue—but it had reached a point where it was impacting business enough that the chamber saw fit to pursue solutions for begrudged business owners who were finding it more and more difficult to recruit and retain talent.

“We were trying to scratch our heads to figure out what we could bring to the table because it was one of those things like the weather … everybody complains about it but nobody ever does anything,” O’Connor said in a recent interview with EBS. “There just weren’t any mechanisms in place.”

The chamber commissioned a $60,000 study in 2013 from a land economics firm using resort tax monies it had been awarded the year prior. The study was the first of many that ultimately would impress upon O’Connor and his board a key takeaway: there is no single silver bullet to solve this conundrum.

—David O'Connor, executive director of Big Sky Community Housing Trust “Our problem was—it is—very wide,” O’Connor said.

“It’s not just that there’s one part of the community that’s underserved. It’s all of us.”

Eventually in 2016, the chamber and southwest Montana’s Human Resource Development Council announced the formation of the Big Sky Community Housing Trust. The first step for the board at the time was hiring an executive director, recalls Tim Kent, who served as the housing trust board’s president from its formation up until last month.

Seyfang, who had a part-time residence in Big Sky since 1997, moved full-time to Big Sky in 2017 with every intention of retiring. At the suggestion of friends who were familiar with Seyfang’s background and passionate volunteer work with Habitat for Humanity and like causes, she threw her name in the hat for the housing trust’s executive director position and was hired in fall of 2018.

“I’m a problem solver and a fixer,” Seyfang said. “That’s just kind of who I am.”

Though she sacrificed a few years of retirement, Seyfang characterizes her tenure with the housing trust as rewarding.

“If I look back, I feel like we learned a lot of things in those four years and took it from kind of nothing, of just a lot of people complaining … to I think we have a pretty solid path forward now,” Seyfang said. “That

Becky Brockie (left) and David O'Connor, the Big Sky Community Housing Trust's sole full-time employees, stand outside their new office space in Town Center. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

Big Sky Community Housing Trust Milestones Big Sky Chamber of Commerce commissions $60,000 housing study

Housing trust hires Laura Seyfang as first executive director

Housing trust, Lone Mountain Land Company announce RiverView Apartments development

Housing trust launches Good Deeds deed restriction program

Oct. 2013

Oct. 2018

Jan. 2021

March. 2022

March 2016

July. 2020

Aug. 2021

May. 2022

Big Sky Community Housing Trust formed

Housing trust becomes independent nonprofit, hires additional full-time employee Becky Brockie

Housing trust launches Rent Local incentive program

David O'Connor replaces Seyfang as the housing trust's executive director

L O CA L

9 May 5 - 18, 2022 makes me feel proud of what the board and the team has accomplished in a short period of time.”

O’Connor said Seyfang’s work at the housing trust made him see the position in a different light and what lies ahead of him, comparatively, looks like “a walk in the park.”

“She’s put the organization in a place where now there’s a lot of irons in the fire, all at various different stages, but they’re all there firmly,” O’Connor said. “…The engines are started, now it’s time that we can start figuring out where they can take us.”

Those engines are currently built by a handful of programs and developments that have defined both the housing trust’s progress as well as its path forward.

The approaches have been diverse.

The MeadowView condos, a 52-unit deed-restricted development, originated with the housing trust and provided a more affordable homeownership opportunity to eligible buyers. The project was completed last summer and all units have been sold.

The trust is currently in the process of fundraising for RiverView Apartments, a collaborative 100-unit project between the housing trust and local developer Lone Mountain Land Company. The housing trust will develop 25 of the project’s deed-restricted rental units, and LMLC will develop the remaining 75.

Seyfang has said that while these developments are important, new construction, especially in the current market, is not an immediate solution to addressing housing woes at an adequate pace. In order to get units online for locals sooner, the housing trust has also launched two programs, Rent Local and Good Deeds, that incentivize homeowners to rent to locals as opposed to renting their properties on the increasingly lucrative short-term rental market, which has grown from 14 units in 2017 to nearing 1,000 last year, according to the housing trust.

O’Connor will assume responsibility for completing fundraising for RiverView, which after receiving $6.4 million in federal funds is still shy more than $2 million, according to Seyfang.

On top of these irons burning in the fire, O’Connor also inherits a grim reality: the housing trust reports that the average sales price was more than $2.6 million for a single-family home in Big Sky and more than $1.1 million for condos and townhomes, up 23 and 63 percent, respectively, from 2019.

The housing trust reports that the average sales price was more than $2.6 million for a single-family home in Big Sky and more than $1.1 million for condos and townhomes, up 23 and 63 percent, respectively, from 2019.

Rent and utilities in Big Sky average $1,200 a month per bedroom, according to the trust, exceeding the widely accepted affordability metric of 30 percent of income based on the average Big Sky worker’s $22.18 per hour wage. According to data from the U.S. Census Bureau’s OnTheMap resource, approximately 77 percent of Big Sky’s workforce lives outside of the area but is employed in Big Sky, only slightly moving the needle from the 83 percent reported in 2014.

Based on numbers originally calculated for a study conducted in 2018, recent estimates suggest Big Sky still needs more than 650 units to fill the current housing shortfall for its workforce.

Explore Big Sky Still, O’Connor approaches his new job with a devout intent to serve. A former co-owner of Bucks T-4 Lodge south of the junction of highways 191 and 64, O’Connor moved to Big Sky in the ‘90s and climbed what he called the Big Sky “housing tiers” over the years, from renting employee housing to purchasing his own home and eventually offering employee housing as an employer, but not without the help of the community.

“There have to be those opportunities available still today and tomorrow,” he said. “This might have started as a conversation in the Chamber boardroom, but it has far-reaching implications that go way past just a business issue because it’s very much a quality of life issue for the whole community.”

Not being able to house full-time community members doesn’t just result in a quilt of “help wanted” signs on doors across town, O’Connor said, referencing the recent local election in which a total of eight candidates ran unopposed for eight local leadership positions. He suggests Big Sky must be able to support a well-rounded resident population to create more engagement in those local elections, to bring large-scale community projects to fruition and to overall be a livable community.

O’Connor looks around the space he’s being interviewed.

He’s sitting in the lobby of the BASE community center, which opened its doors in March.

“Because well-rounded communities operate best, and they do things like this,” he said. “If we are a community just of seasonal workers and of retired second and third homeowners, we won’t be able to keep achieving the things that we’ve achieved with this building we’re sitting in.”

Above all growth, O’Connor said Big Sky needs to first and foremost be a place where people want to live.

“I have a vested self-interest here because I live here,” he said. “I want this to be that kind of community. In order for it to be that, there has to be opportunity across the spectrum.”

LPHS SENIOR AWARDED ELITE NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – Lone Peak High School senior Samantha Suazo was chosen in April as one of 100 Jack Kent Cooke scholars, a prestigious nationwide program for college-bound students.

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is a national organization dedicated to advancing the education of promising students who have financial need.

As a scholar in the Cooke College Scholarship Program, Suazo will receive up to $55,000 annually to help cover costs associated with her undergraduate education, ongoing undergraduate and career advising and access to an extensive network of over 2,800 scholars and alumni.

“I feel really proud of myself,” Suazo said of her achievement. “I think that it’s proved that I’ve worked really hard over the past few years. And if anything, it just [pushes] me to keep working even harder and challenge myself each day even more.”

Suazo, 19, has lived in Big Sky for seven years since moving here with her family. She is involved in a variety of extracurriculars at LPHS including the Latino Student Union, which she founded, Mock Trial Team and

National Honor Society. Suazo is the founder of Montana’s only Spanish-language news source, Notícías Montaña.

Suazo is also a LEDA scholar.

Leadership Enterprise for a Diverse America is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to diversifying national leadership and each year chooses 100 qualified high school juniors who show leadership potential.

Already part of one national scholar program, Suazo was inspired to apply to the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation after reading a New York Times article about a student who was a Cooke Scholar. She said she admired the student and was especially drawn to the community offered through the foundation.

“I believe in the value of community, the power of community,” Suazo said.

“I think the other people who you meet really truly make the impact and the person you become.”

Suazo offered thanks to local community member Barbara Rowley, who helped Suazo pursue both scholar opportunities. She also expressed her gratitude to everyone in her life who has helped her get to this point.

“I’m really grateful to meet other individuals in my life that are truly passionate about the work they do,” she said. Suazo added that she looks forward to the next four years of her life at college and the opportunity to meet people and expand her community.

Suazo decided on April 30 that she will be attending Yale University and studying political science and government with a double major in ethnicity, race and migration.

“They give you this community of students who have the same mission and the same passion as you,” she said.

“By doing that they give you a lot of support from other people who have the same interests as you.”

Suazo said after meeting many wonderful people in her LEDA community she knew she wanted to be a Cooke Scholar as well.

Local high school senior Samantha Suazo was chosen in April as one of 100 Jack Kent Cooke scholars.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAMANTHA SUAZO

10 May 5 - 18, 2022

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GIVE BIG 2022: YOUR GUIDE TO GIVING

EIGHTH ANNUAL COMMUNITY-WIDE FUNDRAISING EVENT KICKS OFF MAY 5 AND 6 Gallatin River Task Force The Gallatin River Task Force is giving the opportunity to become a steward of the Gallatin and water conservation. As the only nonprofit focused on improving and protecting the help of the Upper Gallatin River Watershed, donations will go toward an investment in a healthy river for future generations. The task force is offering a Patagonia or similar vendor item with each donation ranging from a t-shirt or hat to a Sage Foundation rod and reel.

BY TUCKER HARRIS BIG SKY – The Eighth Annual Give Big Gallatin Valley event returns May 5-6 as an opportunity to help fundraise and celebrate Gallatin Valley and Big Sky nonprofits over the course of 24 hours starting at 6 p.m. on givebiggv.org/. With so many nonprofits supporting the small community of Big Sky, giving back helps them continue to provide accessible programs and resources to those who make this place special.

Morningstar Learning Center Morningstar Learning Center focuses on providing Big Sky’s youth and families with reliable child care, quality early education and supportive resources.

As the only full-time daycare and preschool in Big Sky, donating to MLC will help ensure an affordable and safe educational environment by helping cover operational costs in providing snacks for children-in-need, supporting staff ’s health insurance, covering tuition costs and more. Kissell Construction and Property Services has agreed to match 100 percent up to $10,000 in donations.

Since its inaugural event eight years ago, Give Big has raised over $8.5 million from almost 60,000 gifts for more than 210 nonprofits. “[Give Big is] a great way for your organization to connect with new and existing donors to raise critical funding for your work and to gain exposure for your nonprofit,” said Bridget Wilkinson, president and CEO of One Valley Community in a Feb. 3 press release.

Give Big is sponsored by the Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, which will be giving away cash prizes to organizations who help promote the event on social media.

The Soldiers Chapel The Soldier’s Chapel in Big Sky is a nondenominational Christian memorial chapel that provides services every Sunday from Memorial Day through Labor Day at 11 a.m. for the Big Sky community and guests. Donations made during Give Big will go toward maintenance, staffing the new speakers each week and helping to keep the doors open in the summer months beyond the weekly donations and wedding fees the chapel receives.

For a full list of nonprofits participating in the Give Big event this year visit givebiggv.org/.

Big Sky Give Big participating organizations Arts Council of Big Sky The Arts Council of Big Sky offers arts for everyone in the Big Sky community and beyond.

Donations will go toward teaching artists and programs in Big Sky’s local schools, building an artcentric community with projects such as the trash can art wraps, special artist initiatives including live NPR shows, creating a sustainable arts ecosystem and further building out the arts council’s home in the BASE community center.

Big Sky Community Housing Trust The Big Sky Community Housing Trust helps locals access housing. Lack of housing in Big Sky impacts every segment of the community. Giving to BSCHT will help create immediate inventory for locals through their programs like Rent Local and Good Deeds. BSCHT is also offering a giveaway: Any contributors during Give Big will be eligible to win a $2,000 gift card to Vacasa.

Big Sky Community Organization Big Sky Community Organization connects people with recreational and enrichment opportunities.

Donations made to BSCO will go toward supporting year-round outdoor recreation, offering more opportunities for local youth to attend camps, keeping local trails safe and accessible, expanding the recreational programs at BASE for all ages and promoting health and wellness in Big Sky. BSCO is offering an incentive for gifts over $250 with the opportunity to receive a BASE beanie, t-shirt or an Osprey hip pack based on the amount you give.

Big Sky Discovery Academy With 70 students enrolled in Kindergarten through high school, Big Sky Discovery Academy’s student enrollment represents close to 10 percent of the local public school student population. Donations go toward helping provide a flexible, personalized and real-life learning experience and schedule for Big Sky’s local students. As the only independent,

nonprofit school in Big Sky, the money raised will go toward scholarships to help relieve any financial burden families may face.

Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization Big Sky Sustainability Network Organization strives to preserve and protect Big Sky through environmental and sustainable initiatives. One of its current projects is drafting a Climate Action Plan for the Big Sky area with more than 30 community stakeholders in hopes to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 in Big Sky. Donations will go toward becoming a steward for Big Sky SNO and helping reduce carbon emissions in order to be able to continue to enjoy the beautiful outdoors for generations to come.

Friends of the Big Sky Community Library The Big Sky Community Library seeks to ensure that everyone has access to free and open ideas and information. The library wants to help protect intellectual freedom, promote literacy, encourage lifelong learning and provide library materials and informational services in the community. Your donation will be used to support operational needs of the library staff such as salaries and equipment as well as for expanding the existing collection and shelving to store more materials.

Warren Miller Performing Arts Center The Warren Miller Performing Arts Center brings creative vision to the stage in Big Sky though world-class acts, local performances and community inspiration to the mountain community in an intimate experience. Donations to WMPAC will help the nonprofit continue to serve the arts community and bring moments of connection, beaming smiles, standing ovations and transformative experiences to the stage.

Wellness in Action (formerly Women in Action) Wellness in Action seeks to enrich the lives of the Big Sky community by providing sliding-scale counseling, classes on substance abuse and other behavioral health issues as well as well-being opportunities such as camp scholarships. Donations to WIA will go toward helping make counseling and other programs accessible, affordable and available for the people of Big Sky. WIA’s goal is for people to have the best life experiences that they can in Big Sky. Prizes: The Spanish Peaks and Yellowstone community foundations are offering cash prizes to nonprofits in support of Give Big. The nonprofit from the Big Sky, Gallatin Gateway or West Yellowstone communities that raises the most money between 10 and 11 a.m. on May 6 will receive $1,000 from SPCF. YCCF will randomly select 10 social media posts with the hashtag #GiveBigGV and give $100 to the organization that the post references.

Additionally, YCCF will offer three $500 prizes at random selection to any organization that promotes giving to another nonprofit and sends a photo of the promotion to anna@onevalley.org by Wednesday, May 4. The three organizations will be announced on May 6 at 4 p.m.

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DID YOU KNOW?

- Bobcats are elusive and nocturnal, so they are rarely spotted by humans. Although they are seldom seen, they roam throughout much of North America.

- Fierce hunters, bobcats can kill prey much bigger than themselves, but usually eat rabbits, birds, mice, squirrels and other smaller game.

- In some areas, bobcats are still trapped for their soft, spotted fur.

North American populations are believed to be quite large, with perhaps as many as one million cats in the United States alone.

They face habitat destruction from agricultural and industrial development as well urban sprawl. The ever-expanding human population further limits their ranges.

Respect. Protect. Cherish.

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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

Contact Jessie Wiese at jessie@mtlandreliance.org for more information Ad donated by supporters for open land | mtlandreliance.org | 406.594.1570

12 May 5 - 18, 2022

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JURY FINDS FOR BIG SKY’S WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT IN CLEAN WATER ACT CASE

BY BELLA BUTLER BUTTE – A jury handed down a verdict in favor of the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District in federal court on April 26. The defense verdict releases the district of claims filed nearly two years ago by Bozeman-based environmental groups alleging the district was in violation of the Clean Water Act. The civil lawsuit, filed by Cottonwood Environmental Law Center, Gallatin Wildlife Association and Montana Rivers in July of 2020, claimed the district’s wastewater holding ponds were leaking effluent into the West Fork of the Gallatin River without a Clean Water Act permit.

CWA makes it unlawful to discharge pollutants from a point source into “waters of the United States” without a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permit.

The plaintiffs’ expert hydrologist Tom Aley with Missouri-based Ozark Underground Laboratory, testified at the April 26-27 trial that a tracer dye study that he performed last summer revealed the leakage. The district defended that any leakage from the ponds is within amounts allowed by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

The district is pleased with the outcome but is dismayed by the process of going through a lengthy and expensive lawsuit, according to the district’s general manager, Ron Edwards. Before trial, Edwards said the district had incurred approximately $1.4 million in legal costs and fees.

Additional significant fees were added during the trial, he said, but the total has yet to be determined.

“The District operates responsibly, under the supervision of the Montana Department of

Environmental Quality, and in compliance with the law—and the jury’s verdict confirms those facts,” an April 28 statement from the district said. “As we told the jury at trial, this lawsuit should never have been brought … Lawsuits like this one are adversarial, expensive, and counterproductive.

The District hopes that going forward, all stakeholders can work together cooperatively to resolve these kinds of concerns without the need for more lawsuits.”

beneath the holding ponds are considered point sources.

The plaintiffs remain steadfast in their claims.

“The judge made a clear legal error when he instructed the jury that the pipe discharging the pollution is not a point source,” said John Meyer, executive director of Cottonwood Environmental Law Center and lead counsel for the plaintiffs.

“We are litigating this case for one reason, to find resolution to the leaky holding ponds,” said GWA President Clint Nagel in an April 27 statement from the plaintiffs. “We believe the dye test proved our case.”

Based on applied law, the plaintiffs needed to prove that the district is a “person” that 1) discharged 2) a pollutant 3) to navigable waters 4) from a point source. The court’s chief judge, Brian Morris, instructed the jury to determine whether the district had violated the CWA based on those elements.

Informed by previous litigation party agreements and court orders, Morris’ instructions to the jury established for the trial that the district is considered a “person;” that the district’s treated sewage and the nitrogen in that sewage are pollutants; and the West Fork of the Gallatin River is a navigable water.

At conflict were the matters of pollutant discharge, which the CWA defines as the “addition of pollutants,” as well as if the holding ponds and the underdrain system that transports groundwater

The West Fork of the Gallatin River downstream from the Big Sky County Water and Sewer District storage ponds. PHOTO BY BELLA BUTLER

In his instructions, Morris told the jury that if the holding ponds were leaking, they were considered a point source, but the underdrain system was not a point source.

The plaintiffs plan to appeal the verdict, according to their statement.

Edwards said this verdict is “a huge win” for communities that have storage ponds as part of their wastewater treatment facilities.

“This is a big deal,” he told EBS. “This is federal court. I think our circumstances are unique so I think it may help other districts that are municipalities that have these lined storage things in other parts of the country. I wouldn’t say it’s landmark, but I think it may help.”

In February, the plaintiffs added Boyne USA, Inc. as an additional defendant in the CWA case claiming the Big Sky Resort Golf Course, which is watered with treated wastewater from the district, is overirrigated and therefore causing nitrogen discharge into the West Fork. The court split the trial into two phases after deciding the water and sewer district was not a “proper party” to these claims.

According to court documents, Boyne filed a motion to dismiss on May 2.

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13 May 5 - 18, 2022

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JOIN US THIS SUMMER FOR

Big Sky’s Biggest Week WED. JULY 13 – SUN. JULY 16 Big Sky Art Auction

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FRIDAY, JULY 22

Big Sky PBR Basecamp Vendor Village Open PBR Bull Riding Night 2 Live Music Following Bull Riding, Tony Marques Band

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14 May 5 - 18, 2022

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FIRE DEPARTMENT BOARD WELCOMES BACK TWO TRUSTEES BIG SKY – The Big Sky Fire Department Board of Trustees recently welcomed two trustees back for another three-year term apiece.

Moving forward, a big project on the board’s docket is to build a new training center in Big Sky. Schumacher said the department recently purchased property in the meadow for future expansion.

Big Sky community members Carol Collins and Renae Schumacher both ran unopposed in the recent Gallatin County School and Special District Election and will continue to serve on the fire department’s governing board.

Right now, firefighters have to leave the district and go train at facilities in Bozeman or Belgrade.

Collins says she hopes to see that happen, pointing out the value in firefighters being able to train with their own staff and equipment.

Responsible for overseeing department policies, the board’s mission is to represent its constituents, provide resources, preserve trust and property of its constituents and to protect the lives, health and safety of Big Sky residents and visitors.

Carol Collins A longtime Big Sky resident, Collins moved here in 1989 and has served as a trustee on the BSFD board for 21 years. She spends her time volunteering for several organizations and has served on the Big Sky Resort Area District board, the Big Sky/ Gallatin Canyon Zoning Advisory Board and was involved with the Crail Ranch.

BY GABRIELLE GASSER

In September 2021, in collaboration with other entities, the board helped support the installation of a smoke-detecting AI camera on Lone Mountain, which detected a nearby wildfire less than a month after its installation.

Recently, the board was able to help with the completion of an extensive remodel of both fire stations in Big Sky and fully staff both locations.

“I served for so long [on the fire board] because I wanted to see the projects get completed,” she said.

“For instance, we hired a lot of staff, we used to be all volunteer, but over the years, turned to be paid staff. And then there would be situations where the chief would leave so I would stay on to help with the transition and then we just did a big remodel on both of the stations. That was something I wanted to continue to be part of.”

Renae Schumacher Business owner, mother and longtime community member, Renae Schumacher has been in Big Sky for almost 30 years. She keeps busy volunteering her time in various positions around the community including serving in the past on the BSRAD board, housing association boards and the Arts Council of Big Sky board.

“Being a business owner for almost 30 years I think the growth of this community has been exponential in the past decade," Schumacher said. "With our fire calls being at an all-time high, I think it’s really important to make sure that we grow properly with the community and assure a safe environment for everyone.”

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15 May 5 - 18, 2022

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NEW COLLABORATIVE AIMS TO SUPPORT COMMUNITY INITIATIVES, SOLUTIONS ELEVATE BIG SKY LAUNCHES WITH INAUGURAL MEETING

On May 2, 14 stakeholders sat down together for the first Elevate Big Sky meeting. PHOTO BY GABRIELLE GASSER

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – In an effort to mobilize resources and address community needs, Big Sky’s four major philanthropic organizations are teaming up to create a new funding collaborative known as Elevate Big Sky. Intended to develop a funding mechanism and resource pool that will tackle complex challenges in the community, Elevate Big Sky will work to develop strategic solutions, invite grantee proposals and organize resources. These efforts will address three core focus areas the collaborative has identified: livability, health and wellness, and environment.

The collaborative includes Big Sky Resort Area District, Moonlight Community Foundation, Spanish Peaks Community Foundation and Yellowstone Club Community Foundation. These four major community funding partners are joined by partners from CrossHarbor Capital Partners and Big Sky Resort as well as five other community members.

The collaborative intends to hear community ideas and feedback which it can use to prioritize and strategize solutions. The new Elevate Big Sky Committee, comprised of 11 members representing each faction, will field requests which can then be passed on to funding partners.

Ruthi Solari, director of community partnerships for Yellowstone Club Community Foundation, serves as the leader of the committee and she noted at the first meeting that this process is an “emergent design” meaning it hasn’t been done before.

“The readiness and willingness is there,” Solari said.

“The guidance for what this whole process looks like is still emerging.” On the morning of May 2 at the Town Center office, 14 people including the committee members as well as associated staff sat down for the first time together for Elevate Big Sky’s inaugural meeting.

“I think it was everything we were hoping for,” Solari said after the meeting. “The people in the room, everyone came ready to have thoughtful, deliberate conversation and ready for collaboration and that’s what we’ve been hoping for.”

After initial introductions, Solari sparked a lively conversation during the meeting about current challenges in Big Sky by asking each member to share their orientation to Big Sky, an issue that they feel is urgent or “on fire” in the community and an issue that they care most about.

Chief among the concerns voiced was livability, an umbrella under which attendees identified several pressing issues including affordable housing, traffic congestion and lack of early child care options.

Though many community challenges were discussed, all present voiced their love of the Big Sky community and offered reminders that there are many positive aspects of life in this unique mountain town.

“We do have a great sense of community,” said John Seelye, a longtime Big Sky resident and business owner and one of the committee members. “Regardless of challenges this is a phenomenal community.”

At the core of Elevate Big Sky’s model is community voice which will inform what the collaborative addresses, Solari explained in the meeting. This way of organizing efforts is also known as participatory grant-making.

Elevate Big Sky has roots reaching back to 2019 when the Our Big Sky Strategic Plan was completed. The plan spurred community-wide conversation and ultimately led to a community vision informed by priorities from community members. Then, in July 2021, Big Sky’s funding organizations came together to discuss a potential collaborative impact fund and a launch committee was formed of board members from each funding partner and two community members, Seelye as well as Christine Baker, longtime community member and vice president of Mountain Sports School at Big Sky Resort.

From this launch committee, Elevate Big Sky was born.

To address Elevate Big Sky’s focus areas, the committee will approach its work with a four-step process: identify, prioritize, allocate and evaluate.

The goal, according to Solari, is to think innovatively and collaboratively and support multi-

stakeholder, multi-year projects that will dig into some of the more complex issues faced by the Big Sky community.

To wrap the first meeting, the 11-person committee decided that the board will use a two-thirds majority when voting and it will meet bi-monthly for 90 minutes for the foreseeable future.

“We can’t be anti-growth or anti-development,” Solari said after the meeting. “We have to say, ‘how do we do so while also prioritizing these real needs in the community?’”

Solari emphasized that Big Sky is a special place, pointing out how many times this was referenced by meeting attendees.

“We really have an opportunity to be a model,” she said, “and to learn from what is working and what’s not working in other mountain resort communities and to really dig in, in a very unique collaborative way here to truly preserve what is so magical and truly be the best mountain town.”

Elevate Big Sky Committee Members Grace Young – BSRAD Ciara Wolfe – YCCF Jenn Lammers – SPCF Heather Morris – MCF Troy Nedved – Big Sky Resort Matt Kidd – CrossHarbor Capital Partners

John Seelye – Community Member Christine Baker – Community Member Lindsie Hurlbut – Community Member Gladys Guerrero Ramirez – Community Member Erika Frounfelker – Community Member

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16 May 5 - 18, 2022

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LPHS JUNIOR FOUNDS PHILANTHROPY CLUB STUDENTS OFFER $2,500 TO BIG SKY COMMUNITY

BY GUS HAMMOND EBS CONTRIBUTOR BIG SKY – In a community where nonprofits are paramount, local students are joining the effort to fund needs throughout Big Sky. Soccer player, basketball player, golfer, and now club founder junior Josie Wilcynski recently started a new philanthropy program at Lone Peak High School.

The Lone Peak Youth Philanthropy Club will teach students at LPHS about finance, grants and the web of nonprofit organizations in Big Sky. Wilcynski came up with this idea as part of her CAS project required by the IB curriculum. Every LPHS junior is encouraged to create a project that incorporates creativity, activity or service.

club’s grant. The application is open to any organization in Big Sky with the goal of giving back to the community. All applications are due on May 27, and the club will notify recipients on June 10.

“We meet on Fridays, or as many Fridays as possible, to kind of discuss what philanthropy is and why it is so important in our community,” Wilcynski told EBS on April 22. “And then we made a grant application for other nonprofits to fill out so we can give the money we have to them.”

The club has already impacted the school community of LPHS. Wilcynski has many students who have shown an interest in being a part of the club. As of right now, there are eight club members, but it’s expanding quickly. One of the first students to join was junior Ella Henslee.

“I love to help people and I’m interested in finance so I figured it would be a good way to combine my interests,” Wilcynski said.

“I joined the Lone Peak Youth Philanthropy Club because I was looking for a way to give back to the community and benefit the organizations in the community that I care about,” Henslee said.

The main goal of the philanthropy club is to educate the community as well as the students in the club on how to apply for grants in the hope that the people of Big Sky use the money for a good cause. The club will work toward this goal by offering a grant, processing applications and awarding community dollars.

Students like Henslee now have a new avenue to show their appreciation to the Big Sky community.

“We have values,” Wilcynski said, “education, environment and empowerment and those are the groups of people that we want to get the money because we think that is what’s important for the community.”

Wilcynski applied for a grant in January and received $2,500 in April from the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation and Big Opportunities. She and the rest of her fellow club members will now decide where this money goes.

Right now, the club’s first steps are to advertise and communicate with the public on how to apply for the

Lone Peak High School junior Josie Wilcynski recently started a new philanthropy program. PHOTO BY GUS HAMMOND

The Lone Peak Youth Philanthropy Club is accepting applications from Big Sky organizations for its $2,500 grant. POSTER COURTESY OF LONE PEAK YOUTH PHILANTHROPY CLUB

The students at LPHS are creating something special within the Big Sky community. Wilcynski says she is confident that the club will continue to grow long after she leaves LPHS.

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Learn more about how we help keep cancer care close to home at BozemanHealth.org/cancercare 406-414-5070

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19 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

REGIONAL

ABORTION POLITICS LEAD TO POWER STRUGGLES OVER FAMILY PLANNING GRANTS CONSERVATIVE-LEANING STATES AND NONPROFIT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS ARE COMPETING OVER CONTROL OF STATES’ TITLE X FUNDING FOR FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAMS. still required by law to apply for Title X funding, it hasn’t received a portion of the grant since.

BY KATHERYN HOUGHTON KAISER HEALTH NEWS BOZEMAN — In a busy downtown coffee shop, a drawing of a ski lift with intrauterine devices for chairs draws the eyes of sleepy customers getting their morning underway with a caffeine jolt.

Bré Thomas, CEO of Arizona Family Health Partnership, said that even though the nonprofit is the sole administrator of the Title X funding again, the threat remains that some or all could be taken away because of politics. “We’re at the will of who’s in charge,” Thomas said.

The flyer touts the services of Bridgercare, a nonprofit reproductive health clinic a few miles up the road. The clinic offers wellness exams, birth control and LGBTQ+ services—and, in April, it started overseeing the state’s multimillion-dollar share of federal family planning program funding.

In March, Bridgercare beat out the state health department to become administrator of Montana’s $2.3 million Title X program, which helps pay for family planning and preventive health services. The organization applied for the grant because its leaders were concerned about a new state law that sought to restrict which local providers are funded.

What is happening in Montana is the latest example of an ongoing power struggle between nonprofits and conservativeleaning states over who receives federal family planning money. That has intensified in recent years as the Title X program has increasingly become entangled with the politics of abortion.

This year, the federal government set aside $257 million for family planning and preventive care. The providers that get that funding often serve families with low incomes, and Title X is one of the few federal programs in which people without legal permission to be in the U.S. can participate.

“The program permeates into communities that otherwise would be unreached by public health efforts,” said Rebecca Kreitzer, an associate professor of public policy at the University of North Carolina.

The Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services controlled the distribution of the state’s Title X funds for decades. Bridgercare sought the administrator role to circumvent a Republican-sponsored law passed last year that required the state to prioritize the money for local health departments and federally qualified health centers. That would have put the nonprofit—which doesn’t provide abortion procedures—and similar organizations at the bottom of the list. The law also banned clinics that perform abortions from receiving Title X funds from the state health department.

Bridgercare Executive Director Stephanie McDowell said the group applied for the grant to try to protect the program from decisions coming out of the state Capitol.

“Because of the politicization of Title X, we’re seeing how it’s run, swinging back and forth based on partisan leadership,” McDowell said.

Nonprofits say they have an advantage over state agencies in expanding services because they have more flexibility in fundraising and fewer administrative hurdles.

Stephanie McDowell is executive director of Bridgercare, a Bozeman nonprofit that beat out the state to become the administrator of federal family planning program dollars in Montana. PHOTO BY KATHERYN HOUGHTON

A U.S. Department of Health and Human Services spokesperson, Tara Broido, didn’t answer a question about whether the agency intentionally awarded grants to nonprofits to avoid state politics. Instead, she said in a statement that applicants were evaluated in a competitive process by a panel of independent reviewers based on criteria to deliver high-quality, clientcentered services.

Federal law prohibits the money from being used to perform abortions. But it can cover other services provided by groups that offer abortions—the largest and best-known by far is Planned Parenthood. In recent years, conservative politicians have tried to keep such providers from receiving Title X funding.

In some cases, contraception has entered the debate around which family planning services government should help fund.

Some abortion opponents have raised concerns that long-lasting forms of birth control, such as IUDs, lead to abortions.

Those claims are disputed by reproductive health experts.

In 2019, the Trump administration introduced several new rules for Title X, including disqualifying from receiving the funding family planning clinics that also offered abortion services or referrals.

Many clinics across the nation left the program instead of conforming to the rules.

Simultaneously, the spread of COVID-19 interrupted routine care. The number of patients served by Title X plummeted.

The Biden administration reversed most of those rules, including allowing providers with abortion services back into the Title X program. States also try to influence the funding’s reach, either through legislation or budget rules.

The current Title X funding cycle is five years, and the amount of money available each year could shift based on the state’s network of providers or federal budget changes. Jon Ebelt, a spokesperson for the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services, didn’t answer when asked whether the state planned to reapply to administer the funding in 2027. He said the department was disappointed with the

Biden administration’s “refusal” to renew the state’s funding.

“We recognize, however, that recent proabortion federal rule changes have distorted Title X and conflict with Montana law,” he said.

Conservative states have been tangling with nonprofits and the federal government over Title X funding for more than a decade. In 2011, during the Obama administration, Texas whittled the state’s family planning spending and prioritized sending the federal money to general primary care providers over reproductive health clinics.

As a result, 25 percent of family planning clinics in Texas closed. In 2013, a nonprofit now called Every Body Texas joined the competition to distribute the state’s Title X dollars and won.

“Filling and rebuilding those holes have taken this last decade, essentially,” said Berna Mason, director of service delivery improvement for Every Body Texas.

In 2019, the governor of Nebraska proposed a budget that would have prohibited the money from going to any organization that provided abortions or referred patients for abortions outside of an emergency. It also would have required that funding recipients be legally and financially separate from such clinics, a restriction that would have gone further than the Trump administration’s rules. Afterward, a family planning council won the right to administer Title X money.

In 2017, the nonprofit Arizona Family Health Partnership lost its status as that state’s only Title X administrator when the state health department was given 25 percent of the funding to deliver to providers. That came after Arizona lawmakers ordered the department to apply for the funds and distribute them first to state- or county-owned clinics, with the remaining money going to primary care facilities. The change was backed by anti-abortion groups, and reproductive health care providers saw it as an attempt to weaken clinics that offer abortion services.

However, the state left nearly all the money it received untouched, and although it’s

In April, Mississippi nonprofit Converge took over administration of Title X funds, a role the state had held for decades. The organization’s founders said they weren’t worried that conservative politicians would restrict access to services but simply believed they could do a better job. “Service quality was very low, and it was very hard to get appointments,” said co-founder Danielle Lampton.

A Mississippi State Department of Health spokesperson, Liz Sharlot, said the agency looks forward to working with Converge.

In Montana, Bridgercare plans to restore funding to Planned Parenthood clinics that have been cut off from the program since 2019, recruit more health centers to participate, and expand the program’s reach in rural, frontier, and tribal communities using telehealth services, McDowell said.

The organization’s goal is to increase the number of patients benefiting from the federal program by at least 10 percent in each year of the five-year grant cycle. The clinic also plans to apply to keep its Title X role beyond this grant.

“In five years, our grant application should be a clear front-runner for funding,” she said. “It’s less about ‘How do we beat someone in five years?’ And more about ‘How do we grow this program to serve patients?’”

KHN (Kaiser Health News) is a national newsroom that produces in-depth journalism about health issues. Together with Policy Analysis and Polling, KHN is one of the three major operating programs at KFF (Kaiser Family Foundation). KFF is an endowed nonprofit organization providing information on health issues to the nation.

Tweets: Abortion politics have created a power struggle over the administration of federal family planning dollars in conservativeleaning states, @K_Hought reports. This includes Montana, where in March nonprofit reproductive health clinic Bridgercare beat out the state health department to become administrator of Montana’s $2.3 million Title X program.

“The program permeates into communities that otherwise would be unreached by public health efforts,” said @rebeccakreitzer.

20 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

OP NEWS

WILDLANDS FESTIVAL RETURNS WITH GRAMMY-WINNING LINEUP

BRANDI CARLILE, INDIGO GIRLS, LUKAS NELSON & POTR AND MORE TO TAKE THE STAGE OUTLAW PARTNERS BIG SKY – Outlaw Partners is thrilled to announce that the Wildlands Festival will rock Big Sky, featuring not one, but two nights of world class music Friday, Aug. 12, and Saturday, Aug. 13 at the Big Sky Events Arena, an iconic outdoor venue that sits beneath the famed backdrop of 11,166-foot Lone Mountain. This exciting music event will bring people together who have a mutual love for wild and scenic lands, outdoor recreation, parks, trails and the enjoyment of what makes this part of the world special.

Six-time Grammy Award-winning singer, songwriter, performer, producer and New York Times Best Selling author Brandi Carlile will headline the Wildlands Festival on Saturday night. The singer announced April 28 that Big Sky will be an official stop on her “Beyond These Silent Days” headline tour. This will be Carlile’s second performance at the Big Sky Events Arena, where she originally played in July 2019 as part of the Peak to Sky music festival.

Lukas Nelson & POTR will turn up the heat as they return to Big Sky to play at the Wildlands Festival on Friday, Aug. 12. PHOTO COURTESY OF LUKAS NELSON & POTR.

Grammy-winning and 15 million record selling duo Indigo Girls, will also impress music fans at Wildlands as they take the stage on Saturday to perform songs from their new album “Look Long” along with classics from their eponymous album such as “Closer to Fine.” The Wildlands Festival will be an official stop on their “Look Long 2022” tour.

Friday night will feature Outlaw Partners’ friend and music legend Lukas Nelson & POTR. Nelson and his band will undoubtedly turn up the heat as they return to Big Sky for the fourth time to play at the Wildlands Festival. The last time he played in Big Sky was a sold out, energetic crowd. In 2018, Nelson won a Grammy Award for “Best Compilation Soundtrack” for his work in "A Star Is Born with Lady Gaga.

Additional big-name music acts will be announced later this month.

Outlaw Partners will offer a limited amount of pre-sale tickets for Big Sky residents and businesses to meet the demand for locals who will want to attend this show.

“This is an all-star lineup, one for the record books,”

Brandi Carlile will headline the Wildlands Festival on Saturday, Aug. 13. PHOTO BY NEIL KRUG

Brandi Carlile performs at the 2019 Peak to Sky music festival in Big Sky. PHOTO BY KENE SPERRY

said Eric Ladd, co-founder of Outlaw Partners. “We’re honored to bring this many Grammy winning and award wielding artists all to one stage, in an intimate and picturesque venue in Big Sky. Outlaws events are known for quick sell outs, and this one is bound to have incredible demand.”

A percentage of all ticket sales will be directly donated to area nonprofits that share the same ethos as the Wildlands Festival and its goal to bring attention and stewardship to the wild and open spaces that surround the community in Southwest Montana.

“Our goal is to not only curate an amazing night of music in an incredible venue, but to raise money for some very worthy charities that work hard to protect our beautiful landscape,” Ladd said.

Tickets go on sale May 18 at 10:00 a.m. MST at wildlandsfestival.com.

Wildlands Festival is produced by Outlaw Partners, publisher of Explore Big Sky.

Indigo Girls will impress music fans at Wildlands Festival on Saturday night. PHOTO COURTESY OF INDIGO GIRLS

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Helping your child learn to ride a bike. Picking up your grandchild. Laughing with friends at dinner. The ability to do all of these activities and more without worrying about your pelvic floor disorder. Dr. Alaina Bennett, Southwest Montana’s only female urogynecologist, and Ashley Anderton, PA, are here to help you live life the way you want.

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Join us for a delectable blend of food and drink with a festive atmosphere that explores western heritage, fascinating paleontology, and this summer’s acclaimed changing exhibit, Apsáalooke Women and Warriors.

Thursday, June 23, 2022 6 – 9:30 p.m. | Age 21+ Tickets: $125 to $300 Lead Sponsor:

To purchase tickets, visit

museumoftherockies.org/tor mu s e u mo f t h e r o c k i e s . o r g | 4 0 6 . 9 9 4 . 2 2 5 1 | 6 0 0 W. K a g y B lv d .

23 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

BUSINESS MAKING IT IN BIG SKY: HAAS BUILDERS

BY MIRA BRODY BIG SKY – Growing up, John Haas’ father and grandfather were carpenters and contractors, exposing him to the trade at an early age. Today, Haas owns Haas Builders, which he founded in 1989 in Park City, Utah, and moved to Big Sky in 1998 where his team builds custom, high-end homes.

Explore Big Sky spoke with Haas Builders Vice President Kali Quick about the business and how it's helped Big Sky grow—from its work in Town Center to its support of local nonprofits. You may have noticed their latest projects breaking ground off the Town Center Roundabout.

The Franklin building will soon be home to nine local commercial businesses and 18 residential condominiums.

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: Tell me about the history of Haas Builders. When was it founded and how has it grown since?

Kali Quick: Haas Builders was originally founded as Haas Construction in 1989 in Park City.

Building through the slow times in Park City, and up through the excitement of the Olympics, before moving to Big Sky in 2001. For the past 21 years, Haas Builders has focused on custom home building in town and in the clubs. HB has also built a handful of commercial buildings in the Town Center, creating spaces for local business owners and condominiums for locals and employee housing. Haas Builders has been a huge supporter of local nonprofits and many community events.

“

The best part of working at Haas Builders is knowing that we help our community grow and thrive, as well as support the local nonprofits.

– Kali Quick, Vice President, Haas Builders

”

10 Local Housing Units; The Recycling Center, [HB] donated the land and manages all marketing and fundraising; LS&T Storage–Outdoor trailer and boat storage service; Essentia Condos– developed and built; The Franklin–commercial spaces all filled by old and new local businesses; as well as some residential condominiums on the upper floors.

EBS: With all the growth in Big Sky, what would you say is your focus right now?

K.Q.: Our focus will always be to provide incredible service, value and quality to our clients.

We just broke ground on The Franklin building, located on the northwest side of the Town Center Roundabout. This beautiful building will be home to nine local commercial businesses and home to 18 residential condominiums.

EBS: What is the best part of working at Haas Builders?

K.Q.: The best part of working at Haas Builders is knowing that we help our community grow and thrive, as well as support the local nonprofits. We help clients build their dream homes in Big Sky to create memories that last a lifetime, as well as provide housing to 16 local employees. We have also provided commercial spaces for 25 local businesses.

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

K.Q.: The best advice I have received [is]: “Once a job has begun, do not leave it until it’s done. Be the job great or small, do your best or not at all.”

EBS: Anything else you would like the community to know?

K.Q.: Having been a part of Big Sky for over 21 years, Haas Builders loves Big Sky and contributing to our local community. John founded the Spanish Peaks Community Foundation almost 11 years ago and held presidency for the first 10 years, which has donated almost $2 million to local non-profits.

EBS: How big is your team?

K.Q.: Our team is small but mighty: John Haas, President; Kali Quick, VP; Jennifer Staubach, office/accounting; and in carpentry: Steven Wandle, Blair Ballyntine, Seth Barlow and Allen Deard.

EBS: Tell me about the different services you offer.

K.Q.: Haas Builders [offers]: custom home building, remodeling, commercial development and residential condominiums. Local projects include: The Liquor Store Condominiums [consisting of ]

VP Kali Quick calls Haas Builder’s team “small but mighty.” PHOTO COURTESY OF HAAS BUILDERS

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25 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

ENVIRONMENT

IN FOCUS: PREPPING FOR FIRE SEASON PHOTOS AND STORY BY GABRIELLE GASSER BELGRADE – On a sunny spring afternoon in the shadow of the Bridger Mountains, two firefighters work together to force entry into a building and hose it down, hurried along by shouts from watching instructors.

This exercise, which took place on April 27, is part of a 12-week Gallatin Valley Fire Academy training course for new recruits. Three agencies—Big Sky Fire Department, Bozeman Fire Department and Central Valley Fire District—have partnered up

for the first time ever to conduct a joint training academy. The goal is to pool each organization’s resources as well as to build stronger relationships between the three departments.

There are currently seven recruits, six for Central Valley and one for Bozeman, completing the course that will prepare them to join their respective crews.

Trainees complete a different module each week, covering a wide range of topics including structural and wildland firefighting, vehicle extrication, hazardous materials and technical rescue.

According to Central Valley Fire District Training Officer Anthony Stratman, current firefighters are also joining the recruits for some much-needed refreshers to prepare for the upcoming fire season.

With recent drought conditions in Montana, Stratman said significant fire behavior is expected this summer.

“We’re trying to prepare as much for [fire season] as we can, but the rest is up to nature,” Stratman said.

Below are some photos of recruits learning hose management at the Central Valley Training Center on April 27.

26 May 5 - 18, 2022

ENVIRONMENT

Explore Big Sky

YELLOWSTONE: WOLF HUNT ALTERED BEHAVIOR, DAMAGED RESEARCH

NATIONAL PARK SERVICE, WOLF WATCHERS AND SOME STATE OFFICIALS ARE MAKING A PUSH TO DISSUADE MONTANA FROM CONTINUING AGGRESSIVE PURSUIT OF NAIVE WOLVES AT THE NATIONAL PARK’S DOORSTEP.

BY MIKE KOSHMRL WYOFILE.COM

This WyoFile story has been edited for brevity. Visit explorebigsky.com to read to the full version.

A recent spate of wolf killings just outside of Yellowstone National Park has altered fundamental aspects of the canines’ behavior and threatened the foundations of one of the most storied wildlife research efforts in American history, according to park scientists.

Twice in recent months Yellowstone National Park senior wildlife biologist Doug Smith and his team of researchers have observed highly unusual mating behavior.

Many more wolves have been getting frisky than expected. Ordinarily in Yellowstone, only each pack’s dominant alpha male and female get the opportunity to mate. The custom is reflected in 27 years of hard data: 85 percent of the time, park packs produce single litters.

But this year—in the wake of at least 25 wolves being shot or trapped just beyond the park’s boundaries—Yellowstone Wolf Project personnel observed three or four females in two different

Northern Range packs “tied” and breeding, Smith said. “Usually the most dominant wolf prevents other wolves from breeding,” he said. “You lose that [dominant] wolf and it opens up opportunities for other wolves.”

It appears, in other words, that with their pack hierarchies disrupted by the record-setting killings, some wolves have abandoned their selective mating customs.

“We have multiple females pregnant in at least two packs—Junction and Wapiti—that could be due to the mortality that we’ve experienced,” Smith said.

“It’s broken apart the social structure, it’s messed with the hierarchy, and it’s actually produced more pups. Now this is a hypothesis, but this is what I would call an artificial stimulation of wolf reproductive capacity. By going in and killing them, you stimulate reproduction.”

Yellowstone’s Northern Range is widely regarded as the best place on the planet to watch wild wolves. For researchers it holds a unique appeal: In the Lower 48, Yellowstone is the easiest place to observe wolves in their natural state.

Since the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced 31 wolves to the park in 1995 and ’96,

the intensive research effort has been predicated on understanding wolf ecology in the absence of human persecution. Yellowstone’s 2.2 million acres have proven a grand arena for this research. Outside of Yellowstone about 80 percent of Idaho, Montana and Wyoming wolf deaths can be attributed to people, Smith said, but just 2 percent to 3 percent of wolves within the park’s boundaries succumb to humankind.

“Human-caused mortality is the story of wolves across North America,” Smith said. “One place that was not the case was Yellowstone, and we’re not anymore.”

Smith estimates it will take three to five years for Yellowstone’s wolf population to revert to a more natural condition following the 2021-22 state managed hunt—provided Montana changes the rules that allow wolf hunters to aggressively pursue the naive, human-conditioned canines without limit just outside the protected park.

All but one of Yellowstone’s nine packs lost wolves to hunters and trappers, he said.

The Junction Butte Pack—Yellowstone’s most visible wolf pack thanks to a den site near the road—was hit the hardest. Eight wolves from the

The Junction Butte Pack, photographed here from a fixed-wing aircraft during a 2019 research flight, is currently the largest and most visible wolf pack in Yellowstone National Park’s Northern Range. Eight members of the pack were killed during Montana’s 2021-22 hunting season. DAN STAHLER/ NPS PHOTO

27 May 5 - 18, 2022

ENVIRONMENT

Explore Big Sky

once 35-animal-strong mega pack were shot or trapped over the boundary.

The Phantom Lake Pack, typically positioned between Junction Butte’s territory and the northern park boundary, used to keep the Junction Butte wolves from straying out of Yellowstone. But after six of its wolves were killed by boundary hunters, the remaining Phantom Lake wolves dispersed.

“They’re gone,” Smith said.

Other packs lost particularly influential wolves. An “unmistakable” half gray, half black 8-year-old alpha female from the 8 Mile Pack, for example, was caught in a trapper’s set outside the park boundary, Smith said.

“After she was dead,” he said, “the rest of the pack went places that they haven’t been in 10 years.”

The new realities have created new learning opportunities for researchers, but Smith, for one, isn’t happy about it.

“The question now is … let’s see what happens,” Smith said. “But we really don’t want that, because it is not aligned with the National Park Service mission. The National Park Service mission is to protect natural processes.”

Shifting policies, ethics Montana’s elimination of a stringent one-wolf hunting limit for two park-adjacent zones paved the way for the increased killings.

The area is accessible and roaded, and a small group of wolf hunters took advantage of an abruptly more liberal bag limit.

“There were scores of people watching the park line with spotting scopes every day,” Smith said.

The Yellowstone wolves on the Northern Range, accustomed to throngs of humans with pricey optics, lacked a recognition that humans posed a lethal threat, and they proved relatively easy targets.

Eight of Yellowstone National Park’s nine wolf packs lost members from state-managed hunting seasons outside of the park’s boundaries during the 2021-22 hunting season. The Phantom Lake Pack, which straddled the park’s northern boundary, fell apart after six of its members were killed. GRAHIC BY YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK

Yellowstone Wolf Project Annual Report 2020 | 3

“If you’re a wolf watcher in the park, you know they tolerate you at 100 to 200 yards,” Smith said.

“That’s a perfect rifle shot.”

The Jardine, Montana resident disapproved: “It’s not hunting,” Johnson said. “It’s just killing is what it is, with those guys.”

The naivety of the Yellowstone wolves was evident in how they were killed. Trapping is by far the most effective means of harvesting a wolf, but 23 of the 25 Yellowstone animals killed over the last year were taken by gunfire, Smith said.

A defense

The 19 wolves killed right outside the northern boundary constituted a disproportionate percentage of those harvested in Montana’s Region 3 and the state as a whole. Park wolves amounted to 22 percent of those killed in the zone, which encompasses over 18,000 square miles and covers over 12 percent of Montana.

“There were 273 wolves killed in Montana this hunting season,” Smith said. “Nineteen”—equal to 7 percent—“were Yellowstone wolves, yet less than 1 percent of the Montana population of wolves shares a border with Yellowstone.”

Specimen Creek Outfitters hunting guide Ralph Johnson had a front-row seat to the monthslong targeting of park wolves that moseyed across the boundary.

There was a group of about 20 Gardiner and Livingston men who patrolled the boundary area on a routine basis, he said. They used electronic calls and stayed in close touch with each other about wolves’ whereabouts via cell phones.

Other members of Southwest Montana’s hunting community contacted by WyoFile pushed back on the allegation that the boundary hunters’ methods ran counter to fair-chase ethics.

Bill Hoppe has a Jardine ranch and pursued park wolves last winter, he said, though he never managed to kill one himself. He argued that the Yellowstone wolves were fast learners, quickly adjusting to the pressure.

“My grandson hunted for days and days and days, and he never got one,” Hoppe said. “Those animals are smart, smart, smart.”

Hoppe doesn’t think it’s fair that wolves are regarded differently than other park wildlife pursued by hunters across the boundary, like elk and bison.

For the first time this year, Yellowstone’s soonto-be-released annual wolf report will present both year-end and post-hunt population data.

There were 131 Yellowstone wolves going into the hunting season, Smith said, and it’s likely that the count will hold steady or even increase.

“Everybody is just going to look at last year’s count and this year’s count, and go what’s the big

deal?” Smith said. “Well the big deal is this is no longer a natural population. It’s a human-exploited population and our job [in the National Park Service] is to have a natural population.”

Pressure is mounting to let Yellowstone go back to its business-as-usual wolf research. Teton Village resident Rob Wallace, a former Trump administration cabinet-level official who oversaw the National Park Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for the Department of the Interior, called for a return to wolf management that respects the federal agency’s research.

“My worry is that this image of Montana, gleefully blasting wolves on the boundary of Yellowstone, poses a serious risk of undermining 27 years of interagency cooperation,” Wallace said. “You’re just stepping into uncharted territory. There’s a large negative reaction from people who care about wildlife resources in Yellowstone, you’ve got the unknown with the courts, and you’ve got a [presidential] administration that’s probably more sympathetic to wolves in Yellowstone than wolves being shot in Montana.”

“I don’t know where this goes,” he said, “but the fact that Montana is approaching this in a way that seems provocative is a risky strategy.”

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

28 May 5 - 18, 2022

SPORTS

Explore Big Sky

LPHS SPRING SPORTS OFF TO SNOWY START

BY GABRIELLE GASSER BIG SKY – Students at Lone Peak High School continue to keep busy this spring as tennis players, golfers and track and field athletes practice and compete around southwest Montana.

Spring weather has been a complicating factor in most matchups this season, but all teams remain committed on their journeys toward divisional and state tournament success.

Golf The golf team fielded seven players this year including three freshmen and four juniors. Coached by Jenny Wilcynski, the team has attended two meets, one at Old Baldy Golf Course in Townsend on April 6 and the other at Cottonwood Hills Golf Course in Bozeman on April 19.

A third competition was scheduled in Ennis on April 29 but the meet was canceled while the Big Horns were en route due to bad weather.

The meet in Townsend took place on a brisk and windy spring day.

Freshmen Cameron Pecunies and Garin Staudt debuted in their first varsity tournament, scoring 124 and 134 respectively. Junior Josie Wilcynski notched a 129 for the day after taking a few penalties along the way.

The golfers had another chilly, snowy day on the fairways at Cottonwood Hills and there was talk of cutting the tournament short as snow blanketed the greens and conditions worsened.

However, coaches wanted players to complete as many holes as possible, and all participants played a full 18.

Freshman Walker Bagby debuted in his first varsity tournament at this meet scoring a 124. Also golfing at Cottonwood were Wilcynski, who finished with a 120 for the day, and Staudt, who put up a 148.

The golf team has just one more regular season meet left on May 5 before the Divisional and State tournaments. A Divisionals tournament is new for Class C golf this spring and will take place at Marias Valley Golf and Country Club in Shelby on May 9. To move on to State, the LPHS teams need to finish in the top five or individual players need to finish in the top 25 to compete. The State Tournament will be held in Sidney on May 17-18.

“Spring sports are challenging in Montana—the golf season is short and starts early—unfortunately we just haven’t been able to play due to weather, but everyone is in the same boat,” Coach Wilcynski wrote in an email to EBS. “We have taken advantage of the days that are nice and practiced and hope we can put it all together for Divisionals and onward to State!”

All smiles for the LPHS tennis team after wins in Anaconda. PHOTO COURTESY OF LIBBY GRABOW

Tennis The tennis team fielded five players this year, four sophomores and one junior. The team has competed in four matches so far with one more regular season matchup on the docket before Divisional and State tournaments.

Head Coach Libby Grabow said that LPHS dominated the first two matches of the season. At the Townsend Triangular on March 31, two players attended and won four out of five matchups.

On April 4, four players competed in a JV meet in Belgrade where they won seven out of eight matches.

Four players later headed to Anaconda on April 24 where they won three out of four singles matches and lost the girls doubles match. Some of the LPHS athletes mixed in with the Anaconda team for doubles matchups.

The LPHS team found mixed success at the Dawg Bite tournament in Townsend on April 29 and 30.

According to Grabow they were near

Sophomore Bryce Houghteling does a 5 foot 6 inch high jump during practice on May 4. PHOTO

BY GUS HAMMOND

50/50 for wins and losses over the two days of rainy tennis.

and he has a good chance of qualifying for the State tournament.

The team’s final regular-season play will take place on May 6-7 at the Best of the West Invitational in Missoula. After that, all five players will get the chance to compete in Divisionals.

The track team has two regular season meets remaining on May 5 and May 7 ahead of the District tournament at Gallatin High School on May 14. All athletes get the chance to compete at Districts and depending on how they perform there, can move on to the Divisional tournament which will take place on May 20-21 at Frenchtown High School.

From Divisionals, players will have the chance to be picked as one of the 6 singles players or 6 doubles teams who go to State from each division.

“We’ve just been having fun and braving the weather on all of our trips and matches and just getting prepared for Divisionals,” Grabow said.

Track and Field Turnout for the track and field team this year was high with 14 athletes on the roster, effectively doubling numbers from previous years. The team includes one senior, five juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen and is coached by 5-12 grade Health Education Teacher James Miranda.

The Big Horns had a slow start to their track season with the first two matches getting canceled due to bad weather.

The athletes competed in their first meet on April 30 in Laurel and junior Benji Saad set a new school record logging a 5” 10” jump in the high jump.

Junior Josie Wilcynski chips at Cottonwood Hills Golf Course on April 19. PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNY WILCYNSKI

Miranda said Saad is currently ranked in the top 15 in high jump for Class C

“We’ve been able to make a better practice schedule based off of the facilities and the new track we have here at LPHS,” Miranda said.

“Unfortunately, the two meets canceled early in our season prevented us from competing until this last weekend. We have athletes who can hopefully place at districts and divisionals and go to state.”

The State tournament will take place in Great Falls on May 27-28. Miranda said there are several athletes with the potential to qualify including sophomore Astrid McGuire, junior Orrin Coleman, sophomore George Helms, junior Jessie Bough, junior Pierce Farr and Saad.

“Everything is up in the air, nothing is set in stone, if our team shows up with their best at districts individuals can hopefully move on to divisionals,” Miranda said.

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30 May 5 - 18, 2022

ENVIRONMENT O P I N I O &NOUTDOORS

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31 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

A&E ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

MAKING SPACE FOR ART IN BIG SKY ART AND COMMUNITY WITH KATHERINE BERCEAU

This piece sold in the arts council’s Auction for the Arts event at Montage this past February.

The piece successfully sold in the first day of the auction for $500.

BY TUCKER HARRIS BIG SKY – For Big Sky artist Katherine Berceau, creating is an outlet and a way to express her emotions. After a busy day serving up coffee and socializing with customers, art is her space for quiet self-reflection.

Berceau eventually met someone who offered her use of their private ceramics studio space in Bozeman, and this spring she found pottery space closer to home at the arts council’s studio in BASE, complete with four pottery wheels and a kiln.

Through ceramics and pyrography, among other mediums, Berceau has quite literally carved out a space for herself as an artist in Big Sky and recently assumed a position working in the Arts Council of Big Sky’s new art studio in the BASE community center.

Next to her work as a barista at Caliber Coffee Roasters, Berceau is currently the open pottery monitor in the arts council’s studio, which entails overseeing open studio time and being available for questions and tips. Right now, the open pottery time is only available for those who are signed up for one of the art council’s six-week classes.

While her work now fosters other local artists’ creative space, she said it wasn’t always so easy to find an art community in Big Sky. Berceau grew up in Wisconsin. There, she says she always had a large community that supported her artwork, which in addition to ceramics and pyrography, includes works of watercolor and acrylic paints, Indian ink, charcoal and graphite. When she moved to Big Sky in 2018 at 19 years old, she sought to find a similar community of emerging artists and mentors that she’d enjoyed in Wisconsin.

This proved more difficult than expected, she said.

“The first year after the move, I didn’t do much artwork, nor did I consider myself an artist,” she said.

Finding space to do pottery was especially hard.

“It took me a while to find a community where I was able to do [pottery],” Berceau said. “…I was like, ‘I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to do pottery in this area, because there’s not anything available.’”

The challenge Berceau faced in finding pottery space, however, turned into an opportunity to explore a new art medium: pyrography, an art form of wood burning. Pyrography was a way for Berceau to get back into art after moving to Big Sky. Without need for studio space, it was easier for her to do pyrography anywhere.

In addition to ceramics and pyrography, Berceau’s work includes watercolor and acrylic paints, Indian ink, charcoal and graphite.

PHOTO BY TUCKER HARRIS

After a busy day serving up coffee and socializing with customers, art is Katherine Berceau’s space for quiet self-reflection. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHERINE BERCEAU

A gift from her father when she moved to Big Sky, Berceau’s 28-year-old wood burner is very near and dear to her heart. The wood burning process starts with plugging the burner the into an outlet, choosing which kind of tip to use, and adjusting the temperature. Berceau starts all of her pieces on a low temperature, slowly turning up the heat to increase value or darkness into the wood. The long process of repeatedly adding layer after layer results in a texturized burn.

Berceau has focused on wood burning the past few years, creating beautiful hand-etched pieces, many inspired by the nature and wildlife she sees in Big Sky. One piece depicting a delicately burnt morel captures Berceau’s love of foraging in the mountains surrounding her home in Big Sky. Another is a portrait of Lone Mountain with the moon rising perfectly centered behind the peak.

A pyrography piece depicting a delicately burnt morel captures Berceau’s love of foraging in the mountains. PHOTO COURTESY OF KATHERINE BERCEAU

When Berceau learned about the arts council’s new space at BASE, she jumped at the chance to be a part of and help build the community she longed for when first moving to Big Sky. “I was like, ‘I want to be a part of this, that’s for sure,’” Berceau said. “I want to be there, be present and see what goes on because I know that so many things can grow from that and also, so many other people can experience these art forms and get to try them for themselves. It’s not every day you get the opportunity to work with ceramics and have [access to] a wheel and an instructor.”

Right now, her art is mainly sold off the walls in Caliber, by word of mouth or through private commissions. Berceau is continuing to establish herself in the arts community in Big Sky as that community grows and becomes more accessible.

Currently in the process of starting her new business, Full Moon LLC, Berceau hopes to soon broaden her artistic reach and branch out to more customers.

Find Berceau’s artwork on display Caliber Coffee Roasters or follow her on Instagram @katherine_ berceau to stay up-to-date on her latest work.

To create her pyrography pieces, Berceau uses her father’s 28 year old wood burner, carefully adjusting the temperature up to add more value. PHOTO BY TUCKR HARRIS

A&E

32 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

BIG SKY EVENTS CALENDAR Thursday, May 5 - Wednesday, May 18

If your event falls between May 19-June 1, please submit it by May 11 by emailing media@outlaw.partners.

THURSDAY, MAY 5

TUESDAY, MAY 10

Music in the Mountains 2022 Lineup Launch Party Tips Up, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 11

Give Big Givebig.com, May 5-6 (see p. 9)

Importance of Civility in Foreign Policy Dialogue The Emerson, 6 p.m.

Film: “The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies” The Independent, 7 p.m.

Public Meeting: Gallatin Canyon Community Water & Sewer District Big Sky County Water and Sewer District, 5 p.m.

Live Music: DJ Swamp Moose The Monk at Blue Buddha Sushi, 9:30 p.m.

Trivia Night The Independent, 7 p.m.

FRIDAY, MAY 6

Live Music: John Jorgenson The Independent, 7:30 p.m.

Live Music: Bon Debarras The Ellen Theater, 7:30 p.m.

THURSDAY, MAY 12

Craig Hall Trio Jazz Night The Independent, 8 p.m.

Big Sky Serenity Seekers Al-Anon meeting All Saints Chapel, 4 p.m.

Film: “The Hobbit: The Fellowship of the Ring Extended Version” The Independent, 7 p.m.

SATURDAY, MAY 7 Kentucky Derby Party The Independent, 1 p.m.

FRIDAY, MAY 13

Live Music: The Goonies The Ellen Theater, 7:30 p.m.

Visit Big Sky Marketing Outlook Luncheon The Wilson Hotel, 9 a.m.

Live Music: Taylor Burlage The Independent, 8 p.m.

Madison River Fundraiser: “Caddis Magic” Yellowstone Giant Screen Theatre, 6:30 p.m.

SUNDAY, MAY 8

Live Music: Martin Taylor & Bruce Forman The Independent, 7:30 p.m.

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

SATURDAY, MAY 14

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

American Legion Soldier’s Chapel Flag Ceremony The Soldiers Chapel, 10 a.m.

Soldier's Chapel Service The Soldier's Chapel, 11 a.m.

Arts Council / BASE Open House Art Party Big Sky Barn Gallery, 2 p.m.

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

Live Music: Sons of the Pioneers The Ellen Theater, 7:30 p.m.

MONDAY, MAY 9 Live Music: Adam Hood Live From the Divide, 8 p.m.

American Legion Gun Range Cleanup Red Cliff Gun Range, 12 p.m.

Live Music: North by Northwest The Independent, 7:30 p.m.

Live Music: Brice Ash The Independent, 8 p.m.

Bozeman Gem & Mineral Show Gallatin County Fairgrounds, May 14-15

SUNDAY, MAY 15 St. Joseph’s Mass Big Sky Chapel, 8 a.m.

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

Soldier's Chapel Service The Soldier's Chapel, 11 a.m.

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

MONDAY, MAY 16 International Day of Light Montana Science Center, 9 a.m.

TUESDAY, MAY 17

The Middle Kingdom Under the Big Sky: A History of the Chinese Experience in Montana Museum of the Rockies, 6 p.m.

WEDNESDAY, MAY 18 Wildlands Festival: Ticket Sale Wildlandsfestival.com, 10 a.m.

The Perch at The Independent Opening The Independent, 5 p.m.

Trivia Night The Independent, 7 p.m.

“Raven Rendezvous: Exploring Connections Among the Trickster, Wolves and People” gallatinscience.org, 7 p.m.

FEATURED EVENT: Music in the Mountains Celebration Kickoff at Tips Up

Join the Arts Council on May 5 for the kickoff to the 14th summer of Music in the Mountains. Doors to the celebration at Tips Up open at 6 p.m. and the lineup announcement will start at 7 p.m. Enjoy free appetizers provided by Tips Up throughout the evening. After the lineup is announced, stay for dancing to the funk rock trio sounds of One Leaf.

Montana Brewers Spring Rendezvous 2022 Gallatin County Fairgrounds, 3 p.m.

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33 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

OPINION

HEALTH BUZZ

PUT HEALTH FIRST THIS SPRING

BY DR. KALEY BURNS EBS COLUMNIST Spring is here, so let’s shed the winter doldrums and get your body and mind recharged for the new season. Here are a few ways you can put health first this spring.

Make drinking water a moment of restoration Drink your daily glasses of water mindfully. Set the intention that you are doing something healing and nurturing for yourself. Thank the water for nourishing and replenishing your body. Practicing gratitude regularly has been shown to improve overall wellbeing and feelings of happiness. We all need water to live, and we all deserve access to clean drinking water. Not everyone has that access, so that might become another layer of your gratitude. You can enhance your water with a squeeze of lemon for vitamin C to support immune function, chopped cucumber for its high levels of antioxidants or a few sprigs of mint for help with GI discomfort.

Eating less sugar doesn’t mean sacrificing flavor Added sugars are everywhere, from drinks to condiments. Simple sugar is not very filling and has no true nutritional value. Fortunately you don’t have to give up that sweet sensation when reducing sugar intake.

Try sweetening your food naturally. A great way to cut back on added sugar in a snack or breakfast is swapping out flavored yogurt, which can have as much as three teaspoons of added sugar per serving, for unsweetened yogurt, then topping it off with fresh or frozen berries and a dash of vanilla extract. Enjoy that same delicious, sweet flavor without the added sugar.

Get back in rhythm with light Getting exposure to bright light early in the day is critical for the health of our circadian rhythm. Open your curtains in the morning to let light in on sunny days. Take long walks when it’s brightest outside, and if you’re really limited on time, consider purchasing an indoor sun therapy light so you can create your own “morning light” anywhere.

Make room for magnesium in your diet Magnesium is a multitasking mineral that is utilized by every cell in the body. It’s also estimated that nearly 75 percent of Americans aren’t meeting their daily recommended intake. Signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency may include muscle aches, poor sleep, constipation, migraines, nausea and generalized fatigue. Magnesium is also a mineral that’s critical for regulating vitamin D levels.

Enrich your diet with magnesium by adding pumpkin seeds, almonds and spinach. To fight a deficiency more quickly, consider a higher-dose magnesium supplement.

Pick up some postbiotics Postbiotics are the byproduct of probiotics. First, the good bacteria in our guts feast on prebiotic foods, which have fiber that is otherwise indigestible to us. Then those probiotics proliferate and do the great work of helping us maintain a strong immune system. However, in doing so, they excrete waste. While unappealing, that waste actually offers numerous health benefits.

Aiming for variety in your diet can naturally increase your production of postbiotics. Additionally, increasing your intake of probiotic-rich foods, such as plain yogurt, cultured cottage cheese, kombucha and kimchi, while also increasing foods high in prebiotics, such as oats, flaxseed, asparagus, garlic and onions, will naturally boost the amount and variety of postbiotics.

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OPINION

34 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

WRITERS ON THE RANGE THIS GRIZZLY FAMILY COMES WITH PAPARAZZI

BY MOLLY ABSOLON WRITERS ON THE RANGE My neighbor is famous.

She has 50,000 followers on Facebook and a recent post on her page had 4,200 likes, 250 comments and 400 shares within a day. When you Google her, roughly 125 million results come up. Born in 1996, she has had 18 children, including quadruplets born in 2020. She is Grizzly 399, the most famous grizzly in the Northern Rockies.

I’ve seen videos of Grizzly 399 and her offspring, including one from a security camera at the police station in downtown Jackson, Wyoming, that showed five large bears strolling down a city street. But I’ve never seen the family in person. I’d like to, but part of me believes it’s my responsibility as a wildlife lover not to try to find her.

People were looking for her this spring. They knew where she’d denned, and so, when the famous five-some emerged in Grand Teton National Park, 15 to 20 cars were waiting. Word spread quickly, and soon roughly 100 vehicles lined the road to catch a glimpse of the group.

The bears are undeniably cute. They have a rolling, pigeon-toed gait that is amusing to watch. The cubs frolic around mama while she continues on her way, ignoring their antics but always watching to make sure they are near. Their faces are expressive, their bodies rolypoly and cuddly. They play like kids with a harried

mother who is slightly overwhelmed by her disorderly brood.

But therein lies a problem. Wildlife biologists have chosen not to name animals they study, instead giving them numbers for identification lest we anthropomorphize them. But that hasn’t worked for 399.

Her life story and personality has made her beloved by people all over the world, and especially in her home around Jackson Hole. She seems to be used to the human attention. We relate to her life, her children and her adventures, ignoring that she is a wild grizzly bear.

We forget that she can be as dangerous to us as we are to her.

Hilary Cooley, the grizzly bear recovery coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, said at a meeting of state and federal wildlife and land managers last August, “The future’s not bright for these guys. They’ve been in a lot of trouble.”

During the quadruplets’ lives, they’ve gotten into livestock feed, human garbage and backyard beehives. In 2020, that happened five times. In 2021, it was 17 times, according to the Fish and Wildlife Service. They’ve walked through neighborhoods and they often cross highways. They’re around popular trails where people hike, bike and run.

Grizzly 399 had one encounter with a hiker in 2007 when the man—a friend of mine from Lander— stumbled upon her with her cubs feeding on an elk carcass. My friend doesn’t blame 399 for attacking him, which caused some nasty bites. Still, it was a scary experience, and that’s what seems to be missing in the media frenzy over 399.

She’s not a toy. She’s not a person. She’s an unpredictable, large, omnivorous, intelligent animal that has discovered she can find easy food near humans and continues to teach her children that skill.

We’ve probably all heard the expression, “A fed bear is a dead bear.” Studies show that eating human food or trash can turn a wild bear into a food-conditioned one.

Suddenly the animal, which relies on a varied diet to maintain adequate weight for survival, has a new, easily accessible yummy food source: from a garbage can, a birdfeeder or a beehive. These bears grow less wary of humans, and, over time, often become aggressive.

To its credit, Teton County, Wyoming, has updated its land-development regulations. Beginning in July, residents will be asked to bear-proof garbage containers, livestock feed, birdfeeders, compost and beehives.

Still, Hilary Cooley, who works to save grizzlies, is not optimistic. She’s told reporters she thinks it’s likely one, two, or all of the family will have serious conflicts with humans during their lifetimes, leaving wildlife managers with a narrow range of options. And, to compound the problem, the family has moved south out of the park, toward trouble.

People can do a lot to help prevent this. For me, it means remembering that 399 is wild. It means not hopping into my car to go join the bear jam. It means making sure my property or my campsite is bear-proof. It means carrying bear spray.

It means trying not to be part of the problem.

Molly Absolon is a contributor to Writers on the Range, writersontherange.org, a nonprofit dedicated to spurring lively conversation about the West. She writes in Wyoming.

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PUBLIC NOTICE

BIOSOLID DREDGING MAY CAUSE ODOR BIG SKY COUNTY WATER AND SEWER DISTRICT

The Big Sky County Water and Sewer District will have a contractor dredging biosolids from the district’s Aeration Pond started on Friday, April 29 and will last through the month of May. The Aeration Pond is the District’s northernmost reservoir, located approximately 200 yards east of the District’s headquarters on Little Coyote Road.

This work is part of the on-going Water Resource Recovery Facility construction work.

Odors may be noticeable at times downwind of the dredging and dewatering operation, and there will be increased truck traffic in the area. We appreciate your patience.

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36 May 5 - 18, 2022

OPINION

Explore Big Sky

AMUSE-BOUCHE A PEEK BEHIND THE CURTAIN

BY SCOTT MECHURA EBS COLUMNIST

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

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Cooks and chefs love food.

It seems like an obvious statement. Of course we love food; the sourcing of that fresh Pacific blue marlin, or the first beautifully red heirloom tomatoes of the summer. And we love to prepare a dish from start to finish; that perfect knife cut, or whipping that sabayon to silky perfection.

But there is also a much less glamorous part of the dishes and menus we prepare.

In lat April, a group of us from Lone Mountain Ranch took a field trip to Butte to tour Ranchland Packing Co. Ranchland is one of the few federally labeled meat processors in Montana and the source of virtually all of the beef on our menus.

Plucking a beet from the ground is one thing. But it’s a whole other experience entirely to watch an animal from the point of death to a hanging carcass in a chilling room before it’s dry-aged for further butchering. This is a very intense process, but everyone on our team was anxious to see firsthand just what this process looked like.

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And it got very real very quickly.

As we watched, some of us wide eyed, a cow was led around a series of curves into the stall to be put down in front of us and then hung and drained of its nearly-3 gallons of blood—all in the span of less than a minute.

Along many stages of a cow’s life, we see more and more that they physically move along from location to location in curved areas rather than spaces with corners.

This is almost solely due to the work of a woman by the name of Temple Grandin.

More on her in the near future.

Next, the head is removed and the carcass is moved along its track where a worker makes a small slit in the back of the Achilles to begin skinning the hide. The hide, weighing in excess of 100 pounds, is now removed with meticulous precision.

Justin, the plant owner, explained how every last part of the animal is used in some way—except the hide.

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

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It is sad irony that the only part of the animal that goes to waste is the part that animal rights organization People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals pressure processors like Ranchland on the most. Viewed as a sign of arrogant human materialism, hides have gone from having value in furniture, clothes, tools and art to mere waste. PETA has unwittingly turned a once-useful part of an animal into trash. But perhaps this is for another article.

For the eight workers on the kill floor, there are no less than three federal inspectors on the floor at all times. There isn’t a cut, movement or action that isn’t watched and documented by them. That’s how closely our beef in monitored and inspected in the United States.

Roughly 30 minutes passes from the moment of kill to two half-carcasses hanging in a sanitized, refrigerated room.

Our group came away with a much clearer and respectful view of how a steak makes it from the yard to their kitchen—and ultimately to your table. Our fieldtrip also put into perspective the intensity and reality of what goes on in a facility like this in order for us to reap the pleasures of these animals.

bigskybozemanrealestate.com

There are two things I always joke about: If you can’t lift your suitcase into the overhead bin, you should be checking it. And if you can’t park your vehicle, then the vehicle you’re driving is too large. But on a more serious note, my third adage is that you should be able to see how your food is produced, or in this case, processed.

This process is incredibly graphic, far more so than I put into words here. It is raw, and it is real. But I believe it is important to know how that wonderful piece of meat we all enjoy arrives to us; what it takes to get it there and the physically demanding and dangerous work it takes to accomplish this.

© 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.

In other words, if you don’t have the stomach for the process, you should think twice about putting the final product in said stomach.

As our team agreed, if you can’t watch it, you shouldn’t eat it.

Scott Mechura has spent a life in the hospitality industry. He is an executive chef, former certified beer judge and is currently the executive chef for Horn & Cantle at Lone Mountain Ranch.

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25 Blue Spruce Way | The Pines B-4 | Big Sky, MT

Woodburning river rock fireplace, end unit with privacy, Full length deck with hot tub, seating & barbeque Furnished | +/- 2,016 SqFt. | 3 Bedrooms | 2 Bathrooms $1,900,000 | MLS# 368974

170 Owl Gray Lane | Big Sky, MT

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Let me be your community connection. ©2021 Engel & Völkers. All rights reserved. Each brokerage 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. Engel & Völkers and its independent License Partners are Equal Opportunity Employers and fully support the principles of the Fair Housing Act.E&OE. Published by REAL Marketing (REM) | www.REALMarketing4You.com | 858.254.9619

OPINION

39 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

EVERY DROP COUNTS

RIVER PROTECTIONS AND DESIGNATIONS: WHAT DO THEY ALL MEAN?

BY MARNE HAYES EBS COLUMNIST

Like our favorite eddy lines along the Gallatin River, the headlines have been swirling recently with news about protecting the river by setting and proposing river designations in several forms to ensure that our backyard treasure remains clear, healthy and flowing for generations. But what do they all mean?

The various proposed designations include Outstanding Resource Water, 303 (d) Listing as Impaired Waterway via the Clean Water Act, and Wild and Scenic. There are classifications as federal protections, state protections, acts of Congress, petitions, ballot initiatives and measurements by the Montana Department of Environmental Quality.

The designations are diverse, and each has its own parameters which can impart protection for a river.

The key is to figure out how they all fit together, what protections they offer and how they can all be used in the best way to give the Gallatin River the highest protection possible while preserving its outstanding qualities.

Below is a breakdown of some of these designations: Outstanding Resource Water designation is the highest level of state-regulated protection that can be given to a river, and in Montana, there are no other rivers designated as such outside of national parks or wilderness areas. It's the most powerful

tool for protecting rivers from a point-source discharge regulated by the state.

and enacted, with the goal of improving and repairing the river’s water quality.

ORW does not protect a river from federally permitted uses. Montana State law is set up to require a three-step process to designate a river as an ORW, beginning with a petition review by the Board of Environmental Review, followed by consent of the State Legislature and finally a signature by the governor.

By comparison, a Wild and Scenic River designation is strictly a federal protection and is considered to be the gold standard for river protection in the United States. To achieve this standard of protection requires an act of Congress and protects a river in a variety of ways. It prohibits federally licensed projects like dams that impede the free-flowing nature of a river, protects rivers from federally permitted projects that would degrade a river’s water quality and bans any federally permitted projects that would harm a river’s remarkable values tied to habitat, recreation and scenery, and cultural values.

It is important to note that the most recent submission for a petition to enact a ballot initiative seeking designation of the Gallatin River as an ORW was written in a way thatcircumvents all of these processes outlined in Montana state law. This recent ballot initiative was also crafted in a way that changed the original language of the law, with the addition of disallowing permanent or temporary change in water quality that the Gallatin River Task Force understands would prohibit future restoration work on the Gallatin River.

In the case of a 303(d) Listing of Impaired Waters, a river is designated as an impaired water if data indicates degraded water quality. Once a river is listed as impaired, the state and local stakeholders must work together to make a plan to improve water quality. Examples of impaired or threatened waters on the 303(d) list in Big Sky include the West Fork, South Fork and Middle Fork of the Gallatin River.

Recently, the Upper Missouri River Waterkeeper enlisted a collective of conservation groups, including the task force, to sign a petition asking the DEQ to list the Upper Gallatin as impaired. If the Upper Gallatin is in fact found to be impaired, a plan to restore water quality would be developed

A scenic stretch of the lower Gallatin River. PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GALLATIN RIVER TASK FORCE

A federal Wild and Scenic designation would be achieved for the Gallatin through the river’s inclusion in the Montana Headwaters Legacy Act, a process which moves forward only through approval by the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives, and would ultimately be signed by the president.

Understanding how these designations work, how they are enacted, and what they mean for protecting a waterway is key. Given the appropriate process, any one of these would be a win for the Gallatin River. Holding ourselves, our collaborators and the community accountable to the state and federal processes by which these protections were written and designed is key to making sure that each of these tools is utilized to the standard for which it was created.

One of these designations alone cannot protect the Gallatin River fully, which is why careful evaluation of each of these and an understanding of how they work is critical to the future and health of the Gallatin River.

OPINION

40 May 5 - 18, 2022

Explore Big Sky

NEW WEST

YELLOWSTONE’S GEYSERS ARE MIRACLE OF SURVIVAL

BY TODD WILKINSON EBS COLUMNIST

One of the greatest rustic hotels in the world—and, more recently, a new, multi-million-dollar visitor center—were built practically on top of the world’s most famous and, so far predictable, erupting geyser.

That America still has the Earth’s largest assemblage of still-functioning geothermal phenomena in Yellowstone National Park is nothing short of a miracle.

It’s a cautionary message that is loud and clear in an overview provided by graduate student Alethea Steingisser and professor Andrew Marcus, both geographers from the University of Oregon. Their report, titled “Human Impacts on Geyser Basins,” appeared in the winter 2009 edition of the journal “Yellowstone Science.”

“Globally, there are at least 40 locations where geyser activity has been documented but geysers are now extinct in many of those locations,” they wrote.

In New Zealand, which once had the third largest number of geysers, some 220 spread across 20 different geothermal areas, now has only 55. The bulk of the decline is linked to poorly conceived energy development.

Closer to home, at Beowawe and Steamboat Springs in Nevada, the two largest geyser basins in

the U.S. outside of Yellowstone, zero active geysers exist today following the drilling of exploratory hydrothermal energy wells four decades ago.

As calls are made for America to harness alternative energy resources, the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is becoming a stage again for pondering the tradeoffs of development versus protection.

Similar discussions are happening in Russia’s Valley of the Geysers on the Kamchatka Peninsula.

Although Yellowstone National Park was set aside, in large part, to safeguard its geysers and 10,000 other geothermal phenomena, human regard for the features historically has been less than admirable.

Earlier iterations of modern tourists chiseled off pieces of geyser cones and carved their initials and graffiti into the mineralized surfaces. Hucksters dumped objects—all kinds—into the waters to leave them encrusted with travertine so that trinkets could be peddled to visitors as souvenirs.

Tour groups were encouraged to pack as much stuff into geyser vents as possible, as if they were preparing cannon fodder, only to sit back waiting for an eruption to send the junk skyward.

When park staff learned that some guides were pouring soap and lye into geysers to trigger premature eruptions, they, too, engaged in the practice. Even famed park photographer F. Jay Haynes employed the technique so that geysers would fountain on cue when he thought the light and wind were perfect to create a postcard image.

In short, adults treated the delicate, fragile features in the national park as cheap carnival games for their own immediate enjoyment, never thinking twice

A can ejected from an eruption of Ear Spring on Sept. 15, 2018, is just one example of the trash many visitors loaded into the park’s geysers decades ago. NPS PHOTO

about long-term impacts because, frankly, many knew they might never return to Yellowstone again.

Steingisser and Marcus note that park geysers and hot pools sustained heavy damage in 1946 as the end of World War II brought huge increases in visitation. And, as late as the 1950s, rangers dubbed the picturesque, rainbow-hued waters of Morning Glory Pool as “the garbage can” because of the amount of debris tossed into it.

Looking back, such behavior seems senseless and stupid, yet when the park implemented strict resource protection rules, informed by science, there were still profiteers who cackled loudly about their livelihoods being affected, their freedoms being impinged upon and years of beloved, sacred tradition being dishonored by the heavy-handed, paternalistic federal government.

The irrefutable lesson is that whenever natural resource protection or development is left to the whims of the lowest common denominator of human instincts, it suffers.

People who are unable to restrain their base impulses nearly annihilated most of the wildlife in the West a little more than a century ago, left many streams contaminated by abandoned mining and liquidated forests for the trees.

We forget that the U.S. Forest Service, and the establishment of the forestland reserve concept in Greater Yellowstone, was the result of unspeakable toppling of timber and fouling of watersheds in the East.

As Steingisser and Marcus conclude in their analysis on Yellowstone’s geyser basins, over half of all the major geothermal areas in the world have been harmed and many thermal features lost. The surviving ones will become even scarcer as pushes are made to develop geothermal energy and as a growing population, realizing how rare they are, clamber to see them.

A version of this article first appeared on Jan. 12, 2018 on explorebigsky.com.

An eruption of Old Faithful Geyser. NPS PHOTO

Todd Wilkinson is the founder of Bozeman-based Mountain Journal and a correspondent for National Geographic. He authored the book “Grizzlies of Pilgrim Creek,” featuring photography by famed wildlife photographer Thomas D. Mangelsen, about Grizzly Bear 399.

OPINION

41 May 5 - 18, 2022

ILLUSTRATION BY CY WHITLING

BIG SKY

BEATS RIVER RUNOFF

BY TUCKER HARRIS The seasons are changing once again as we transition from a wintry wonderland to “mud season.” The sun shines, the snow melts and the ground slurps up as much of the snowpack as it can; Creeks begin to gurgle, rivers begin to roar and Ousel Falls gushes alive from its frozen state.

In peak runoff season, the Gallatin River turns into a whitewater kayaker or rafter’s playground: The powerful free-flowing river features Class 4 rapids and water levels that rise by 1,000 cubic feet per second in a matter of days.

Gear up and listen to the Big Sky Beats: River Runoff playlist on Spotify to get in the mood for your spring adventure on the river.

Big Sky Beats: River Runoff 1. “Keep Pushin” by REO Speeedwagon 2. “Unknown Legend” by Shovels & Rope, Shakey Graves 3. “Mountain Music” by Alabama 4. “Mighty River” by Railroad Earth 5. “Tonight We Ride” by Paul Eason 6. “Fish and Whistle” by John Prine 7. “Float On” by Modest Mouse 8. “Mission” by Moon Taxi 9. “Midnight Rider” by Allman Brothers Band 10. “River Man” by The Last Bandoleros

Explore Big Sky

42 May 5 - 18, 2022

BAC K 4 0

BACK 40

Explore Big Sky

For Explore Big Sky, the Back 40 is a resource: a place where we can delve into subjects and ask experts to share their knowledge. Here, we highlight stories from our flagship sister publication Mountain Outlaw magazine.

Noun: wild or rough terrain adjacent to a developed area Origin: shortened form of “back 40 acres”

CURATING AN EXPERIENCE

THE MADISON DOUBLE R IS THE NEWEST HIGH-END FISHING LODGE IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. IT JUST MAY BE THE BEST.

BY JOSEPH T. O’CONNOR The long dirt road off Highway 287 south of Ennis, Montana, leads to a long dirt driveway that follows the iconic Madison River. Tall cottonwoods, their leaves a golden yellow, line the banks standing guard over one of the most famous trout fisheries in the world.

Passing a gate reading Madison Double R Lodge, the driveway opens to reveal the main lodge and the dozen or so cabins and outbuildings that surround an open grassy area bathed in the early evening light. The lowprofile structures feature clean lines and large windows, each intricately designed in a manner that could be described as rustic minimalism. John Sampson calls it “modern Montana.”

“The architecture brings Montana from the outside into the buildings,” says Sampson, 54, who opened the Double R with his wife Krista in June of 2019. “[It’s a] simple, clean style that doesn’t get in the way of what guests are looking to do, and that’s to experience the beauty of Montana.”

The Madison Double R is the newest high-caliber, topend fishing lodge in the Northern Rockies, providing guests with fly fishing gear by day, and a gym, hot tub, full bar, and premier dining experience at night. Expert guides lead float trips here giving anglers access to the large rainbow and brown trout that make the Madison among the most sought-after rivers around.

Snugged up to the Madison on what’s colloquially known as the “Miracle Mile” for its unrivaled fishery, the Double R Lodge stands on 1,287 acres through which moose, deer, bear and antelope regularly travel. Sampson leases about half the land to a friend whose horses graze in the vast fields. It’s a fitting arrangement since the Double R was named for the original property: River Ranch.

But what Sampson holds dearest is the conservation and restoration work that’s been done here: when he made the purchase, more than 600 acres of the property was in a conservation easement with preservation heavyweight Montana Land Reliance, and guidelines

include 500-foot setbacks from the river. And Sampson has endeavored to restore the local ecosystem by creating a network of creeks connected to the Madison that allow the river’s famed trout to spawn and their numbers to grow each year.

“If there’s one thing that I will look back on my career [and] be most proud of,” Sampson says, “it will be the recreational development, riparian-improvement projects that will live well beyond my time on the Earth.”

These restoration projects have become something of a crusade for Sampson. Indeed, he’s worked on eight in the Lower Big Hole Valley and in the Ruby Valley, where he co-owned the Ruby Springs Lodge with elementary school chum Paul Moseley just 30 miles west of the Double R. It was here at Ruby Springs, building off his experience working for all-inclusive lodges in Alaska, that Sampson began conceiving of the ideal fishing lodge.

The Double R took Sampson 18 months to build, but this lodge has taken him more than two decades to perfect. He helped run Ruby Springs for 23 years, and he’s learned from the mistakes and successes, fine-tuning each component of the Double R. For Sampson, however, this highly curated experience begins and ends with people. Guests are an eclectic mix of young and old, honeymooners and grandfathers, families and anglers. The backbone is a staff of 40 handselected, welcoming professionals. Sampson gives them the tools to be their best.

“It’s important to me that they’re empowered and encouraged to make decisions on their own,” he says.

“Nobody is less or more important than [another.] Every single teammate is important to the whole system. A happy staff makes for happy guests.”

Sam Hanssler and Alex Deen are the lodge’s chefs. Deen came from Colorado last May after working seasonally in Alaska and says the locally sourced ingredients make the cuisine unparalleled, while custom wine pairings round out meals.

“Coming from a culinary standpoint, it’s like a dream,” Deen says.

Peter McLoughlin, a next-door neighbor to the Double R and friend of John Sampson’s, agrees. “Having gone to a number of lodges around the country, I’ve never had better food than Alex and Sam provided,” says McLoughlin, who frequents the lodge with his wife Kelly for dinner and fishing once a week or so.

But alongside trying to make the restaurant the “best in Montana,” Deen says the team is like family. “And that goes for everybody on the ranch. We’re all so closely knit.”

That teamwork provides the experience. And that comes down to details: shuffleboard and pool tables in the bar; mountain bikes leaning against spacious, two-bedroom cabins; rooms with towering windows offer breathtaking views of the valley to the north and south, the Madison Range to the east; a hot tub just a short golf cart ride away overlooks the river.

Each component of the lodge works in unison, thanks to Krista and interior designer Teresa Kessler: from the minute detail of the Double R insignia on the napkin holders to the placement of Sampson’s grandfather’s mallard decoys overlooking the large stone fireplace in the great room.

But while an uncanny attention to detail gives guests visiting the Double R a world-class experience, it’s the people that make the lodge special. Sampson says he’s discovered the sweet spot where comfort and relationships combine for a world-class experience.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher Matt Morris’s signed jersey lives in a frame on the wall of the workout facility. “You become an extended member of the Sampson family when visiting the Double R,” said Morris, who lives in Big Sky with his wife Heather.

“John and Krista have raised the bar for fishing lodges across the country. We’re just lucky it’s in our backyard.”

On this evening, new friends and old mingle at happy hour, sampling apps and handcrafted cocktails as the Montana sun sets over this pristine stretch of the Madison River. Bozeman native and former Seattle Seahawks linebacker Brock Coyle is here celebrating his 30th birthday talking with an 89-year-old man who’s fished around the world. A young couple celebrating their wedding anniversary shares the day’s fish tales with a father whose 20-year-old sons and nephew lounge on a nearby couch.

The great room is open and inviting; guests relax in plush leather chairs, chatting and watching the Seattle Seahawks game on vast flatscreens. It’s a fitting game.

After all, Sampson grew up in Seattle and neighbor McLoughlin, former president of the Seahawks, is here laughing with the fishing guides.

“We view the lodge as a great resource to us because of the proximity of our friends John and Krista and the facilities the lodge has to offer,” McLoughlin says.

“To me, the Double R is all about hospitality and the friendships that you can make with the people that are John’s customers and clients, and the staff. It’s nothing short of incredible.”

Visit madisonrr.com for details and booking information.

Madison Double R guides lead clients down the “Miracle Mile” of the Madison River south of Ennis, Montana. Big rainbows and trophy browns will hit streamers, hoppers or nymphs. OUTLAW PARTNERS PHOTO

An earlier version of this story first appeared in the winter 2021 edition of Mountain Outlaw magazine.

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Tranquility in the heart of Big Sky

3735 Pinewood Drive | $5,850,000 7,274 ± SQ. FT. | 5.67 ± ACRES 4 BEDROOMS, 4 BATHROOMS Welcome to your private 5 acre Big Sky estate nestled between beautiful trees and mature landscaping, yet only a 3-minute drive to Big Skys Town Center. This gorgeous property provides a peaceful, tranquil retreat to live within the natural beauty of Montana.

There are multiple areas for relaxing and entertaining indoors and out, whether enjoying conversations on the 1,000 plus square feet of outdoor decks, soaking in the brand-new hot tub sipping cocktails after an epic day of skiing, or enjoying a nice cozy fire by the gorgeous stone fireplace. The vast property includes a Locati designed main house consisting of 4,976 square feet, a 2,298 square foot private guest house, and a horse corral with run in barn. Other highlights include a built-in sauna, game room, garage parking for four vehicles, gas and wood fireplaces, and much more. This property must be seen in person to truly appreciate the level of detail and utmost privacy this legacy estate provides, book your tour today.

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Michael Pitcairn michael@lkrealestate.com (406) 539-6060

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