SWAN VALLEY CONNECTIONS
6887 HIGHWAY 83, CONDON, MT 59826 www.swanvalleyconnections.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: MAINTAIN THE SWAN VALLEY'S UNIQUE NATURAL RESOURCES AND ENSURE THAT A VIBRANT HUMAN COMMUNITY CAN SUSTAIN ITSELF THROUGH STEWARDSHIP, EDUCATION, ECONOMIC VIABILITY, AND CONSERVATION ON PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS.

ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATION.

STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION:SWAN VALLEY CONNECTIONS (SVC), WORKING WITH THE MONTANA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES AND CONSERVATION, ASSISTED 187 PRIVATE LANDOWNERS IN THE SWAN VALLEY DURING 2019 TO PROVIDE FOREST HEALTH AND STEWARDSHIP ASSESSMENTS. PRIVATE LANDOWNERS ALSO RECEIVE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE TO REDUCE WILDFIRE RISK THROUGH FOREST FUELS THINNING, MANAGE TREE BEETLE INFESTATIONS, AND MONITOR TREE DISEASE OUTBREAKS. WITH FUNDING FROM SEVERAL GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, FOREST STEWARDSHIP COST SHARE GRANTS WERE AWARDED TO 15 LANDOWNERS AND TREATED 127 ACRES IN 2019. SINCE BEGINNING THE PROGRAM IN 2004, LANDOWNER GRANTS HAVE BEEN AWARDED, FACILITATING THE TREATMENT OF 2,709 ACRES OF FOREST LAND AT RISK FROM WILDFIRE, TREE AND FOREST HEALTH DECLINE, OR TREE INSECT AND DISEASE OUTBREAKS. IN 2019, 6,440 BEETLE PHEROMONE PACKETS WERE DISTRIBUTED TO 119 LANDOWNERS IN THE SWAN VALLEY PROTECTING 46 ACRES OF TREES AND PROVIDING A BUFFER ZONE TO REDUCE THE SPREAD OF A BEETLE INFESTATION TO HUNDREDS OF ADDITIONAL ACRES. MITIGATING THE ENCROACHMENT OF NOXIOUS AND NON-NATIVE PLANT SPECIES REMAINS AN IMPORTANT PART OF MAINTAINING ECOSYSTEM INTEGRITY FOR THE SWAN VALLEY. SVC CONNECTED NUMEROUS LANDOWNERS WITH MISSOULA COUNTY COST-SHARE GRANT FUNDS TO TREAT WEED INFESTATIONS ON THEIR PROPERTY.THE SWAN VALLEY HAS OVER 4,000 WETLANDS, THE MOST ABUNDANT WETLAND HABITAT IN MONTANA AND IS HOME TO SEVERAL RARE AND ENDANGERED SPECIES. IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, SVC IS ENHANCING EXISTING WETLAND HABITAT AND RESTORING DEGRADED WETLANDS THROUGHOUT THE SWAN VALLEY. IN 2019, A 5.5 ACRE DRAINED WETLAND WAS RESTORED. SINCE THE INCEPTION OF THE PROGRAM IN 2010, SVC HAS RESTORED 12 WETLANDS ON 150 ACRES.STEWARDSHIP AND RESTORATION PROJECTS STIMULATE THE LOCAL ECONOMY, EMPLOYING LOCAL CONTRACTORS. SVC'S STEWARDSHIP PROGRAMS RESULTED IN OVER 16 FOREST, WEED AND WETLAND PROJECTS DURING 2019 TREATING 133 ACRES IMPROVING FOREST HEALTH, REDUCING WILDFIRE RISK, REDUCING INVASIVE WEEDS, AND RESTORING WETLANDS. IN TOTAL, 228 LANDOWNERS WERE SERVED AND 2,927 ACRES EVALUATED OR IMPROVED THOUGH SVC PROGRAMS DURING 2019.

EDUCATION:SWAN VALLEY CONNECTIONS' (SVC) EDUCATION PROGRAMS AIM TO STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN PEOPLE AND LANDSCAPES THROUGH PLACE-BASED EXPERIENCES. SVC TEACHES ECOLOGICAL LITERACY TO PEOPLE OF ALL AGES AND BACKGROUNDS, CULTIVATING COMPASSION AND ENTHUSIASM FOR THE NATURAL WORLD IN CHILDREN, CHALLENGING YOUNG ADULTS TO UNDERSTAND THE COMPLEXITIES OF LAND AND RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND PROVIDING RESIDENTS WITH OPPORTUNITIES TO ENGAGE WITH THE PLACE WHERE THEY LIVE, WORK, AND PLAY.DURING 2019, SVC'S YOUTH EDUCATION PROGRAMS SERVED RURAL STUDENTS IN GRADES K-8 FROM CONDON AND SEELEY LAKE. THESE PROGRAMS FOCUS ON NATURAL HISTORY AND OUTDOOR EXPLORATION, RANGING FROM TOPICS SUCH AS WILDLIFE BIOLOGY AND SNOW SCIENCE. OUR EXPERIENTIAL COLLEGE FIELD PROGRAMS HOSTED 14 STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE NATION IN 2019. SVC PROMOTES A PLACE-BASED, CASE-STUDY APPROACH TO CONSERVATION AND STUDIES PROCESS AND COLLABORATION TO MAKE THESE LESSONS APPLICABLE IN OTHER GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS. THROUGH THESE PROGRAMS STUDENTS EARN UP TO 25 SEMESTER CREDITS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA STUDYING ECOLOGY, NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, AND COMMUNITY-BASED CONSERVATION. OUR COLLEGE PROGRAMS ARE INTERDISCIPLINARY IN NATURE AND OFFER A BALANCE OF LEARNING THROUGH FIELD WORK, ACADEMIC READINGS, PRESENTATIONS BY STAFF AND SPEAKERS, PROBLEM SOLVING ACTIVITIES, AND PERSONAL REFLECTION. WE BELIEVE THAT A DEEP UNDERSTANDING OF ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES COMBINED WITH EMPATHY FOR HUMAN COMMUNITIES LEADS TO INNOVATIVE AND THOUGHTFUL STEWARDSHIP OF PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDSCAPES. OUR NATURAL RESOURCE SPEAKER SERIES BROUGHT 12 DIFFERENT PRESENTERS TO THE CONDON COMMUNITY, SHARING INFORMATION ABOUT LOCAL WILDLIFE BIOLOGY AND ECOLOGY, FIRE HISTORY, CLIMATE, AND TRIBAL HISTORY THROUGH OUR MONTHLY COMMUNITY POTLUCK EVENTS THAT PROVIDE EDUCATION TO AN AVERAGE OF 60 INDIVIDUALS FROM THE LOCAL COMMUNITY EACH MONTH IN 2019. IN THE WINTER OF 2019 WE SERVED OVER 50 PARTICIPANTS IN TRACKING CLASSES, CUSTOM FIELD EXPERIENCES AND A MULTI-DAY WINTER ECOLOGY COURSE. 8 PARTICIPANTS JOINED US FOR OUR FIRST MONTANA MASTER NATURALIST PROGRAM, WHERE THEY STUDIED SPECIES IDENTIFICATION, ECOLOGY, AND BIOGEOGRAPHY. WE HOSTED TWO EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, THE SPRING BEAR WAKE-UP SOCIAL AND BEAR FAIR, WHICH CONNECTED LOCAL RESIDENTS TO INFORMATION ABOUT LIVING WITH BEARS, AS WELL AS TWO BIRD COUNT THAT GATHERED LOCAL BIRDERS TOGETHER. WE ALSO HOSTED EDUCATIONAL DISPLAYS AT THE CONDON 4TH OF JULY CELEBRATION. OUR OUTREACH PROGRAMS SHARED INFORMATION ABOUT ONGOING NATURAL RESOURCE ISSUES TO LOCAL AND REGIONAL COMMUNITIES. SVC PRESENTED ON ITS COLLABORATIVE AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES MONITORING PROJECT AT THE MONTANA LAKES CONFERENCE AND WE ORGANIZED THE SWAN LANDS COORDINATING NETWORK MEETING, WHICH INCLUDED PRESENTATIONS FROM 20 NATURAL RESOURCE STAKEHOLDERS. IN ADDITION TO OUTREACH ABOUT PUBLIC LAND MANAGEMENT, SVC PROVIDES NUMEROUS OPPORTUNITIES FOR PRIVATE LANDOWNERS TO ACCESS FUNDING AND INFORMATION TO STEWARDSHIP TO THEIR LANDS, RANGING FROM WETLAND RESTORATION TO FOREST MANAGEMENT TO WILDLIFE COEXISTENCE. SVC IS COMMITTED TO MAINTAINING PARTNERSHIPS THAT PROMOTE EDUCATION FOR A BROADER AUDIENCE. IN 2019, SVC PARTNERED WITH THE MONTANA NATURAL HISTORY CENTER, MONTANA WILDERNESS ASSOCIATION, EARTHWATCH INSTITUTE, CLEARWATER RESOURCE COUNCIL, UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS, MONTANA DEQ, TROUT UNLIMITED, BACKCOUNTRY HUNTERS AND ANGLERS, THE U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, AND OTHERS. THESE PARTNERSHIPS BUILD TRUST, ENHANCE COLLABORATION, AND EXTEND THE REACH OF ANY INDIVIDUAL ORGANIZATION.

WILDLIFE & AQUATICS:SWAN VALLEY CONNECTIONS (SVC) WORKS TO CONSERVE THE INTACT ECOSYSTEMS WITHIN AND SURROUNDING THE SWAN VALLEY AND TO STRENGTHEN THE CONNECTION BETWEEN PEOPLE AND THE NATURAL WORLD THROUGH COLLABORATION AND EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING. LOCATED IN THE HEART OF ONE OF THE LAST REMAINING WILD AND INTACT LANDSCAPES IN NORTH AMERICA HOSTING ITS FULL COMPLEMENT OF NATIVE FISH AND WILDLIFE SPECIES IN THEIR NATURAL HABITAT, SVC'S VISION IS THAT THE SWAN WATERSHED WILL REMAIN AN INTACT ECOSYSTEM, SUPPORTING A RESILIENT COMMUNITY THAT VALUES ITS NATURAL RESOURCES, AND SERVING AS A MODEL FOR ENDURING STEWARDSHIP. SVC IS A COLLABORATIVE PARTNER IN SWAN VALLEY BEAR RESOURCES (SVBR), WHOSE MISSION IS TO OFFER COMMUNITY RESOURCES TO PROMOTE COEXISTENCE BETWEEN PEOPLE AND BEARS. A COLLABORATIVE EFFORT OF SVC AND THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE (USFS), SVBR PARTNERS WITH MONTANA FISH WILDLIFE & PARKS (FWP), U.S. FISH & WILDLIFE SERVICE (FWS), AND THE COMMUNITY IN PURSUIT OF ITS MISSION. SVBR STAFF HELP REDUCE BEAR CONFLICTS BY OFFERING PRIVATE PROPERTY CONSULTATIONS, ADVICE FOR LANDOWNERS TO MINIMIZE BEAR ATTRACTANTS, ASSISTANCE WITH TEMPORARY AND PERMANENT ELECTRIC FENCING PROJECTS TO CONTAIN BEAR ATTRACTANTS, EDUCATIONAL EVENTS, AND OUTREACH. SVBR HAS DISTRIBUTED 300 BEAR RESISTANT TRASH CONTAINERS TO LOCAL BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTS. IN 2019, SVBR BUILT SEVEN PERMANENT ELECTRIC FENCES TO CONTAIN BEAR ATTRACTANTS AND HAS NOW BUILT A TOTAL OF 26 PERMANENT ELECTRIC FENCES IN THE REGION TO CONTAIN BEAR ATTRACTANTS.SVBR SPONSORS SEVERAL OUTREACH EFFORTS AND EVENTS TO PROMOTE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF ITS MISSION TO REDUCE HUMAN/BEAR CONFLICTS IN THE SWAN VALLEY. SVBR PUBLISHES THE SWAN VALLEY BEAR NEWS, AN ANNUAL COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER THAT HIGHLIGHTS CURRENT EVENTS RELATING TO BEARS AND HAS A CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF NEARLY 1,400 INDIVIDUALS. SVBR HOSTS SEVERAL DIFFERENT TYPES OF COMMUNITY EVENTS DESIGNED TO ENGAGE COMMUNITY MEMBERS AND PROVIDE FORUMS TO DISCUSS AND DISSEMINATE INFORMATION ABOUT LIVING WITH BEARS. IN 2019, SVBR HOSTED THE ANNUAL BEAR FAIR - AN INFORMATIONAL, SOCIAL EVENT THAT IS AIMED AT PROMOTING HUMAN/BEAR COEXISTENCE AND MINIMIZING BEAR CONFLICTS. SVBR ALSO HOSTED A SPRING BEAR WAKE UP SOCIAL IN 2019, WHICH IS ALSO AIMED AT PROMOTING HUMAN/BEAR COEXISTENCE AND MINIMIZING CONFLICTS, AND SERVES AS AN ANNUAL REMINDER FOR RESIDENTS TO CONTAIN THEIR BEAR ATTRACTANTS AS BEARS EMERGE FROM HIBERNATION. SVC IS THE POINT OF CONTACT LOCALLY TO REPORT BEAR INCIDENTS, PROBLEMS, AND CONFLICTS AND WORKS TO HELP RESOLVE ISSUES OR RELAY INFORMATION TO APPROPRIATE MANAGEMENT EXPERTS.THE SOUTHWESTERN CROWN OF THE CONTINENT (SW CROWN) IS A PRIMARILY FORESTED LANDSCAPE IN THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS OF WESTERN MONTANA. THE SW CROWN WAS CHOSEN AS ONE OF THE FIRST TEN PROJECT AREAS NATIONALLY AWARDED FUNDING UNDER THE FEDERAL COLLABORATIVE FOREST LANDSCAPE RESTORATION (CFLR) PROGRAM. THE CFLR PROGRAM REQUIRES MULTI-PARTY MONITORING TO ASSESS THE POSITIVE OR NEGATIVE ECOLOGICAL, SOCIAL, AND ECONOMIC EFFECTS OF RESTORATION PROJECTS IMPLEMENTED UNDER THE PROGRAM. SVC, IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE U.S. FOREST SERVICE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION, BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT, AND THE NATURE CONSERVANCY IN MONTANA WORKED TO SYSTEMATICALLY SURVEY PARTS THE SW CROWN FOR FOREST CARNIVORES, PARTICULARLY FOCUSING ON LYNX, FISHER, AND WOLVERINE IN 2019 AS PART OF A LONG-TERM MONITORING EFFORT THAT BEGAN IN 2012. MAINTAINING OR RESTORING A HEALTHY LANDSCAPE THAT SUPPORTS THESE THREE SPECIES IS A PRIMARY FOCUS OF NATIONAL FOREST MANAGEMENT IN THE SW CROWN AND, AS LISTED OR SENSITIVE SPECIES, THE CFLR PROGRAM. AS SUCH, FOREST MANAGERS CONSIDER THE IMPACTS TO THESE SPECIES BEFORE IMPLEMENTING ANY MAJOR FOREST MANAGEMENT, INCLUDING BUILDING OR REMOVING ROADS, FUELS REDUCTION, AND FOREST RESTORATION PROJECTS. THE PRIMARY OBJECTIVE OF MONITORING FOREST CARNIVORES IN THE SW CROWN OF THE CONTINENT IS TO FACILITATE AND COORDINATE THE ADAPTIVE MANAGEMENT OF WOLVERINES, CANADA LYNX, AND FISHER BY AGENCY MANAGERS ACROSS THE LANDSCAPE. THIS MONITORING PROJECT WAS DESIGNED TO PROVIDE A BASELINE OF THE CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF THE FOCAL SPECIES IN THE SW CROWN AND TO ALLOW FOR TRACKING CHANGES IN THAT DISTRIBUTION OVER TIME. THE SW CROWN CARNIVORE PROJECT UTILIZES NON-INVASIVE SURVEY METHODS TO MAXIMIZE THE ABILITY TO DETECT MULTIPLE SPECIES ACROSS A LARGE LANDSCAPE IN AN EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE MANNER. SVC CONDUCTED SNOW TRACK SURVEYS AND USED DNA COLLECTION METHODS (HAIR SNARES AND BAIT STATIONS) DEVELOPED BY RESEARCHERS WITH THE USFS ROCKY MOUNTAIN RESEARCH STATION.SVC COORDINATES AND HOSTS AN ANNUAL NATIVE FISH SUBCOMMITTEE MEETING, WHICH IS A COLLABORATIVE GROUP OF PARTNERS FROM MONTANA FWP, U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, MONTANA DNRC, U.S. FOREST SERVICE, THE UNIVERSITY OF MONTANA, FLATHEAD BIOLOGICAL STATION, U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, MPG RANCH, AND PRIVATE CITIZENS. THE NATIVE FISH SUBCOMMITTEE WORKS TO INFORM THE CONSERVATION STRATEGIES WHICH WILL BEST PROTECT AND RESTORE WESTSLOPE CUTTHROAT TROUT IN THE SWAN RIVER BASIN. SVC COORDINATES AN AQUATIC INVASIVE SPECIES (AIS) PROGRAM AND ACTIVELY COLLECTED WATER SAMPLES FROM SWAN WATERSHED LAKES TO MONITOR FOR AIS THAT COULD HAVE MAJOR NEGATIVE ECOSYSTEM FUNCTION AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS.THE SVC VISITOR CENTER PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT LIVING WITH ALL SPECIES OF WILDLIFE, INCLUDING A 'LIVING WITH WILDLIFE' INFORMATIONAL PACKET FOR NEW LANDOWNERS IN THE VALLEY AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES.

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