Blog
22 Years of Conserving Water & Making Pie
For 22 years, the Blackfoot Challenge has coordinated a voluntary drought resopnse plan that has created a culture of shared giving in the face of water shortages.
First Water Supply Report of 2023 posted
As of January 1, the Blackfoot has received 95% of its normal precipitation and snowpack according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) SNOTEL network. This is up slightly compared
Prepping for Pile Burning
This fall, partners throughout the Blackfoot Valley have been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) working hard to restore fire on the land.
BCCA Council seeking applicants for 2023-2025 term
2023 BCCA COUNCIL MEMBER APPLICATION INFORMATIONClosing Date: November 30, 2022 The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) Council is responsible for managing, on behalf of the community, the 5,609-acre Core area
Where There’s Smoke …
This fall, partners throughout the Blackfoot Valley have been quietly (and sometimes not so quietly) working hard to restore fire on the land.
Partnerscapes & Blackfoot Challenge: Together Again
“Partnerscapes is both honored and extremely appreciative to have the chance to come back to where it all started … “
Summer of Swans
This has turned out to be a banner year for trumpeter swans in the Blackfoot watershed.
Seeley Swan High School Discovery Days
Story and photo by Jean Pocha, Pathfinder staff. OVANDO – With the sound of wolves yipping and woodpeckers hammering away, the SSHS Discovery Days began in Mollett Park on the
Pesticides and Pollinators
By Karen Laitala, Vegetation Coordinator Though we live dramatically different lifestyles, my oldest sister who resides in a subdivision in a north Texas city and I, the Montana “country living”
Honoring the conservation legacy of George Hirschenberger
The Blackfoot Challenge lost a great friend, ardent conservationist, and longtime board member with the recent passing of George Hirschenberger. An active participant in the Challenge for more than 30
On Horseback in Bear Country
Interview with Jack Rich of Rich’s Montana Guest Ranch Interview by Seth Wilson The following is excerpted from Carnivore Damage Prevention News, Issue 24. The complete edition is available online
Bears visiting the classroom
Story and photo by Jean Pocha, Pathfinder staff. OVANDO – “There’s three kinds of bears in Montana, black, brown and very, very brown,” chimed a young student at the Ovando
From weeds and wetlands to fences and flickers: Blackfoot Watershed Stewardship Guide now available!
The Blackfoot Challenge is excited to announce the completion of the Blackfoot Watershed Stewardship Guide, a 36-page handbook full of information and resources on land and water stewardship for Blackfoot
Regenerative Ranching in the Blackfoot: An Evening with the Mannix Family Ranch
The Mannix Family has lived and ranched in the Blackfoot watershed’s Helmville Valley for five (going on six) generations. Join us for an evening with members of the Mannix Family
Winter Drought Resilience Webinar Series
This winter, please join us for a series of Webinars on Drought Resiliency in Ranching. It is no secret that 2021 was a devastating drought across the state of Montana.
49th Annual Powell County Livestock Seminar this Saturday
Featuring a discussion on electric fence and drive-over mats by Blackfoot Challenge Board Chair Jim Stone and Wildlife Coordinator Eric Graham. The event is free and concludes with a social
Annual Soil Health Tour showcases emerging approaches to enhancing Blackfoot agricultural soils
Every fall, members of the Blackfoot Challenge’s Soil Health Work Group gather to tour area ranches implementing new and innovative approaches to improving soil health. The Work Group, established in
Blackfoot River Recreation Use Study
In 2020, FWP continued and expanded a 14-year program of monitoring recreation use on the Blackfoot River. 2020 was a unique year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Record numbers of
Bears and Ghost Towns: Coming together to deliver place-based education
Earlier this fall, the Blackfoot Challenge worked with a host of partners to bring Blackfoot elementary students outdoors to learn about the world around them. On a sunny fall day
BCCA Council seeking applicants for 2022-2024 term
2022 BCCA COUNCIL MEMBER APPLICATION INFORMATIONClosing Date: November 30, 2021 The Blackfoot Community Conservation Area (BCCA) Council is responsible for managing, on behalf of the community, the 5,609-acre Core area
Riding the Fences
Riding the Fences: Listening and learning as a means to safely live with grizzly bears Written by Jessianne Castle of the Grizzly Bear Collective. This is an excerpt from the
Seeking Communications Intern
Motivated, thoughtful and detail-oriented individuals interested in conservation communications are encouraged to apply. The Blackfoot Challenge is a non-profit, community-based organization that coordinates a variety of collaborative conservation initiatives in
Responding to the fatal grizzly bear incident in Ovando
The recent death of Leah Lokan from a grizzly bear mauling while camping in Ovando, MT on July 6th has reinforced the need to maintain and enhance efforts to protect
DNA confirms euthanized bear responsible for Ovando attack
DNA results received Wednesday confirmed the bear killed by wildlife officials last Friday was the same bear who fatally attacked a camper in Ovando early on the morning of July
Officials kill grizzly bear near Ovando
Wildlife officials shot and killed a grizzly bear early Friday morning less than two miles from Ovando, where a woman was killed in a grizzly bear attack early Tuesday morning.
Fatal grizzly bear attack in Ovando
A camper was killed by a grizzly bear in Ovando early on Tuesday morning, July 6. The Blackfoot Challenge Board and staff are deeply saddened by this tragedy and extend
Catch up on the latest Montana Forests news
From biochar and camas prairies to stewardship interns and public land acquisitions, catch up on what’s happening on the lands The Nature Conservancy owns and manages in the Blackfoot watershed.
Last Water Supply Report of the season posted
Record amounts of precipitation in May brought much needed snow to upper elevation snowpack across the region, however long-range forecasts call for warmer and drier days than normal. Read June’s
Join us for a Prescribed Fire Tour in June
This spring, private landowners and public agencies across the watershed conducted prescribed burns to enhance forest health and community safety. Join members of our Prescribed Fire Work Group to visit
Irrigation reports for the Blackfoot watershed posted weekly
The 2021 irrigation season has begun, and that means our irrigation reports have too. Throughout the season, Barry Dutton, Blackfoot Soil Scientist Extraordinaire, provides weekly summaries of weather, crop water
Trumpeter Swans and Montana’s Common Loon
By Elaine Caton, Swan Restoration Coordinator Written for the Montana Loon Society‘s 2021 Newsletter In 2005, the Blackfoot Challenge in partnership with the US Fish and Wildlife Service began an
Smokey Skies This Spring A Sign Of Prescribed Fire Coordination At A Scale That Matters
Over the last few weeks, a number of private landowners, organizations and public agencies have conducted prescribed burns in the Blackfoot River watershed with the goal of enhancing both forest
Missoula BLM Seeks Public Comment on Proposed Land Acquisition
(MISSOULA, Mont.) – The public is invited to comment on a proposal by the Bureau of Land Management to acquire more land in the Blackfoot River Watershed. The BLM’s Missoula
Noxious Weeds and the Environment: A Bigger Picture
By Karen Laitala, Vegetation Coordinator Although anyone who knows me knows that I’m a “certifiable” botany and native plants nerd, I love everything nature. In particular, I share a love