A poetic exploration of community as I experience it in rural Montana.
CREATING A MASTERPLAN WITH DOWNTOWN HAVRE
SUPPORTING THE PEOPLE MANAGING MONTANA SOILS
The group diligently met with the collective purpose to increase the pace and scale at which land stewards implement voluntary practices and systems to maintain and improve soil health, and thereby the long term economic and ecological vitality of agriculture in Montana. And in September 2022, JG Research produced a report, which encompassed what was learned as well as recommendations that emerged from the effort.
One of the major takeaways from the effort both for the group at large in hearing from participants in the process as well as for me specifically in facilitating the group was the hunger for community, for connection, for conversation with people who share common concerns and cares.
Community Building
Whether we are tackling questions like “How to strengthen the local food system” in Custer and Lemhi County Idaho or “How to create more equitable land access for producers while supporting added enterprises on the landscape” in North Central Montana or “How to create more housing opportunities to support the rural community, which the surrounding working lands depend on” in Petroleum County Montana, we are ultimately bringing together those that care for a place and asking them for the solution.
WIDE SKY RETREATS
The opportunity to celebrate a friend realizing their dreams holds a particular kind of undeniable joy. Being able to do while also experiencing a transformative experience, now that’s down right the best. My trip to the Absaroka Beartooth Wilderness as a participant of Wide Sky Retreats encompassed all of this and more.
CREATING CONNECTIONS TO IMPROVE LAND STEWARDSHIP
As part of the services we offer to clients, we serve as a buyer’s agent in real estate transactions. With particular projects, our contributions extend well beyond closing. We have connected landowner who engaged us post-closing with a number of local organizations and will manage various projects on their property with partners like Swan Valley Connections and Lake County Conservation District.
MASTER HUNTER PROVIDES OPPORTUNITY FOR LANDOWNERS TO MANAGE WILDLIFE AND BUILD RELATIONSHIPS
At Topos & Anthros, we work with non-profits on strategy and engagement. Currently we are working with One Montana on a number of strategic initiatives including the landowner recruitment and retention component of their signature Master Hunter Program. Launched in 2018 to field more ethical, educated, and effective hunters, the Master Hunter Program provides landowners opportunities to build relationships with hunters in an effort to manage wildlife on their property.
MOUNTAIN WEST LAND VALUES IN 2019
Each year the USDA, through the National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), reports on agricultural land values. Generally speaking farm real estate average values per acre have stayed relatively stable in New Mexico, Colorado, Montana, and Wyoming from 2015 to 2019. Across the Mountain Region, values have risen 8% over five years in large part due to a significant rise in values in both Idaho and Utah.
YEAR END GIVING
With Giving Tuesday around the corner and year-end giving campaigns underway, we are pledging donations to organizations that matter to us and inspire the work we do. We’ve created a list of folks in Montana and across the west that we think are doing meaningful work in the intersection between people and land for you to learn more!
ESCAPE TO OUR PUBLIC LANDS
Though there are countless ways to enjoy natural and wild places, the USFS cabin rental program provides a unique experience to convene with some of the most beautiful places throughout our country. Maintained by the USFS, the cabins are available on a first come, first serve basis by booking through the National Recreation Reservation System. Almost every aspect of staying in a USFS cabin or tower requires a bit more work than a typical vacation rental or cabin-getaway. In our experience, the reward is well worth the (mostly enjoyable) work.
WATERSHED SOLUTIONS ON DEEP CREEK
At a recent tour of the Hahn Ranch and the greater Deep Creek watershed, ranchers along with folks from Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks (MT FWP) as well as Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (MT DNRC) spoke of the various elements that contributed to the successful improvement of Deep Creek, which has been the focus of watershed restoration for over 20 years. One of the specific efforts mentioned was the role of MT FWP in funding the conservation efforts of landowners. MT FWP has a variety of vehicles they utilize to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes including (but not limited to) funding water conservation projects related to water conveyance and irrigation methods, finding alternative / replacement water sources for participating water rights holders, and leasing water rights for in-stream flow.
LAND ACCESS AND AGRICULTURAL PRESERVATION VIA COMMUNITY LAND TRUSTS
There are a number of tools used across the country to connect people to land, promote ownership and equity, and preserve community values related to land-use. Community land trusts (CLTs) are one of these tools. Community land trusts are nonprofit, community-based organizations that aim to foster community stewardship of land.
CATTLE DRIVE FUNDRAISER UNDERWAY
For the second year, the Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) and Montana Stockgrowers Foundation (MSF) are holding their “Cattle Drive” feeder calf program, which raises funds for MSF. The program allows folks to contribute toward the efforts of MSF beyond the more traditional cash donations.
BATS IN MONTANA
2018 USDA NASS FARMLAND VALUES MOUNTAIN REGION
MONTANA MASTER HUNTER PROGRAM
Private landowners in Montana now have another option when considering how to integrate hunting into their land management operations and stewardship strategies. The Montana Hunter Advancement Program promotes safe, ethical, and responsible hunting through its focused “Master Hunter” certification program, offered in partnership with forward-thinking private landowners across the state.
RANCHING FOR RIVERS COST SHARE
INTRODUCING OUR LAND SUCCESSION PLANNING SERIES
According to the United States Department of Agriculture census data, the average age of farmers and ranchers exceeded 58 years of age for the first time in 2012. Succession planning is one of the aspects of aging land operators and properties nearing transition.
FINLEN HOTEL SALE FINANCED BY TIF FUNDS
The historic Finlen Hotel in Butte, which opened in 1924, has sold. The transaction was made possible in part to a $412,000 loan from Butte’s Uptown taxing district, the Urban Revitalization Agency (URA). The URA is a tax-increment financing (TIF) district, which generates funds by property tax dollars from new developments that are then re-invested in private buildings in the area through grants and loans.
