The Island Range Chapter educates and organizes citizens on wilderness issues close to where we live.

Some of the best-known wild places in our area are: the Rocky Mountain Front, Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, CM Russell Wildlife Refuge, the Big Snowy Wilderness Study Area, and the Little Belt Mountains.

What we're working on now

Little Belt Update:  Tenderfoot Creek drainage in the Little Belt Mountains remains one of the most scenic and undeveloped roadless areas in the Little Belt Mountains.  The cold, clean water of Tenderfoot Creek provides critical spawning habitat for the Smith River while the surrounding landscape contains extraordinary habitat for a variety of wildlife.  Recognizing the high resource values associated with the area and damage being caused by off-road vehicles, the Forest Service closed the main trail along the creek drainage to vehicle use almost two years ago, during the travel plan revision process.

Despite the change in trail use, illegal off-road vehicle use continues unabated.  It is especially frustrating to surrounding private landowners who have committed time and money trying to control spotted knapweed, only to see their efforts undone as vehicles drive through the drainage spreading weed seeds.  Part of the problem stems from the checkerboard pattern of ownership and the inconsistent approach to management and enforcement.  

To address the problem, MWA brought together several surrounding landowners, Forest Service personnel, and a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks game warden to develop a plan that would better address the problem and provide more consistent management.  As a result of that meeting the following actions were agreed on by all parties:

1. Forest Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will work out jurisdictional issues and cooperate to more aggressively cite unauthorized travel violators.  District Ranger Carol Hatfield stated that the education period is over and that off-road vehicle users who violate the travel plan will no longer be tolerated.  Two ATV riders who knowingly violated the travel plan were recently cited and will have to appear in court.
2. Two local landowners have agreed to pay for two large signs that will not only inform users about off-road travel restrictions, but also will include some interpretative information to help educate the public about the area's resources and why they need protection.
3. Signage will also be placed at a campsite clearly marking the end point on Forest Service Road 6424.  Vehicle riders will continue to be able to travel to the campsite to access Tenderfoot Creek, but the signs will make it absolutely clear that they cannot legally travel beyond this point.
4. MWA agreed to continue to monitor the area and report illegal use and damage.  Signs throughout the forest are regularly vandalized and stolen.

Changing travel plans is difficult, and changing people's patterns of behavior can be even more difficult, but over time the combination of these actions should make a difference and better protect the wild character of this roadless area.

Coalition to Go Public with Front Proposal

Please join us on Wednesday, September 30, 2009 at 7:00 pm in Heritage Hall at the MSU Great Falls College of Technology where the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front will be rolling out a grassroots conservation proposal for the Rocky Mountain Front.

After two years and many hours of sometimes difficult discussions, Coalition members came up with a proposal which will provide permanent protection to all federal lands along the Front, while also addressing a variety of concerns and the support of a large and diverse cross-section of local and national forest users.  While there were differences about the means of providing long term protection, everyone involved was in agreement that the Front should be kept as it is so that future generations can use and enjoy it as we do.

The proposal will largely build around the existing travel plan adopted by the US Forest Service after extensive public involvement.  The travel plan emphasizes traditional uses ~ hiking and horseback riding ~ but also allows some motorized travel and quiet trails for mountain bikes.  The final proposal will combine some designated wilderness with permanent travel rules on other public lands along the Front.  Another component of the plan wlil be improved weed control on the national forest.  

The Coalition is now in the process of finding a member or members of Montana's congressional delegation who will introduce the proposal as a bill and work to move it through Congress and across the President's desk for passage.  The outcome of Senator Tester's "Forest Jobs" bill along with other pressing issues in Congress will probably determine the timing of this legislation, but opportunities to include the bill in other legislation may arise at any time, so we need to be ready now.

The proposal represents a lot of work and negotiation and has a realistic chance of becoming Montana's next Wilderness bill.  This is your Rocky Mountain Front and we're looking forward to hearing from you.  Please make an effort to join us for this important event on September 30th.

Other News

The Island Range Chapter has a PowerPoint slide show featuring the Rocky Mountain Front. It is a gorgeous, non-confrontational and educational pictorial that we will present to any organizations in our area. It can be shown at a lunch meeting or in the evening. Please contact Turn on JavaScript! or Turn on JavaScript! for more information.

Prairie Wilds PowerPoint Presentation:  A visual tour of Montana's prairie wildlands will soon be coming to a community near you!  MWA members from the Eastern Wildlands and Island Range Chapters prepared a short PowerPoint presentation highlighting the diversity and richness of Eastern Montana's public wildlands.  The program includes photos of Chalk Buttes near Ekalaka, the shortgrass prairie of Bitter Creek near Glasgow, the Badlands near Terry, the Breaks of the Missouri and Tongue Rivers, and Island Ranges such as the Big Snowies near Lewistown.

The intent of the PowerPoint is to present it to a mix of civic groups and public officials throughout central and eastern Montana and use it as a means of talking to others about the value of protecting prairie wildlands.  In the process we hope to develop new relationships and learn from those most closely tied to the lands.

If you belong to a civic organization which is looking for speakers, please contact the MWA office in Great Falls at 453-9434 or email below.

Join us for upcoming events!

Great Falls Conservation Council
Meets Every Thursday at noon
Penny's Gourmet to Go, 815 Central Ave.

Full MWA Calendar

Contact us

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MWA Island Range Chapter Board of Directors 2009 - 2010

President: Gerry Jennings
Vice President:  Keith Gebo
Treasurer:  Joanne Bernard
Secretary: Scott Friskics
Immediate Past President: Scott Friskics
MWA State Council Representative: Dan Bennett

Members at Large

Cindy Asthalter
Dave Byerly
Lisa Easton
Jay Eklund
Tammy Filliater
Don Griffith
Jim Heckel
Roy Jacobs
Lisa Krebs
Brian Lakes
Gudrun Linden
Lindsay Love
Dave Mari
Robb Mullen
Katie Kotynski
Dodger Newhall
Larry and Betty Salois