We WELCOME you to a history of some of the ... - Bitter Root RC&D

We WELCOME you
to a history of some of the activities and projects of the
Bitter Root Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) Area, Inc.
serving the Montana Counties of Mineral, Missoula, and Ravalli.

The Bitter Root RC&D, authorized in
1965 was the twelfth in the nation and
the first in the State of Montana.
Mission Statement
The mission of the
Bitter Root RC&D is to
promote the
conscientious
development of the
area’s natural and
human resources,
while maintaining or
improving the quality
of those resources
and the quality of life.

The Bitter Root RC&D encompasses the the three south-western counties of
Mineral, Missoula and Ravalli in Montana ~ known to visitors as Glacier
Country.

The basics:
501(c)(3) nonprofit,
nonpartisan,
nongovernmental
corporation
Governed by an 18-member
board of directors, six from
each county
Principal sponsors are
county commissioners,
conservation districts and
Natural Resources
Conservation Service (NRCS)
Total three-county area
encompasses 3,980,800
acres
Serves 15.46% of the state’s
total population
Community projects focus on
activities in water
management, land
management, community
development and land
conservation

Co-founders of the Bitter
Root RC&D were:
o Clarence Popham
o Jack Iman
o Dr. Bob Smith
o Dr. William Jellison
o Jim DeBree
Since establishment in
1965 there have been
three Coordinators:
1) Buster Dufour
2) Skip Lynch
3) Kit Sutherland (current)
Bitter RC&D Presidents
(Board Chairmen)
Clarence Popham
Jack Iman
Leonard G. Peterson
Ivan Cranston
John J. West
LeRoy W. Hinze
Tom Ruffatto
James H. Freeman (19
years)
Allen C. Bjergo (current)

Resource management
(forest health/clear-cut
issue)
Gravity-flow Irrigation
Systems working with BRID
installing systems irrigating
over 6000 acres
Small business plan
development leading to
ventures in:
Wind energy
Plastics fabrication plant
Missoula farmers market
Missoula Five Valleys Park
Association
Studies in mass transit in
Missoula area
Elimination of old land dump
in Mineral County
Cultural Improvement
opportunities in Ravalli
County including:
Local seminars of book
“Montana Genesis” written by
local historians
Daly Mansion Preservation
Wood pellet study
Public Broadcasting System
Economic Development
Plans

A sampling of projects and activities

1990’s
Sample of Water
Management
LAKE COMO DAM
PROJECT (water
management)
In 1991, plans to
rebuild the Lake
Como Dam were
underway.
Construction of an
additional 3.3 feet
occurred in 1993
adding an additional
3,000 acre feet of
high quality water to
the lake. This project
was a partnership
with BLM, FWP, the
Reclamation Bureau,
the State of Montana
and the RC&D Lake
Como Committee.

1990’s
Sample of Land
Conservation
ROCK CREEK ROAD
DUST ABATEMENT
PROJECT (land conservation)
In 1993 and 1994,
work began on a 50-
mile stretch of gravel
road along a blue
ribbon trout stream
known as Rock
Creek. The work
involved raising funds
to pave 10-miles of
road and improve the
gravel on several
other miles that over
60,000 people used
every year. It helped
alleviate, 1) severe
dust issues, 2) traffic
hazards, and 3) site
degradation.

Fiber Arts Guild and
Fiber Arts Festival
Community Arts &
Recreation Program, Darby
1990’s
Sampling of
Community
Projects
Fiber Arts Guild
Good Nations Pow Wow
Bitterroot Bluegrass Festival
Community Arts & Recreation Program
All of these projects
supported the
community and were
a part of community
development.
Bitterroot Bluegrass Festival

Sample of One
Successful
Partnership in All
Categories of Focus
Trapper Creek Job Corps
Partnership (all categories)
The Bitter Root RC&D
became the liaison for
Trapper Creek Job Corp
when applications from
the general public would
come in for work
projects. These projects
included work requests
such as:
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Pouring concrete
walkways
Community event
set-up and take
down
Fairgrounds
improvements
Built fire halls
Community cleanup
Volunteer during
emergencies
Catering meals &
picnics

Successful Programs in Mineral County
A Sampling of Projects in
Mineral County
A few of the projects that
have occurred in Mineral
County include:
• Wood biomass
utilization wood
pellet study
• MCCAT Position for
the Mineral County
Community Action
Team
• Fishing access site
improvements
• Mineral County
ambulance
• Dry hydrant
demonstration
project
• Savenac Historic
Center Staffing
• Savenac sewer
replacement
• Hazardous fuels
cost share
program

Successful Programs Beginning at Bitter Root RC&D
Bitterroot Land Trust
Community Gardens
Missoula Ravalli
Transportation
Association
Bitterroot Water Forum
Bitterroot Theraputic
Riding
Valley Veterans
Services
These projects had
their roots at the
Bitter Root RC&D but
became successful
projects of their own
accord.

A Sampling of National & Regional Conferences
The Bitter Root RC&D has helped facilitate numerous
conferences and forums throughout the region.
• 1994 Value-Added Conference – ”Growing Sustainable Forest Enterprises: An
Intermountain Idea Fair”
• 1997 Rural Communities Assistance Partnership – ”Sustaining Our Environment &
Our Communities: Working Together the Sky’s the Limit”
• 1998 National Conference on - “Feasibility of Economic Development in Timber
Dependent Communities in the Inland Empire based on Utilization of Native Inland
Hardwood Species”
• 1999 National Carbon Offset Coalition Conference
• 2000 “Creating the Future We Want for the Bitterroot Valley” Community Forum
• 2000 National Forest Service Reunion Conference
• 2002 Western RC&D Conference
• 2005 National Woody Biomass Conference – “ When You Get Back Home”
• 2007 Regional Woody Biomass Conference – “Making Wood Work”
• 2007 “Success by Meeting” Conference
• 2009 National Forest Service Reunion Conference – “Where Do We Go From Here”
• 2010 Western RC&D Conference – “Creating Tomorrow’s Food & Energy”

Providing Community Assistance
NeighborWo
rks® Center
for
Homeowner
ship
Eduction
and
Counseling
Bitter Root RC&D offers
assistance to communities
by providing training,
classes and publication
support such as:
• Bitterroot Covering
Kids/CHIP Insurance
Assistance
• NeighborWorks®
Montana First Time
Homebuyer
Education Classes
• Ravalli County
Neighborhood
Housing Grants
• Grant Writing
Workshops
• Forest Service Living
History Collection
and Publication
support
• Bitterroot Watershed
Guide
• Bitterroot Birding Trail
Brochure and
Signage
• Forest Service
Museum Interpretive
Program

Fire Recovery-Activities-Support
Bitter Root RC&D
took the lead in fire
recovery efforts and
issues performing
services in all
categories of RC&D
focus.
Prior to 2000 efforts
included:
1992 Wildland
Urban Interface
Task Force
GIS Mapping
Project
Community
Wildfire Protection
Plan
After 2000 efforts included:
Bitterroot Interagency/
Community Recovery
Team (BIRT)
MT Department of
Labor Fire Restoration

Activities Related to Fire Recovery & Forest Health
Before
After
Numerous projects
were spurred into life
after the fires of 2000,
many in partnership
with the Bitterroot
National Forest and MT
DNRC.
Small Wood
Utilization – Winter
Olympics Kiosk
Hazardous Fuels
Reduction Grants
Chipping program
for hazardous fuels
Darby Schools
Biotechnology
Lab/Cone
Collection
Fuels for Schools
Small Wood
Utilization – Darby
Library with
furniture, and
Darby Jail
Renovation
Middle East Fork
Intervention

Activities Related to Community Development & Education
The Bitter Root RC&D
supports activities that
provide community
education and activities
such as:
Lewis & Clark Information
Merging Waters
Community Wildfire
Protection Plan
Riparian
Demonstration Site
Presentations at
National Fire
Management
Leadership Courses
FireSMART Wagon
Fuels for Schools
Curriculum
Healthy Kids~Healthy
Forests Program
Lost Trail L&C Kiosk
Green Home Living
Expo
Bitterroot Valley
Interpretive
Association
Keystone
Healthy Kids~Healthy Forests
Merging Waters
Educational Center
Keystone After School
& Summer Program

Activities Relating to Health, Safety & Education
The Bitter Root RC&D
has facilitated
numerous projects
supporting the welfare
of our human and
natural resources.
Bitterroot Farmers
Market Produce
Voucher Program
Mill Creek
Watershed
Improvement
Victor Fire
Substation
Healthy Families of
Ravalli
Lewis & Clark
Public Safety
Strategy
Corvallis
Pedestrian Trail &
Bridge
Friends of Darby’s
Trail of Discovery
Darby Bread Box
Food Bank
Fit to Fight

Miscellaneous Projects 2000 - 2010
The Bitter Root RC&D
provides support for
projects with a wide
range of objectives.
Below are just a few:
Canyon Hideaway
Playground
Darby’s Active &
Resourceful Teens
(DART)Skate Park
Animal Control for
Ravalli County
Capitol Christmas
Tree 2008
Bitterroot Valley
Community College
Endowment
Hamilton Boxing
Club
Ravalli County Fair
Foundation

Evaluations, Assessments, Monitoring, Feasibility
The Bitter Root RC&D
has participated in
numerous types
studies/assesments
including:
Economic
Development
Strategies for
Mineral, Missoula
& Ravalli Counties
Wetland
inventories and
monitoring
Bitterroot River
Fish Habitat
Assessment
Post-Fire State &
Private Forest
Lands Assessment
Bitterroot
Stewardship
Monitoring Project
Fuels for Schools
Feasibility Studies
Lewis & Clark
Public Safety
Evaluation

Current Bitter Root RC&D Board Members
Allen Bjergo, President, Corvallis, MT
Greg Chilcott, Vice-President, Ravalli County Commissioner,
Stevensville, MT
Pam Gouse, Secretary‐Treasurer, Hamilton, MT
B. J. McComb, Mineral County Commissioner, Alberton, MT
Michele Landquist, Missoula County Commissioner, Missoula, MT
Kevin Chamberlain, Superior, MT
Jim DeBree, Superior, MT
Roger Hearst, Superior, MT
Richard Ramberg, Missoula, MT
Gerald Marks, Missoula, MT
Sally Johnson, Seeley Lake, MT
Jim Burchfield, Missoula, MT
Steve Vogt, Hamilton, MT
James H. Freeman, Victor, MT

We Couldn’t Do What We Do Without……..
…...the support of all of our partner agencies and organizations, all
of the volunteers that support and put energy into the numerous
projects that are housed with RC&D, and the dedicated staff who
work to make the Bitter Root RC&D the best it can be!
All Bitter Root RC&D programs and services are offered on a nondiscriminatory basis, without
regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, age, marital status or handicap.