Progress Reports Critical Lands Project Flathead Lakers Contract # 207054 Report Period: This report summarizes the

progress made by the Flathead Lakers from July 1 through September 15, 2007 toward accomplishing Critical Lands Project tasks and goals. Task 1. Critical Lands Conservation Program Outreach The Flathead Lakers and the Flathead Land Trust met to discuss the new conservation outreach position and define partners needs and how the outreach coordinator would share responsibilities with partners. Partners agreed that the position would be housed at the Flathead Land Trust. Funding for the position has been secured from multiple entities, including Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Sustainability Fund, and the Flathead Land Trust, in addition to this grant. The Flathead Land Trust board of directors met to discuss the position. Task 2. Living by Water Workshop & Tour The Flathead Lakers sponsored a Living by Water Workshop and Tour on September 8. The workshop and tour were conducted in collaboration with the Flathead Conservation District (FCD), the MSU/Flathead County Extension Agent, and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). Twenty-five people attended, achieving our 25-person goal. An additional three information packets were distributed to three landowners who were unable to attend but who were interested in receiving information distributed at the workshop. The audience included landowners living near rivers, streams and lakes, also included three Realtors, two public officials and a professional landscaper. Landowners learned to recognize healthy and unhealthy riparian areas and how land use impacts that degrade these critical areas can result in erosion, property loss and water pollution. They also learned about land use management decisions that minimize impacts and were introduced to techniques for restoring degraded riparian areas, such as bank stabilization and planting shrubs and trees to create streamside buffers. The workshop included a two-hour power point presentation (see Living By Water CD) provided by the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, the MSU/Flathead County Extension Agent and the Flathead Conservation District. The Rolling Rivers Trailer, a large utility trailer that can be used to build a model watershed to demonstrate stream dynamics, watershed concepts, the importance of riparian areas, and best management practice1, was used in combination with the power point
1

For additional information visit the Rolling Rivers Trailer website at www.dnrc.mt.gov/cardd/rolling_rivers/default.asp.

presentations. Dave Martin, Public Information Specialist with DNRC, conducted the Rolling Rivers Activities. Workshop participants were provided an information package, which included the Living By Water brochure previously developed by the Flathead Lakers and the Flathead Conservation District, the Montanas rivers and streams need ROOM TO ROAM brochure, developed by the Governors Task Force for Riparian Protection, and the Maintaining a Health Riparian Buffer along Streams and Rivers pamphlet produced by the Missoula Conservation District, as well as additional literature to help landowners with the assessment of their riparian areas and guide their management decisions. Additional optional publications were available for workshop participants . Water Quality Library Transmittal Forms were sent to the Water Quality Planning Bureau for all handouts made available at the workshop. A tour of a restoration project completed last spring on Haskill Creek, east of the City of Whitefish, concluded the workshop. Hydrologist and consultant John Muhlfeld, River Design Group, guided the tour of the restoration project, and Angel Rosario, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, described the conservation programs offered by this agency to assist landowners with riparian areas protection and restoration. Landowners were encouraged to invite the Flathead Conservation District and/or USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service staff, or an independent consultant to visit their property to evaluate restoration needs and present management options. Five landowners immediately signed up for a visit to their property by the Flathead Conservation District. Outreach to landowners to promote the workshop and tour was conducted in numerous ways. The Flathead Lakers and partners announced the workshop in the area newspapers, radio stations, the Flathead Lake Monitor, The Flathead Lakers website, through the Critical Lands E-mail Network, through posters and flyers placed in key locations in Whitefish, Kalispell and Bigfork, and during community events. The Flathead Conservation District handled reservations. The feedback provided by workshop participants (see Evaluation Summary) was very positive. All workshop participants indicated that the workshop was well worth their time and 59 percent said that they plan to use the information to change how they manage their riparian area. Seventy-six percent of participants indicated that they desired some type of follow-up activity following the workshop, including additional restoration tours (47%), a restoration workshop focused on specific restoration techniques (35%), and a follow-up visit and consultation (23%). Follow-up visits were offered and several landowners signed up for a visit by the Flathead Conservation District. The workshops success was due to partner flexibility, successful outreach, collaboration with key partners, a carefully developed information package and presentation, and the combination of indoor class time, Rolling Rivers watershed model activities and the restoration tour.

Deliverables: One Living By Water Workshop & Tour, workshop informational package, participant evaluation results and summary. Cost: $2,450 319 Funds; $6,598 Non-Federal Match; $100 Federal Match. Task 4: Project Coordination The Flathead Lakers provided project coordination and administration, including communication with project partners to plan and implement projects, report on progress and prepared financial reports. See the enclosed billings statement (Attachment B). Cost: $280 319 Funds. Attachments: Living by Water Workshop information package including agenda, power point presentation and handouts included in the packet. Living by Water CD including power point presentation, handouts developed for the workshop, press release, radio PSA, flyer, evaluation form, contact information for presenters, and other documents used to plan and implement the workshop. Living by Water Workshop and Tour Photos. Billing statement, Attachment B.