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Big Hole River Foundation
P.O. Box 3894
Butte, Montana 59702
phone: 1-866-533-BHRF
Press Releases
PRESS RELEASE 6/14/07
The Big Hole River in Paint: a Benefit for the Big Hole River Foundation
As a benefit for the Big Hole River Foundation, Nicholas Oberling, past President of the Montana Painters Alliance has organized an exciting art event, which will capture the beauty of the Big Hole River in a unique and comprehensive way. “The Big Hole River in Paint” is an invitational art event involving multiple artists who will be stationed at regular intervals along the Big Hole River, from Skinner Lake through 130 miles to the Big Hole’s confluence with the Jefferson River. Each of the participating artists will then do an on location plein air painting directly from their spot. The artists will paint anything they like, so long as they include a part of the river in their composition. Distinguished artists of varying styles and backgrounds are being selected. The unique thing is: they all have to paint their works on the same day, June 29, 2007, rain or shine creating a portrait of the big Hole River from beginning to end. The public is encouraged to come watch the artists at work that day. Many will be visible from Route 43.
The completed works will be shown together in an exhibit and sale to benefit the Big Hole River Foundation. The event will kick off at the August 3rd Art Walk in uptown Butte at the US Bank and will hang at the bank for the month of August. In September, the show will move to the Uptown Café in Butte.
Some of the artists already signed up include: Susan Blackwood*, Diana Brady*, Ray Campeau, Tom English*, Howard Friedland*, Elloie Jeter, Nicholas Oberling*, Steve Oiestad*, Mike Patterson*, Aaron Scheurr*, Greg Sheibel,* Janet Sullivan* Ron Ukrainetz*, Steve Elliott*, Lou Archambault*, Dave Mihalic, John C. Ulberg, Haakon Ensign, Mark Ogle* and Todd Connor*.
The show is being sponsored by Gamblin Artists Colors of Portland, Oregon. "Gamblin's ongoing commitment to formulating safer and more permanent oil painting materials liberates artists, their works and the environment from the damaging effects of turpentine and lead. Since our founding, we have worked to minimize our impact on the environment and promote conservation. We are proud to support the Big Hole River Foundation and the Montana Painters Alliance in their efforts to preserve what is truly one of America's last best places." Pete Cole, President of Gamblin Artists Colors.
The mission of the Big Hole River Foundation is to understand, preserve and enhance the free flowing character of the Big Hole River and to protect its watershed, culture, community and excellent wild trout fishery. Any questions regarding the event can be directed to Corky Logan, Foundation Administrative Assistant, at (866)533-2473 or bhrf@bhrf.org.
*Member of Montana Painters Alliance. Works by these artists can be seen at www.mtpaintersalliance.bizland.com “Big Hole River in Paint” organizer Nicholas Oberling is a founding member and past president of the Montana Painters Alliance. His paintings can be seen at www.nicholasoberling.com
PRESS RELEASE 1/4/06
Public Needs to Comment on Big Hole Arctic Grayling Recovery Plan
Contact: Jeff Schahczenski, Executive Director, Big Hole River Foundation, (406) 494-8636 or email bhrf@ncat.org
The public will have three important opportunities to provide their input on the draft Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for fluvial Arctic grayling in the Upper Big Hole River in the next few weeks. Two public meetings in Butte and Wisdom next week and an open written public comment period closing January 23rd are available for citizens who care about this watershed and Arctic grayling recovery. With its' over 300 members, the Big Hole River Foundation has a continuing interest and active engagement in understanding, preserving and enhancing the riparian, fishery, agricultural, economic and community health of this unique and beautiful place. We have taken a particular interest in the recovery of the Arctic grayling because it will lead to, not only the improvement of the ecological health of the watershed but if done well, can also lead to a much improved and sustainable watershed economy.
For the most part the Foundation is in broad agreement with the well laid out draft CCAA as a sound scientifically based document that could lead to recovery of the fluvial Arctic grayling in the upper Big Hole River if fully and quickly implemented. Despite a great deal of technical information, the CCAA document is essentially a recovery plan for the Arctic graying in the upper Big Hole river watershed. Time is of the essence and our strongest criticism of the draft CCAA is that it errs on the side of doing too little too late.
Every effort must be made to not only have very specific timetables and mileposts for the accomplishment of this well laid out recovery plan for fluvial Arctic grayling, but also that the goals listed must be set higher and accomplished sooner if this draft plan intends to truly succeed at recovery of this species.
Finally, we encourage the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the partnering agencies in this agreement, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the USDA Natural Resources and Conservation Service to keep the general public fully aware of progress on a regular, timely and region wide basis of accomplishments and failures as this recovery plan is implemented. Our specific comments and recommended changes to the draft CCAA will be available on our website next week at www.bhrf.org or can be obtained by contacting, Corky Logan at (406) 563-2677 or cjlogan@rfwave.net.
Public meetings on the draft Arctic grayling recovery plan will be held at the Wisdom Community Center in Wisdom on January 9, from 2 p.m to 9 p.m and in Butte at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks office at 1820 Meadowlark Lane on January 12, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. Details of the meetings are available by calling the FWP office in Dillon at (406) 683-2675.
The public can obtain a copy of the draft CCAA recovery plan by accessing the Big Hole River Foundation website at www.bhrf.org Written comments on the plan can be made by emailing to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at fw6_arcticgrayling@fws.gov , by fax at (406) 449-5339 or by mailing to: Arctic Grayling CCAA U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 100 North Park Avenue, Suite 320, Helena, MT 59601. Remember, comments must reach the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service by January 23, 2006.
Jeff Schahczenski Executive Director Big Hole River Foundation
Big Hole River Foundation Awards Ranching Conference Scholarships
BUTTE, January 6, 2005
The Big Hole River Foundation has awarded full scholarships to two Big Hole watershed ranchers to attend an important regional conference this month in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Big Hole ranchers Hans Humbert and Jess Kirkpatrick will be attending the Quivira Coalition annual conference which is recognized as one of the most important regional conferences addressing the topic of conservation ranching in the West. The title of this year's conference is "Half Public, Half Private, One West" and will explore issues and strategies that aim at improving economic and ecological health for all by honoring the public while respecting the private. Jeff Schahczenski, Executive Director of the Big Hole River Foundation will be attending the conference with the area ranchers and is pleased that this opportunity could be extended to Big Hole ranchers. "With our sustained efforts at enhancing a viable livestock industry in the Big Hole that coexists with resource management practices supporting a healthy fishery this conference will be particular useful to all of us," said Schahczenski.
Besides exploring a range of issues the conference will also provide very practical workshops for the area ranchers. For instance, both area ranchers will be attending a range school co-hosted by the Society of Range Management and will able to attend the annual meeting of the Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA). SWGLA is a new organization which is exploring the market opportunities for fully grassfed livestock products that are in increasingly in demand by health conscious consumers. In the words of Courtney White, the Executive Director of the Coalition, "this conference will help to ensure the long-term vitality of the values we all cherish in the West-open space, wildlife, water, culture and economy- we need to manage land as if fences didn't matter"
FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Jeff Schahczenski Executive Director Big Hole River Foundation 3040 Continental Drive Butte, MT 59701 406-494-8636 www.bhrf.org
Big Hole River Watershed Awarded National Conservation Grant
BUTTE, October 28, 2004
The Big Hole River Foundation, its long standing partner the Big Hole Watershed Committee, Montana Trout Unlimited and several federal agencies were awarded a $135,000 planning grant from the new USDA Conservation Partnership Initiative (CPI) program. The award was announced yesterday by Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman, naming the Big Hole River Foundation as one of only six award recipients. Foundation Board President, Sheila Youngblood, was very pleased to hear of the award. "This planning grant is a clear recognition of past collaborative efforts of all stakeholders working in the Big Hole River watershed as well an indication of our ability to improve ranching and the fishery in the future," Youngblood said. Randy Smith, Big Hole rancher and chair of the Big Hole Watershed Committee says "This planning grant recognizes what we have known since the beginning of our organization…that our best solutions are made at a watershed level. We have been working hard on the challenges facing agriculture and conservation on the Big Hole for nearly a decade and this funding will help us continue in those efforts." Natural Resources and Conservation Service (NRCS) State Conservationist, Dave White, was pleased to hear that a Montana proposal was one of the six proposals in the nation receiving support under this program. "This award will support the development of locally led solutions to pressing natural resource problems and help ranchers cooperate and share information to address environmental challenges," White said. CPI is designed to foster conservation partnerships and fund projects that focus technical and financial resources on conservation priorities in watersheds of special significance and other geographic areas of environmental sensitivity. CPI is open to state and local governments, tribes and nongovernmental organizations with a history of working with agricultural producers. One objective of the grant will be to facilitate development of a Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) for fluvial Arctic grayling in the upper Big Hole River. The US Fish and Wildlife Service's CCAA program provides non-federal property owners who voluntarily agree to manage their lands and waters to remove threats to candidate or proposed species under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) with assurances that they will not be subject to additional regulatory obligations under the ESA beyond those agreed to in the CCAA. The CPI grant will provide an opportunity to consolidate information, for example on land use and irrigation in the Big Hole River watershed, which can be used to develop and subsequently implement an effective CCAA to benefit fluvial Arctic grayling
The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) received 29 proposals involving 31 states (including five multi-state submissions). Applications were received from one local agency, four state agencies, three universities, three conservation districts, four resource conservation and development councils and 13 nongovernmental organizations (one nonprofit submitted two proposals in different states). CPI proposals were required to address one or more of the following conservation priorities: terrestrial and aquatic wildlife habitat, coastal resources, livestock nutrient management and minor/specialty crop pest management. The CPI grant recipients and award amounts are: Massachusetts, The New England Small Farm Institute - $110,000 Missouri, Missouri Department of Conservation - $138,000 Montana, Big Hole River Foundation - $134,988 New Mexico, San Francisco Soil and Water Conservation District - $199,935 Utah/Nevada, Great Salt Lake Resource Conservation and Development Council, Inc. - $150,533 Washington, Pierce Conservation District - $200,000 Additional information on CPI and the grant awards is on the Web at http://www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/cpi.
