Beaverhead County Resource Use Committee

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Federal Agency Websites - and - Land & Resource Management Plans - BLM-Dillon Field Office Website - BLM-Dillon Resource Management Plan Website - Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest Website - B-DNF Forest Plan Revision Website   Did you know a goal of the Beaverhead County Resource Use Committee (BCRUC) is to support the development and revision of Beaverhead County Comprehensive Plan; to include all resources upon which county customs, cultures, and economy are dependent; provide county government with a tool that will enable the county to effectively influence government and non-government entities when making decisions that affect environment, customs, cultures, and economy of the people of Beaverhead County? BCRUC Document List The following documents are available online or at the Beaverhead County Courthouse: October 2001 BLM RMP Scoping Comments Beaverhead County Resource Use Plan Amendment, July 2001 - July 2001 Resource Use Plan as MS Word DOC file June 2000 Resource Use Plan Draft  Cover Letter for June 2000 Draft July 1999 Resource Use Plan Draft

[Previous entry: "BRCUR Meeting Nov 29, 7PM"] [Main Index] [Next entry: "Beaverhead Co. BLM RMP Scoping Comments"] 10/28/2001 Entry: "Beaverhead Watershed Committee Meeting, Nov 5, 2001, S&R Building" The next regular meeting of the Beaverhead Watershed Committee will be on November 5th, 7pm at the Dillon Search & Rescue building. The agenda includes discussion of 319 projects and other grant updates, finalizing ground rules, a review of the weed project meeting, and introducing the new coordinator. Here is what happened at the October 1 meeting: Present: Carl Malesich, Tom Rice, Jerry Kustich, Tom Smith, Bill Tash, Kris Berg, Ginette Abdo, Rob Van Deren, Bob Hartwell, Russ Kipp, Garth Haugland, Steve Morehouse, Mike Mooney, Jack Eddie, Richard Coad, Lorie Higgins (facilitator) The August 27th meeting minutes were approved with one change. Carl Davis, not Carl Smith, attended the meeting and advised the committee on matters related to the Clark Canyon Dam contract renewal process. Lorie Higgins announced that she intends to accept a position offered to her by the University of Idaho in Moscow. It is a research and extension position with the agricultural economics and rural sociology department. Lorie won’t start the new position until January in order to assist with the coordinator transition and to follow through on grant writing and other projects started with the watershed committee. Lorie offered to split her hours with the new coordinator when the two are working together. This way the new coordinator can be trained and provided with as much support in the first few months as possible. The steering committee will be interviewing coordinators (there were two applicants) on October 11th. 319 Project Rob Van Deren drafted a TMDL (Total Maximum Daily Load) work plan, which was distributed and discussed. The group agreed to adopt the work plan as a working document (attached). It was agreed that the first step should be to review existing information/data, including the data that was used in the 303(d) screening (impaired waterbodies list at DEQ) of Beaverhead Watershed waterbodies. It was suggested that a search of University theses and dissertations might also turn up some studies. Bill Tash recommended working with DEQ and organizations like Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology (MBMG) in order to produce data that is credible and defensible. MBMG also has an online database. MBMG has done the kind of analysis of existing data outlined that is outlined in the work plan. This was done on the Sun River watershed. Ginette Abdo of MBMG offered assistance to the group in their efforts to prepare to launch a research and monitoring program (a key part of TMDL / water quality planning). She suggested targeting April, 2002 for initiating the research project that the group has funding for. Kris Berg suggested looking at all watershed information and then prioritizing drainages within the watershed to organize efforts. Steve Morehouse (Bureau of Reclamation) has a water quality study going in Clark Canyon Reservoir. Sampling sites are where Horse Prairie and the Red Rock enter the reservoir and just below the dam. Even though the reservoir is in the Red Rock watershed, this study will be important information for the data/situation analysis, and as a baseline for later data collection. There was some question about the BLM and FS lands and whether TMDLs affect them too. The group decided not to establish a TMDL subcommittee (or subcommittees) yet. The Stone Creek project that the group has funding for was discussed. It looks like there are two possibilities for projects. The road that runs along the stream needs to be rehabilitated to reduce sedimentation in the stream or the project can focus on rebuilding lower Stone Creek. Some suggested it might make sense to rehab the road so that when the lower creek is rebuilt, it won’t get clogged with sediment. The committee would like to leave the decision up to the Stone Creek Watershed residents, who are planning to meet and discuss it soon. Carl Malesich will represent the watershed committee on that group. The Van Kamp Slough project was also discussed briefly. Rob Van Deren suggested that John Dillon be on the Van Kamp Slough subcommittee (John agreed). Kris Berg, who has an EQUIP project related to the slough restoration, needs to have something done by October (2002). Weed Project update A meeting was held on September 24th with landowners interested in participating in the upper river (treatment) phase of the watershed weed project. Non-binding contracts will be distributed to those who are interested by those already participating and members of the watershed committee. These contracts simply lay out the roles and responsibilities of all parties and gives Jack something to submit with grant proposals that shows the level of participation in the project. Jack needs these all returned by Thanksgiving. Those committee members present at the Sept. 24 meeting and the committee as a whole (on Oct. 1) agreed to pursue a National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant that will provide additional cost share to all landowners in the watershed wishing to treat weeds, funds for weed inventory mapping, and for interns to do outreach and assist in the overall project. Carl Malesich agreed to review the grant proposal (which is due on Nov 6). It was also suggested that John Dillon be asked to review the proposal (he agreed). The committee received the Watershed Planning Assistance Grant it applied for in August. This provides coordination money for the weed project, mapping money and some matching funds for the 319 (TMDL) project. It was agreed that the mapping $ will be spent in the river corridor. This will help the group get additional Noxious Weed Trust Fund dollars next year. It is anticipated that mapping with those funds will occur early next summer. The next BWC meeting is on November 5th, 7pm ? at the Search & Rescue building in Dillon. Add A New Comment Name E-Mail (optional) Homepage (optional) Comments