Garfield County Conservation District

06/11/2026

As Montana’s (and the United States’) largest ecosystem type, rangelands pack a BIG punch in the services they provide not only in MT, but around the nation. Along with scenic beauty, well managed rangelands provide many benefits, or ecosystem services, like diverse wildlife habitat, improved soil health and water quality, nutrient cycling, and reduced erosion.

Montana Watershed Coordination Council
• https://www.mtwatersheds.org/
• NRCS Blog
• https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs-helps-ranchers-and-land-managerswith-challenging-rangeland-management-balancing-act

06/11/2026

Common buckthorn is a strong reminder of why prevention matters. Originally brought to North America as an ornamental shrub, it escaped cultivation and now spreads aggressively in woodlands, riparian areas, and shelterbelts. Once it invades, buckthorn forms dense thickets, shades out native plants, and alters wildlife habitat. Disturbed soil gives it an even greater advantage. The first species to colonize an open patch is often a noxious w**d like buckthorn. That’s why the saying goes: “Cover it up!” Reseeding or mulching disturbed areas
immediately helps prevent reinvasion. Choosing native plants instead of ornamental invasives is one of the simplest and most effective ways Montanans can stop buckthorn and other invaders before they start.

Don’t Plant Common Buckthorn
• Introduced as an ornamental
• Spreads rapidly by seed and root suckers
• Forms dense, impenetrable thickets
• Outcompetes native shrubs and understory plants
• Very difficult and costly to control

Plant These Instead
• Serviceberry (Amelanchier)- Native, wildlife- friendly, and great for hedges
• Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana)- Hardy, attractive, and supports pollinators
• Woods rose (Rosa woodsii)- A tough native shrub that provides habitat and color
• Red-osier dogwood (Cornus sericea)- Excellent for riparian areas and erosion control

06/11/2026

Friends and Colleagues,

Boating season is here in Montana with partners and FWP staff seeing high numbers of boats at inspection stations across the state. Inspection numbers state-wide are a bit behind last year (25,100 this year compared to 27,700 in 2025), but Memorial Day weekend saw more traffic than last year with over 4,100 watercraft inspected compared to 3,700 in 2025. The holiday weekend was BUSY with the Clearwater Junction station (operated by Missoula County) inspecting more than 1,000 boats over the long weekend.

The lab is also up and running and actively processing AIS early detection samples. No evidence of invasives mussels detected by the lab so far this season, but they do see other interesting things like native Staurastrum spp. Algae (photo attached)

AIS Update: May 2026:

Prevention / Watercraft Inspection:

➡️17 roadside watercraft inspection stations are in operation in Montana.
➡️Over 25,000 watercraft have been inspected so far this season.
➡️➡️➡️12 Mussel Fouled Watercraft have been intercepted to date. Mussel fouled boat intercepts are down also from this time in previous years (17 in 2025, 17 in 2024, 25 in 2023, 25 in 2022)
➡️2026 station location and dates of operation can be found here: https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/aquatic-invasive-species/watercraft-inspection-stations
➡️Inspection data from the 2026 season is posted on the Watercraft Inspection Dashboard (updated weekly): https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/e7e5c01c253741bb88af3a963940c92d


Early Detection:

➡️AIS Early detection staff are conducting surveys state-wide. No new AIS detections so far this season.
➡️Over 100 AIS early detection samples have been processed so far this season with NO evidence of invasive mussels detected.
➡️Beaver Lake Eurasian Watermilfoil Eradication Project (Whitefish): FWP staff conducted follow-up surveys on June 2nd and found 10 EWM plants. Plants were removed and benthic barriers were installed to ensure no regrowth occurs. EWM eradication efforts have been ongoing on Beaver Lake for over 10 years. Only a handful of plants have been found over the past several years. With persistent survey and removal efforts we anticipate eradication of this population.
➡️The Flathead Biological Station and FWP AIS staff held an AIS training workshop on Flathead Lake on June 4th. Over 25 professionals and volunteers attended to learn about species identification, survey techniques, and sampling methods. AIS Survey Training News Story
➡️FWP AmeriCorps member Rayna Ponessa (photo attached) has been traveling the state this spring supporting angler education and AIS outreach. In the last couple of weeks she has presented to students, set up booths at festivals and events and educated new anglers. She has spoken to over 1,000 people in the last couple of months about AIS and is a valuable asset to Montana’s AIS Team. AmeriCorps is an outstanding resource to help engage and educate the public on AIS issues.
➡️If you are interested in hosting an AIS identification / early detection training / workshop in 2026, please reach out to Craig McLane for more information ([email protected])


Upcoming Events:

➡️June 23-24th: Columbia Basin Team for AIS in Missoula. https://www.westernais.org/regional
➡️September 23-25th: Western Regional Panel of the ANS Taskforce annual meeting. Sacramento, CA. Call for presenters: https://westernregionalpanel.org/annual-meeting/
➡️November 3rd: Annual AIS Partner Meeting. Montana Wild, Helena, MT. Save the Date.
➡️November 4th-5th: Montana Invasive Species Council Summit, Montana Heritage Center. Helena, MT. Save the Date.


In The News:

➡️New FWP Clean Drain and Dry your kayak video
➡️Wading angler Clean Drain Dry Video
➡️Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes explaining tribal watercraft inspection
➡️Western Regional Panel is accepting nominations for Best in the West aquatic invasive species professionals
➡️Regional coordination to protect the Pend Oreille basin
➡️Watercraft inspection in Yellowstone
➡️North Dakota zebra mussel eradication treatment in Smishek Lake
➡️Colorado initiates mussel sampling in the Colorado River
➡️Aquatic Invasive Species Control and Prevention Act Introduced in Congress
➡️Alberta steps up enforcement for watercraft inspection
➡️Saskatchewan PNWER AIS Summit Summary
➡️Clean Drain and Dry in Saskatchewan
➡️Golden mussels identified in drinking water treatment plant in San Jose, CA
➡️Watercraft inspection no longer required at Lake Oroville, CA
➡️Boat with golden mussels intercepted going to Lake Tahoe
➡️AIS management Success Stories.




Thomas Woolf | Aquatic Invasive Species Bureau Chief
Fisheries Division
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Office: (406) 444-1230 | Cell: (406) 438-5305

Protect Montana Waters from ...

06/08/2026

🌳 Tree Sale Season Success! 🌳

This year's tree sale was another great success, and we want to thank everyone who placed orders through the Garfield County Conservation District! We even had a special extra helper this year, baby boy Kenneth Dean, who kept Mom company while helping with tree sales. 😊

We do want to apologize to the few customers who did not receive all of their trees this year due to nursery-related issues and plant shortages caused by sickness at the nursery. We appreciate your patience and understanding as these situations are unfortunately beyond our control.

As you start planning for next year, remember that ordering early gives you the best chance of getting the species and sizes you want (ESPECIALLY THE TALLER TREES), which tend to sell out quickly. Tree sales will open again in September 2026, so keep an eye out for upcoming information and order forms!

Thank you for supporting conservation and helping make Garfield County a little greener, one tree at a time! 🌱

06/05/2026

🌾What is prescribed grazing? 🌾

Prescribed grazing is a management technique that involves controlling the intensity, frequency, duration, timing, and number of grazing animals on pastureland. This method is designed to align with the site's production limits, the growth needs of forage plants, and the nutritional requirements of the grazing animals. It typically includes rotating grazing herds among different sub-pastures based on specific land and herd characteristics. The goal is to maintain a balance between the needs of forage plants and the grazing animals to promote healthy ecosystems.

e142. Prescribed Conservation Grazing with Jake Yancey
• https://youtu.be/5WOwbtbk65Q

NRCS Blog
• https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/news/nrcs-helps-ranchers-and-land-managers-with-challenging-rangeland-management-balancing-act

Range management is a challenging balancing act, juggling the forage needs of the herd, with other needs of the operation. During National Forage Week, June 16-22, learn more about NRCS resources to help ranchers and other rangeland owners.

06/05/2026

💟🌾

06/04/2026

🌷🌾We love to see such beauty added to different portions of our community from different entities 🌷🌾

🦋🐝 We also love to see things added that give love to pollinators! 🦋🐝