Joining Heart of the Rockies Initiative, Governor Greg Gianforte and Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks (FWP) Director Christy Clark today visited the Barnosky Ranch in Madison County to highlight local efforts to prevent wildlife conflict, protect livestock, and sustain working lands.
“Montana ranchers are on the front lines of wildlife conflict, and they need the resources to safely prevent contact before it happens,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With grizzly bears on the move again this spring, Montana landowners and local partners are utilizing investments to prepare and protect livestock across 1.2 million acres.”
Working with FWP, Heart of the Rockies Initiative arranged six formal agreements with local landowner-led groups to support local efforts in areas where human-bear encounters are becoming increasingly common.
“This critical funding assists ranchers in cohabitating with grizzly bears. It’s important we support carcass removal and containment as well as range riders that all are essentials tools for folks who live amongst grizzly bears,” FWP Director Christy Clark said.
The $2.25 million investment from the U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) builds on and sustains 15 local efforts to reduce attractants, improve safety, and expand access to practical, non-lethal tools for people living and working around grizzlies.
Over the next three years, the investment is expected to help landowners and communities remove grizzly bear attractants across 1.2 million acres, install and maintain nearly 40,000 feet of fencing annually to protect livestock, and deploy 3,000 bear-resistant garbage cans in high-conflict areas.
Visiting the Barnosky Ranch near Sheridan, the governor heard more about the investment in local projects funded through the effort.
In the Madison Valley, the projects will include electric fencing and livestock carcass pickup services to producers in the valley, as well as establishing a range riding program.
“For us, the carcass removal process is a valuable tool for us. Our hope is to stay ahead of the curve, with large carnivores coming down on us in the valley. So we’re trying to be proactive with that,” said Neil Barnosky, rancher and Chair of Ruby Valley Conservation District.
Barnosky added, “And then in the Upper Ruby, we have a range rider. And one thing that does is we’re able to identify kills, and get reimbursed for them and also see what’s going on as far as cattle being moved or spooked. And so, it’s really a valuable tool for us as ranchers.”
Through Livestock Loss Board, the Montana Department of Livestock (DOL) awards grants to landowners to fund livestock prevention efforts. Applicants are encouraged to apply for grants before the May 31 deadline.
“This next year, we are going to have about $525,000 of funding available to the livestock loss board to fund compost programs, range riders, electric fencing, guard dogs — any accepted practice that prevents predation on livestock, we’d much rather pay for programs that prevent predation than to pay for livestock kills,” DOL Director Mike Honeycutt.
Heart of the Rockies Initiative was founded in 2002 as a partnership of local, regional, and national land trusts to ensure landowners have options to conserve their properties and keep critical landscapes intact and connected.
“With these resources now available, ranchers are poised to expand practical, field-tested solutions that can reduce wildlife conflicts and ensure the continued strength of Montana’s rural communities and economy,” said Gavin Ricklefs, Managing Director of Heart of the Rockies Initiative.
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Office of the Governor/FWP
