montana - nature conservancy ellis maintenance manager yvonne geisel ... until the montana legacy...

MONTANALandmarks

Annual Report 2011

©Kenton Rowe

COVER PHOTO

This glorious image of Old Man of the Hills on the Rocky Mountain Front was one of the winners of our staff photo contest. It was submitted by Maria Mantas, our Western Director of Science and Stewardship and Mike Madel of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

HELENAKat Imhoff

Montana State DirectorJeff Barber

Director of Government RelationsSusan Benedict

Director of AdministrationJennie Corley

Executive AssistantWhitney Daniel

Operations AdministratorJ.D. Davis

Director of PhilanthropyBee Hall

Associate State DirectorAlison James

Philanthropy WriterGreg Lambert

Conservation CoordinatorSharon Liederman

Grants SpecialistBrian Martin

Director of ScienceGail Moser

Donor Relations Coordinator

StaffKim Patterson

Philanthropy CoordinatorAmy Pearson

GIS AnalystDebra Sattler

Donor Relations ManagerHeather Snyder

TIS Operations ManagerLaura Stafford

Conservation Information ManagerChase Warden

Director of Finance & Operations

BOZEMANBebe Crouse

Director of CommunicationsAllen May

Director of Major GiftsSally Schrank

Associate Director of Philanthropy

PINE BUTTE GUEST RANCHScott Randall

Ranch Manager

David CronenwettNaturalist

Herb EllisMaintenance Manager

Yvonne GeiselGuest Services Manager

PINE BUTTE SWAMP PRESERVENathan Birkeland

Preserve ManagerMark Korte

Preserve Land Steward

COMMUNITY-BASED PROGRAMS

NORTHERN MONTANA PRAIRIESShawn Cleveland

Glaciated Plains Land StewardPaul Koss

Matador Ranch HandCharlie Messerly

Matador Ranch Hand

ROCKY MOUNTAIN FRONTDave Carr

Sr. Program DirectorDave Hanna

Director of Science & Stewardship

Mary Tuckerman-HollowLand Protection Specialist

SOUTHWEST MONTANABrad Bauer

Land Steward and GIS AssistantJim Berkey

Program DirectorNathan Korb


WESTERN MONTANARandy Avery

MT Legacy Project Roads PlannerCaroline Byrd

Program Director Chris Bryant

Land Protection SpecialistHenry Fassnacht

ForesterSteve Kloetzel

Land Resource ManagerMaria Mantas


YELLOWSTONE RIVERBurt Williams

Project Manager

learn more at nature.org/montana Annual Report 2011 1American Avocet (Recurvirostra Americana) in the Centennial Valley. ©Kenton Rowe

Board of TrusTeesExECuTIVE COMMITTEE

Scott Hibbard, ChairJan Portman, Vice-Chair and Nominations and Governance CommitteeJamie Shennan, Vice-Chair and Philanthropy CommitteeWym Portman, Treasurer and Finance CommitteeDusty Crary, Recent Past ChairDan Pletscher, Government Relations CommitteeTom Meredith, Global Board of Directors

Leo BarthelmessCharlotte CaldwellStephanie ChristensenPage DabneyFred DanforthDeborah Pratt DawsonJon DawsonEliza FrazerMike O’HearnSherry O’HearnSandra RoeSteve RunningJanna ShennanDale Veseth

I’ve always said that we shouldn’t talk about what we do in terms of “bucks and acres.” Conservation is a much bigger and more complex undertaking. But, this is one time when I’m going to make an exception and say, ONE MILLION ACRES CONSERVED! The Nature Conservancy in Montana is on the threshold of that impressive achievement. What’s even more impressive is how we did it. That’s why we’re dedicating this year’s annual report to telling the story of how we achieve the kind of conservation success that makes the Montana Chapter so extraordinary.

Ours isn’t simply a history of “the first” or the “biggest”–although we are proud of those achievements. Our success is grounded in a commitment to partnership, community, science, and stewardship for the long term. We go long and go deep...and we employ a versatile set of tools to realize our vision. Of course, none of this would be possible without the stellar team of members and donors whose dedication and generosity allow us to continue reaching for goals that may seem impossible for a chapter of our size.

Even as we celebrate this physical milestone, we never forget that it isn’t really about acres. It’s about life on this beautiful planet. The same work that protects the North Fork for grizzlies, ensures that anglers can enjoy fishing these pristine waters and that Flathead Lake will stay clean enough for a child’s first swimming lesson. Conserving grasslands means just as much to the families who’ve ranched them for a hundred years as for birds and pronghorn. Conserving forests sustains the economies of rural communities, as well as a future for Canada lynx.

We stand proud of this achievement... even as we continue reaching for the next horizon.

Thank you for being part of the team!

from the State Director

Gail M

oser/TNC

Letter from the State Director ........ 1Where We Work ................................2Crown of the Continent ................... 3Southwest Montana .........................10Yellowstone River ............................ 13Northern Montana Prairies ........... 14Financial Summary .......................... 17Tanzania ............................................. 18Giving Back to Nature ...................19Donors ............................................... 20

Crown of the

ContinentFort PeckReservoir

FlatheadLake

Blackfoot River

Missouri

Yellowstone River

Centennial Valley

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Rocky Mountain Front

MontanaLegacyProject

UpperMadison

GreaterYellowstoneEcosystem

MontanaGlaciated

Plains

BitterCreek

North Fork Flathead R.

Flat

h ea d

CanyonFerry Lake

YellowstoneLake

NorthernMontanaPrairies

SouthwestMontana

YellowstoneRiver

Havre

Butte

Helena

Dillon

Glasgow

Bozeman

Missoula

Billings

Kalispell

Miles City

Great Falls

1

3 4

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Map by Amy Pearson

2 The Nature Conservancy in Montana

When The Nature Conservancy was

formed 60 years ago, it mainly focused on creating preserves–saving pieces of special habitat, rare plants, or a disappearing animal. Over the years, science and experience taught us we had to think bigger. It wasn’t enough to conserve isolated islands of Nature. We had to protect land and water at a scale large enough to sustain healthy populations of plants, animals, and people over many generations. In a place as big and varied as Montana, effective conservation requires a broad set of tools. And success is never ours alone. It’s shared by our many partners–from individual landowners to community advisors to the foundations and public agencies who offer both expertise and funding. As we stand on the threshold of conserving a million acres, it seemed a good time to reflect on how we got here, place by place and tool by tool.

CountDown to A

million ACReS

Where We Work

1. Dancing Prairie Preserve2. Safe Harbor Marsh

Preserve3. Swan River Oxbow

Preserve4. Pine Butte Guest Ranch &

Swamp Preserve

5. Crown Butte Preserve

6. Centennial Sandhills Preserve

7. South Fork Madison Preserve

8. Matador Ranch

9. Comertown Pothole Prairie Preserve

The North Fork of the Flathead region in the Crown of the Continent. ©Steven GnamB

ear Track. ©Kenton R

owe

learn more at nature.org/montana Annual Report 2011 3

Crown of the Continent

It’s hard not to speak in hyperbole when referring to the Crown of the Continent. This 10-million-acre mosaic of high mountains, forest, prairie, rivers, and wetlands isn’t just extraordinary by Montana standards. It’s globally significant – one of perhaps a dozen places left on the planet where all the pieces of the natural system are in place and working. Because there is still enough habitat, and pathways for animals to migrate and disperse, the Crown still shelters all the wildlife that has long since disappeared from much of its historic range.

Grizzly bears, wolverines, Canada lynx, and wolves still roam freely across the land. Native fish remain abundant. And people still find plenty of room to make a living on the land, and enjoy all of its outdoor pleasures, from floating and fishing, to long hikes and autumn hunting. Our goal is to make sure that the Crown remains this way, forever.

CROWN OF THE CONTINENT

1975 1975 1976 1978-79

MT Conservation Easement Law enacted Grizzly Bear listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act First conservation easement in Montana Pine Butte Swamp Preserve and

Guest Ranch acquired

Time line of Significant Montana Chapter Achievements


Wolverine (Gulo gulo). ©Steven Gnam; Picking Huckleberries. ©Amy Pearson; Westslope cutthroat trout (Oncorhynchus clarkii lewisi). ©Pat Clayton/fisheyeguy photography; American marten (Martes americana). ©Chris Peterson

Beginning with the BlackfootIn many ways, the Blackfoot Valley River epitomizes the world’s

image of Montana. Its lush forests, sunny grasslands, and rich wetlands shelter wildlife that exists in few other places. It’s a land of loggers, ranchers, writers, and artists. And then there is the river itself – famed in literature as a fly-fishing haven, and threatened by pollution from decades of mine waste. It seems fitting that this is where The Nature Conservancy first made its mark in Montana.

Back in the 1970s, the cumulative effects of forestry, mining, development, and recreation pressure were beginning to concern many Blackfoot residents. The Conservancy had a reputation for being collaborative and pragmatic, so local leaders brought in the organization to help draft legislation creating conservation easements in Montana. Easements provide compensation to landowners in exchange for permanent limits on their ability to subdivide or develop the land. That law passed in 1975, and a year later, the state’s very first easement was donated to the Conservancy by Edna Brunner. It was 1,800 acres in the Blackfoot. But, even with that historic first, it would be more than a decade, 1987, before the Conservancy would establish a chapter in Montana.

Blackfoot residents remained concerned about accelerating development pressure. The discussions began neighbor to neighbor, then in community meetings with conservation groups and public agencies. In 1993, a collaborative community group called the Blackfoot Challenge emerged. Its goal was to coordinate efforts to conserve and enhance the valley’s natural resources and rural way of life. The Montana Chapter is an active member of the Challenge.

In the mid-90s, Plum Creek Timber Company–the largest single landowner in the Blackfoot–considered selling 12,000 acres of its land in the lower Blackfoot valley for development. This presented a significant threat to the ecological and rural integrity of the area, so the Conservancy purchased the land which we then sold to the

U.S. Bureau of Land Management, putting it into public ownership. In 2004, we negotiated purchase of another 89,000 acres from Plum Creek, creating the Blackfoot Community Project. The aim was to keep the land rural, protect wildlife habitat, and create a manageable ownership pattern over a large area. While the Conservancy bought the land, decisions on its future are up to the community, under the guidance of the Blackfoot Challenge.

As Associate State Director Bee Hall says, “The story of the Blackfoot is a story of partnership and letting go of control. Collectively, a tremendous amount of conservation has happened there, because of this approach.” Who could argue with the results? Today, more than 110,000 acres of land have been put into conservation easements, and 47 miles of the iconic Blackfoot River corridor are managed for conservation. Our work in the Blackfoot would also set the stage for an even bigger vision: The Montana Legacy Project.


1979 1979 1980 1981

Egg Mountain Preserve acquired First easement in Big Hole Valley First easement on Rocky Mountain Front Crown Butte Preserve acquired


Expanding the Vision: The Montana Legacy Project

Until the Montana Legacy Project, the land we bought in the Blackfoot was a darn big purchase for the chapter. But it was paving the way for bigger things. Another 310,586 acres bigger.

For years, conservation groups and the local community envisioned protecting the Swan Valley. Its rich mosaic of forest, meadow, and wetlands support large numbers of grizzlies and provides critical habitat for threatened Canada lynx. When word began to circulate that Plum Creek was making moves into the real estate business, and that thousands of acres it owned in the Swan Valley would go on the market, groups that had long been working toward conserving the valley went into hyper drive. We also decided to take a look

at the entire 1.2 million acres of land that Plum Creek owned in Montana. Beyond the Swan, land in the Blackfoot, the Clearwater, and Lolo and Fish Creeks was also vital to keeping the Crown connected and whole. In consultation with the community, conservation partners, and public agencies, we reached a total of more

than 300,000 acres. After taking a collective deep breath, the Conservancy and the Trust for Public Land began a complex negotiation that would call on every ounce of our experience, financial innovation, and conservation vision.

In 2008, we signed what’s thought to be the biggest private land deal ever undertaken by a conservation organization in the U.S. The price was equally impressive: Half a billion dollars. And even though we haven’t finished raising all the funds, protecting the Crown of the Continent is more than worth the challenge!

Today, more than two-thirds of the Legacy land has been transferred to public ownership, melding together what had been a fractured checkerboard of public and private holdings. We take comfort in knowing we’ve ensured a future for both the wildlife and the rural communities that depend on the natural integrity of this land. It’s also a triumph for everyone who needs to know that wild places and the life they support will be there for generations to come.

Osprey (Pandion haliaetus). ©Kate Davis

Hikers in the Swan Valley. ©Alison James©Bebe Crouse


North ForkOur North Fork NOW!

campaign engages us in a new way on the Crown. It’s not just a bi-national project with partners in Canada; it involves neither easements nor land purchase. The land in question is owned by the government of British Columbia. Our role is helping the government end the threat of mining and energy exploration in the pristine North Fork of the Flathead River.

As this report goes to press, the government of British Columbia is finalizing legislation that bans all these extractive activities within some 400,000 acres of this crucial watershed. The Conservancy and our partner the Nature Conservancy of Canada have committed $9.4 million to help implement the law, which includes reimbursing mining companies some of the money they’ve already spent on exploration and infrastructure related to mine development.

This isn’t our first involvement with the North Fork. In the mid-1990s the Conservancy

Rocky Mountain Front:Grizzly Bears, Cowboys, and Conservation

If Madison Avenue were going to brand our work on the Rocky Mountain Front, they’d focus on two essential icons of the western mystique – the grizzly bear and the cowboy. Fortunately, we don’t need to splash on any phony western patina. We’ve got the real deal.

The Front is one of the last strongholds of the grizzly, once ranging over half of the continent. The same might be said for the family rancher. As it turns out, the fates of each are closely intertwined.

Much of the Front’s vital grizzly habitat is on private land – vast family ranches where cattle grow fat on hearty prairie grasses. It would be impossible for the Conservancy to buy all this land for a preserve; and we wouldn’t want to. These ranch families have been wise stewards of the land for generations, and most have no desire to move. But the slim margins of the ranching business can make it tough to stay, according to Choteau rancher and banker Lyle Hodgskiss.

“As ranching changes, ranchers need more and more ground. They need more and more animals to remain viable. And in order to make room for the next generation, you just need more land and more economies of scale.”

A conservation easement can provide the financial infusion needed to expand an operation, or pay a looming debt. It can also help one generation pass on the ranch to the next by reducing the value of the estate, making it easier for the children to inherit.

Today, with conservation easements, we have helped protect more than 170,000 acres of land on the Rocky Mountain Front,


1983 1988-89 1989 1989

MT Natural Heritage Program begins MT Chapter of the Conservancy created Flying D Ranch easement Safe Harbor Marsh Preserve acquired

secured easements on much of the critical private land within Montana. But, what happens beyond our border, in the Canadian headwaters of the river, has impacts for hundreds of miles downstream, from Glacier National Park to Flathead Lake. Besides the fish and wildlife that depend on these cool, clean waters, the Flathead is the vital artery of northwest Montana’s multi-million-dollar recreation economy.

For decades, efforts to protect the North Fork were bogged down in seemingly intractable

differences. Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer and former B.C. Premiere Gordon Campbell helped remove the logjam with their agreement to eliminate the mining threat and create a long-term plan for conserving the North Fork. The Conservancy kicked out the last blocks by committing to help pay the costs. Our three-year campaign to raise our portion of these funds – all through private philanthropy – is off to a tremendous start. We know that anyone who loves this gorgeous river will want to help us reach the final goal.

The Crown is critical habitat for threatened Canada lynx (Lynx Canadensis). ©Daniel J. Cox/NaturalExposures.com



1983 1988-89 1989 1989

MT Natural Heritage Program begins MT Chapter of the Conservancy created Flying D Ranch easement Safe Harbor Marsh Preserve acquired

1990 1990 1990 1991

First easement on Northern Prairies Pallid Sturgeon listed as Endangered Dancing Prairie Preserve acquired Comertown Prairie Preserve acquired

Today, we have landowners interested in easements on another 100,000 acres on the Front... all we have to do is raise the funds!

Mike Bay has a conservation easement on his Rocky Mountain Front ranch. ©Kenton Rowe


1992 1993 1993 1994

South Fork Madison Preserve acquired Blackfoot Challenge forms Swan River Oxbow Preserve acquired Arctic Grayling listed as a candidate species under ESA


a figure we hope to expand by another 60,000 acres over the next three years.

A Sea ChangeEven though our first easement was purchased in 1980, such deals

were viewed with great suspicion by local landowners. At that time, the Conservancy was focused largely on creating private nature preserves to protect special or unique pieces of habitat. On the Front, our Pine Butte Swamp Preserve is just such a place; not just rich habitat for bears, but dominated by a rare sort of wetland known as a fen. Piecing together parts of 5-6 different ranches to create the preserve was a very big deal – with a daunting price tag.

The Front’s Senior Program Director, Dave Carr, recalls it today with some nostalgia, “Yeah, at that time, we couldn’t imagine how we could ever raise a million dollars!”

By the mid-1990s, the Conservancy’s vision expanded from a system of preserves to conserving much bigger landscapes. By that time, we had also developed good relationships with neighboring ranchers. They’d had time to ponder this idea of easements and came to see the Conservancy as an outfit they could trust. Today, we have landowners interested in easements on another 100,000 acres on the Front... all we have to do is raise the funds!

The Front is one of the last strongholds of the grizzly, once

ranging over half of the continent.

The Front is the last place where grizzlies still roam on the open prairie. ©Steven Gnam; The Front’s healthy grasslands sustain both cattle and wildlife. ©Bebe Crouse

View of the Rappold Ranch easement land. ©Dave Hanna

©Simon Williams


In 1979, The Nature Conservancy purchased what was then called the Circle 8 Guest Ranch on the Rocky Mountain Front. It had been run for nearly 50 years, by Kenny and Alice Gleason, as a rustic retreat from the clamor of the outside world. When the Gleasons were ready to retire, they wanted to be certain that the 2,000-acre oasis to which they’d devoted their lives wouldn’t be subdivided or developed. Some visionary folks with the Conservancy imagined how this special place could be an ideal vehicle for conservation education and even fundraising. For several years, we’d been working with local landowners to cobble together the nearby Pine Butte Swamp Preserve, and the Circle 8 would help us establish an even stronger community bond in a place we were trying to conserve.

The question was how to turn a dude ranch into a tool for conservation. For a few years, we leased the ranch to a local outfitter to run. In 1987, new managers came in and we changed the name to Pine Butte Guest Ranch. We began a natural history program to engage people on the ecology and conservation of the place they were visiting. We invited major donors and agency partners for events at the ranch. Eventually, Pine Butte transformed from simply a dude ranch to a place that fosters an intimacy between people and Nature. In our fast-paced, overly connected world, this kind of authentic relationship is crucial to inspiring individuals to protect the planet. People come to Pine Butte to study birds and botany, hike mountain trails, and ride on horseback, leaving with a renewed connection to Nature.

Power in Partnershipour success can be measured as much in the partnerships we’ve forged as the acres we’ve conserved. It took years of conversation over kitchen tables and wire fences to build the kind of trust that would move a rancher to take on an easement. But, it was an investment that yielded huge rewards. These same ranchers, business folks, and community leaders have become powerful advocates for conservation. Several have journeyed to Washington, D.C., to speak before Congress on conserving both their land and their way of life.

“When a guy in a cowboy hat and boots shows up in D.C. to talk about conservation, Congress pays attention,” says Jeff Barber, Director of Government Relations for the Montana Chapter.

Besides the friends we’ve made in local communities, we couldn’t have reached this level of success without our close partnerships with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, The Conservation Fund, and a long list of donors and friends. Not only have they helped us with financial support, they have provided invaluable guidance and expertise.

1992 1993 1993 1994

South Fork Madison Preserve acquired Blackfoot Challenge forms Swan River Oxbow Preserve acquired Arctic Grayling listed as a candidate species under ESA

1995 1995 1997 1997

Wolves reintroduced to Yellowstone National Park MT-TNC buys 12,000 acres in Blackfoot from Plum Creek Timber Company First Teton River Weed Pull (RMF) 15-year ban on oil and gas drilling enacted on RMF

The Front is the last place where grizzlies still roam on the open prairie. ©Steven Gnam; The Front’s healthy grasslands sustain both cattle and wildlife. ©Bebe Crouse

Dusty Crary (pictured with his wife Danelle) is a rancher who has gone before Congress to push for conservation on the Front. ©Mark Godfrey

1998 2000 2000 2002

Southwest MT program begins Lynx listed as Threatened under ESA First easement in Centennial Valley Sun Ranch easement


Southwest Montana

The Centennial Valley. ©Kenton Rowe

1998 2000 2000 2002

Southwest MT program begins Lynx listed as Threatened under ESA First easement in Centennial Valley Sun Ranch easement

2003 2004 2004 2005

First Community (weed) Spray Day in Dearborn (RMF) Egg Mountain sold to Museum of the Rockies Purchase of 89,000 acres from Plum Creek for Blackfoot Community Project Grassbank starts at Matador Ranch


How We Began

Conservation in Southwest Montana is dominated by one big name: Yellowstone. Millions of people are drawn to the national park for its extraordinary wildlife.

What many may not realize is that the vitality of Yellowstone’s magnificent wildlife depends on the tens of thousands of acres that lie outside the park boundaries. The Centennial Valley is one of the most remote and undeveloped reaches of the greater Yellowstone ecosystem. Our science told us that the Centennial, along with the Big Hole and Madison Valleys, were key targets for conservation; yet, for years, the region was largely overlooked by the conservation community. In 1998, there were exactly three conservation easements in the Centennial–a total of 1,800 acres. But Tim Swanson convinced the Conservancy that we really ought to get into the region.

“No one gave us much of a chance.” Tim, who recently retired as the Conservancy’s Program Director for Southwest Montana, recalls that this was a very conservative area, with only a scattering of residents. “But I gave myself three months to get out and meet with folks... letting them do the talking.”

What he found out surprised him. For the ranchers, conservation meant fighting invasive weeds and keeping the valley from being developed. It seemed we had a lot of common ground. By concentrating on the multi-generational ranchers, the folks who were in it for the long haul, those 1,800 acres under easement have grown to over 58,000 acres protected–more than half the private land in the valley. As we saw elsewhere, the ranchers in the Centennial rolled the financial benefits of their easements right back into their operations by expanding their ranches, paying down debt, or creating retirement or cash reserves.

As Tim put it, “Easements really helped them stay in the game.”

SOUTHWEST MONTANA

“No one gave us much of a chance.”We’re working to conserve aspen groves in the Centennial. ©Kenton Rowe; The Centennial is crucial habitat for Greater Sage-grouse (Centrocercus urophasianus). ©John Carlson; Tyler Rennfield samples grass in the Centennial. ©Kenton Rowe


Rebalancing the SystemRestoration has been a hallmark of our work in Southwest

Montana. A century of unrestricted grazing had helped strip stream banks of the willows that cool the waters for threatened fish such as Arctic grayling and westslope cutthroat trout. Aspen groves were disappearing due to the suppression of natural fire and the browsing by elk herds that had swelled with the loss of wolves in the system. Fences posed serious obstacles to wildlife migration.

In the 13 years since our first tentative steps into the area, we’ve planted thousands of willows, set 700 acres of controlled fires, and removed untold miles of old fence. Our research and wildly successful war on invasive weeds have become models of smart stewardship. Native fish are beginning to thrive, beavers are recolonizing creeks, and the current generation of ranchers is leaving their children land that’s in better condition than ever.

Partnership: Volunteers & InternsThe first “staff” to undertake work in Southwest Montana, in 1999,

was actually three intrepid interns. The so-called “weed interns” began the battle against invasive plants that were a plague for both the local ranchers and conservation. Kelly Pohl was a member of that freshman team.

“It was a life-changing experience and really solidified my decision to make a career of conservation.”

Since then, dozens more interns have followed in their footsteps, both as interns and into full time careers in conservation. Add to that, hundreds of volunteers have strengthened this mighty team. As is the case with all field crews, Kelly and those who followed learned to use the varied tools for conservation. But, it was the people she met that made the real difference for her.

“Working with the landowners and being a part of that community was really inspirational.”

A dozen years later, Kelly is now the Program Director for the Gallatin Valley Land Trust, but she’s still using the lessons she learned that summer in the Centennial.

This summer, the Centennial team hosted its first LEAF interns (Leaders of Environmental Action for the Future). Three young men from New York City spent their first-ever visit to Montana in the Centennial, pulling fences, surveying plants and streams, and carrying on a tradition.

2005 2006 2006 2007

RMF Weed Roundtable forms Congress bans new federal oil and gas leases on RMF Centennial Sandhills Preserve acquired 860-pound grizzly bear captured and released

on Pine Butte Swamp Preserve

SOUTHWEST MONTANA

“It was a life-changing

experience and really solidified my decision to

make a career of conservation.”

Southwest Montana Program Director Jim Berkey and Science and Stewardship Director

Nathan Korb. ©Kathy Powell


The Yellowstone River is famed as the largest undammed river in the Lower 48, but it is not completely free-flowing. That’s an important distinction, especially for fish. For more than a century, water has been diverted from the Yellowstone

system to irrigate the arid lands of central and eastern Montana. The problem is the structures enabling irrigation are impassable for many migrating fish such as pallid sturgeon. Pallid sturgeon were once abundant in larger rivers of the Missouri, Mississippi, and Ohio watersheds, but have largely disappeared due to major dams. In 1990 the fish were listed as an endangered species. The Yellowstone may be the only hope for reviving a sustainable native population. All it would take to restore free migration to a big part of the Yellowstone system was opening passage at four diversions. But, doing that would be no small task.

As we all know, water is serious business in the West. Messing with someone’s irrigation isn’t undertaken lightly! On the Yellowstone, it also involves negotiating with a long list of state, regional, and federal agencies–from the Army Corps of Engineers to the local irrigation district. By bringing together all of the players, the Conservancy is helping forge solutions that work for fish as well as farmers. The proof is that obstacles to fish migration are now completely gone on the Tongue River, a major tributary of the Yellowstone, opening 106 miles of river. Plans are in the works for removal of the two final diversions on the Yellowstone itself.

The other focus of the Yellowstone River Project is a long-term study of the cumulative effects of human land use on the river channel. This research became especially relevant following this past spring’s floods and the rupture of an Exxon oil pipeline beneath the river. The Conservancy and its partners were able to give precise information about where Exxon could re-bury the pipeline to help prevent a repeat of the spill.Yellowstone River

2005 2006 2006 2007

RMF Weed Roundtable forms Congress bans new federal oil and gas leases on RMF Centennial Sandhills Preserve acquired 860-pound grizzly bear captured and released

on Pine Butte Swamp Preserve

2007 2008 2008 2009

Muggli fish bypass completed on Tongue River Diversion dam removed at Mile 71 on Tongue River MT Legacy Project announced Long-billed Curlew flies 1,250 miles from Montana to Mexico in 27 hours

YELLOWSTONE RIVER

©Kenton Rowe

Common Yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas). ©Kenton Rowe


Northern Montana Prairies2010 2010 2011 2011

Cornwell Ranch easements, Northern Prairies Arctic Grayling, Greater Sage-grouse and Wolverine ESA listing “warranted but precluded” Gray Wolf removed from Endangered Species list North Fork Now! campaign begins

©Bebe Crouse


For many people, Montana is synonymous with its mountains for which the state was named. This is, however, something of a misnomer given that the majority of the state is prairie. For years, these vast, open spaces were generally overlooked by most conservation groups, including the Conservancy. And yet, grasslands are disappearing

faster than any other type of habitat in the world–on average, a million acres a year for the past quarter century. As they are lost–turned by the plow, fenced and developed–we’re losing a symphony of birdsongs and threatening the longest pronghorn migration in the world.

In 1998, several factors came together to begin to change that. As an organization, we realized that we needed to conserve big, intact stretches of habitat; whole systems rather than just islands of preservation. This was also the year that the Montana Natural Heritage Program gave its highest conservation priority rating to the vast stretch of prairie north of the Missouri River. The Conservancy’s own analysis of the most important grasslands on the northern Great Plains echoed this decision. A perfect opportunity arose when the historic Matador Ranch went up for sale. The Matador supported a rich array of rare and declining species and it was also high-quality

2010 2010 2011 2011

Cornwell Ranch easements, Northern Prairies Arctic Grayling, Greater Sage-grouse and Wolverine ESA listing “warranted but precluded” Gray Wolf removed from Endangered Species list North Fork Now! campaign begins

NORTHERN MONTANA PRAIRIES

ranchland. In 2000, we purchased the Matador as a long-term conservation investment. In partnership with local community leaders, it quickly became the centerpiece of a highly innovative conservation tool.

Grass Becomes CurrencyWe bought the Matador during a period of historic drought in

Montana. Neighboring ranchers were struggling to support their herds on dwindling grass. The Matador had what ranchers needed: Tens of thousands of acres of healthy grass. And so was born the Matador Grassbank. We didn’t exactly loan out grass, but since we weren’t grazing our own livestock, we could lease it to our neighbors...with some very specific terms. The ranchers provide conservation benefits on their ranches and in exchange we discount their fees to graze at the Matador. Such benefits include protecting prairie dog towns or grassland bird habitat and using wildlife-friendly fencing. This program has become a roaring success, with ranchers lining up to become grassbank members. Ranchers improved their bottom lines and the Conservancy has leveraged its conservation across about 250,000 acres of some of the finest native prairie in the country. Not only that, revenues from the grassbank help keep the Matador–including its scientific research and stewardship–a self-sustaining program.

Taking a meeting prairie style! Prairie dogs (C. Haliaeetus leucocephalus). ©Jolynn Messerly; Grassbanker Dale Veseth and neighbors. ©Linda Poole; Pronghorn (Antilocapra americana). ©Jolynn Messerly


NORTHERN MONTANA PRAIRIES

An Open Air LabThe Matador has become a hub of grassland research. In

partnership with university researchers, we’re testing fence modifications that secure livestock without hindering the migration of pronghorn and that help sage grouse avoid fatal collisions with fences. Others are surveying bird habitat, and examining the impacts of fire and varied grazing regimes on maintaining the mix of vegetation needed to sustain birds and other wildlife.

Expanding the ToolboxOur work on the Matador and alliances forged through the

grassbank are gaining us trust and respect in the community. As a result, we’ve secured some of the very first conservation easements in the region. That includes 11,000 acres on the historic Cornwell Ranch.

“We’re making sure it stays the way it was when my grandfather settled it back in 1892; we want it to stay in grass,” says Lee Cornwell.

We’re sure that others feel the same way. That’s why we’ve set a goal of conserving at least 50,000 acres of native Montana grassland over the next three years.

Rob Wingard and Wildlife Society President Paul Krausman check trap camera on the Matador Ranch. ©Bebe Crouse

American Kestral (Falco sparverius). ©Kenton Rowe


SUPPORT & REVENUE 2011 2010

Dues and contributions 14,209,163 10,958,661

Government awards 466,719 786,003

Investment income or (loss) 1,949,786 1,450,834

Other income 1,613,304 1,205,584

Gifts of Conservation Land & Easements 357,540 2,412,545

Land sale proceeds 65,832,263 26,833,668

Support (to)/from other TNC units (5,749,495) (5,419,776)

Total Support & Revenue $78,679,283 $38,227,519

EXPENSES & CAPITAL ALLOCATIONS

Purchase of Conservation Land & Easements 144,322,588 6,046,146

Conservation programs 6,056,588 5,287,038

Total conservation program expenses & capital allocations $150,379,176 $11,333,184

General & Administrative 711,514 633,424

Fundraising 684,716 640,836

Total Administration & Fundraising $1,396,230 $1,274,260

Total Expenses & Capital Allocations $151,775,406 $12,607,444

NET RESULT

Support & Revenue over Expenses & Capital Allocations ($73,096,123) $25,620,075

ASSET, LIABILITY & NET ASSET SUMMARY

Conservation land 136,679,116 112,482,826

Conservation easements 89,916,545 88,167,313

Investments held for land acquisitions 10,807,081 8,688,359

Endowment investments 11,893,441 10,606,240

Property & equipment (net of depreciation) 902,141 853,160

Current assets 979,114 973,548

Other assets 656 57,267,531

Total Assets $251,178,093 $279,038,977

Total Liabilities $142,225,223 $122,637,714

Total Net Assets $108,952,870 $156,401,263

Notes

1) Major changes in the Financial Summary from 2010 to 2011 were driven by the 310,000-acre Montana Legacy Project.

2) The figures that appear in the Financial Summary are for informational purposes only. The complete audited FY 2011 financial statements for The Nature Conservancy can be seen at nature.org/aboutus/annualreport or can be ordered from The Nature Conservancy at (406) 443-0303.

Added in FY 2011 Total

Conservation Easements 4,999 302,773

Preserves 0 49,678

Cooperative Conservation Projects 76,772 485,404

Conservation Buyer Properties 53,262 128,482

TOTAL 135,033 966,336

Financial Summary for the 2011 and 2010 Fiscal Years

Acres in Permanent Conservation


“Vumbi vingi!” is Swahili for “Wow, it’s really dusty!” That was a common refrain as my family and I bounced along the dirt roads of Northern Tanzania this summer. We arrived in July, long past the brief spring rains, and the fine dust billowed around the Land Rover reminding us of a Montana blizzard. Thank goodness for Simon Peterson, our guide and Nature Conservancy wildlife intern. Simon drove like the native Tanzanian he is, coolly navigating the scant two tracks, spotting an elusive Greater Kudu a quarter mile away and ably stopping for directions from Maasai kids out herding their goats.

I was in Tanzania on a Nature Conservancy fellowship. Those dusty roads were taking me to visit a disparate team of wildlife rangers, scouts, conservation groups, eco-tourism outfits, and villages who were monitoring wildlife and patrolling for poachers. Our goal was to come up with a uniform protocol that would coordinate their efforts and make them more effective.

Living in Montana, you get used to seeing wildlife, sometimes lots of wildlife. Even so, it just doesn’t prepare you for turning a corner and facing the bulk of an elephant or the stature of a group of giraffes. There’s nothing like seeing Africa’s iconic wildlife in person; even better is being part of the Conservancy’s efforts to protect these magnificent animals, their habitat, and the people who live among them. Montana and East Africa don’t just share the richness of our wildlife. We share an approach to conservation that’s steeped in partnership, community involvement, and working with pastoral/agricultural societies.

Our first stop was the Noloholo Environment Center. The gracious hospitality of the Maasai scouts and staff was emblematic of our time in Tanzania. The center has an extensive and sophisticated wildlife monitoring and patrolling effort using local scouts.

It was quite a contrast to our stop in the village of Sikuru where the total inventory of equipment for its four scouts was two cell phones. The Sikuru area is especially important for wildebeest coming out of Tarangire National Park. The village has entered a conservation agreement on its own initiative, but they need and welcome support and training.

We heard much the same on our next safari to the West Kilimanjaro region. Everyone we met expressed the need to protect the wildlife pathways that extend beyond their own areas. Each group grapples with how to effectively protect the wildlife from poachers. They all see potentially huge benefits in coordinating and uniformly monitoring wildlife trends over vast areas.

Throughout my time in Tanzania, I was struck by the powerful role that The Nature Conservancy can play there and how much it‘s like our work in Montana. By bringing together all the players; helping define a strategy; providing resources, training, and analysis; and working across a large landscape, the Conservancy is adding to the good work that has already begun in the local communities.

Caroline and daughter Cate chatting with Maasai scouts. ©Garry Edson; Wildlife photos ©Caroline Byrd

By Caroline Byrd, Program Director for Western Montana

Field Diary: Tanzania

“LEAVING A LEGACY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH BEING WEALTHY.”

GivinG Back To NATURE

Steve celebrating a Montana spring. ©Chris Bryant


Western Montana Land Resource Manager Steve Kloetzel may get paid to manage and restore fish and wildlife habitat for the Conservancy, but some might wonder if

he’d do it for free.

As a student in high school, Steve took an ecology class that “transformed me and cemented a conservation ethic that has been with me ever since.”

As part of the class, the students raised funds and then decided who would be the beneficiary of their efforts. After researching which conservation groups might be most worthy, The Nature Conservancy rose to the top of the list. That was in 1981, and Steve has been a member of the Conservancy ever since and an employee for nearly eight years.

Steve thinks of his charitable gifts as tithes and, much like one might tithe a certain percent of their income to a church, he and his wife believe they should do the same for the planet.

Recently, Steve’s father-in-law passed away. As he and his wife Andrea dealt with the aftermath of that experience, they too realized that “we’re all going to die,” and that they should get their affairs in order.

“You do your relatives a huge favor by doing your estate planning while you still can,” he reflected. So, as he and Andrea prepared their wills, they first considered their two children. Then they thought about what else they value most in their lives. Steve named The Nature Conservancy in Montana as a beneficiary in his estate plans. Steve isn’t alone in leaving this kind of personal legacy. He joins many others as part of the Conservancy’s Legacy Club, people who are using planned giving as a way support conservation, even after they’re gone.

“It was not an easy decision for us. Our kids could probably use the money, but the planet needs our help more, both physically and monetarily, to persevere,” he said.

Steve likes to point out that he’s not the only employee to join the Legacy Club, just the most recent. He also points out that leaving a legacy has nothing to do with being wealthy.

“I came to Montana with nothing but a backpack on my back,” he said. That was in 1985 when he was a student at the University of Montana School of Forestry. Through hard work and dedication he hopes to leave behind a lot more for Nature.

ANNUAL FUND & CAPITAL GIFTS OF $1000 OR MORE

Anonymous (26)3M Foundation444S FoundationOssie Abrams & David OrserRita Allen FoundationN. Kirby & Janice M. AltonBerrien & Marcia AndersonNancy D. AndersonPaul Asper & Nancy WeidmanMr. & Mrs. Paul BakstranJames A. BanisterMichael & Andrea Banks Nature FundChet & David BarclayNeil W. & Robin D. BaumannRobert & Shirley BayleyDr. & Mrs. David T. BernerJeffrey BerwickBen & Annie BingerMr. & Mrs. James BingerWilliam Birck & Kim Erway BirckBlank Family FoundationDavid BondermanWilliam J. Bostian & Sally D. AdkinsThe Brainerd FoundationMr. & Mrs. Chester V. BraunMr. & Mrs. Roger G. BrooksJerome & Rebecca BroussardDennis Brown & Anne WilliamsMrs. Dorothy G. BrowneChristopher & Rebekah BuntingDr. Laurinda Q. BurlesonCharlotte Caldwell & Jeffrey SchutzCanusa CorporationThe Capital Group Companies Charitable

Foundation (Match)Dr. & Mrs. George A. CarlsonCarol ChesarekChevron Matching Gift ProgramNicholas R. ChickeringAmy & John CholnokyYvon ChouinardDana & Stephanie ChristensenCinnabar Foundation

Clark Family Foundation, Inc.Kerry & Norah ClarkF.L.H. Coker & Dotty BallantyneGrace Colvin & William WinnThe Compton FoundationThe Coslik FamilyGordon & Dona CrawfordPage & Cyndi DabneyFrederic DalldorfLarsson Danforth Family FoundationMr. & Mrs. Joseph K. DavidsonLee & Lynne DavisBetty DavisJeannette S. & Thomas H. DavisDebra Dawson & Robert TabkeRobert Dayton & Shari Livingston DaytonThomas D. Dee III & Candace DeeSteve & Susan Denkers Family FoundationMr. & Mrs. Don DiandaIvan & Carol DoigMr. & Mrs. Robert S. DouglasKatherine W. Dumke and Ezekiel R. Dumke, Jr.

FoundationMr. Gordon E. DyalE Bar L RanchSari & Olen EarlThe Charles Engelhard FoundationFanwood FoundationFirst Interstate BancSystem Foundation (Match)Mr. & Mrs. Bruce W. FlemingFoundation for Community VitalityBarbara Frazer LoweEliza Frazer & Barry HoodG.D.S. Legacy Foundation, Inc.John & Ute GannettDon & Mary GarnerGeneral Re Corporation (Match)John & Pam GerstmayrSusan L. Gimbel FoundationMs. Patricia GittinsRandall Gray & Nora Flaherty-GrayThe William and Mary Greve FoundationMolly HackettJim & Caren HallPhil Hamilton & Janet WhaleyBarbara HattDon HauthGeorge & Virginia HavensRobert & Patricia HayesValerie Hedquist & Edward CallaghanDr. John R. HennefordHigh Stakes FoundationDavid & Sally HollierHope Foundation, Trustee Robert O. Taunt IIIMr. & Mrs. Harry B. HostetlerMr. & Mrs. J. David HuckerMr. & Mrs. T.D. Hunter III

Johnson Family FoundationJim & Nancy JohnstonMr. & Mrs. Landon Y. JonesMr. & Mrs. Russell KaiserJohn C. KariotisMarjorie KarshSteven Y. KarshJames & Mary KeeganDr. Elizabeth KeithleyMr. & Mrs. Thomas KellerMr. & Mrs. Donald King, Jr.Knobloch Family FoundationCarl & Emily KnoblochDr. Linda B. KnoblockKramer Family Fund of the Whitefish Community

FoundationJim & Judy KruegerLarsson Danforth Family FoundationLaSalle Adams FundStarling Lawrence & Jenny PrestonLand M. LindberghMr. & Mrs. Jonathan LippincottLowe’s Charitable & Educational FoundationMargot MacDougallMarilyn MagidCarl & Marilyn MalkmusAlan Marasco & Deborah MawhinneyPeter MarkalunasMr. Forrest E. Mars, Jr.Tamara MenkeStan & Jane MeyerMFI Foundation, Inc.Louise & Thomas MiddletonDr. Bryce E. MillerRoger & Margot MillikenJohn & Susan MillsMaurice & Judith MitchellEdward Monnig & Jacelyn WedellRobert & Betty MooreSkip & Jody MottHenry H. MoultonUrsula & Gerd MuehllehnerJames L. MunozMr. & Mrs. W. S. MurrayMr. & Mrs. Arthur K. NeillAlan & Nancy NicholsonDan & Alice NicolsonAngela Nomellini & Ken OlivierRoy & Susan O’ConnorMr. & Mrs. Michael O’HearnGil & Marge OrdwayJohn & Judi O’Steen Family FoundationCarla PagliaroMs. F. T. PapeJill PerelmanPerkins Charitable Foundation (Match)Perk Perkins

Steven Peters & Missy MayfieldChip Petrie & Pat McKernanBetsy & Tod PeytonPeter & Carolyn PiercePlum Creek FoundationCynthia & Henry PoettWym & Jan PortmanJay & Kay ProopsPrudential Foundation (Match)Tom & Teresa Quinn Fund of the Whitefish

Community FoundationMary S. ReedMr. & Mrs. Henry RicklefsHannelore RimlingerAndrew RobertsThe John Roe Conservation Leadership

EndowmentSandra Roe and the late John H. RoeJohn P. Rudolph, M.D.Sample FoundationSatter Family FoundationScallan Family FoundationMichael & Kuni SchmertzlerHomer & Mildred Scott Foundation (Match)James & Christine ScottJames R. & Christine M. Scott Family FoundationThe Selz FoundationGeorge & Olivia SheckletonJanna & Jamie ShennanJohn & Lucretia SiasRichard C. SloanDaniel M. SmithFarwell Smith & Linda McMullenM. M. SmithMs. Sonjia SmithTim & Denny SolsoJennifer SpeersCarol St. HelenSteele-Reese FoundationBruce C. StephensJeff & Shawn SwiftTeel’s Marsh FoundationMary Fleming ThompsonScott & Betsy ThorntonTides Foundation, advised by Ms. Martha Newell

& Mr. Mike KadasVal & Mary Ann TollefsonAmanda K. TopperNugent TreadwellTrust for Public LandThe Turner FoundationJohn TwaalfhovenChris & Deborah Vanden BroekDr. Warren L. Vaughn, Jr. & Ms. Sandra G. ElliottMr. & Mrs. Carroll L. Wainwright, Jr.The Wells FamilyWest Hill Foundation for Nature

Wiancko Family Donor Advised Fund of the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole

Wilburforce FoundationMr. & Mrs. Joseph H. WilliamsWillow Springs FoundationPenelope P. WilsonMeredeth & Mark WinterRichard C. WykoffThe Wyss FoundationStuart and Lisa Young Family

MONTHLY SUSTAINERSJacqueline L. AdamsDoug Anderson & Mary MeisterJohn & Susan AndersonPatricia AuneMargaret BaileySusan G. BaileyLorinda BakerLynne BarnesGary & Martha BatemanCecelia BertramOlaf BorgeRobert Claire BoyceScott & Denise BuchnerRandall BurkeArt & Amie ButlerConstance BuxtonAmanda CaterMr. & Mrs. Richard ChauvinSteve & Marion CherryErin D. ClarkJean ClaverK. B. CroganMilla CumminsLarry CunninghamPatrick CunninghamMatt & Kim DaleOrville Daniels & Olleke Rappe-DanielsAdriana Darby-JohnsonKate DavisLynne DixonJames DoyleKenneth DvorakLoren EbnerDick & Carol EllisSharon EnghAndrew & Paulette EppleDonna EubankRoger & Jerry EvansSharon EversmanLindsay FoleyAaron FosterJohn Gemberling & Mary PapoulisDoug GledhillFrances GonzalesRichard Gordon


Thanksto the many donorswho made gifts to ourMontana programs in FY 2011(July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2011)

Pam GreenAnne GreeneGayle GregovichJulia E. GwinnJudy HarrisCharlotte HeldstabJohn T. HoggJoan HoranMerry HornRuth IjamesGreg & Barbara JergesonCarolyn S. JonesLeslie JoronenMolly Siddoway KingBenjamin KiserMike KooleBob & Sharon KortuemMary LangenderferTed & Patty LechnerKim LeeKaren LeichnerLeatrice LilyEthel M. MacDonaldMike MansfieldRebecca MccafferyEdwin McElroyAngela MelbySandra MellottRonald MuellerCharles & Jean OwenJohn OwenGwyn PalchakKim PattersonToddy Perryman & Patrick LeonardKathleen PierceMrs. Terry L. QuinnJune RockwoodMr. Mike R. RodriqueDouglas RohnRobin Ross-DugganDebra Sattler & Dean YashanAlbert SchlahtJoseph SeemillerAnn Shippee-BrennerAndrea SilvermanRobert & Beverly SkinnerCdub & Kate SmithBryan StromengerDebi StrongRebecca SturdevantJanet SuchaGary & Shirley SullivanKathleen SweetMary TaylorMarilen TrotterJoyce WaidLinda Williams

Patricia WinnMrs. William F. ZeleznyDr. Hans Zuuring

IN-KIND SERVICESThe Wilma Theater

GIFTS OF LANDBruce & Barbara BrucknerLee & Madylon Cornwell

LEGACY GIFTSAnonymous (5)The Estate of Mr. Philip AndereggDavid W. BangeDana & Stephanie ChristensenPage DabneyKathryn L. & Gerald L. DwyerThe Estate of Dr. John A. EvertThe Estate of Anne FitzsimmonsJay D. GlassPatricia LarmoyeuxFred L. LonghartLori MickenThe Estate of Katherine L. ParkinsWym & Jan PortmanDonald S. SmithThe Estate of Doris C. Swanson

MEMORIALSBecky BoyettSandra Roe

Dan BurlesonLaurinda Burleson

Charles CampbellRoberta Smith

In memory of Dr. Kalpana Chawla Ph.D.-NASA Astronaut

Anonymous

Greg CollinsCarolyn Smith

Robert CoyneAmerican Board of Medical SpecialtiesMark AndersonMax Baucus & Melodee HanesLarry & Mary Jane BenjaminMary & John BradburyMolly BrosseauMarvin & Claudine CarrJanic ClaxtonMiriam CohenWendy CoyneLarry DenenholzLauren & Robert DormanDana & Robert EastonEric Fisher

Bonnie GeklerDawn & David GoodeJoann & Jeffrey GrahamDelmar GranmoRandy & Marilyn HortonSteve & Ann InouyeKaren & Robert JonesPhillip KadingHorton & Margaret KelloggStephanie KjerstadDavid KleimanCorey KleinJoyce KnauffBarbara LavinMary Jane LepoEdward & Shannon LeskoJacques & Barbara LeverenzGeorge & Connie JohnsonMaureen & Patrick MaleyAndrea MillerR. Scott MoraineBarbara MorrisWendy & Timothy MuirBarbara MyersCarol & Robert NicholsonRon & M. Angela NickelMark & Teresa OlsonJennifer PattenKimberly PattenKirk & Jane PattenAlan & Sara PerryVictor PolichWilliam & Kimberly RoederNaomi SalamonMark & Leila SanelliPhillip SchmidtDenise SmithTerese Caucci & David SmithMariella & Steven SwedbergPatrick ThomasLisa & Russ WalkerKenneth WarningMichael Weinbach

Sue CrispinJeanne DussaultJeananne Murphy

James DewhurstRichard & Ellen Hoffmann

Kenneth EmersonJohn AmendEmily Swan DelucaJohn & Patricia FosterDr. & Mrs. James GaffneyMartin & Mary HamiltonJohn & Patricia Hermanson

Reed & Elaine HowaldMelvin & Susan HowePatricia Ann JenningsWilliam & Betty McKinleyFred & Julie VideonCarol Weaver

William HornWilliam B. Horn Family

Elaine KnudsenNancy Browning & Bruce BeckwithSue Carlton & Don RowneySteven & Constance Running

Edward “Ken” KuhrBill & Mary Lou CrawfordJane EhlangGreg & Barbara JergesonDavid & Diane KathmanLee KuhrScott KuhrVirginia Lance CrawfordJohn OvercastDaniel & Sarah PetersonGay PetersonJohn L. PetersonSandra & Don PetersonDan & Marlene PiazzolaJohn & Karen PikeJerry & Ellen PyetteDuane & Rulee StallmanMerle & Lois ThorstadEric & Kathryn WaldorfCheryl WilsonLee & Beverly Wulf

John MacreeryRobert & Marie Dix

Virginia McGeheeNugent Treadwell

Marvin O. MoringAnn Moring

John OlsonJanet Olson

John H. Roe lllSandra Roe

Marilyn RundquistJane BensonMargaret CrabtreeMarilyn GrantJim JewettChristina Thelen

Anne Thomas JunkermanKim Vane

Sally TollefsonRussell McMullen

Mary Ann & G. Val TollefsonStephen K. Tollefson

Elizabeth TrybusMary Taylor

Philip WittmanJason Neiffer & Alison James

HONORARIUMSSenator Max Baucus & Melodee HanesDr. Tresa Smith

Ralph & Toone BurchenalMr. & Mrs. G. A. Bernhardt

Sheila CoyTimothy Coy

Fred & Judy HabeebWendy Mills

Mr. & Mrs. T. D. Hunter IIIMr. & Mrs. G. A. Bernhardt

Kat ImhoffMichael & Andrea Banks

David LettermanMr. & Mrs. Robert Burnett

Russell LocknerVelma Vance

Wally & Lil LoewenbaumJames & Mary Keegan

Jason & Nicole MillsWendy Mills

Jim Mills & Lois ZollerWendy Mills

Andrea MorganSara & Becky Boyett

Gail MoserShelley & Liam Darcy

Solange Ribeiro & Philip HabeebWendy Mills

Jim & Chris ScottMichael & Andrea Banks

Jamie & Janna ShennanPeter & Elizabeth Loring

Tresa SmithDiane Huber

Stuart Walker & Robin MillsWendy Mills

Jamie & Florence WilliamsMichael & Andrea Banks

Thank you to everyone who has supported our work!


32 South Ewing StreetHelena, MT 59601

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MonTana Landmarks Editor: Bebe Crouse; Contributors: David Cronenwett, Gail Moser, Kim Patterson, and Karen Trepanier; Graphic Design: Design Solutions; Printer: Alphagraphics Bozeman; Printed on 80% recycled fiber paper.

Make a Connection to Nature at Pine Butte Guest Ranch2012 Gil Crain natural History workshopsthe Path of the Great Bear – may 20-26, 2012 Explore the realm of the magnificent grizzly.

Birds of the Rockies and Prairies i – may 27, 2012 - June 2, 2012

Birds of the Rockies and Prairies ii – June 2-8, 2012 Go birding with renowned ornithologist and artist David Sibley.

Regular Summer Season at the Ranch! – June 10-September 2, 2012

Get Your Cowgirl on! – September 2-8, 2012 Bring your best gal pal for women’s week at Pine Butte.

exploring the Rocky mountain Front – September 9-15, 2012 Hike and relish this beautiful place at an exquisite time of year.

Photography in the Rocky mountain Front – September 16-22, 2012 Sharpen your skills with professional nature photographer Kenton Rowe.

member Getaway weekend – September 22-24, 2012 Join fellow supporters of the Conservancy for a wonderful weekend.

For information, visit www. nature.org/pinebutte e-mail: [email protected], or call 406-466-2158.

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