Centennial Valley Association Casey Smith– Centennial Outfitters April 2018

Project Updates Lower Red Rock Lake Lesser Scaup Project Lesser scaup are the most common diving duck in North America and have been below continental population objectives since the late 1980s. Lower Red Rock Lake within Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge is home to one of the highest densities of breeding lesser scaup in North America, making it an ideal place to study factors that influence scaup population. A study was initiated in 2005 on Lower Lake to explore drivers of scaup female, nest, and duckling survival- important ‘vital rates’ that have a strong influence on population dynamics. The Lower Red Rock Lake Lesser Scaup Project will commence its 14th year in May 2018, led by two graduate students, Kyla Bas (University of Saskatchewan) and Kelsey Navarre (Colorado State University). Field work begins each year in May when Kyla and Kelsey conduct surveys to find uniquely-marked female scaup (Fig. 1). Uniquely marking and re-sighting females through time allows estimation of survival during breeding (May-September) and non-breeding (October-April) seasons. After May surveys are completed, they begin searching for and monitoring nests to determine nest survival, another important vital rate. Nests are revisited just before hatching to mark ducklings with a small tag in the web of one foot. Recapturing web-tagged ducklings during two week-long banding drives that culminate the field season allows estimation of duckling surviv- Fig. 1-Chris Vennum al. During these banding drives, researchers and volunteers corral flightless scaup (adults are molting, and ducklings haven’t grown their flight feathers yet), into a trap. Once secured, scaup are banded, measured, weighed, and a subset is nasal-marked. During the two weeks that separate the banding drives a second survey for nasal-marked females is conducted. Conducting a survey at the Kelsey Navarre beginning of the nesting season (May) and again at the end (August) is how seasonal estimates of female survival can be obtained. Any questions about the Lesser Scaup project can be directed to Kelsey Navarre at [email protected].

The Beaverhead Watershed Committee (BWC) and BLM are High Divide Collaborative trying out a de-hummocking project in Little Basin Creek to see if a Wildlife Connectivity and Conflict Reduction, Forests and Fire, and Drought low cost, low impact approach can "fix" them. Resiliency- these are the topics of discussion at this year's High Divide BWC is working on a remote assessment of the riparian Collaborative Workshop on April 18-19, in Dillon, MT. Rural communities throughout the High Divide landscape have long histories of working in local condition in Horse Prairie to get a sense of the health of the watershed partnerships to address conservation issues. The High Divide Collaborative and to identify possible projects. scales those efforts up to a larger landscape perspective across the - They are continuing to work on divide. The Collaborative is an effective partnership of landowners, upland wet meadow restoration, local community leaders, public land managers, state wildlife agencies, scientists, using low-cost rock structures to and conservation groups who work together to conserve and restore resources of hold water on the land longer importance for local communities and to protect ecological and social integrity at during runoff, hopefully drowning the landscape scale. sagebrush and increasing late This year, we will learn what season forage for livestock and communities are doing to reduce conflict with grizzly bears as they expand their range, how wildlife. they are working together to increase the pace and scale of forest restoration, and planning Announcements for drought resilience. We'll also be talking about what we can do together to bring more  Thanks to those who have sent in their 2018 membership dues! If resources to these efforts and discuss how you haven’t, there’s still time. Your dues help CVA continue on these shared priorities intertwine. To learn Tassi Duffner into the future! more and register, please see www.highdivide.org.

 Join Terra Verde and the City of Dillon for the 2018 Earth Day At Red Rock Lakes National Wildlife Refuge, efforts to suppress numbers of Clean-up and Celebration on April 28th. Registration and clean-up cutthroat trout in Red Rock Creek has ended. Early season angling during the begins at 9am at Depot Park; music, food, and exhibits from 12- cutthroat spawning run is still allowed this spring but is catch and release only 3pm. for cutthroat and grayling. At Refuge request, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks will submit regulation proposal to the State Fish and Wildlife Commission to:  The next Road Use Meeting will be held on April 18th at 7pm at 1) Change the daily and possession limits for Red Rock Creek to the DNRC building in Dillon. The public is encouraged to attend! include no harvest of cutthroat trout and use of artificial lures only. 2) Close Elk Springs Creek to angling from May 15th to June 15th and  Join the CVA and Beaverhead County for an Applicator’s allow use of artificial lures only. Training on April 24th at the Lima Fire Hall from 9am-4:30pm. 3) Close Widgeon and Culver Ponds from November 30th to April Lunch will be provided for those in attendance! 15th and allow use of artificial lures only.  If you are interested in bear, mountain lion, and/or wolf These regulations will be re-evaluated following the 2020 angling season. This management and relocation area, FWP’s website shares standardizes regulations so all streams on the Refuge are open to angling year- information with the public via this link: http://fwp.mt.gov/ round, except closed May 15th to June 15th to protect incubating grayling eggs fishAndWildlife/livingWithWildlife/relocation/ from wading anglers.

To preserve traditional ranching as a way of life in the Centennial Valley, and to maintain quality open space, wildlife habitat, water quality and wildlife migration corridors as they exist today for future generations. Project Updates (cont.)

The Madison Valley Ranchlands Group hosted the 2nd annual Brucellosis/DSA Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the Department of Livestock flew meeting February 22nd at the Headwaters Livestock Auction Building just north of brucellosis surveillance operations in the Tendoy Mountains and eastern Three Forks. Montana Department of Livestock Brucellosis Program Veterinarian Madison Valley in 2018. FWP sampled 100 elk in the Tendoys, outside of the DVM Eric Liska gave an overview of brucellosis to get everyone present up to Designated Surveillance Area (DSA), and found one elk that had been speed on the disease, then addressed current and new regulations for cattle that exposed to brucellosis (seropositive). This is the first time an elk has tested spend any time in the DSA. In the afternoon, Dr. Clayton Marlow, Animal & positive for exposure in the Tendoy range. Thirty elk were radio collared to Range Sciences Specialist, and Dr. Jeff Mosely Professor, Extension Range learn more about movement and understand how brucellosis may spread. Management Specialist, and Dr.Timothy DelCurto led discussions on wildlife/ Six elk tested positive in the Madison, with forty being fitted with collars. livestock interactions and challenges in southwest Montana. The 3rd Brucellosis/ Brucellosis is a bacterial disease that can result in the abortion or DSA meeting is planned for November 2018, as we transition it away from winter- birth of weak calves in cattle, bison, and elk. Brucellosis is spread primarily spring calving time. through contact with infected birth tissues or fluids. Ranches within the DSA are required to test their cattle herds for the disease. James “Newt” Perdue Dean Waltee completed a moose population trend survey in the Centennial Army Cutworm Moth Hi all! (HD334) on February 19th, with MFWP I have missed living in the Centennial Valley pilot Trevor Throop. Dean will be over the last year but am happy for the classifying moose until the first of May to opportunity to give a quick overview on what document the post-winter calf:adult I’ve been up to. I started a graduate project last ratio. If you observe moose during that spring studying an incredible phenomena period, please send a date, location, and involving grizzly bears and army cutworm moths on the highest peaks of classification as an adult or calf (born last Absaroka Mountains in Wyoming. Every summer millions of army spring) to Dean at [email protected]. cutworm moths migrate from agricultural areas throughout the Great Survey conditions were good, Plains and Intermountain West to the . These moths with complete and fresh snow cover, although not as deep as typical. Tracks feed on alpine flowers at night and aggregate by the millions in steep indicated that at least 6 moose moved onto typical winter range following a recent talus slopes during the day at 10,000ft measurable snowfall, suggesting that some moose might have remained Jason Wilmont to 13,000ft elevation. Grizzly bears key distributed off of typical winter range and were not observed. They also observed into the large aggregations of moths two small groups of elk remaining in the to the west of and can eat 50,000 moths a day which Lakeview, suggesting relatively mild winter conditions across the area. They observed 131 moose- compared to 162 last year and a long-term average (LTA) of is about 25,000 Calories! It is not 72. The observed calf:adult ratio was 32:100- compared to 35:100 last year and a uncommon to see dozens of bears LTA of 33:100. The current harvest opportunity is for 5 antlered and 6 antlerless foraging on one talus slope. moose. Harvest success in 2017 was 100% for both licenses. Survey and harvest My project is particularly data indicate FWP could add antlered harvest opportunity in this district without concerned about the growing human negatively impacting the population. Potential impact of hunter crowding on the interest in viewing this phenomena for both the grizzly bears and human Red Rock Wildlife Refuge is a larger concern than additional harvest of moose. It safety. Last summer, I had three great field technicians to help me is suggested to recommend adding 1 antlered moose license to the district for the complete a successful first field season. We hiked hundreds of miles 2018 season and continue to monitor hunter effort and harvest. across spectacular and rugged terrain. I have never hiked so much in my The antlered harvest quota has been 5 since 1983, when it was increased life and more than once I was wishing I had a good ol’ mountain horse from 3. During that time, harvest success averaged 95% and was 100% during 27 under me. We saw 220 grizzly bears total and the most we saw in one of 34 years. The number of moose observed within this trend area has increased day was 29 bears! We ran into bears several times at a distance but they from an average of 72, during the 5 years prior to 1983, to 127 over the past 5 are very shy in the exposed terrain and always turned around and ran as years. The antlerless harvest quota has been 6 since 2000, when it was reduced soon as they sensed us- from up to a mile away in some instances. I am from 15. At the current harvest level, the population has experienced long-term excited to start my second field season this June. I hope to visit the growth to peak observed totals during the last two years. As the population has Centennial Valley at some point and catch up with some of you. Send me increased, calf recruitment has decreased. This reduction has been most noticeable an email or give me a call if you want to hear more about my project. and sustained since the observed population reached 100 in the late 1980s. This is likely related to the population nearing or exceeding nutritional capacity of their Erika looking for Bears– Jason Wilmont habitat. However, recruitment has shown some improvement over the past 5 years. It is suspected that moose have benefited from increased summer and fall Erika Nunlist browse resulting from deciduous tree and shrub response following the Winslow [email protected] Fire and BLM and USFWS forest management projects in the Centennial (406) 407-2297 Mountains. Reduced elk population, following the 2015 hunting season, also likely increased forage available to moose. If recruitment continues to show long-term decline, increased antlered and antlerless harvest might be warranted to reduce the population to within the capacity of their habitat OR increase forage available to moose through additional habitat enhancement.

Changes to the Beaverhead County Weed District On December 22, 2017, long-time Beaverhead County Weed Coordinator, Jack Eddie retired. Jack had served the county for 25 years in the weed department, with 22 of those years as the weed coordinator. In January, the Beaverhead County Commissioners, upon the recommendation of the weed board, appointed me, Amber Burch, as the new weed coordinator. I am excited to take on the position and lead the weed program into the future. During the 2018 season, I am planning to get crews on the ground in mid-May, which is a few weeks earlier in the season than previous years. Crews will be focusing on early weeds such as Whitetop and Black Henbane during this time. I also have plans to treat Hwy 324 early in the season and potentially broadcast areas where there is significant knapweed. There are also 32 cooperative weed days scheduled across Beaverhead County. The Beaverhead County Weed District was successful with the Montana Noxious Weed Trust Fund grant program, receiving 7 grants across the county. This fall, we will be working with landowners in Medicine Lodge to create a new grant proposal. If at any time, you have question or concerns about noxious weeds, or have suggestions for the weed department, please Tassi Duffner give me a call at 406-683-3790, or send an email to [email protected].

PO Box 240077 www.centennialvalleyassociation.org Dell, MT 59724 www.facebook.com/centennialvalleyassociation [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @centennialvalleyassociation Tassi Duffner Centennial Valley Family History: H. James and Mae Scheid Excerpt from “Centennial Valley: A Journey Through Time 1930-2014” Volume II by the Centennial Valley Historical Society Herman James “Jim” Scheid came to Beaverhead County in 1917 from Neosho, Missouri. He left a small farm where he was born and came to Montana to find a better life. He grew up reading the “dime” wild west novels of the time and had decided on a career as a cowboy, but when he landed in Dillon and went looking for a job, he found that cowboys made $30/month and sheepherders $35/month. “That decided my career,” he later said, and he was involved in the sheep industry for the rest of his life. He worked for several sheep outfits in Dillon during the winter of 1917 and then joined the Army in 1918. Jim did not see Beaverhead County again until the mid-1920s, when he came to the Centennial Valley with a band of sheep owned by the Boyle Sheep Company. Jim started as camp tender, worked his way up to foreman, and finally became a partner in the company. He and his partner, Jack Boyle, wintered and lambed their sheep in Rupert, Idaho and trailed to the Centennial Valley each spring. They didn’t own land, but leased several properties including the ranch on Bean Creek and the Price place on Price Creek from the Portland Land Bank. The Boyle Sheep Company, like many livestock operations, struggled to survive the Depression. The company was starting to prosper when, in 1936, Jack died suddenly and the company was forced to liquidate. This was a setback for Jim, but he was able to keep the lease on the Bean Ranch. He began going to lamb producers in the fall and buying their white-faced ewe lambs. He wintered the lambs in Jerome, Idaho and trailed them each spring to the Centennial, where they summered and then sold in the fall as replacements to the ewe and lamb operators. Jim was able to buy the Bean Ranch in 1954. He continued to run both sheep and cattle on the ranch until he retired in the late 1970s. Although the Scheid Family have always been “summer people”, Jim loved the Centennial Valley and the Bean Ranch. Even after retirement, Jim and his wife, Mae, spent the summers in the Valley and Jim did all the irrigating. Jim passed away in 1983 and Mae passed away in 1998. The ranch was then owned by their son Jerry, then by Max and Lisa Yates, and now the Matador Cattle Company. Jerry and his wife, Carrie, still spend time in the Centennial Valley. The history of the Scheid Family can be found on pages 371-372 in the Centennial Valley History Book Volume II, alongside many other histories of other great families and people of the Centennial Valley.

Tassi Duffner Spring is here and the snowpack will soon become The CVA is partnering with the Montana Conservation Corps to hire a spring water! The Jefferson River Basin is reporting to Conservation Intern. We would like to introduce Clare Ols: be in good condition and the Centennial saw more “My name is Clare, and I will be serving as the Centennial moisture come mid to late-March. Current SNOTEL Valley’s Conservation Intern through from May until August. I am a numbers are: current senior at the University of Alabama and will graduate with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and a minor in Natural Resource  Lakeview Ridge: 83% of normal for snowpack; Management. As an undergraduate research assistant at the university, I 105% of normal for Water Year have spent the last three years developing a camera trap network to monitor big cat populations in Costa Rican biological reserves. Originally  Divide: 115% of normal for snowpack; 111% of from Ohio, I am also an avid equestrian and long-distance runner. I am normal for Water Year so excited for the opportunity to become part of the Centennial Valley community this summer and cannot wait to get to work!”  Teepee Creek: 113% of normal for snowpack; 91% Clare will be leading the Centennial’s Invasive Species of normal for Water Bill West program, assisting with wildlife tracking for the Range Riders, Year conducting flow measurements, and much more. We are very excited to st  have Clare join our team on May 21 and trust that she will do a White Elephant: 119% of normal for wonderful job! Partnering with the Montana Conservation Corps will snowpack; 106% of normal for Water Year help boost the CVA’s capacity this  Beagle Springs: 129% of normal for summer, our busiest time of the year. We snowpack; 89% of normal for Water Year appreciate the opportunity for collaboration and can’t wait for the summer to officially be here!

2018 Range Rider Season As the mild winter in southwest Montana is coming to an end, CVA is looking forward to the 2018 season in the Centennial Valley! Following last season, Sarah held end-of-season meetings with participating ranchers to determine whether we were meeting their needs and how we can continue to move the Range Rider program forward. We received excellent, candid feedback from participants, which we greatly appreciate for the future of the program. One overarching theme in the meetings was the need for the Wildlife/Range Rider Team to have experience working with cattle. To meet this need, CVA has hired two Range Riders for the 2018 season, Jack Cronin and Shea Nieslanik, who grew up on family ranches and have an extensive understanding of cattle and the livestock industry. Additionally, both pursued Bachelor of Science degrees in environmental disciplines, so understand the interconnectedness between ranching and conservation. We are looking forward to their arrival in May, and trust that they will be great additions to the team and the Centennial Valley community! The Range Rider program is entering its fifth season, and CVA believes it is time to begin evaluating whether the program is meeting its goals of reducing unconfirmed losses and mitigating wildlife-livestock conflicts. Although there are many external factors to take into consideration, such as varying environmental conditions, alternative cattle management decisions, and variable human presence, the Range Rider program will quantify its effectiveness by focusing on the percent of total cattle losses from depredation or unknown causes. Over time, we expect that these percentages will allow us to assess whether the program is effective based on year to year fluctuations. After chatting with our participants, we have estimated that of all losses on participating ranches in the Valley, 4% were due to depredation, and 49% were due to unconfirmed causes. Unconfirmed causes includes any cause of death that could not be assigned with 100% certainty (e.g. suspected illness). Of the unconfirmed losses, the suspected causes of death are: 35% illness/toxic plant ingestion, 3% predation, 2% drowning, 1% lightning strike, and 8% truly unknown cause. In addition to the Range Rider program, factors that may have influenced losses in 2017 were increased human presence from Elk Lake Road construction and an active sage grouse research team, early calf weaning in high-risk pastures, and certain pastures/herds not being monitored by Range Riders per participants’ request. Each year, we will strive to adapt our strategies based on how loss percentages change. We could not have begun this process without our participants’ willingness to share information with us and are grateful for their trust and assistance with evaluating the program. We hope to only strengthen this trust as time goes on. This year, Sarah, Jack, and Shea will continue to focus on reducing unconfirmed losses, mitigating wildlife- livestock conflicts, producing bi-weekly updates for the community, and maintaining open communication with participants. Bi-weekly updates will resume in May and continue until the Range Riders leave the valley. As always, community reports of wildlife sightings and wildlife-livestock conflicts are extremely helpful to the program and provide much of the information that keeps the community informed! To report sightings to the Wildlife/Range Rider Team, or if you have any programmatic questions, please contact Sarah Hale, Wildlife Program Coordinator, at [email protected], or 317-753-0611. Cory Biggers To preserve traditional ranching as a way of life in the Centennial Valley, and to maintain quality open space, wildlife habitat, water quality and wildlife migration corridors as they exist today for future generations. Wildlife Speaker Series Summer 2018 Beaverhead County Spray Days 2018 The sixth annual Summer Wildlife Speaker Series, hosted by the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Community Partnerships Location Date Time th Program in partnership with local watershed groups across BIG SHEEP CREEK JUNE 13 8AM@Sheep Pens th western Montana, will kick off in late June and continue LIMA DAM JUNE 19 8AM@Schmidt Property th throughout the summer. The Speaker Series was initiated to LIMA JUNE 20 8AM@Rest Area rd provide an opportunity to gather with friends and neighbors to RUBY DAM JUNE 23 8AM@Ruby Dam th enjoy learning about our wildlife neighbors, to be inspired by WOLVERINE JUNE 26 9AM @Wolverine Gate th what we know through connecting audiences with wildlife SNOWLINE JUNE 28 8AM@Snowline Exit th experts, and to understand the complexities of sharing the landscape with wildlife MONIDA JULY 11 8AM@Monida Pass th and how each of us can play a positive role in conserving the wildlife and places we RED ROCK PASS JULY 12 9AM@Pass th value. It is much better said by the words of one of our attendees: BEAVERHEAD JULY 13 8AM@High School th “Yet another spectacular season of the Wildlife Speaker Series within the LITTLE SHEEP JULY 18 TBD th grandest lecture hall of them all– Southwestern Montana. The program is just that PRICE/PEAT JULY 19 8AM@East Fork Turn th enjoyable, insightful, and beneficial to galvanize a person to venture out to take part. LIMA DAM AUGUST 8 8AM@Lima Dam This is how we learn and bear testament to the highly honed craft and back- CENTENNIAL WEED WEEK #1: June 18TH-22ND breaking passion of those who are digging into wildlife issues and sharing them. By TH TH attending the series, I know what intense effort is required to attain knowledge and CENTENNIAL WEED WEEK #2: July 9 -13 speak with authority about a subject. I know what the agriculture folks are up CENTENNIAL WEED WEEK #3: August 6TH-10TH against and the sacrifices they make to bolster wildlife. I know, I know, I know can The CVA is ready for Zach Owen attest to it all because I attended the series.” another exciting year managing This year, the series will include five events in rural communities in invasive weeds in the Centennial southwest Montana including Lima, Dillon, Wise River, Laurin, and Ennis, and two Valley! We will be sponsoring the events in urban locations near Bozeman and Missoula. The Centennial Valley Wolverine, Red Rock Pass, and Lima Association will be partnering with the Wildlife Conservation Society to host an Dam (August 8th) spray days for the event on bats on August 9th featuring Matt Bell from Montana Land Reliance. third year in a row! CVA will provide Contact Quincey Johnson at [email protected] or 682-3437 for more information. lunch and snacks for those that 2018 Safety Reminder attend. We look forward to partnering with landowners, The Nature We are gearing up to be back in the Centennial Valley! The Valley is very remote and Conservancy, Beaverhead County, BLM, Forest Service, DNRC, Red Rock it’s always good to plan ahead before visiting. Here are some friendly reminders/tips Lakes NWR, and Taft-Nicholson Center for another successful weed for your Centennial adventures: season!  Bring a spare tire or two and all necessities to change/fix a flat and always enter On April 24th, from 9am-430pm, CVA and Beaverhead County with a full tank of gas. will be hosting an applicator training for 6 license credits in the following categories:  Have extra food, water, blankets, etc. in case of overnight breakdown. * Dealer * Agricultural Plant Pest Control * Right of Way Pest Control  Weather changes frequently; there is even some snow in July! * Demonstration & Research Pest Control * Regulatory Weed  Carry a First Aid Kit. * Private Agricultural Pest Control  Verizon and Sprint are the only two carriers that work in the Centennial, however A homemade lunch will be provided at the training. An RSVP there is little to no cell service on the south side of the Valley. to the training, for lunch counts, is appreciated, but not required. For  We live in grizzly bear country! Grizzlies are not only found in the forested sites questions or to RSVP, please contact Kara at 715-681-0795 or Amber at of the Centennial, but also in the sagebrush, grassland, and wetland landscapes. 406-683-3790. We look forward to seeing everyone out this summer! While out adventuring, birding, bicycling, etc., please remember to carry bear spray and James “Newt” Perdue follow proper bear safety protocols. Friends of CVA CVA strives to build, utilize, and have working  SLOW DOWN! relationships with many agencies and As of April 2017, air ambulances, such as Air organizations. Idaho and Life Flight Network, can no longer  The Nature Conservancy sell memberships to residents in the state of Montana. The Montana legislature passed a bill  Future West that regulates memberships being sold.  Heart of the Rockies/High Divide Essentially, if an air ambulance organization Collaborative sells a membership, Montana sees that as health insurance and will treat the organization as a  Burau of Reclamation via DNRC health insurance company, which they are not.  Federal, State, and County Agencies Although they cannot offer and sell memberships to Montana residents, they are  Montana Watershed Coordination Council still operating flights within Montana. An individual that uses a flight network will have  Cross Charitable Foundation to pay the difference back to the air ambulance  Charlotte Martin Foundation after insurance. Depending on the emergency Board Members flight and distance, the cost before insurance is Yvonne Martinell, Chairwoman Pat McKenna, Secretary  Western Sustainability Exchange between $15k and $60k, with good insurance Scott Huntsman, Treasurer Peggy Dulany  Natural Resources Defense Council typically picking up 60-80% of that cost. Life Andrew Anderson (Proxy) Mel Montgomery Flight Network does offer financial assistance to Ed Wolfe Jerry Scheid (Advisory)  Greater Yellowstone Coalition those that need it. Erin Halcomb (Advisory) The Flight Network has helicopter  Taft-Nicholson Center bases in Butte, Bozeman, and Rexburg, Idaho Committees  Defenders of Wildlife and can be reached at 800-232-0911. Air Idaho has a helicopter base in Idaho Falls and can be Weeds: Scott Huntsman  Livestock Loss Board reached at 208-529-6111. Wildlife: Yvonne Martinell, Bill West (Advisory)  Missouri Headwaters Partnership

HAVE A SAFE, YET FUN, SUMMER OF 2018! Hunting: Pat McKenna, Jerry Scheid, Scott Huntsman  And Many Others!

PO Box 240077 www.centennialvalleyassociation.org Dell, MT 59724 www.facebook.com/centennialvalleyassociation [email protected] Follow us on Instagram @centennialvalleyassociation