Claire Leonard
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THE LOCAL NEWS OF THE MADISON VALLEY, RUBY VALLEY AND SURROUNDING AREAS Montana’s Oldest Publishing Weekly Newspaper. Established 1873 75¢ | Volume 147, Issue 27 Thursday, June 13, 2019 Madison River Riparian Restoration Madison River Foundation project at Three Dollar Bridge finished first of three phases BY HANNAH KEARSE [email protected] hase one of the Madison River Foundation’s Three Dollar Bridge Riparian Restoration Project, consisting of con- structing a wooden plank-bridge trail over the wetland area,P was completed on June 3. The second phase of installing and removing electric fencing started the next day. The Three Dollar Bridge access to the Madison River was well on its way to becoming a muddy slip-n-slide because of its multi-use popularity. Small wetland plants became matted on the muddy slope, and mud completely overcame large areas. The best path down to the river was a personal interpretation, deciding which large willows to grab on to and scattered boulders to step on. MRF, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks and Three Dollar Ranch agreed to develop a holistic approach to restoring and protecting the wetland area. The plank-bridge trail routes traffic behind wetland vegetation and directs people to specific river access points in gravel or cobble areas. “We want people to enjoy the resources and for the habitat to have a chance to survive,” MRF Project Manager, Chelsea Pardo said. The Three Dollar Bridge project is the first of an overall riparian restoration project, which will restore areas on the Madison River to their natural state. While these strips of wetlands in between water RESTORATION continued on A2 Madison River Foundation team members transport planks to construct a trail near Three Dollar Bridge. HANNAH KEARSE/THE MADISONIAN DISTRICT COURT Bears, barriers ROUNDUP At the Madison County or to driving and was arrested and bans District Court courtroom, for being impaired by marijua- Dan Eugene Hastings entered na, according to the affidavit. a guilty plea Monday, June 3. Cowee pleaded guilty to his Virginia City Town Council met June 6 to decide on He was convicted with a felony second DUI offence and using charge of criminal endanger- marijuana at a public park or ment and will be sentenced at bench, both misdemeanors. fines and listen to bear safety presentation a later time. Law enforcement He was also sentenced to pay pursued Hastings in a high- $2,650 in fines. speed chase through Beaver- BY HANNAH KEARSE head and Madison Counties in Madison County District [email protected] October 2018. After Hastings’ Court issued its sixth peti- hit an embankment in Alder, he tion to revoke Christian Anne irginia City Town Council meeting on June 6 stopped and officers discov- Hegel, 28, suspended two- approved to fine Jerry Davis $100 for unlawfully ered he had a revoked Mon- year sentence and an arrest shooting a firearm in city limits, and the owners tana license and no insurance warrant on June 5. Hegel has of theV structurally compromised Creighton Block building, for the vehicle, according to the outstanding arrest warrants affidavit. starting from Oct. 2014 for not Fred Zweifel and Niki Kline, $500 a day for the community complying with the terms of her impact of the building’s barricade. After three failed initial suspended sentence. She was On October 5, 2018 Davis shot his semi-automatic appearance hearings, Mark convicted of burglary, a felony, rifle into the dirt bank behind his house. State law bans James Bohnemann pleaded in 2010 for stealing $273.75 discharging guns in city limits, but he wasn’t fined at the not guilty to two felony charges worth of chips and sandwiches time. Davis said that he wasn’t aware his home resided in of issuing bad checks during afterhours from the Subway in city limits, but “ignorance of law excuses no one” and city his fourth initial appearance Ennis, her employer at the time, council members unanimously voted that repercussions before Judge Luke Berger. according to the affidavit. The were necessary in the form of a $100 fine. Bohnemann allegedly issued Montana Probation and Parole Julie Gabbard of Julie’s Gems presented city council two bad checks at Shedhorn Department do not know He- gel’s whereabouts, and her bail members with a signed petition defining the revenue im- Sports in Ennis in 2018. His bail was set for $1,000 and the om- was set for $10,000. pact that the barrier around the Creighton Block building nibus hearing was set for July has caused local businesses. The barrier deflects visitors 10. Richard P. Girard plead- from the neighboring business. Lawsuits on the condemned ed guilty to a felony charge of building have been frozen since March, and business Justin James Cowee was criminal possession of danger- owners and the community are frustrated over its lengthy sentenced with a decision: he ous drugs over a video phone process. Meeting attendees and council members discussed can either serve 14 days in jail call from Montana State Prison. possible solutions from signage to a pedestrian tunnel. Jus- or complete the Gallatin Coun- He was sentenced to 1.5 years tin Gatewood said that the council has the power to prevent ty Work Program, which allows to the Montana Department of people convicted of non-violent Corrections from the Beaver- misdemeanor crimes to work in head County Courthouse which BEARS, BARRIERS AND BANS continued on A2 lieu of jail time. In March 2018, will run concurrent with another law enforcement pulled Cowee sentencing. Girard was fined over in a traffic stop. Cowee, a $80 and the Parole Board will By properly securing garbage, bear conflicts can be reduced and medical marijuana card holder, give him his conditions. bears will return to their natural sources of food. said that he had smoked pri- PHOTO COURTESY PEOPLE AND CARNIVORES TABLE OF CONTENTS LOCAL NEWS ................................................................................ 1-6 COMICS/GAMES ........................................................................... B4 OPINIONS ..........................................................................................4 CLASSIFIEDS ................................................................................. B5 Visit us online @ PANORAMA .................................................................................... B1 PUBLIC NOTICES .......................................................................... B6 HEALTH & WELLNESS .................................................................. B2 OUTPOST ..................................................................................... B10 www.madisoniannews.com COLUMNS ...................................................................................... B3 THE MADISONIAN A2 June 13, 2019 RESTORATION continued from A1 scattered birch is an indicator that there used to be a lot more willows.” The plan took two years Custom Building Design to create, approve and fund. & Land water conservation funds and private funding from Northwestern Energy, FWP, Montana Trout Foundation, Montana Outdoor Legacy Foundation and 3 Rivers Com- munication helped sponsor the $218,000 project at Three Dollar Bridge. Temporary electric fencing • Conventional Frame Homes will be constructed during • Commercial Remodels & Additions cattle grazing times to limit • Hand-crafted Log Homes livestock’s access the river. During the times the cattle aren’t grazing, MRF will rally All phases of construction, design and consulting team members and volunteers e-mail: [email protected] | www.bandeconstruction.com to remove the fencing. The brad bullock 581-4117 | ken evans 490-2758 | office 682-7942 14,180 feet of fencing is solar p.o. box 1444 Ennis, MT 59729 powered and with the help of volunteers, can be quick- David Detrick walks along the plank-bridge trail to fly fish at the Three Dollar Bridge June 10. ly erected and removed the HANNAH KEARSE/THE MADISONIAN occasional times a year that it and land make up a small will be necessary. Removing portion of the total land mass, the electric fence in the winter they’re an extremely import- prolongs its lifespan. ant component to healthy Already existing electric rivers and the surrounding fencing that isn’t wildlife ecosystem. Riparian areas are friendly will be removed a critical habitat for wildlife during the second phase of the and help filter pollutants. project, which will be complet- When healthy, they reduce ed in July. A wooden fence will erosion and lower water tem- stretch along the Three Dollar peratures. Bridge parking lot to funnel Tom Parker, principle ecol- people into the four points of ogist at Geum Environmental entry leading to the 790 feet of Consultants in Hamilton, plank-bridge trails. Montana, spent three days Small willow trees, en- CANCELED floating the river from Inter- closed in wire fencing to keep state Highway 87 bridge to wildlife and people from dam- Varney Bridge. With his field aging them, will be planted in work and historical photos three pods in between access tracking some of the ripari- points. The vegetation will an areas’ gradual reduction, make the slope stronger and Parker helped create a master help restore the wetland area. plan for MRF’s restoration This third phase also includes project. posting signs at the parking lot “There was pretty good ev- about the importance of using idence that there are areas that the trails. have changed,” Parker said. The Three Dollar Bridge “You can tell by the species portion of the project will that are currently there, what be completed by