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Mission Mountains Wilderness Mission Mountains Contracting as a management alternative “Climb the mountains and get their good tidings…” John Muir

In memory of Cal Tassinari, pioneer in Wilderness and Avalanche Kari Gunderson Wilderness Education and Management Specialist Education Swan Valley,

Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • A long narrow • Outstanding beauty mountain range in northwestern • Rugged, Montana stretching snowcapped peaks 40 miles • Several small • West slope , alpine managed by Salish- lakes, meadows, & Kootenai Tribes clear cold streams (89,500 acres) • Elevations from • East slope managed 4,500 ft to 9,820 ft McDonald Peak by (73,877 acres)

Mission Mountains

• Flathead (Salish), Pend d’ Oreille, & Kootenai Indians used area for fishing, , berry gathering, & other traditional practices

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Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • 1808-1810: First white men to spend time in • They traveled across the Mission Divide from Missions were fur trappers, David Thompson, the Mission Valley. Several miles of trails in Jocko Finley, & John Howe the wilderness are of Indian origin. • 1901: Morton Elrod, founder of Yellow Bay Biological Station, led first scientific exploration of the range. • 1922-24: Northern Pacific Railway Co. organized exploration of the area. Forest Service employees accompanied explorers and first maps of area were made after this expedition

Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • January 4, 1975 • 1931: portion of the Mission Mountains was Mission Mountains classified as a primitive Wilderness is area. officially classified • 30 percent of land within the area owned by as wilderness & Northern Pacific Railway managed in Co. (NPRC) accordance with • ‘30’s- ‘40’s: Negotiation Wilderness Act of between FS and NPRC 1964 resulting in land exchange of NPRC’s land in higher • Cal Tassinari elevations for National becomes first Forest land elsewhere in the Swan Valley Wilderness ranger in Missions

Mission Mountains Mission Mountains

• 1978: Tassinari writes • 1979: Confederated first management Salish & Kootenai plan for area. The historic document still Tribes approve provides primary Mission Mountains basis for on-the- Tribal Wilderness ground wilderness Area management • 1978-1984: Kari • The first time an Gunderson works as Indian tribe decides on seasonal wilderness its own to protect land ranger & is mentored by Tassinari as Wilderness

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Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • 1983: Gramm-Rudman-Hollings Act places pressure to cut government spending • Solicitation uses the Wilderness management plan to outline work to be done, frequency of • Tassinari works with Flathead National Forest visitations to each area, seasons of work personnel to write a contract solicitation to provide privately contracted wilderness • Contract is advertised in Federal Register as ranger services in the Mission Mountains a competitive contract bidding process • Before retiring, Tassinari felt contracting • 18 proposals are submitted would be best way to guarantee adequate • Contract solicitation requires separate funding for on-the-ground management business proposal & written narrative describing how work will be accomplished

Mission Mountains Mission Mountains Contract includes: Initially work divided into 3 • 1984: Mission seasons: Mountains becomes • Trail opening (50 nation’s first wilderness miles) • Heavy-use: June 15- where on-the-ground September 15 stewardship of the land • Litter cleanup & site is conducted by private naturalization • Moderate-use, contractors • Visitor contact September 16- November 15 • Campsite inventory • April 1984: Contracted • Low-use: awarded to work (LAC) Gunderson/Flood Nov. 16 - mid May Wilderness Partnership

Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • April 1996: Flathead 1984-1995 (11 years): Wilderness Ranger Services National Forest announces contract between Flathead National Forest and private intent to "not renew the contractors contract." Decision based on “lack of budget flexibility • Initial term of first contract ran from June 1984 - June & budget uncertainties since 1985. Term extended for 1 year to June 1986 Congress had yet to pass a • Next contract was awarded in March 1986. Contract budget for the FS for FY allowed four 1-year extensions. All yearly options were 1996." exercised and the contract expired end of 1990. • Swan Lake Ranger District • The contract was again awarded in April 1991 with three 1-year extensions. All yearly options were plans to have members of exercised and the contract expired at the end of 1994 District staff to periodically • Another contract was awarded in April 1995 through go into the MMW to take April 1996 with the option to extend the contract for care of some of the work three additional periods. previously provided by contract wilderness rangers

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Mission Mountains Mission Mountains • 1996: Forest Service states that "the contract with the Flathead National Forest has been looked upon nationally • People in the Swan as an example of how private industry and the Forest Service can come together in a working relationship that Valley are upset about provides cost effectiveness wilderness management while the change and feel a advancing wilderness values.” Contractors are recognized need to continue the as " leaders in the field." wilderness ranger program. "Friends of the Mission Mountains" is formed to coordinate local fundraising efforts.

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• Local fundraising efforts are initiated & half of required amount secured • 1997: Swan Ecosystem Center (SEC) begins formal agreement with Flathead National Forest (FNF) to provide wilderness ranger through auctions, chili services in Missions funded as cost-share agreement between feeds, donations, and SEC & FNF. Funding comes through SEC from Kendall Foundation (through the Pinchot Institute) & National Forest bake sales. Forest Foundation (with money contributed to it under a challenge cost- Service reviews its share agreement by Flathead National Forest). budget and comes up • Similar stewardship service contracts between the SEC, Flathead National Forest & contract wilderness rangers have continued with the other half. through 2004. • Matching monies since 2000 have come from MT Fish, Wildlife, & Parks grant generated from gas tax revenue to support non- motorized & motorized trail maintenance programs. Other funding comes from the National Forest Foundation and private donations.

Swan Ecosystem Management and Mission Mountains Learning Center Pro’s of contracting Con’s of contracting - Savings to taxpayers - Contractors receive no A community-based nonprofit organization. benefits (retirement, - If funding is secured, it insurance, etc.) Mission: Work to maintain the Swan Valley’s will be spent on the - Vehicle maintenance is ground, NOT to cover high cost unique natural resources and ensure that a vibrant overhead costs - No law enforcement human community can sustain itself within a - High level of authority accountability from - Some bias from agency healthy ecosystem through stewardship, contract personnel towards education, economic vitality, and conservation on specifications contractors public and private lands. - High level of autonomy for Wilderness rangers, http://www.swanecosystemcenter.org/ fewer political implications

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Mission Mountains Mission Mountains Our greatest THREATS to the MM Wilderness are: --Snowmobile trespass --spread of noxious weeds (invasives)

1. Technology Creep vs. Minimum Tool Philosophy 2. Loss of opportunities/appreciation for solitude 3. Violation of the food storage order-Food containment • Since 1984 the only privately contracted 4. Fragmentation and isolation of W. as ecological islands (Hendee & wilderness rangers anywhere in the National Dawson, 2001) 5. Adjacent land management activities (Hendee & Dawson, 2001) Wilderness Preservation System --Plum Creek, trophy homes • Currently there are 2 seasonal wilderness rangers 6. Wild land fire suppression (Hendee & Dawson, 2001) working from early June through mid-October to 7. Lack of political and financial support for wilderness protection fulfill the wilderness ranger services contract. I’d and management (funding for people and programs is required to maintain high standards of wilderness naturalness and solitude). like to recognize Lucas Lamar, wilderness ranger, & Anne Dahl, President, Swan Ecosystem Hendee, J. & Dawson, C. (2001), " Stewardship to Address the Threats to Wilderness ” Management & Learning Center Resources & Values. The International Journal of Wilderness, 7:3.

Mission Mountains

Photographs taken by Cal Tassinari & Kari Gunderson

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Mission Mountains

Wilderness Management Distance Education Program Contact Information TO REGISTER or FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE http://wmdep.wilderness.net

OR CONTACT US AT Wilderness Management Distance Education Program The University of Montana College of Forestry & Conservation Missoula, MT 59812 406-243-5346 Email: [email protected]

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