February 20, 2020

Greetings, readers! We have a great issue of The Montana Conservationist for you this week:

• Lake County CD is putting on trainings across the state next week to help other districts start Pollinator Initiatives in their areas.
• The city of Havre has found an innovative solution to a wastewater treatment dilemma: they put beer in it – or rather, leftover mash. (this is just on going proof that everything’s better with beer)
• The Agricultural Research Service is testing ways to solve a problem for the Army: tons of shredded paper are being diverted from the landfill and used to revitalize soil instead (everyone is so creative this month!)
• Montana FWP has lifted boat launch restrictions on Canyon Ferry, after three years of clean tests for invasive mussels.
• Although snowpack is about average in most Montana basins, the weather in the coming weeks will make or break this year’s water supply.
• Successful Farming reports that occasional tillage to solve certain problems doesn’t harm soil health on long term no-till operations.
• Virginia Tech is testing bee friendly forage to solve problems in the “fescue belt”. The bee and cattle friendly results may be useful across the country.
• Bridger Plant Materials Center recently released their annual report, and we have a couple of good tidbits on what they’ve been up to, including results from two studies led by Big Sky Watershed Corps Member Zach Lenning.

Read all of that, plus several new grants, events, and jobs in this week’s Montana Conservationist: 

TMC 2020-02-20