Stillwater Valley Watershed Council

WILDLIFE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WHIP GRANT. This is a 7-year project secured in 2019 and the mission encompasses treatment and monitoring of noxious weeds with Custer-Gallatin National Forest, preventing further spread of noxious weed throughout the Stillwater watershed. This project will enhance cooperative efforts of the US Forest Service USFS along with adjacent small and large tract landowners. Why is a non-profit group assisting the USFS in their noxious weed control efforts The budget line item for noxious weed control for the Custer-Gallatin National Forest has been significantly reduced in recent years. This grant pays 100 of costs of application on USFS land. Tallies for 2024 Treated 497 acres on USFS grazing allotments and heavily traveled corridors leading into recreational areas, paid commercial applicators 59,172 in 2024 and a total of over 172,345 to date.

COOPERATIVE WEED CONTROL PROGRAMS SMALL AND LARGE ACREAGE, integrated, locally led approaches to noxious weed management enabling SVWC to collaborate with multiple agencies and hundreds of local landowners. Programs include SVWCs SMALL ACREAGE Cooperative Weed Control Program has treated weeds from Nye to Columbus Montana. This program is intended for landowners with LESS than 20 acres. Tallies for 2024 Enrolled 100 participants, including 1800 acres, to treat noxious weeds on 211 acres and provided cost-share to 8 participants in the amount of 2,880. SVWC used 3 commercial applicators and paid them 34,724. SVWC Large Acreage Noxious Weed Control Program targets landowners with MORE than 20 acres located on or adjacent to elk habitat. SVWC received another 20,000 from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation RMEF for 2023-2024. RMEF has contributed 159,000 over the past 14 years to this program. Tallies for 2024 Provided cost-share to 12 participants, representing 14,200 acres, to treat 400 acres via areal and ground application and provided cost-share in the amount of 9,815.