The Montana Conservationist February 21

Greetings, conservationists! Here’s hoping your pipes aren’t frozen, and the snow stops blowing long enough for you to catch up on this week’s conservation news:

• In case you missed it, Montana has had a particularly severe winter. Weather.com writes in to acknowledge that, and provide an excuse (jet streams, blah, blah). I’ll leave it up to you to forgive them.
• SWCDM’s Northwest Montana Area Resource Specialist Sam Tappenbeck recently held a workshop on stream gaging. She gages there’s quite a lot of interest in the topic.
• USDA has unveiled a new website (farmers.com!) that will make it easy for producers to make appointments with USDA offices, file forms, and apply for USDA programs.
• In the latest swing of the WOTUS pendulum, 10 states have now sued the EPA for withdrawing the rule, alleging the decision was not based in science.
• NACD has a response to president Trump’s proposed budget.
• Bitterroot CD is working with Trout Unlimited to identify priority locations for fish screens on irrigation ditches.
• And finally, USDA Secretary Perdue announces funding for infrastructure improvements on Forest Service trails, including many in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

All of that, plus the jobs, grants, and other opportunities that will keep you warm the rest of the month: TMC 2018-02-21