BLM-Montana Grant for Watershed Restoration in the Upper Missouri Headwaters

Two focal areas of study/concern in this region are drought resilience and the Greater Sage Grouse. The Missouri Headwaters was selected as one of two national Drought Resilience pilot projects by the National Drought Resilience Partnership and a work plan for drought resilience was developed in 2015. One of three primary goals in this work plan is to implement local projects to build regional drought resilience. In addition to being a focal area for water conservation, the project area is home to nearly 1.4 million acres of Priority Habitat Management Area (PHMA) and 1.2 million acres of General Habitat Management Area (GHMA) for the greater sage grouse, a BLM Sensitive Species. Restoration of riparian and wet meadow habitat has been identified as a shared priority area by sage grouse conservation partners.

Objective: BLM-Montana would like to support watershed restoration and improvement activities within the project area as defined above. This funding is meant to stimulate projects that restore or improve riparian habitat, instream habitat, water quality, and water quantity within the identified watersheds as well as to monitor the results of such projects. Projects may include but are not limited to:
wetland and mesic habitat restoration; the installation of beaver analog structures or other grade control structures to restore streambed elevations, reconnect floodplains, and recharge groundwater; streambank stabilization; riparian vegetation treatments including planting riparian vegetation or removal of expanding conifers from riparian zones; improvement of road and aquatic habitat interactions including fish passage improvement, stream crossing improvements, and road drainage improvements.

Within the Beaverhead watershed, the initial focus will be stimulating projects within greater sage grouse PHMA and GHMA to restore riparian and mesic habitat. Potential project sites have been identified by the BLM in the Sage Creek Watershed Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2016-0008-EA), the Big Sheep Creek Watershed Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2016-0009-EA), and the Centennial Watershed Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2015-0011-EA). Riparian and mesic habitats are critical for brood rearing of greater sage grouse and are the most vulnerable to drought. Implementing projects in these habitats should retain water on the landscape for longer periods of time and enhance the resilience of these habitats during drought conditions. This work should not only benefit greater sage grouse but also aligns with the work plan for the Missouri Headwaters Basin Drought Resilience Demonstration Project. Other restoration action within the Beaverhead watershed has been proposed and analyzed in the Blacktail Watershed Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2017-0010-EA).

Within the Ruby watershed, this project will support actions to restore function to degraded riparian habitat including instream restoration or the removal of conifers in riparian areas. Potential restoration actions on BLM managed land have been proposed and analyzed in the South Tobacco Roots Watershed Environment Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2017-0011-EA) and the Middle Ruby Watershed Environmental Assessment (DOI-BLM-MT-B050-2014-0005-EA).

In addition to restoration implementation, funding may support: design and permitting; monitoring of both the hydrologic and vegetative response of restoration; research beyond project level monitoring that may provide guidance on how to best achieve the objective of restoring and improving watershed condition; and technical workshops to train, educate, and expand capacity of resource professionals within the region to build on project success and learn from mistakes.

The goal of this funding opportunity is to stimulate and support watershed restoration action across all areas of land management, both public and private, to maximize the collective efforts of all to improve watershed condition.

Public Benefit: Activities under this program of work will promote and stimulate cooperative relationships between BLM, State and local governments, private and non-profit entities, educational entities, and willing private landowners through cooperative projects that leverage Federal investments with partner contributions for the principal purpose of the restoration and enhancement of watershed condition on public or private land to benefit resources on public lands within the project area.

Improving watershed condition benefits all users by maximizing the potential of the landscape to store water and to support wildlife, native vegetation, agriculture, and recreation. Monitoring and data collection related to projects completed in the name of drought resilience and/or sage grouse conservation will benefit the BLM and all land managers in making decisions about managing riparian resources.