Montana Association Of Conservation Districts funds four more projects through the Sage-Grouse Conservation Grant program

Thanks to a generous grant from the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Montana Association of Conservation Districts was able to award four more grants to help conserve sage grouse. In keeping with BLM’s responsibility to cover Montana as well as the Dakotas, one grant went to South Dakota.

Applications received continue to show a diversity of projects and that word is getting out about this funding opportunity. MACD extends special thanks to Bruce Waage who was largely responsible for “getting the word out” and to Catherine Wightman and Jeff Berglund for serving on the review panel.

Funded projects include:

• Montana Conservation Corps – Continued funding of a seed collection project started in 2012 in various areas of Carbon, Yellowstone, and Stillwater counties where seeds will ultimately be grown and planted.
• Fort Belknap Fish, Wildlife & Buffalo – Sage grouse population assessment with the long term goal to stabilize and enhance the local population on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation.
• Little Big Horn College – Sage grouse seed collection and growing native habitat project collecting seeds at various sites on the Crow Reservation where the seeds will ultimately be grown and planted.
• Pheasants Forever, Inc. (South Dakota) – Wildlife fence marker and escape ramp supply for the South Dakota Sage grouse priority area.