The Year Of Bliss
There are tough times. This year was not one of them.
We heard a lot of good things about this year. Fishing was fantastic, hay was plentiful, no major fires, and water was high with no need to implement the Big Hole River Drought Management Plan and no river fishing restrictions. The only negative I heard — it was a banner year for mosquitoes, but we can overlook that.
There were several major landmark events. In July, Governor Bullock announced Montana DNRC’s leadership of a federal drought resiliency program that will pilot in the Upper Missouri and highlighted the Big Hole Watershed Committee as the model group for addressing drought. In August, USFWS announced the Arctic grayling would not be listed under the Endangered Species Act, largely thanks to the good work of the people in the valley. A series of awards and celebrations for those involved followed (see our BHWC Fall 2014 Newsletter for details). On the heels of that, in October Montana adopted the Big Hole River Floodplain maps. At the same time BHWC is hosting two major water quality improvement projects for which funding was secured this year totaling more than $376,000 and more to come.
Are we dreaming?
In 2015 the Big Hole Watershed Committee will turn 20 years old. Our genesis in 1995 was the Arctic grayling and drought. Our niche was to bring diverse interests together and work with our neighbors for solutions that worked for everyone. We’ve grown since then to work in more issues with the ability to implement projects for the greatest good in the watershed. A great year was no accident. The 2014 Year of Bliss occurred in part because of many years of hard work and persistence among many different people.
We are growing a legacy. Making repairs. Taking challenges head-on. Creating a sustainable watershed for ourselves and our children.
By “We” – we mean you too. Your donation this year is as important as ever.
