Montana Freshwater Partners Inc

THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE WATERSHED IS THE HEADWATERS OF THE LONGEST FREE-FLOWING RIVER IN THE CONTIGUOUS UNITED STATES. THE ICONIC YELLOWSTONE RIVER ORIGINATES SOUTHEAST OF YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK IN THE ABSAROKA MOUNTAIN RANGE, FLOWING 671 MILES BEFORE ITS CONFLUENCE WITH THE MISSOURI RIVER. THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE WATERSHED IS EXPERIENCING NUMEROUS PRESSURES ON ITS AQUATIC RESOURCES INCLUDING CURRENT AND LEGACY LAND-USE PRACTICES, HIGH RECREATIONAL USE, OVERALLOCATION OF WATER, INVASIVE SPECIES, CHANNEL ARMORING DIKING, AND CLIMATIC CHANGES. THERE ARE CURRENTLY TWO WATERSHED GROUPS ACTIVE WITHIN THIS GEOGRAPHY. THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE WATERSHED GROUP (UYWG) SERVES THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES FROM THE NATIONAL PARK BOUNDARY IN GARDINER, MT DOWNSTREAM TO CARTERS BRIDGE (JUST UPSTREAM OF LIVINGSTON, MT), WHILE THE SHIELDS VALLEY WATERSHED GROUP (SVWG) SERVES THE SHIELDS RIVER FROM ITS HEADWATER TRIBUTARIES DOWN TO ITS CONFLUENCE WITH THE YELLOWSTONE RIVER. MONTANA FRESHWATER PARTNERS (MFP) HAS BEEN A MEMBER OF BOTH OF THESE WATERSHED GROUPS SINCE 2016 AND HAS BEEN ACTIVELY WORKING WITH THEM TO INCREASE CAPACITY AND COORDINATION TO IMPLEMENT ON-THE-GROUND WATER CONSERVATION AND WATERSHED HEALTH PROJECTS. OVER THE PAST 18 MONTHS, MFP HAS MADE SIGNIFICANT STRIDES IN BRINGING TOGETHER A DIVERSE GROUP OF WATER RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS AND LANDOWNERS TO COLLABORATIVELY IDENTIFY AND PRIORITIZE RESTORATION, PLANNING, AND OUTREACH PROJECTS, WITH THE GOAL OF INCREASING THE HEALTH AND RESILIENCE OF THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE AND SHIELDS WATERSHEDS. THIS PLANNING EFFORT HAS BEEN IN DIRECT CONCERT WITH THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE AND SHIELDS WATERSHED GROUPS, AS WELL AS OTHER LOCAL PARTNERS INCLUDING NGOS AND LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL AGENCIES. THIS LEVEL OF COORDINATION IS PARTICULARLY CRITICAL AS OUR WATERSHED FACES UNPRECEDENTED CHALLENGES POSED BY FACTORS SUCH AS CLIMATE CHANGE, ONGOING DEVELOPMENT, AND INCREASED RECREATIONAL USE. WE ARE SEEKING FUNDING TO FORMALIZE THIS EFFORT THAT WE ARE CALLING THE PARK CO. WATER INITIATIVE (THE WATER INITIATIVE) TO CONTINUE TO COORDINATE AND COLLABORATE ON PROJECT IDENTIFICATION AND RANKING, FUNDING PROCUREMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION. THIS PROPOSAL AIMS TO FUND CAPACITY TO (1) FORMALIZE THE WATER INITIATIVE AND DEVELOP MISSION AND GOALS FOR THE GROUP (2) BUILD A WEBSITE FOR THE WATER INITIATIVE THAT HOUSES PRIORITIZED PROJECT IDEAS AND HIGHLIGHTS COMPLETED PROJECTS AND COLLABORATIVE RESTORATION EFFORTS (3) FACILITATE QUARTERLY MEETINGS TO SHARE UPDATES AND IDENTIFY, RANK, AND DEVELOP IMPLEMENTATION PLANS FOR AQUATIC CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION PROJECTS (4) CONTINUE OUTREACH EFFORTS WITH LANDOWNERS TO IDENTIFY ADDITIONAL PROJECTS AND (5) ADVANCE TOP-RANKED PROJECTS, INCLUDING COMPLETION OF DESIGN AND ENGINEERING FOR 2-4 ON-THE-GROUND RESTORATION PROJECTS. THESE ACTIVITIES WILL INCREASE THE PACE AND SCALE OF AQUATIC RESOURCE RESTORATION AND CONSERVATION IN THE UPPER YELLOWSTONE WATERSHED, INCREASE COLLABORATION AND COORDINATION AMONG A DIVERSE GROUP OF PARTNERS AND STAKEHOLDERS, AND ULTIMATELY INCREASE WATERSHED RESILIENCE TO THE NUMEROUS PRESSURES THE SYSTEM IS FACING.