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Arctic grayling preservation tests water users
By Perry Backus of The Montana Standard - 05/26/2004
Illustration by Jean Clark of the Montana Standard
Big Hole issue broadens with Tucson-based environmentalists' request to list fish as endangered
WISDOM — As one of the founding members of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, Harold Peterson has spent hundreds of hours trying to come up with ways to keep water in the Big Hole River to help preserve the last native population of arctic grayling in the lower 48 states.
After five years of drought and more than
100 Big Hole Watershed Committee meetings, the longtime Big Hole rancher is beginning to wonder if there's much left that
people can do.
"A lot of us have given up all the water we could possibly give up," Peterson told a crowd gathered at the Wisdom Community Center Monday night. "We can't let our cattle not drink water just to give it to the fish."
"If you give all the water and the ditch is dry, you can't get any more," he said. "The old dishrag is
getting pretty dry."
Peterson was one of about 60 ranchers, biologists, and other public officials who spent about three hours trying to come up with a quick solution to low water at the Wisdom Bridge on the Big Hole River. Biologists say the bridge is the epicenter of the
arctic grayling's stronghold on the river.
The Big Hole's river-dwelling arctic graylings numbers have been dwindling since the drought took hold on this part of the state.
Just before the recent rains, the river dropped near six cubic feet per second (cfs) at the bridge. The low water bared important spawning habitat — potentially crippling this year's new brood of grayling.
Last week, the Center for Biological Diversity, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an emergency listing of the arctic grayling as an endangered species. The group said irrigation demands by local ranchers had put the fish in danger of extinction.
If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opted for the emergency listing, the fish could be placed on the endangered species list as early as July, said Lori Nordstrom of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The listing would be placed in the Federal Register, which would be followed by a 240-day review used by the agency to decide whether to continue the listing, she said.
While Nordstrom said she believes it would be in the best interest of the grayling for cooperative efforts to continue on the Big Hole River without the added pressures of the endangered species act, that decision may be taken out of the agency's hands.
The Center for Biological Diversity recently sued the federal government in an effort to force the issue of listing the grayling. That suit is working its way through federal courts. On Tuesday, federal lawyers presented a brief on what actions are being taken to ensure adequate water will remain in the river near the Wisdom Bridge.
But three hours of conversation Monday and the announcement of a potential of a $1 million payment from the federal government didn't help the group of Big Hole ranchers come to any conclusion on what should be done.
The Natural Resources and Conservation Service is working to put together a $1 million relief package under its environmental quality incentive program that would be used to help offset rancher's costs to keep additional water in the river at the Wisdom Bridge.
Big Hole Watershed Committee member Steve Luebeck met with congressional staffers late last week in Washington, D.C., about the proposal. The proposal includes:
— paying ranchers willing to not irrigate after early July 7 $40 an acre in an effort to keep at least 20 cfs in the river.
— paying up to $5,000 to assist in the construction of off-site stock water facility.
— $1.15 a foot for assisting with the construction of riparian fencing.
The money would come from $22 million allocated to Montana in this year's environmental quality incentive program, Luebeck said. The program is part of the farm bill allocation.
Luebeck said congressional staffers for Sens. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., are supportive of the proposal.
But ranchers at the Monday night meeting said they are skeptical that $1 million would be enough to make a difference. They weren't told about the specifics of the proposal.
Considering the cost of hay and pasture, Big Hole rancher Jack Hirschy said "$1 million wouldn't go no place. It wouldn't even be enough for a start …even if we had the money, where would we go to buy the hay. Dillon's not going to have any, not with the East Bench dry. You just as well forget about it."
Others were discouraged about a process that allows groups like the Center for Biological Diversity to use the courts as a club to force the issue while people who depend on the river have worked cooperatively for years looking for solutions.
Jim Hagenbarth, a longtime member of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, said that group of diverse interests has met over 100 times to find ways to improve the Big Hole River and protect the arctic grayling.
"We're all interested in grayling or we wouldn't be here," Hagenbarth said. "We've put out as much effort as we can … I think we've done a tremendous job."
On the other hand, Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity (that group's lead on the grayling issue) hasn't attended a meeting or provided suggestions on how to solve the difficult issues facing the river and the people who live nearby, said Hagenbarth.
"Right now we're in a democracy and we're in the minority," Hagenbarth said. "We have something they want and they are going to come and take it."
Reporter Perry Backus may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
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By Perry Backus of The Montana Standard - 05/26/2004
Illustration by Jean Clark of the Montana Standard
Big Hole issue broadens with Tucson-based environmentalists' request to list fish as endangered
WISDOM — As one of the founding members of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, Harold Peterson has spent hundreds of hours trying to come up with ways to keep water in the Big Hole River to help preserve the last native population of arctic grayling in the lower 48 states.
After five years of drought and more than
100 Big Hole Watershed Committee meetings, the longtime Big Hole rancher is beginning to wonder if there's much left that
people can do.
"A lot of us have given up all the water we could possibly give up," Peterson told a crowd gathered at the Wisdom Community Center Monday night. "We can't let our cattle not drink water just to give it to the fish."
"If you give all the water and the ditch is dry, you can't get any more," he said. "The old dishrag is
getting pretty dry."
Peterson was one of about 60 ranchers, biologists, and other public officials who spent about three hours trying to come up with a quick solution to low water at the Wisdom Bridge on the Big Hole River. Biologists say the bridge is the epicenter of the
arctic grayling's stronghold on the river.
The Big Hole's river-dwelling arctic graylings numbers have been dwindling since the drought took hold on this part of the state.
Just before the recent rains, the river dropped near six cubic feet per second (cfs) at the bridge. The low water bared important spawning habitat — potentially crippling this year's new brood of grayling.
Last week, the Center for Biological Diversity, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an emergency listing of the arctic grayling as an endangered species. The group said irrigation demands by local ranchers had put the fish in danger of extinction.
If the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opted for the emergency listing, the fish could be placed on the endangered species list as early as July, said Lori Nordstrom of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The listing would be placed in the Federal Register, which would be followed by a 240-day review used by the agency to decide whether to continue the listing, she said.
While Nordstrom said she believes it would be in the best interest of the grayling for cooperative efforts to continue on the Big Hole River without the added pressures of the endangered species act, that decision may be taken out of the agency's hands.
The Center for Biological Diversity recently sued the federal government in an effort to force the issue of listing the grayling. That suit is working its way through federal courts. On Tuesday, federal lawyers presented a brief on what actions are being taken to ensure adequate water will remain in the river near the Wisdom Bridge.
But three hours of conversation Monday and the announcement of a potential of a $1 million payment from the federal government didn't help the group of Big Hole ranchers come to any conclusion on what should be done.
The Natural Resources and Conservation Service is working to put together a $1 million relief package under its environmental quality incentive program that would be used to help offset rancher's costs to keep additional water in the river at the Wisdom Bridge.
Big Hole Watershed Committee member Steve Luebeck met with congressional staffers late last week in Washington, D.C., about the proposal. The proposal includes:
— paying ranchers willing to not irrigate after early July 7 $40 an acre in an effort to keep at least 20 cfs in the river.
— paying up to $5,000 to assist in the construction of off-site stock water facility.
— $1.15 a foot for assisting with the construction of riparian fencing.
The money would come from $22 million allocated to Montana in this year's environmental quality incentive program, Luebeck said. The program is part of the farm bill allocation.
Luebeck said congressional staffers for Sens. Conrad Burns, R-Mont., and Max Baucus, D-Mont., are supportive of the proposal.
But ranchers at the Monday night meeting said they are skeptical that $1 million would be enough to make a difference. They weren't told about the specifics of the proposal.
Considering the cost of hay and pasture, Big Hole rancher Jack Hirschy said "$1 million wouldn't go no place. It wouldn't even be enough for a start …even if we had the money, where would we go to buy the hay. Dillon's not going to have any, not with the East Bench dry. You just as well forget about it."
Others were discouraged about a process that allows groups like the Center for Biological Diversity to use the courts as a club to force the issue while people who depend on the river have worked cooperatively for years looking for solutions.
Jim Hagenbarth, a longtime member of the Big Hole Watershed Committee, said that group of diverse interests has met over 100 times to find ways to improve the Big Hole River and protect the arctic grayling.
"We're all interested in grayling or we wouldn't be here," Hagenbarth said. "We've put out as much effort as we can … I think we've done a tremendous job."
On the other hand, Noah Greenwald of the Center for Biological Diversity (that group's lead on the grayling issue) hasn't attended a meeting or provided suggestions on how to solve the difficult issues facing the river and the people who live nearby, said Hagenbarth.
"Right now we're in a democracy and we're in the minority," Hagenbarth said. "We have something they want and they are going to come and take it."
Reporter Perry Backus may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
Email this story Print this story
