Revive and Thrive with TNC

The Nature Conservancy (TNC), along with our partners at the Blackfoot Challenge and Five Valleys Land Trust, invite members of the community to celebrate restoration and land protection with our third-annual "Revive and Thrive" event on Sunday, July 23. It's a chance for people to lend a hand sprucing up a favorite, or even not so well known, spot on TNC's Clearwater Blackfoot Project land. This year we'll be working on a new loop trail at the headwaters of Fawn Creek, not far from Seeley Lake. As always, everyone is welcome to come and help with the work. In exchange, we'll provide lunch.

It's a great spot, located just off the Fawn-Archibald road, surrounded by aspen stands and young regenerating forest. The small pond is at the headwaters of Fawn Creek and is partially surrounded by old logging roads.

We'll convert some of the existing closed roads to trails and add a new trail segment and footbridge to form a loop around the pond that will serve as an accessible trail for visitors to enjoy the area.

Based on the last couple years, we are optimistic that we'll get a great crew of folks to get some work done and enjoy the land. People always have a good time and we greatly appreciate the help.

We also thought people might like to know the results of the past two years of work. Last year the focus was Tupper's Lake, just outside the town of Seeley Lake. Beavers had been building dams right at the outlet of the lake which caused the water to spill over and become captured by a nearby road, causing all kinds of damage to the road.

To remedy the problem we replaced the old undersized culvert with a larger one outfitted with a water control structure and installed a contraption known as a "beaver deceiver" at the inlet. Basically, the deceiver screens the water going into the culvert allowing it to flow freely and making it tricky for the beavers to cause further damming.

Our crew also got out with shovels, pulaskis and saws to build a trail around the lake which included a segment across a neighboring Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation parcel. We filled several trash bags with stuff carelessly left behind by users, with the hope that future users will pack out their own garbage. People seem to appreciate the results and the trail is experiencing frequent use.

Tupper's Lake is full this spring and the new outlet working perfectly. Due to steady, higher lake levels, we're looking forward to an improved native fishery in a few years.

Two years back, we gathered under the stately pines at Primm's Meadow to thin and hand pile dozens of small conifers that had begun to encroach into the larger pines. Our goal there was to get the forest into condition to use prescribed fire-as has likely been done for hundreds of years-and help maintain the park-like stand of ponderosas. We have ongoing work happening at Primm's Meadow and weed control is already showing a lot of progress. Go take a hike and see for yourself!

These events are more than just volunteer work projects. It allows people to invest in their community and the beautiful natural places that make it special. While on the trail, you may run into a friend you haven't seen all winter or make some new ones.

These projects are also a way for us to keep in touch with the community so that we hear how you would like this land to be used. The Conservancy doesn't plan to hold onto the Clearwater-Blackfoot land forever and the community's voice is essential to us in planning for its future.

As always, if you have any questions you can get in touch with Chris Bryant at cbryant@tnc.org or 406-214-6437.