Park Conservation District
5242 Highway 89 South Livingston, MT 59047
Telephone (406) 222-2899x111
April 5, 2016
REGULAR BOARD MEETING
MINUTES
USDA Building, Conference Room, 5242 Hwy 89 South
Livingston, MT 59047
11:00 a.m.
BOARD MEMBERS PRESENT: Martin Davis, chair; Ned Zimmerman, vice chair; Daryl Stutterheim, Dave Haug
NON-BOARD MEMBERS: Jessica Anderson, District Administrator; Dylan Graves, Watershed Coordinator; Scott Opitz, Montana FWP; Buddy Drake, Montana FWP
Martin Davis called the regular Park CD meeting to order at 11:02AM.
310 APPLICATIONS/SITE INSPECTION REPORTS/DECISIONS:
A. PK-13-16 Gary Hoyem: Bear Gulch – Placement of a 3' x 12' pipe with a 10' face plate in stream to flood irrigate adjacent pasture. Buddy Drake recommended that Hoyem make the face plate temporary and removable in case water tries to get around the plate and cause erosion. After discussion, Haug made the motion to approve with modifications and waive the 15 day waiting period. Stutterheim seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
B. PK-11-16 Henry Hamm: Flathead Creek – Replacement of concrete irrigation diversion and headgate with a treated lumber structure. The replacement will be a pin and plank system. Stutterheim moved to approve as proposed and waive the 15 day wait period. Zimmerman seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
C. PK-08-16 Margery Chapman: Cottonwood Creek – Bank stabilization through sloping bank back and using rocks and improve a ford for maintenance on other side of creek. Drake recommended the modification to work more towards the south side of the bank. Stutterheim recommended to approve with modifications and waive the 15 day wait. Haug seconded and the motion was passed, 4-0.
D. PK-15-16 Double T Ranch/Mitch Miller c/o DeWitt Dominick: Shields River – Bank stabilization and revegetation of approximately 115 linear feet of the Shields River. Drake recommended to modify the application to only 50 feet of bank stabilization and to place more emphasis on revegetation. Stutterheim moved to approve with modifications. Haug seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
E. PK-12-16 Fish-A-Bit Ranch c/o Spanish Peaks Engineering & Consulting/David Sigler: Chicken Creek – Installation of a water control headwall structure in order to provide sufficient flow to irrigation sump pump as well as the installation of a fish bypass channel to facilitate fish passage. Drake added that they must remove the diversion boards when the pump is not in action. Stutterheim moved to approve with modifications and waive the fifteen day wait. Haug seconded and it passed, 4-0.
F. PK-07-16 Heart K Land & Cattle Co.: Yellowstone River - Maintenance of the side channel inlet to allow landowner to receive allocated water right at the headgate to the Rustad irrigation ditch. They will move all excavated material off site out of the floodplain. Haug moved to approve as proposed and waive the 15 day wait. Stutterheim seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
G. PK-14-16 Eight Mile II_A Montana LLC c/o Tom Coleman: Trail Creek - The restoration of approximately 690 linear feet of streambank through excavation of higher elevations, large wood placement, live brush layering, and riparian zone development in order to re-establish connection to disconnected floodplain surfaces. Haug moved to approve with modifications and waive the fifteen day wait. Zimmerman seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
H. PK-16-16 Randy Petrich c/o Standish Excavation: Mill Creek - Installation of a 70 foot bridge in order to provide vehicle access to adjacent hay field. The bridge will be placed on the terraces with a pipe for overflow. Stutterheim moved to approve and waive the 15 day wait. Zimmerman seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
I. PK-09-16 Timber Resource Mgmt./Craig Kamps: North Fork Elbow Creek - Installation of two stream crossings to access private property. One culvert will be 30” and the other will be 48”, which Drake was happy with. He proposed that they bed the pipe 6-8” below grade. Zimmerman moved to approve with modifications and waive the 15 day wait. Stutterheim seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
J. PK-10-16 Church Universal & Triumphant/Alan Shaw c/o Wade Peck: Aldridge Lake - Clear inlet to 12"+/- outlet to provide for unimpeded flow of irrigation water from the manmade lake. Drake recommended that they dig a ditch to get water for this year, but this winter they should apply again to get back in there and dig out a more substantial amount while the soil is frozen. Zimmerman moved to approve with modifications and waive the 15 day wait period. Haug seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
K. PK-17-16 NorthWestern Energy/Scott Bernhardt: Perkins Creek – Replacement of existing, damaged culvert with a 30” x 30’ culvert. Drake modified the permit, saying they needed either a 30” squashed culvert (buried 2-3 inches below bed) or a 36” round culvert (buried 6-8 inches below bed) and to put 1’ of fill over top. Stutterheim moved to approve with modifications and waive the 15 day wait. Haug seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
TREASURER’S REPORT & FINANCIAL ITEMS:
A. Approval of checks and financial reports: Following review, Haug made the motion to approve the treasurer’s report and financials. Zimmerman seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
MINUTES APPROVAL
A. Approval of March minutes: Stutterheim made the motion to approve the March 1, 2016 meeting minutes. Haug seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
Planning and Development Board Update
Dave Haug provided an update from the most recent planning board meeting. There is a new assistant planner for the county from Glasgow. The board is currently working on the growth policy with independent contractors to determine the opinions of local citizens and organizations. They are also in phase 2 for the bike path project from Tom Miner Basin to the Yellowstone Arch via the Old Yellowstone Trail. The project is currently out for bid. The other continuing project is in regards to the Wineglass Road improvement, which is being redesigned. They are still looking to do a chip seal, which Dave thinks will not be durable enough to last very long.
NRCS UPDATE
Ted Nelson provided the NRCS update. The county has gained a little snow since last month, with much of it coming near the end of March. It is looking like the summer season will have better water than last year, though by how much estimates are not sure. Signups for NRCS programs are finished for the 2016 program, although there are still some pollinator funds if anyone is interested. There have been three landowners who signed up for the pollinator program, which involves the planting of grasses, flowers, and shrubs that flower intermittently throughout the spring and summer to provide food sources all year for bees and pollinators.
Precipitation results for March:
· Upper Yellowstone: 97% of average (120% of last year)
· Brackett Creek: 109% of average
· Porcupine: 83% of average
· S. Fork Shields: 92% of average
· Sacajawea: 95% of average
NEW BUSINESS:
A. Watershed Warriors DNRC HB223 Grant: Matt Wilhelm with the Invasive Species Action Network has created a 223 grant application to continue the Watershed Warriors program into Shields Valley, Gardiner, and Arrowhead schools for the 2017 school year and needed CD approval before it was submitted. After discussion, Zimmerman moved to approve the proposal and support the grant. Stutterheim seconded and the motion passed, 4-0.
B. Cover Crops DNRC HB223 Grant: Bert Otis would like to be added to the 223 grant to get cover crop seed funding to plant cover crops in Park County and do an educational tour for interested parties to look at the results. NRCS has offered to help with the planning and review processes associated with the grant, which is due April 26th.
C. Montana Water Center River Restoration/Bank Stabilization Workshop: Dylan Graves went to the river restoration and bank stabilization workshop in Billings on March 29th and 30th. The workshop focused on ways to stabilize and restore banks using means besides rock rip rap, such as willow plantings, soil lifts, and other alternative designs.
D. Soil Health Workshop, Wilsall: Park CD, SVWG, and MSU Extension are sponsoring the Soil Health and cover crops workshop being held at the Wilsall Fire Hall at 6pm on Thursday, April 14th.
WATERSHED BUSINESS:
A. Upper Yellowstone Watershed Basin Updates:
· Next Meeting: May 6th, Emigrant
B. Shields Valley Watershed Group Updates:
· Next Meeting: May 30th, Wilsall
PUBLIC COMMENT:
There was no public comment.
MEETING ADJOURNED @ 1:50 PM
NEXT MEETING: May 3rd @ 11:00am
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