Welcome to the MRF email Newsletter
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Dear Foundation Member or Friend of the Madison,
Welcome to our email newsletter to help keep you informed and up-to-date on Foundation events and activities. We know that getting a whole lot of email messages can be annoying. We promise not to fill up your Inbox with frivolous messages. And you can unsubscribe to this email newsletter at any time by clicking the button at the top of the page. So again, welcome to our newsletter. And please forward this to any of your friends who might be interested in the Foundation and our efforts to preserve and protect the Madison River and its related ecosystem.
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Bare Naked Banks!  Madison Willow Planting Awaits End of Spring RunoffAfter surveying the site of our upcoming willow planting project on the Madison with a BLM crew from Dillon, we've decided to hold off on the planting until after spring runoff. The site is between McAtee Bridge and the Ruby Creek campground, on the west bank directly across the river from Beartooth Fly Fishing. Last year BLM took these pastures out of grazing. For 40 years this section of the Madison was grazed heavily by cattle and it shows it. While there is some willow growth across the river on the east bank, almost two miles of the west bank is devoid of larger vegetation, as seen in the photo above. A survey of the banks, however, indicates that it would be best to undertake the re-vegetation project after the spring runoff. Planting willows near the river now would risk them washing away with the runoff. By planting after the runoff the young plants will have a whole season to establish themselves before next year's high water. BLM has purchased 600 sandbank willow plants from the state nursery in Missoula. The plants currently are in cold storage. As soon as the runoff flows recede we will get the willows into the ground along the river. Bankside vegetation is very important to the health of the river. Riparian plants provide shade in the summer, their roots stabilize banks and slow erosion, and they offer nesting sites for birds as well as habitat for terrestrial insects that are important as a source of food for trout. If this pilot project succeeds we will assess other sites along the Madison for similar treatment. If you want to be included in the volunteer crew that will do the planting, reply to this newsletter or join our volunteer opportunity email alert list. Send us a message at [email protected] and we'll keep you in the loop. Digital Map of Noxious Weeds Along the Madison Now Available A digital map showing the results of last summer's noxious weed mapping is now available. To view the final product click here Madison weed map. The map, along with the one produced in 2010 (also available via the same link) will be useful in tracking the movement of noxious weeds and helping noxious weed control officials and private landowners plan for control and treatment. The map is interesting in that each GPS data point identifies the weed by species and level of infestation. Just zoom in and place the cursor on the individual data point. Noxious invasive weeds such as the knapweed in the photo above can crowd out native plants and seriously damage riparian vegetation along the river. Landowners are legally required to monitor their properties and treat noxious weeds. We want to thank all the volunteers who have helped with the GPS weed mapping the past two summers. The effort has provided a good snapshot of the weed problem along the Madison. |
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In the News
MT Stream Access Law: Ruby River Landowner Renews Lawsuit, Cites U.S. Supreme Court's PPL Decision A landowner along the Ruby River has filed an amendment to his ongoing lawsuit to block public access to his section of the river, citing the February 22, 2012 unanimous U.S. Supreme Court decision in PPL Montana LLC v. Montana.
Ranch owner and communications mogul James Cox Kennedy argues that under the PPL decision he owns the bed of the Ruby River because it, like the Madison, was not navigable at the time of Montana statehood. This could have profound implications for Montana's iconic stream access law.
At the time of Montana statehood in 1889, the federal government ceded control of navigable rivers to the state to be held in trust for the benefit of the people, the so-called public trust doctrine. Although the U.S. Supreme Court's PPL decision directly addressed the issue and said the public trust doctrine stands, that the state retains its broad jurisdiction, it remains somewhat unclear if this applies only to those rivers deemed navigable at statehood.
In his lawsuit filed in Virginia City, plaintiff Kennedy alleges that the state of Montana has no jurisdiction over non-navigable waterways (such as the Madison and Ruby) and that denying him (and previous owners of his ranch property) ownership of the river bed constituted an unconstitutional taking.
Public access to the Ruby repeatedly has been contested by Kennedy. The issue had appeared resolved when a court decision allowed the public to access the Ruby from the easements at county road bridges. Anglers entering the Ruby from such public access points have full use and enjoyment of the river below the ordinary high water mark, including the bottom of the river. Plaintiff Kennedy is challenging this access by asserting ownership of the river bed.
Whether this lawsuit succeeds remains to be seen. Legal opinions differ. But once again it appears that Montana's landmark stream access law is under assault.
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For more information about the Foundation, upcoming events and volunteer opportunities, the 10th anniversary "Guardians of the River" Gala Banquet, June 23rd, or the 2012 Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival visit www.madisonriverfoundation.org or call 406-682-3148.
Tight Lines, Richard Lessner, PhD
Executive Director
Madison River Foundation |
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"When one tugs at a single thing in nature he finds it attached to the rest of the world."
--John Muir
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Upcoming Events
April 21 Madison and Ruby Valley Conservation Districts Annual Banquet, Virginia City, MT.
May 3 MRF Hosts Ennis Chamber of Commerce's Business After Hours, 5 pm -- 7 pm
May 14 Board of Directors Meeting, Bozeman, MT
May 17 Bear Creek Days, Cameron, MT
June 23 Annual Membership Meeting, Ennis, MT
June 23, 10th Annual Guardians of the River Gala Banquet, Cameron, MT
August 31- September 1 Ennis on the Madison Fly Fishing Festival, Ennis, MT
September 17 Board of Directors Meeting, Ennis, MT
December 10 Board of Directors Meeting, Ennis, MT
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Visit Our Newly Re-designed Web Site!
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The 10th Annual "Guardians of the River" Gala Banquet will be a very special occasion this year.
The elegant Lodge at Sun Ranch will host this year's banquet. The Lodge is set amid the sprawling 26,000-acre Sun Ranch. The evening will feature gourmet dining by Executive Chef Daniel Wendell and live music by the always popular Steve Hulse Jazz Trio.
Special thanks is due the Sun Ranch Partners for inviting the Foundation to hold our 10th anniversary gala at their beautiful lodge.
Invitations to the gala will be mailed later this spring. If you're not already on the MRF mailing list and receiving our quarterly newsletter Madison River Currents you can sign up on our website. Stay in the loop on all upcoming Foundation events, volunteer opportunities, and invitations to this year's very special Guardians of the River Gala Banquet.
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