HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-01-21 Correspondence - Gallatin Watershed Council - Bridger Foothill Fire Recovery 'i GALLATIN
W A T E R S H E D
■ C O U N C I L
November 2021
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Dear Terry,
Recently, I got the chance to visit several properties that were burned during the Bridger
Foothills Fire just over a year ago. GWC received funding from the Bridger Foothills Fire Relief
Fund to help with natural resource recovery efforts - forest fires can pose a significant risk to our
watershed when erosion leads to excess sediment in our rivers and streams. Despite many
folks losing everything and despite many acres of high severity burn, what we saw during our
visit was true resiliency; neighbors helping each other to rebuild, replant, reseed, and the
landscape slowly beginning to heal. This ongoing recovery is possible thanks to our
community's care for each other and for the land and waters of the Bridger Foothills.
At the Gallatin Watershed Council, our mission calls for us to engage in a wide range of work,
whether fire recovery projects or teaching kids about the importance of wetlands. Over the last
year individuals like you provided funding that helped us to:
• Plant trees along 20th Avenue in
Bozeman during our Adopt-a-Boulevard
Pilot Program to provide shade, capture
rainwater and replenish groundwater.
• Build beaver dam analogues on Kelly
Creek to raise the water table, improve ;
water quality and add habitat diversity.
• Talk to local businesses like OBOZ, the
Western Cafe and Lockhorn Cider about
what they can do to boost their watershed
stewardship.
• Coordinate over 110 volunteers to
clean up over 900lbs of trash during our
Annual Gallatin River Cleanup Day.
• Bring together over 40 community stakeholders to develop a watershed-wide plan of
action to ensure the health of our rivers and streams are prioritized amidst continued rapid
growth.
• And so much more!
Our watershed continues to be put to the test - ongoing pressure from development, record
drought, continued water quality impairments. Sometimes our steps forward feel like baby steps,
but it was Vincent Van Gogh who said, "Great things are done by a series of small things
brought together." Can you imagine the difference we could make in the health of our watershed
if we all made some small collective changes in our daily actions? If we all gave just a little?
When you give to GWC, you not only help us continue to do more and more of the small things,
but you help us recruit more of our community members to do the same. Like the Bridger
Foothills, our watershed is resilient, but it needs you as a champion. Help us create a movement
of watershed stewardship today by donating or becoming a Sustaining Steward. On behalf of
the Lower Gallatin Watershed and all of us that depend on it, we thank you for your support!
With gratitude,
1 J-- 4 e-ef—,
Holly Hill
Executive Director
P.S. Becoming a Sustaining Steward with a recurring monthly donation of just $5 per month will
go a long way towards achieving our vision of unified stewardship of the Lower Gallatin
Watershed to support rich ecosystems, bountiful fields, and vibrant communities. Your donation
is tax deductible.
Donations can be made online at gal latinwatershedcounciLorg/donate or by mailing a
check made payable to Gallatin Watershed Council at P.O. Box 751, Bozeman MT 59771.
The Gallatin Watershed Council is a 501c3 Charitable Nonprofit. Donations are tax-
deductible and our Tax ID#is 13-4293305.
The Gallatin Watershed Council guides collaborative water stewardship
in the Gallatin Valley for a healthy and productive landscape.
P.O.Box 751,Bozeman,MT 59771
www.gailatinwatershedcouncil.org