We love to monitor the progress of our grantees, many of whom are working to restore critical ecosystems and address climate change today and into the future. One of the inaugural Norm Winn Grant recipients is the Greater Yellowstone Coalition (GYC). The GYC used the KLF grant funds to support a multi-phased, low tech, process-based restoration (LTPBR) project specifically designed to mitigate for climate change and wildfire risk factors in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.
GYC partnered with the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest (BDNF); Bureau of Land Management (BLM); Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP); and The Nature Conservancy to implement the LTPBR project in a setting with a high risk for wildfire. The project was based in Moose Creek, a tributary of Montana’s Big Hole River. The Creek’s headwaters feature a large valley bottom that historically supported extensive wetlands and a robust beaver population. This habitat has been steadily degraded over time by land use and beaver removal, and today the system is simplified – straighter, steeper, and less complex than its historical state. Above this valley bottom are the western slopes of the Highland Mountains and a forest with high wildfire risk from beetle-killed trees and fire suppression.
With the $20,000 grant, GYC was able to:
- Work with its project partners to enhance fire resilience in the Moose Creek watershed. The coalition constructed 67 instream wood structures over a 1.5-mile-long reach of the Creek. The purpose of these structures is to slow the water moving through the valley and increase water height to protect eroding banks, accumulate water and sediment, and provide initial areas for beaver to recolonize.
In addition to the 67 structures in the valley, the Moose Creek project also involved 20 additional large wood structures in another restoration reach approximately a mile long. These reaches targeted by the coalition were specifically selected to maximize floodplain access, water impoundment, and post-fire sediment storage. As a result, the project will provide buffering capacity against future wildfire events in the Highland Mountains.
Congratulations to GYC and all those who helped with the effort to restore Moose Creek and improve water storage vital to this wildfire-prone region. We know Norm would be extremely proud to see his endowment used to implement a generational project that will make a difference for fish, wildlife and forests.
If your organization would like to be considered for a Norm Winn Grant, visit our webpage for information about the application process. The Grants are competitive with the award amount based on the project type and scope up to $25,000. Grants are limited to projects centered in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana, and Eastern Washington state.
The deadline to apply is Oct. 31st. To learn more about the Norm Winn Grant and to apply, visit our website.
Linda Anderson-Carnahan, Secretary