Roger Marshall, Stewardship Forester, Swan Ecocsystem Center

The Seeley, Swan and Blackfoot valleys of Montana are each practicing strategies related to collaborative place-based land management—striving to meet the “triple bottom line” of stewardship of our natural resources, strong economies and healthy rural communities.  Recently, much as a result of these grassroots efforts, all three valleys are experiencing significant changes in land ownership patterns.  At the same time, the economy of the region is also facing major transitions.  The purpose of the Summit is to launch an annual event that brings the three watershed efforts together to leverage more success on our shared landscape.  Meeting objectives include:

• To host a forum for key community, public agency, non-profit conservation, business and academic leaders to share resources, learn from one another and collaborate on long-term stewardship and restoration of public and private lands across the Seeley, Swan and Blackfoot valleys.
  
  
• To discuss both new and existing opportunities and tools to promote healthy economies and jobs related to stewardship and restoration.
  
  
• To identify priority resource issues for collaboration across the three watersheds and targeted action items for 2009-10 to share with our communities.
  

Jill Belsky, University of MT, The Bolle Center for People and Forests

 

Download the 2009 STEWARDSHIP
SUMMIT MEETING AGENDA (PDF)

Download the 2009 STEWARDSHIP
SUMMIT MEETING NOTES (PDF)

Seeley-Swan-Blackfoot Stewardship Summit Recommended Next Steps:

1) Host a monthly conference call for partner groups in the three valleys to share information, communicate and coordinate on projects that benefit the southern end of the Crown of the Continent. Meet in person on a quarterly basis.

2) Work collaboratively on a Southern Crown proposal for Forest Landscape Restoration Act funding between June – December, 2009

3) Host a congressional field tour in 2010 to highlight the successes and challenges to collaborative place-based conservation, restoration and management. Emphasize the need to grow beyond pilot projects, and institutionalize public-private partnerships with associated funding mechanisms. 

4) Identify ways to work together to support Pyramid Mountain Lumber, our local woods products infrastructure, and our rural community vitality.

5) Coordinate a Seeley-Swan-Blackfoot Stewardship Summit in 2010. The summit will be a 1-day event to bring us all up to speed on one issue or opportunity that we have in common.

CLICK HERE for details on the May 7, 2010 Stewardship Summit