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Clearwater Resource Council
County: Missoula
Sub-Major Basin: Upper Clark Fork
Affected Watershed: Blackfoot
Watershed Description: The Clearwater Watershed consists of 248,727 acres located primarily in Missoula County in northwestern Montana. It has mixed ownership comprised of USFS, Plum Creek Timber Company (Plum Creek), State of Montana, and non-industrial private lands. The northern end of the Valley is located between the Mission Mountain Wilderness and the Bob Marshall Wilderness. The southern end of the Valley includes a portion of the Blackfoot-Clearwater Wildlife Management Area administered by the MT Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (MT FWP). The Watershed is an ecologically critical area within the Crown of the Continent ecoregion. This ecoregion supports a nearly complete component of native species and is internationally recognized for its high ecological importance. Tourism, second homes, and growing development tied to recreational and aesthetic qualities are important economic drivers as well.
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Why was a watershed effort begun? The Clearwater Resource Council formed in 2003 in response to changes across the Clearwater Watershed. The population was growing, land uses appeared to be changing from timber management to subdivision development, land ownerships were changing, and people were beginning to recognize the significant risk of catastrophic wildfire. CRC was formed to build community capacity to address these changes and other natural resource issues in the valley.
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Group Accomplishments: Among CRC's accomplishments are the production and update of a Landscape Assessment of the Clearwater Watershed that formed a primary basis for development of a land use plan by the Seeley Lake Community Council, the production and update of the Seeley-Swan Fire Plan in conjunction with the Seeley Lake Fuels Mitigation Task Force, and the initiation of the Adopt-A-Lake monitoring program to measure water quality in Clearwater Basin lakes.
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Group Plans: Looking ahead, CRC is focusing on developing coordinated watershed management across ownership boundaries throughout the Clearwater Watershed. CRC is also stepping up efforts to mitigate weeds in the valley by mapping it for weeds and developing a weed management plan. Finally, CRC is working with the Seeley Lake Ranger District of the Lolo National Forest and the Seeley Lake community to develop a management plan for the Horseshoe Hills area south of town.
Biggest Challenge: CRC's biggest challenge is balancing advancing the Seeley Lake community's vision for this valley with the more mundane work of sustaining the organization and building capacity.
Additional Comments:
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Web Site: http://www.crcmt.org
Contact Information:
Megan Birzell, Project and Development Administrator
Clearwater Resource Council
PO Box 1471
Phone: 406-677-0069
Email: megan@crcmt.org
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| This information was last updated on: 3/16/2009 3:11:02 PM |
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DID YOU KNOW:
Montana is one of four headwater states in the Rocky Mountain region that provides drinking water for over 60 million US Citizens in 11 states.
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