Land Stewardship for Small Acreages 2022

This October, several conservation focused agencies and organizations are collaborating to host a land stewardship workshop for small acreages. The workshop is open to everyone, but it is tailored to landowners in the rural subdivisions of Madison County who would like to know more about how to best manage their land resource.

After hosting a meeting this April about natural resource concerns in the county, it became apparent that there is a lack of education and outreach for landowners who are not traditional ag producers, about how best to take care of their land. We have put a workshop together to fill that need.  If this workshop is successful and draws lots of interest, there may be the potential for additional workshops on these topics in the future.

Here in Montana, taking care of your land can be a big job. Controlling weeds is a constant battle, understanding the stream permitting system can be overwhelming, and managing your resources for long term health takes time and care. We hope we can make some of these challenges a little easier and help people understand the resources and possibilities around them. This workshop will bring together key agencies and land use professionals to speak on topics relevant to small acreage landowners in Madison County. It will also provide an introduction to agencies/professionals who can act as a resource in the future. The workshop’s presentation topics are based on frequently asked questions and will aim to give folks a better understanding of Best Management Practices, as well as, the permitting and laws associated with land management.

The topics covered will be:

• Pasture/Grazing Management – Jon Siddoway, Retired NRCS Range Conservationist
• Managing Invasive and Noxious Weeds – Dr. Jane Mangold, MSU Extension
• Stream on Your Property? What you need to know – Cody Marxer, Great West Engineering
• Wildlife and Your Property – Julie Cunningham, Montana FWP
• Identifying and Understanding your Soils – Natural Resources Conservation Service staff

After the five short presentations, there will be a Q&A Panel with the presenters, as well as, a multitude of other agency representatives to answer questions that could include any topic from weed control to water rights.

Join us on Wednesday, October 26^th from 5pm-7pm at the Madison County Admin Building Conference Room in Virginia City (103 West Wallace Street). Partners in planning this event include the Madison Conservation District (MCD), the Ruby Valley Conservation District (RVCD), Montana State University (MSU) Madison-Jefferson Extension, and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).  Please reach out to the MCD (info@madisoncd.org or 406-682-3181) to RSVP or with any questions.

You can view a recording of this workshop on the MSU Extension YouTube channel:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GoOodmD5L5E&t=25s