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Upper Columbia Conservation Commission Winter Meeting

Montana Department of Natural Resources & Conservation sent this bulletin at 01/19/2021 10:04 AM MST

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Upper Columbia Conservation Commission Winter Meeting

Wednesday, February 10th, 2021 from 12:30-4:00pm

Please join us in kicking off the new year with the Upper Columbia Conservation Commission (UC³) winter meeting via 'Zoom' on Wednesday, February 10th from 12:30pm to 4:00pm. All meetings are open to the public. Agenda below.

Please contact Cassidy Bender (cassidy.bender@mt.gov) for meeting details (e.g. virtual meeting links/teleconference information) or to request accommodations prior to the meeting date.

The 2021 MT Legislative Session is Underway!

Due to COVID-19, things look a bit different in the legislative session this year! All committee meetings are able to be streamed/viewed virtually. You can stream and/or participate in the committee meetings and bill hearings, as well as track bills through the session, view the hearing schedule, learn about your legislators, and much, much more on the Montana State Legislature's Home Page.

The UC³ legislative committee has been hard at work this past year, meeting regularly with MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks and the MT Dept. of Natural Resources & Conservation staff and directors to explore, prioritize and make recommendations related to policy, program and legislative actions regarding aquatic invasive species (AIS) in Montana.

During our last meeting, the full commission voted to support two bills moving forward in the 2021 session: House Bill 42- 'Clarifying AIS management authority laws with an AIS list' and House Bill 152- 'Requiring drain plugs to be disengaged to prevent AIS'. Follow the above links to see each bill's description, status, and hearing schedule.

Additionally, an invasive species work session is planned with the Senate and House Natural Resource committees on January 20th at 3 p.m. Select the "watch and listen" tab on the 2021 Legislature website to watch the session live.

Of Interest in the Invasive Species World

The Montana Watershed Coordination Council 2021 State of the Watersheds Report

Just in time for the New Year, MWCC has published their 2021 State of the Watersheds Report. Inside, learn more about the impacts of community-based conservation, work from watershed conservation partners, and how MWCC supports this work. Check out the report: here.

Montana Invasive Species Council - AIS Grants Available! Applications are due by Thursday, February 4, 2021, by 5 p.m.

The Montana Invasive Species Council (MISC) is now accepting grant applications to fund aquatic invasive species projects up to $50,000 on a wide range of topics including: AIS monitoring/early detection, education & outreach, and AIS research. Visit their website to learn more.

And don't forget to check out their Eastern Heath Snail video documenting a project with local kids in central Montana to help make a dent in an invasive snail species!