This project was funded by a Capacity Support Grant from the MWCC Watershed Fund.
Project Description
To reinforce the value of our community drought response process and encourage more water users to adopt stewardship practices and enroll in the Blackfoot Drought Response Plan, the Challenge will host a series of four community presentations over the winter of 2021/2022 addressing various aspects of drought resilience. Presentations will focus on drought resilient water and land stewardship techniques, covering a wide array of topics. The target audience will be local farmers and ranchers and will also include partnering agencies, industries, and nonprofits.
Project Outcomes and Impacts
The Challenge organized and hosted a series of four webinars on drought resilience planning in the winter of 2022. All helped support the Blackfoot Drought Technician’s outreach later in the spring and summer as the Challenge coordinated updates to individual landowner drought plans and implemented drought response activities. Webinar topics:
- Using Regional Climate Data to Create a Ranch Drought Plan — with Retta Bruegger, a regional specialist in range management with Colorado State University
- Climate Tools for Producers in Montana — with Montana Climate Office Staff.
- Creative Solutions for Drought Resilience — A Ranchers’ Panel. Three different producers across the state of Montana shared some of the proactive measures they are taking to increase resiliency against future drought conditions.
Drought Planning for your Ranch – with Dr. Doug Tolleson, Texas A&M AgriLife Research