This document merges presentations from the last three public meetings on the forthcoming zoning update:
zoning updates 2016 PUD + general standards
See bczoning.wordpress.com for more details.
And here’s a sandhill crane from this morning, just for the glory of it:
Atlas Towers has applied for a 70-foot tower, disguised as a pine tree, at Bridger Bowl. The application is on the agenda for the June 16 P&Z Commission hearing.
Here are some of the application documents:
This page collects information on spruce budworm control. Comments are active, so feel free to respond below.
[Note: this was originally published May 13, 2013, but has been updated and reposted.]
Aerial spraying of Bt is not a risk-free proposition, particularly for immune-compromised individuals. Overspray can be carried over large areas. (See discussion below.)
As a basic courtesy, please let your neighbors know when spraying is to occur, so that they can take precautions. A phone call, visit, or note in the mailbox is probably best, but many residents would also appreciate a note to the canyon email list. (If your message bounces, send it to tom at metasd dot com and I’ll post it.)
Former BCPOA Director Joan Cory compiled this summary of the state of Bt knowledge, when aerial spraying was planned in 2007:
The short version is that Bt is widely regarded as safe, but has not been well studied, and poses a risk to humans and pets in some conditions. Resistance and collateral damage to beneficial species are to be expected. A crucial bit is:
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS. NOTIFY YOUR NEIGHBORS if you are going to spray. Studies have shown that Bt can be quite widespread outside of aerial spray zones and can be a concern for certain groups of individuals (see below). Because of the potential for infection of humans and other organisms, it is reasonable to inform your neighbors so that they can stay inside or evacuate to town for a period of time around the spraying.
In 2007, we used the email list to to distribute notice the evening before Boyd Morgan was to fly – we could easily do that again this year.
Matthew Broughton here of 3 Fiddles Farm-the only organic farm in Bridger Canyon
I want to preface my comments with the fact that I attended MSU’s Masters Program in Entomology in the early 2000’s, I was a research associate at MSU for 7 years studying, specifically, plant-insect interactions and biological-control, and I am an ardent Organic Farmer. I know that Bt is currently allowed for organic production, which I feel is a mistake. Natural balance needs to be obtained, not heavy handed controls. I am sad to hear that canyon wide spraying is being planned. This posses a huge risk to all beneficial Lepidopteran (moths and butterflies, including caddis flies in the stream.) and will impact the whole ecosystem, including the predators of the budworms.
This will not eradicate the Budworm, it will only be a short term control measure. This is also setting up the dangerous treadmill of continuous control measures, year after year. Be aware that some of the advice being given to you is by the companies and people who profit from the sale of the product and should be dubiously accepted.
A quick review of Colorado Extension Service advice for controlling Budworm outbreaks is as follows.
Control
Budworm populations usually are held in check by a combination of predators, parasites, adverse climatic conditions, or inadequate food supply. Spiders, insects and a variety of birds are important predators. Adverse weather conditions, particularly sudden freezes in late spring, may kill large numbers of larvae. A major factor in ending long-term outbreaks appears to be starvation from inadequate or nutritionally poor food sources. However, this may not be a factor in urban situations. Cultural practices such as thinning, watering and fertilizing, which promote tree vigor, may help trees better withstand repeated attacks.
I also want to point out that there are wide spread suspicions that Bt exposure has many negative health effects for humans and vertebrates, including leaky gut syndrome, inflammation(resulting in a myriad of diseases) and genetic damage from exposure. Little studies have been completed due to pressures on the EPA and FDA to allow its use, and thus there are no long term and real human health studies, just a few low number preliminary studies. There are many dangerous data gaps on the safety of this product. As a result of the minimal short-term toxic exposure risks, this “natural” product was exempted from long term studies. I would like to point out that many “natural” products are quite dangerous long term i.e. asbestos, lead, uranium, tritium, etc.
On our property we have several spruce trees that were affected by the budwroms and we increased their watering, and the trees recovered and resisted damage. A cheap, easy, and safe fix.
This USDA Forest Service report documents the results of Bt spraying at Bridger Bowl in 2010:
BB spray assess stelprdb5400238.pdf
An excerpt:
On September 12-13, 2011 we returned to Bridger Bowl to evaluate the effectiveness of
the B.t. treatment. Ocular defoliation estimates showed that trees that had been
sprayed had significantly lower percentage of their foliage consumed by budworm.
There was approximately a 1/3 reduction in defoliation for the treated trees when
compared to trees in the nearby untreated area. Percentage of buds with evidence and
damage from budworm was also significantly lower in the treated trees compared to
nearby untreated trees.…
The establishment of a younger size class in both pine and fir-dominated stands is
critical to the success of forest resiliency over time. Currently, most of the forests at
Bridger Bowl are mature and over-mature stands of pine and fir that are not sustainable
over the long-term.Although western spruce budworm is a native insect that has co-evolved with western
spruce-fir forests, extensive damage and mortality from budworm can occur especially
during drought periods and in areas where fire has been suppressed. Suppression
actions such as spraying B.t. at Bridger Bowl may become necessary again if defoliation
from budworm is severe and occurs over multiple years. Protecting foliage with B.t. is a
temporary solution to reducing defoliation, growth loss, deformation, and tree
mortality. Silvicultural treatments that reduce stocking density, number of canopy
layers, and increase individual tree vigor and species composition are the only long-term
solution to budworm management. The need for spraying in the future should be
greatly reduced if silvicultural treatments continue to be implemented at Bridger Bowl.
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Help the fire department find you when you make an emergency call, with a highly visible reflective address sign. Here’s an order form:
You can also order reflective street signs.
There’s a new forestry cost share program for private property in the Bridger/Bangtail area that MSU Extension – Gallatin County and Gallatin Valley Land Trust expects to have available starting this September. It helps landowners with:
o Forest thinning and wildfire protection
o Remove conifers from rangeland
o Establish and enhance streamside vegetation
o Viewshed clearing
See the flier for details:
Look for it in your mailbox soon!
Here it is in electronic format (pdf):
The next report in the MDOT’s corridor study for highway 86 is now available. There will be a public meeting at the fire station community room on April 2nd to discuss.
Here are some documents:
MDOT’s newsletter on the project: Bridger Newsletter #2
MDOT’s meeting announcement: BRIDGER-CANYON-INFO-MEETING#2
BCPOA’s mailed notice: single pc print
You can read more at the project web site, which is linked in the PM’s letter of introduction below:
Good morning.
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) has initiated a public review period for the Bridger Canyon Corridor Planning Study. The review period will extend until April 17, 2015.
An electronic version of the draft report may be viewed on the MDT website (http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/bridger/documents.shtml). Beginning on Thursday, March 26, 2015, print copies of the draft report may be viewed at:
- MDT Rail, Transit, and Planning Division Office (2960 Prospect Avenue; Helena, MT);
- MDT Bozeman Office (907 North Rouse Avenue; Bozeman, MT);
- Gallatin County Department of Planning and Community Development (Gallatin County Courthouse, 311 West Main Room 108; Bozeman, MT);
- Park County Planning Department (414 East Callender St; Livingston MT);
- Bozeman Department of Community Development (20 East Olive St #202; Bozeman, MT); and
- Gallatin National Forest Field Office (3710 Fallon St., Suite C; Bozeman, MT).
Public participation is a very important part of the process, and we encourage you to provide comments. Comments may be submitted at Informational Meeting #2, scheduled for Thursday, April 2, 2015, at 6:00 p.m. at the Bridger Canyon Fire Hall. Alternately, written comments may be submitted by mail to Sarah Nicolai, DOWL, 1300 Cedar Street, Helena, MT 59601; or by email to snicolai@dowl.com.
Please submit comments by April 17, 2015, and indicate comments are for the Bridger Canyon Corridor Planning Study.
Thank you for your continued interest in this study.
Sarah
Sarah W. Nicolai, P.E.
Transportation Planning Manager
DOWL
(406) 442-0370 n (800) 865-9847 (fax)
1300 Cedar Street
Helena, Montana 59601
We are close to the end of this process, so be sure to weigh in!
This has been a busy year for BCPOA. We’ve written briefs for a zoning variance appeal, and intervened in the creation of zoning amendments to regulate cell towers and additional parking at Bridger Bowl, among other things. We’ve also seen turnover of two keystone properties in Bridger Canyon—the Crosscut Ranch in the Bridger Bowl Base Area, and the Flying J that occupies the heart of the canyon south of the Base Area.
I can’t reflect on the year without mentioning the unfortunate series of events in our rural fire department. While every director has an opinion, BCPOA as an organization has endeavored to remain neutral in this matter, both because we felt that BCPOA membership was divided, and because we felt that it was not our place to adjudicate an issue that has its own organization and political process.
As a purely personal observation, it seems to me that the underlying substantive issues in the department were greatly amplified by a vicious cycle of strong rhetoric and attributions of ill motives. I know some of the principals on both sides, and I’m certain that they have had the best interests of the canyon at heart, though it did not always appear that way to their opponents. I hope that we can turn that cycle around, speak softly and listen more, and gradually repair the injuries that have been done. I’m sure that the differences that divide us are smaller than the common interests that brought us together in this beautiful place.
I hope that this coming year will be even bigger—not because I want to spend more time in meetings and hearings, but because we’ll finally see the submission of a zoning update. The updated regulations should put to rest many of the ambiguities about Planned Unit Developments and other features that have plagued us in years past. The Bridger Canyon zoning district will be 43 this year, and it has served well to preserve the beauty and value of Bridger Canyon. Let’s hope the next 43 go as well.
Tom Fiddaman
Chairman
BCPOA’s annual General Meeting of the membership sees the election of directors to represent you, and covers a variety of news from the year. Bring a neighbor, and your dues if you haven’t paid them yet!
6:30 Refreshments, Celtic & classical strings by the Fiddaman brothers
7:00 General Meeting
Agenda
Bridger Bowl has proposed a zoning amendment that will increase its parking area by about 50%. The primary motivation is to avoid parking overflow onto the highway on powder-frenzy days. This seems like a laudable move from a public safety perspective.
Additional parking at Bridger Bowl is problematic with respect to the Base Area Plan, though one could argue that the plan already had a lot of problems. The issue is that, including potential parking at a Base Area development, potential parking for 9000 skiers will substantially exceed the capacity of the mountain. Bridger Bowl has agreed to defer construction of 1/3 of the area to mitigate the overage while the Zoning Advisory Board takes up the issue.
Cell coverage for the overall Canyon remains elusive, though several events portend some level of coverage in the near future. Since the original zoning regulations pre-dated the existence of cell towers, the zoning update committee hammered out a set of regulations to give some guidance on height and placement issues. Bridger Bowl is in active negotiations with a tower company to start installation this summer on the first of two roughly 60 ft. tall towers. Two, shorter towers, higher on the mountain, will provide better coverage with less visual impact.
Still in question is coverage for the lower Canyon and coverage in the nooks and crannies of the Canyon. If you are concerned that you may be left out of coverage, be prepared to make your concerns known to the County Commissioners. Once basic coverage is achieved and the highway is covered there will be little incentive for installation of further coverage.
Coverage maps from Atlas Towers’ first proposal (with 130-150 ‘ towers) can be found here but should be taken with a shaker of salt. Unfortunately, these are the only coverage maps we have available. http://bcpoa.net/2013/04/possible-cell-tower-coverage/
Craighead Institute is still seeking to aggregate Federal, State, Municipal and private interests in the Canyon to cooperatively raise funds to map the entire Zoning District. LIDAR mapping would be a benefit to the Canyon for decades to come, providing key baseline data critical to planning for development, climate change, habitat and wildlife preservation, water and air quality. Contact Kent Madin for more information.
http://www.craigheadresearch.org/bridger-canyon-lidar-project.html
With overwhelming support from the membership at last year’s General Meeting, BCPOA has filed a complaint in district court against the county’s handling of a CUP and variance on the Petty property. As is too often the case, this began with construction initiated without permits, and was compounded by county errors and efforts to accommodate the violation. BCPOA is contesting several aspects of the decision. So far, only procedural questions have been considered. Surprisingly, the county (with support of the applicant, as interveners) has fought us tooth and nail to exclude its own variance application guidelines from the official record and to defend its failure to produce a written decision, which merely refers to the audio record of the hearing. The substantive issues with the decision may not be heard for a considerable time yet. Details are on our web site at bcpoa.net.
The Zoning Advisory Board has resolved to submit a complete updated regulation in the next few months. This will address all areas of the Canyon, except for the Bridger Bowl Base Area. The Base Area will be tackled separately, because its complexity would delay implementation of good progress to date, and because there has been no contact with the new Base Area landowner to date. We will work to be sure that residents are well informed about the changes as soon as a complete draft is ready.
Our web site, BCPOA.net, is a good resource for zoning documents, canyon history and links, and news. We frequently publish public documents, maps and other material in advance of major zoning actions.
You can follow the progress of the zoning updates on the Zoning Advisory Board’s site, bczoning.wordpress.com.
Planning documents and commission schedules are on the Gallatin County site, gallatin.mt.gov/planning. The Planning Dept. email address for inquiries and public comment is planning@gallatin.mt.gov
BCPOA membership is for landowners in the Bridger Canyon zoning district, from (roughly) Ross Peak Ranch at the north end of Bridger Canyon Road, south to where the Bridger Canyon Road crosses Bridger Creek west of the slide area, east from Bridger Canyon Road to Interstate 90 on the Jackson Creek Road, and east from Bridger Canyon Road to the zoning boundary on Kelly Canyon Road.
Membership supports a variety of community resources, including BCPOA.net, the [canyon] email list, and occasional postal mailings. It also provides leverage for many volunteer hours contributed by BCPOA directors and others, particularly where legal and professional services are needed in defense of our zoning and natural resources.
Join us here!
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