Conservation commission earns big federal grant

During the 2023 Montana legislative session, the Western Montana Conservation Commission (WMCC) was created, in essence by combining two natural resource protection agencies — the Flathead Basin Commission and the Upper Columbia Conservation Commission (UC3).

The new commission is an advisory entity and its focus is to coordinate and facilitate between natural resource managers in the U.S. and Canada. 

In addition to the nine governor-appointed voting members, WMCC is made up of seven voting members representing county commissions, conservations districts, wastewater or stormwater utilities and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes natural resource department, along with 18 advisory members from local, state, federal and tribal agencies. 

Soon after the WMCC’s formation, it was awarded a $7 million grant through the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The total award, with matching contributions, is more than $9 million.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity to have this grant from the beginning of our creation to be able to be really impactful and get some work done to improve water quality across western Montana,” said Casey Lewis, executive director of the WMCC and Whitefish resident. “It really sets us up on a great path. There's a lot of work to be done … but it’s all really great work that has the potential to make a difference.”

Lewis noted that not only was WMCC awarded a grant by EPA, but the Flathead Lake Biostation was awarded a toxics grant as well, and the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes was awarded a tribal toxics reduction grant by EPA.

“So the combination of all three of us getting similar grants that will all complement each other – I’m really looking forward to the impact we can have with that much money coming into western Montana,” Lewis said. “I think that’s pretty amazing.”

Mike Koopal, executive director of the Whitefish Lake Institute, is the Flathead River Basin representative for the WMCC and was appointed to chair the commission. Koopal served on both the Basin Commission and UC3 in the past, so he brings institutional knowledge to his position as chair of the WMCC.

“I think we can take the successes and the lessons learned from those two previous commissions and move things forward at WMCC,” Koopal said. “The challenge at WMCC is that it's such a large geographic scale with many different river basins, each with unique natural resource issues. 

“The commission is going to be tasked with, basically, prioritizing where we can step in and have some meaningful impact by working in cooperation with land managers and local communities,” he added.

Lewis explained the grant includes three main topic areas: septic leachate toxic reduction, the stormwater pollution toxic reduction and an education outreach component. Within the septic leachate and stormwater areas, the WMCC will provide subgrants to groups to develop programs.

“Another significant piece of this grant was funding three staff for six years to help support all the work we have but also provide additional capacity for any groups that receive a subgrant,” Lewis said. “We recognize that a lot of these groups that may be eligible for this money, they’re typically small and strapped for capacity.”

Two grant program specialists will reach out to communities and groups to help facilitate project ideas, whether its green infrastructure, stormwater improvements or issues related to septic leachate, Koopal noted.

The third position is a grant administrative specialist who works the nuts and bolts of the monies and relationship between EPA and DNRC and the … groups that are involved in the process, he added. The WMCC is administratively attached to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

Two of the three new hires are from the Flathead area; the other is from Missoula.

A few of the newly formed commission’s duties are to monitor the condition of aquatic and national resources, support economic development of western Montana’s resources without compromising them, and to create public and private partnerships that result in projects that reduce nonpoint source water pollution and prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species.

The organization’s education outreach component aims to communicate natural resource issues to residents and try to produce behavior changes. To help with that, the WMCC will host a community-based social marketing workshop for 120 of their partners across western Montana sometime this fall.

“A lot of these topics, specifically stormwater pollution (and) septic leachate, they’re kind of out of sight, out of mind,” Lewis said. “A lot of folks don’t know where stormwater goes when it runs down the street, into the curb and into those drains, and so there’s a lot of work for us to do … with our partners, on communicating why it’s even an issue, and why people should care.”

While the commissioners will meet quarterly, Koopal said there is a very active executive committee that is meeting every couple weeks, working on issues and interfacing with staff.

“It’s exciting because we don’t know exactly what it looks like yet and we can mold it into what we think will work best for the aquatic resources of western Montana,” said Koopal of the WMCC. “We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. There are numerous groups and individuals working on a lot of these issues, so we want to build upon those partnerships … to help move things forward.” 

For more information about the WMCC, visit WesternMTWaters.com.

The following individuals were appointed to serve on the commission:

• Private Industry Representative: Sandy Beder-Miller – retired Pulp and Paper Process Engineer

• Electric Cooperative Representative: Duane Braaten – Flathead Electric Co-op Trustee

• Flathead River Basin Representative: Mike Koopal - Executive Director, Whitefish Lake Institute

• Private Citizen At Large: Phil Matson – Research Coordinator, Flathead Lake Biological Station

• Kootenai River Basin Representative: Lech Naumovich – Director and Ecologist, Greater Than

Image, LLC

• Private Landowner: Mat Peterson – Civil Engineer, NewFields

• Hydropower Utility Industry Representative: Arthur Pots – Terrestrial Program Manager, Avista

• Upper Clark Fork River Basin & Blackfoot River Basin: Onno Wieringa – Recreation Business

Owner and Manager

• Lower Clark Fork River Basin & Bitterroot River Basin: not filled