Jobs

We’re Hiring! Seeking a Custer-Gallatin Forest Project Manager

by Bill Pfeiffer

ABOUT MONTANA TROUT UNLIMITED

Montana Trout Unlimited (MTU) represents more than 4,200 members and supporters organized into 13 chapters in Montana.  We are a small, dedicated, creative staff tasked with overseeing our mission to conserve, protect, and restore Montana’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds.  MTU fulfills this mission through staff and volunteer-led outreach and education, fundraising, policy development, and science-driven stream restoration.

For more than two decades, MTU has regularly partnered with our national Trout Unlimited project managers and other stakeholders on streamflow and habitat restoration work across the state.  Our work focuses on restoring instream flow, fish passage, and improving habitat for the benefit of native and wild trout populations in the Clark Fork, Missouri, Gallatin, Madison, Jefferson, Yellowstone, and many major tributary rivers and streams.  In all of these geographies, we work collaboratively with federal and state agencies, as well as other nonprofit partners and businesses on federal, state, and private land-based projects. MTU is now interested in dedicating a project manager to evaluate and execute priority projects of this nature in the Yellowstone watershed, with a strong emphasis on Custer-Gallatin National Forest lands in the vicinity of Red Lodge, MT. This position will focus on inventorying, prioritizing, developing and implementing projects in the tributaries and mainstem of Rock Creek, East and West Rosebud, and the Stillwater River, as well as other prioritized streams.  Thus, MTU is seeking qualified applicants to fill the newly created Custer-Gallatin Forest Project Manager position.

POSITION SUMMARY

TU Project Managers hold unique and diverse positions depending on the needs and opportunities in different watersheds.  In short, people in these positions “make things happen on the ground.”  In that spirit, we are hiring a self-motivated and highly capable person to identify, plan, and implement water conservation, fish passage, and stream and riparian restoration projects to benefit aquatic resources and fish populations primarily on streams in and adjacent to the Custer-Gallatin National Forest.  The Project Manager will work closely with the USFS Custer-Gallatin staff to seek opportunities to reconnect coldwater sources to mainstem rivers and restore or create more resilient coldwater habitats on public lands.  The Project Manager will be responsible for all aspects of this work from engaging relevant partners to inventory this geography for needed and potential projects, through project planning, permitting, contracting, implementation, monitoring and outreach. In addition to working with forest service staff, this position will also engage other TU staff, TU chapter volunteers and chapters, and partner organizations working in these watersheds.  Experience with stream restoration, contractor oversight, and hydrology are key qualifications.  Excellent interpersonal skills and communications –verbal and written – are a must, as is a high level of motivation to pursue the MTU mission.

A significant focus will be placed upon partnership-building with the Custer-Gallatin Forest and MT Fish, Wildlife and Parks, as well as the nearby Magic City Flyfishers chapter of TU (Billings) and the Joe Brooks chapter of TU (Livingston). Engaging local land trusts, conservation districts, state and federal agencies, landowners, watershed groups, and other non-profit organizations will also be key to success in this role.  In addition, the successful applicant will be expected to seek out, apply for, and obtain funding to support project work and core operational costs.  The Project Manager will work closely with other TU Project Managers in the state to obtain experience and coordinate efforts.  Ideally the successful candidate will live and work from Red Lodge, MT, or the surrounding area.  This position will require frequent local travel for field work.

When you join MTU, you will become part of a highly supportive community of coworkers who believe in collaboration, respect and sharing inspiration, as well as being committed to our core values: Science, Native and wild trout, Connectivity and Diversity. MTU is committed to working toward justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion both within our organization and in our work with people outside the organization.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

  • Engage USFS, other state and federal agencies, TU chapters and other stakeholders to prioritize projects, develop partnerships, and initiate restoration or instream flow planning activities, primarily on CGNF.
  • Create a bibliography of past data collection, assessments and restoration work in the watershed to help inform and prioritize future restoration.
  • Develop and implement streamflow, habitat, and fish passage restoration projects and monitoring plans.
  • Coordinate with state and federal agencies and other TU staff to collect field data for project development and post-project monitoring
  • Work both independently and in partnership with other TU staff on fundraising, including identifying potential funding sources, drafting grant proposals, and developing relationships with funders to sustain the program budget.
  • Supervise interns and/or seasonal field technicians.
  • Perform basic administration duties including project reporting, invoicing, and tracking project budgets.
  • Present project work and progress to chapter membership/meetings and/or at statewide TU meetings.
  • Attend and report work at quarterly MTU meetings, as well as attend numerous annual chapter functions/gatherings.

This is not an all-inclusive list of duties and responsibilities.

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Bachelor’s degree in a water resource related field (e.g. hydrology, fisheries, engineering, etc.) required; graduate degree preferred.
  • Prefer two years of professional experience in natural resource project management, emphasis on stream restoration.
  • Experience with water conservation, fish passage improvements, and stream restoration preferred.
  • Construction experience, including working with and supervising contractors preferred
  • Demonstrated performance in grant writing and other fundraising activities.
  • Superior interpersonal skills and ability to work constructively with diverse partners, community stakeholders and private landowners.
  • Excellent written and oral communication skills required.
  • Experience with media relations and public outreach is helpful.
  • Good organizational and problem-solving abilities.
  • Ability to work independently while managing complex projects.
  • Willingness to travel within the region as necessary.
  • Ability to provide own transportation required, mileage reimbursed.
  • Passion for protecting and restoring trout streams and their watersheds!
  • Knowledge of the Yellowstone watershed and/or Custer-Gallatin National Forest is a big plus!
  • Ability to lift 40lbs., work in inclement weather conditions, hike long distances over difficult terrain and work in/around moving water are necessary.

COMPENSATION

Estimated salary for this position is $60-65,000 annually, depending on experience. MTU also provides an exceptional comprehensive benefits package including: health care, flexible spending account, employer match retirement 401(b), holidays and accrued paid time off, sick time, sabbatical, and other life/work balance benefits.

HOW TO APPLY

Please upload a one- to two-page letter of interest, resume, three professional references, and less-than-one-page answers to the supplemental questions (below) to TU’s Paylocity Site by Dec. 15, 2024.  Interviews will be in early 2024. Winter, 2024, start date is flexible.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONS:

To assist MTU in evaluating your application, please answer the following questions.  Please make your answers concise yet specific and keep them to under one page, single-spaced.

  1. Please summarize your experience working with federal or state agency staff, especially on watershed-scale project planning.
  1. Describe any special training you have received or work experiences that you have had related to hydrology, fish passage, stream restoration and construction, stream-flow measurements, instream flow improvements, or investigating water rights.  Describe any training, experience, or special qualities you have that are important for us to consider when evaluating you as a candidate for this position.

MTU is an Equal Employment Opportunity & Affirmative Action Employer pursuant to Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act & Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistant Act.

MTU hires staff without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status or disability.

News

Summer 2023 Trout Line Newsletter

by Bill Pfeiffer

Our Summer 2023 Trout Line Newsletter is out now. Read it online here or download a PDF version for your favorite reading applications.

CENTENNIAL GRAYLING UPDATE: Unfortunately, after this issue went to print, federal District Judge Donald Molloy granted an injunction to stop the project until the case is fully heard, which likely means no project to benefit these grayling in 2023. This delay and its proponents stand to have far greater negative impacts to this Wilderness ecosystem by risking the disappearance of one of the most unique and iconic species than the short and modest construction efforts implementing the project in a Wilderness area would entail. This is a blow to the grayling, the spirit of collaborative conservation and Wilderness character. We remain optimistic that the Refuge decision and project will prevail on full hearing, assuming grayling survive another winter without our help. Stay tuned for more developments.

News

Flood Recovery Done Right: Lessons Learned from the ’97 Flood

by Bill Pfeiffer

By David Brooks, Executive Director, Montana Trout Unlimited 

As historic flooding in the Yellowstone watershed recedes and people impacted turn to the daunting and complicated task of rebuilding, it is valuable for us to reflect on the last time the Yellowstone flooded. The aftermath of the highwater event that took place in the spring of 1997 offers lessons for moving forward now. 

Whether it’s car bodies or rock, confining rivers usually leads to downstream consequences. PC: Bill Pfeiffer

That year, a deep snowpack followed by a warm spring with heavy rains sent the river out of its banks for much of its length from Yellowstone National Park through Billings and beyond. Scenes of property and infrastructure damage were much like those we’ve seen this June. Then, as now, people think of floods as great acts of nature. To some degree that’s true. But the 1997 floods brought home the reality that how we manage and manipulate our rivers also determines how floodwaters behave. 

Between 1995 and 1998, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (the Corps) issued more than 170 permits for projects along the banks of the Yellowstone River, mostly for riprap, dikes and other bank hardening that reduced natural river habitat. Many of those permits were issued in a rush following the 1997 floods. There was so little analysis of how individual projects would cumulatively impact river health and future flooding that Montana Trout Unlimited joined four other conservation organizations in taking the Army Corps to federal district court. Because of the lawsuit, projects were put on hold. By summer of 2000, our coalition prevailed. The court unequivocally deemed that the Corps had violated the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act by allowing the modification of the river’s banks without analyzing how such projects would have a collective negative impact on the river’s health and cause worse future flooding. Blanketing the banks of the Yellowstone or any river with boulders, concrete or hardened canal-like walls was increasingly harming fish and greatly increasing the flood risks to downstream neighbors. As MTU’s Executive Director Bruce Farling put it, the court decision was “the insurance policy Montana needed to prevent the slow death of the Yellowstone, one rip rap project at a time.” 

A functioning flood plain on Rock Creek. PC: Bill Pfeiffer

Since that ruling, the Corps has been more cognizant of the negative impacts of projects that reduce natural habitat in ways that accelerate and compound flooding. In contrast, maintaining or restoring riparian habitat absorbs floodwaters, slowing and reducing the rush of spring runoff, keeping that water within the river or, when it spreads into the natural floodplain, dampening the force of floods on human infrastructure like homes, roads, and bridges. In short, what’s good for fish and wildlife turns out to be good for protecting riverside property and adjacent infrastructure. Following the previous flood and lawsuit, a citizen and expert task force studied the upper Yellowstone, resulting in hundreds of thousands of dollars invested in research that documented the damage caused by years of artificial bank stabilization. It also recommended better ways to rebuild and create resiliency in the Yellowstone and other rivers. 

The investment in efforts to restore natural river habitat rather than the short-term solutions of riprap or riverside lawns, to build bridges or culverts that better accommodate fish, wildlife, and floods, and to give rivers some space to rise up and move around, as they inevitably do, will pay off during future historic events, with more protections for fish and wildlife, and less risk to property and life. Rebuilding healthier rivers from top to bottom will help keep fish from being washed into fields and stranded. Maintaining a meandering river instead of straightening it can help keep flooding out of places like Red Lodge. Building better engineered bridges can keep rural residents connected to communities and reduce the need for emergency closures of rivers like the Yellowstone. Restoring fully functioning floodplains and resilient river habitat does not prevent floods, especially as we adapt to the alterations that climate change is having on the amount and timing of snowpack and spring rains. But if river restoration following the devastation of 2022 saves native and wild trout, saves on future flood cleanup costs, or saves one home, it sure seems worth considering. 

News

MTU Starts “Wrappin’ & Rappin'” Vidcast

by Bill Pfeiffer

Wrappin’ & Rappin’ is Montana TU’s new video podcast series, focusing on signature flies from some of the state’s premiere waters, as well as discussions about conservation in the places our guests know best. Each week we tie a fly and chat! In this episode, we focus on the Smith River and the Gonzo streamer, popularized by Joe Sowerby of MT Fly Fishing Connection. Our guests our MTFFC guides Will Plumhoff and Jason Brininstool. We discuss this year’s drought and how the river fared, hear some stories of the Smith’s infamous weather, and talk best boat camps, including one that may be haunted! Enjoy!

News

How to Fish Responsibly This Summer

by Bill Pfeiffer

Montana is currently in the midst of an unprecedented heatwave and drought and our wild trout populations are feeling the heat. Many streams around the state are already under “Hoot Owl” fishing restrictions or full closures, earlier than we’ve ever seen these emergency regulations in the past. In this difficult time for our fisheries, it’s more important than ever that all anglers do what we can to limit our impact on this shared resource. We’ve complied a list of recommendations to help you decide when, where, and how to fish until things cool down.

Why is water temperature important?

Trout are cold blooded animals with a metabolism that depends directly on the temperature of the external environment. They also rely on highly oxygenated water and the warmer water gets, the less dissolved oxygen it can hold. Most trout species’ optimal temperature range is 55F-65F for maximum growth and health. For native bull trout that range is even colder. When water temperatures rise into the high 60s, trout begin to experience stress and hooking mortality rates increase. If temperatures remain above 70F for an extended period of time, trout begin to die, especially if they are caught and released.

What can I do to help our fisheries?

There are a number of ways you can fish responsibly this summer and protect our trout fisheries. Here’s just a few:

  • Check the MT FWP website every time you go fishing for “Hoot Owl” restrictions and river closures. On rivers with “Hoot Owl” closures, fishing is only permitted  between midnight and 2pm when water temperatures are coolest. New emergency regulations are coming out almost daily. Stay informed!
  • Use a stream thermometer when you fish, available at your local fly shop. Water temperatures change throughout the day with the coldest water occurring in the early morning. Take the temperature frequently throughout the day and when water temperatures rise above 67F, stop fishing. Here’s a short video we produced showing you how to properly take a water temp:

  • Always keep fish wet and release them quickly. Save your “grip and grin” photo sessions for the fall, when conditions improve.
  • Use heavier tippet and land fish quickly. Prolonged fight times in warm water place a high amount of stress on the fish and increase hooking mortality. This isn’t the time to see if you can break your personal best on your trusty 3wt.
  • Consider exploring high mountain streams and mountain lakes, where water temperatures stay cooler and give the big river fish a break.
  • Take the time to do some warm-water fishing. Carp, bass, and northern pike are fun to target on a fly rod!
  • Consider taking a break from fishing during this hot weather and find other ways to enjoy the Montana outdoors. Floating, swimming, hiking, biking, and more are just out your door. Take some time this summer to learn a new skill or pastime.

These are just a few suggestions to help you protect our trout this summer. If we all do our part and fish responsibly, we’ll have more fish to chase once conditions improve. MTU works hard year-round to do what we can to mitigate the effects of our warming climate, from stream restoration projects on tributary streams to finding new ways to increase flows and put water back into the river. If you’d like to make a donation to support this work, click the link below. Thanks for all you do to further our mission!