Nag News Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen

Volume 44 March 2017 Issue 3

BACK COUNTRY HORSEMEN MISSION STATEMENT 1. To perpetuate the common sense use and enjoyment of horses in America’s back country and wilderness areas. 2. To work to ensure that public lands remain open to recreational stock use. 3. To assist the various government, state and private agencies in their maintenance and management of said resource. 4. To educate, encourage and solicit active participation in the wise and sustaining use of the back country resource by horsemen and the general public commensurate with our heritage. 5. To foster and encourage the formation of new back country horsemen’s organizations. 6. To cooperate with other B.C.H.A. organizations.

In this Issue

President’s Letter 1 Trail Ride Leader 2 2017 Trail Projects 3 General Meeting Minutes 4 General Meeting Minutes (cont) 5 Board Meeting Minutes 6 Member Ads 7 CPR & First Aid 8 Business Supporters 9

DEADLINE FOR THE Mar 2017 NAG NEWS is

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SUBMIT YOUR ARTICLES AND ADS TO:

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Greetings members, By the time you read this, we will have hosted our first Horsemanship Training Clinic on March 4. Bonnie Morgan and her committee organized a more interactive clinic for par-ticipants and hopefully they got some feedback on how that approach worked. The Horsemanship Riding Clinics take place on March 25 and April 22, and they offer morn-ing and afternoon sessions. Even if you are currently certified, these clinics are a good opportunity to expose your stock to new situations early in the year. Thank you to Bon-nie and her crew for their time and effort in handling the many details involved in organ-izing these events. Dan Brandborg and Joe Rogish have developed a rough draft of our planned projects for the year; keep in mind that dates may change if snow conditions on trails prevent us from seeing the ground! Joe has done a nice job of describing the various projects so you can see what is involved. As I mentioned last month, this is a good time to hook up with a project leader as an assistant and learn more about what is involved. On my first stint as a project co-leader with Dan, I offered to handle the paperwork, which he appre-ciated. Teamwork! Our speaker this month is member Christy Schram-Duggan, who works at the Ravalli County Weed District. She will discuss those pesky weeds that are popping up now, especially ones that are toxic to stock. Christy, your timing for this talk is excellent. Finally, I want to thank VP Fred Weisbecker who presided over the board meeting and will handle the general meeting on March 16 as well. Earl and I are currently out of the area on vacation and are returning on the 16th, but it will be late that night. Thank you, Fred, for stepping up—I appreciate it! In keeping with the tradition of past-president and deep thinker Alan Lackey, here is a quote to consider: “Wilderness to the people of America is a spiritual necessity, an antidote to the high pressure of modern life, a means of regaining serenity and equilibrium.” -Sigurd F. Olson Happy trails, Karen Philips, President

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COMMITTEE CHAIRS AND MEMBERS CONTACT Audit & Budget Joe Atencio 961-4816/381-2705 Audio-Visual Equipment Ed Bullock 907-575-7878 Donations & Awards Rita Atencio 961-4816 Education Fred Weisbecker 546-8067 Election & Nominations Rita Atencio 961-4816 Equipment & Inventory Dave Welch 541 980 2883 Fair Bill Black 546-6492 Fundraisers VOLUNTEER NEEDED RTP Grant Committee Joe Rogish, Fred Weisbecker, Joyce Wesche 642-3246 Historian Laura McManus 642-3018 Issues Fred Weisbecker 406-546-8067 Memberships Bonnie Morgan 381-9021 Newsletter Aimee Sarantis 361-1853 Outreach Susan Slemp 821-2017/381-5910 Parliamentarian VOLUNTEER NEEDED Programs Philip & Pam Torgerson 360-4933/360-3201 Projects Dan Brandborg, Joe Rogish 381-5643/484-643-3982 Social VOLUNTEER NEEDED Sunshine Cindy Beck 360-1165 Trail Rides Rebecca Banks 381-4486 Training Bonnie Morgan 381-9021 Youth Committee Ed Duggan & Christy Schram-Duggan 369-3140/503-729-2813 Committee Website Nancy Pollman 406-546-6492

Trail ride leader seeks partners

Our trail ride organizer, Rebecca Banks, is looking for members to help her set up and lead rides this year.

If you are interested in helping, please contact her at rebcam@netzero.net or 381-4486.

For newer members, this is a good way to learn where riding trails are located and which ones you like best.

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2017 Proposed Trail Projects April 15, 2017 - Calf Creek WMA (Dan Brandborg) A walk or ride project working on water bars, fence mending, and limb pruning along the trail. Heavy machine work on rolling swales. May 6, 2017 Larry Creek #129, #390, #391, #394 (Brad Pollman) A walking or riding project using basic hand tools to clear water bars, downed limbs, and brush as well as sawyer work to clear downed trees and limbs from the trails. May 13, 2017 Coyote Coulee #127, #511 (Fosters & Attencios) A walking or riding project using basic hand tools to clear water bars, brush, downed limbs, and brush as well as sawyer work to clear downed trees and limbs from the trails. Chain saws authorized. June 10, 2017 Boulder Creek #617 & #249 (Joe Rogish) The first two miles are outside Wilderness so chainsaws can be used; the next 8.5 miles are crosscut saw work only. Lots of established water bars along this trail, which may need cleanout. Lots of brush to cut along the trail. Old growth forest with many very large trees. Need pack stock to carry chainsaws, gas & oil, lopers, cross-cut saws & jack. Camp at horse camp. Trail Head 4500', Falls 5480', Lake 7085' altitude. June 17, 2017 Gold Creek #43, #311 (Taylor Orr) A walking or riding project to clear trails of downed limbs or trees. Brush cutting, swamping, and sawyer work. Chain saws will hasten clearing. Pack animals to carry chainsaws, gas/oil, etc. June 24, 2017 Crazy Creek Campground & Two Good Cabin #205 ((((((Need Project Leader)))))) Mow, weed, & cleanup Crazy Creek Campground. Six-mile trail to Two Good Cabin. Chain saw or crosscut saw-ing and swamping to clear the trail to standard. July 1, 2017 E. Fork Guard Station and E. Fork Trail #433 ((((((Need Project Leader)))))) Crosscut only work after departing the trailhead. A year 2000 burn area with lots of burnt lodgepole; max winds for this project 12mph.

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BITTER ROOT BACK COUNTRY HORSEMEN DRAFT GENERAL MEETING MINUTES, FEBRUARY 16, 2017

The February 2017 general meeting of the Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen (BBCH) was called to order by President Ka-ren Philips at 7:03 pm with a quorum present. The meeting was held at the Corvallis School Cafeteria. Approximately 50 mem-bers were present. President Karen Philips led the Pledge of Alle-giance to start the meeting.

Guests: Donna Terhune, Robin and Larry Dewey, Bethany Larsen

PROGRAM Phil Torgerson introduced the speaker, Tyler Parks, a carnivore specialist with Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP). Tyler is the Region 2 wolf specialist, a local Bitterrooter, and a MT college graduate. He has worked as the FWP wolf technician since 2009, and be-came the wolf specialist in 2016. He assists the public to address wolf concerns, assists with wolf monitoring efforts, and has been a range rider helping ranchers with wolf issues. He traps wolves using a rubberized foot hold trap, radio collars them, then flies once/month to monitor the packs. He also does winter track sur-veys on packs that don’t have radio collars, and contacts hunters and trappers for information. There were about 536 wolves in 2015 in 126 packs with 32 breeding pairs. The state management plan requires at least 15 breeding pairs. Wolf mortality is by hunting, with trapping accounting for 40% of harvest, and FWP control for livestock depredation. Depredation has reduced since 2009. He appreciates public input on any sightings in Region 2. He talked about probable wolf behavior from a single young wolf and from a pack, and noted that people should talk/make noise to discourage encroachment. Wolves will follow/”escort” a hu-man out from their territory. Be aware of wolf sign and keep a dog on leash or close voice control for their own protection. Have bear spray handy. On horseback, use caution with discharging a firearm or bear spray and leash a dog if wolf sign is spotted. Wolves may follow horses if they are unfamiliar with them (such as packs in the wilderness). Wolves may bark if their den site is encroached. He presented slides on a year in the life of a wolf and what to expect on a month to month basis. Wolves know how to survive around people. Tyler answered several questions from the audience.

BUSINESS Minutes (Kathy Stroppel-Holl): There were no corrections or additions to the January general meeting minutes. A motion was made by Ed Bullock and seconded by Bonnie Morgan to ac-cept the minutes of the January 2017 general meeting as they were printed in the newsletter. The motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report (Marilyn Rogish): Marilyn presented the latest (February) treasurer’s report. A motion was made by Brad Pollman and seconded by Ed Bullock to accept the February 2017 Treasurer’s Report as presented at the February meet-ing. The motion carried. A $100 donation was received from Neil and Cheryl McKay in Topeka, KS, in memory of Ray Swindler who appreciated the work BBCH does. Karen said that although Ray was not a member, he was a long-time rider and friend of past BBCH president, Tom Ford.

CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS First Aid (FA)/CPR, Saw, Defensive Horsemanship Safety (DHS) Training Signup Sheet: Bonnie Morgan circulated a signup sheet for people interested in helping with the March 4

DHS clinic. Another signup sheet was circulated for FA/CPR, DHS, and crosscut or chainsaw training. FA/CPR training is good for 2 years, and DHS and saw training is good for 3 years. She has some funding for another FA/CPR class, but members may need to cover a portion of the fee. She suggested members look for classes offered by other providers. She provided additional infor-mation on training, and said to contact her for more details. Joe Rogish noted that members should NOT sign up for saw training unless they have FA/CPR as it is required.

State Convention Raffle Tickets: Marilyn has raffle tickets available for the BCH MT State Convention. Cost is 1 ticket/$5 and 5 tickets/$20. The three raffle items are: a 7-day guided pack trip in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, a rifle and revolver combo set, and a $500 gift card from Murdoch’s.

Coffee/Water Volunteers Signup Sheet: Karen said there are volunteers through April, and that we still need coverage through May.

BCH MT Chairman’s Award BBCH Nominee: Karen talked about the Chairman’s Award and noted that Joe Rogish nominat-ed and the Board approved Bonnie Morgan as the recipient for BBCH.

Convention Auction Items: Karen noted that Mike Costanzo designed and made a wall mounted rack to donate on behalf of BBCH for BCH MT’s live auction at the State Convention. He also designed and built a cribbage board with the BCH MT logo to do-nate for the Polson chapter’s silent auction.

BBCH Awards: Karen thanked Joyce Wesche, Fred Weisbeck-er, and Steve Greer for their contribution as past board members. Brad Pollman presented them pins and encouraged them to run for the board again. Brad also presented pins to Alan Lackey as past president and to Karen Philips as past vice president.

COMMITTEE REPORTS Education: Fred Weisbecker said not much is currently going on with education.

Issues: Fred Weisbecker talked about BBCH ’s pledge to assist with purchase of the land at Larry Creek. He has spoken with Tammy Sabol (Stevi Ranger District), and the Forest Service (FS) is working with the bank to resolve some issues. He spoke about the lawsuit concerning the area near the Roaring Lion fire, which is in negotiations with the FS. Thinning work has started near the trailheads off of Roaring Lion Road. He noted the bigger trees can only fit three to a trailer.

Projects: Dan Brandborg and Joe Rogish presented the pre-liminary project schedule, which includes Calf Creek, Larry Creek, Coyote Coulee, Gold Creek, Boulder Creek and Lake, Crazy Creek/Two Good Cabin, and East Fork Trail. Joe will be working with past project leaders to set dates.

2017 Membership is due! Don't miss out on updates for training clinics and projects!

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Calf Creek, Larry Creek, and Coyote Coulee are done every year. He summarized what to expect and what has occurred in the past on each project. He would like members to look at the projects and determine which ones they can support. Crazy Creek/Two Good Cabin and East Fork Guard Station/Trail need project lead-ers. Joe described what sawyers and swampers do on the pro-jects. Project dates start in April and finish by the end of June. Joe will consider additional projects for September if there is inter-est. Joe Atencio noted that the Coyote Coulee project is fun, with a BBQ and beverages provided afterwards. Rebecca asked when the trail is open to Boulder Falls. Joe said there is a lot of running water on the trail until later in the season.

State Directors: Karen explained that members discuss and vote on resolutions in order for the delegates to take the mem-bers vote to the State Convention. Two resolutions are on the table. Chuck Miller presented the resolution submitted by the Selway-Pintler Wilderness (SPWBCH), Upper Clark Fork BCH, and Missoula BCH chapters regarding membership in more than one chapter of BCH MT. Chuck noted the resolution is well-written and resolves issues that have come up in the past regard-ing what members can do if enrolled in more than one chapter. Discussion ensued on whether there would be a conflict of inter-est if a member was on the board or an officer of two chapters– it was not thought to be a conflict. It was asked whether the state has a way to determine which chapter pays the state and national dues. Brad provided more explanation as to how the state han-dling membership. A motion was made by Ed Bullock and se-conded by Dan Maiyo to support the resolution as presented for the delegates to vote on. The motion carried.

Joe Rogish presented the resolution submitted to support Mon-tanans for Healthy Rivers Legislative Proposal for newly desig-nated Wild and Scenic Rivers in Montana. There are currently four Montana rivers labeled as wild and scenic. The resolution proposes adding 59 additional rivers primarily in wilderness areas to be designated wild and scenic to protect them from be-ing dammed. The Bitterroot River already has dams and isn’t in a wilderness so it can’t be designated as such. It was asked wheth-er any of the 59 rivers were under consideration for damming now, whether there are any regulations already in place to pro-tect rivers in wilderness areas, and why not protect all wilder-ness waters. Julie Schram explained that the Wilderness Act grandfathered existing dams, but did not protect the waters from further damming. It was also asked if this resolution was for Montana only – which it is. Brad explained the resolution was formulated to protect future possibilities, that much thought was put into the effort, and that Montana has been a leader in devel-oping wilderness areas. Dan Brandborg provided some past his-tory on where dams were proposed in the past in the Bitterroot Valley. Further discussion ensued on support for the resolution. A motion was made by Barbara Black and seconded by Leslie Maiyo to accept the resolution as presented for the delegates to vote on. The motion carried.

Membership: Bonnie Morgan said there are 73 memberships and 111 members enrolled.

Training: Bonnie Morgan asked members to see her about the training signup. She will provide the saw dates when they are

available.

Outreach: Susan Slemp was introduced to the members as the new outreach chair.

Program: Phil Torgerson thanked Tyler for his presentation this evening and the important takeaways from it. He is working on a speaker for March. Contact him if you have a suggestion.

Sunshine: Karen Philips asked if anyone knew of a member who needs a get well, congratulations, or condolence card to let Cindy Beck know. Lionel Lavellee was injured recently. Tom Ford is ill and at home under care.

Trail Rides: Rebecca Banks said rides will start around May. She would like help with members leading longer rides in differ-ent places than where she typically rides. She noted that Shining Mountain arena provides good winter riding.

Youth: Ed & Christy Duggan are still in the planning stages for the youth committee. They met with Kathy Huntley with SWPBCH and discussed camps and clinics. In order to teach/help at camps, a person must be a registered 4-H leader. Brad noted there are also FFA chapters in the valley, and that teachers/trainers are covered by the schools.

NEW BUSINESS 2017 Budget: Joe Atencio said the 2017 budget was good. Karen said the budget expenses and income are fairly balanced. A motion was made by Marilyn Rogish and seconded by Bon-nie Morgan to accept the 2017 budget. The motion carried.

OLD BUSINESS 2017 BCH MT State Convention BBCH Delegates: Karen not-ed herself, Kathy S-H, Chuck Miller, Mike Costanzo, Ed Duggan, Joe & Rita Atencio, and Dan Maiyo have volunteered to be dele-gates. Max Stroppel will be the alternate delegate.

Calf Creek Toilet Update: Karen said the Backcountry cy-clists will take one month, and Red Barn will take one month of the portable toilet costs. Fred will write a grant to the Rapp Fami-ly Foundation with these partner groups.

Newsletter Advertising: Karen said that Lakeland Feeds and Cowpoke are interested in advertising in the newsletter.

OTHER BUSINESS Terry Lackey thanked the membership for the cards and letters.

Brad Pollman thanked the BBCH members for their participation at the Public Lands rally in Helena. BCH MT was well represent-ed.

Next Meeting: March 16 at Corvallis School Cafeteria with the potluck dinner starting at 6:30. Phil Torgerson will bring coffee and Susan Slemp will bring hot water.

Adjourn: A motion was made by Ed Bullock and seconded by Ed Duggan to adjourn the meeting at 8:56 pm. The motion carried.

Kathy Stroppel-Holl, Secretary BBCH

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BITTER ROOT BACK COUNTRY HORSEMEN DRAFT BOARD MEETING MINUTES, MARCH 2, 2017

The March 2017 Board meeting of the Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen (BBCH) was called to order at 7:02 pm at the Daly Leach Chapel in Hamilton, Montana by Fred Weisbecker. Present were officers Vice President Fred Weisbecker, Secretary Kathy Stroppel-Holl, and Treasurer Marilyn Rogish. Board Members present included: Bill Black, Ed Bullock, Mike Costanzo, Ed Dug-gan, Tim Meyer, and Taylor Orr. Also present was State Director Chuck Miller. Absent were President Karen Philips and Board Members Dan Brandborg, Jan Bullock, and Joe Rogish.

Guests: Bonnie Morgan

Minutes (Kathy Stroppel-Holl): Fred asked if there were any up-dates to the February minutes – there were none. A motion was made by Ed Bullock and seconded by Ed Duggan to accept the minutes of the February 2016 Board meeting as printed in the newsletter. The motion carried.

Treasurer’s Report (Marilyn Rogish): The February treasurer’s report was presented. A motion was made by Ed Bullock and se-conded by Bill Black to accept the Treasurer’s report as pre-sented at the meeting. The motion carried.

CORRESPONDENCE AND ANNOUNCEMENTS BBCH received a $100 donation in memory of Ray Swindler from Viola Gross, and a $50 donation in memory of Larry Swindler from Patricia Ryan-Swindler. A $25 donation came from a renew-ing member.

Fred W announced that he and Carolyn will be moving back to North Carolina. He anticipates their home will go on the market in April 2017. He has enjoyed his extended vacation in the Bitter-root Valley for 17 years. (Editorial aside – we will miss him and his outstanding contributions to BBCH, as well as numerous oth-er organizations in the valley.)

COMMITTEE REPORTS Education: Fred Weisbecker said there were no new educa-tion topics.

Issues: Fred Weisbecker noted that there is nothing directly happening. Indirectly, he spoke about the next Forest Service (FS) restoration (i.e., logging) projects – one in the East Fork area and one in Gold Creek area. The FS addresses all concerns for projects, which has reduced some issues for them. The FS has worked out the problems with the homeowners who filed a law-suit on the Westside project.

Projects: Marilyn Rogish said Joe submitted a proposed pro-ject schedule at the February general meeting.

State Director: Chuck Miller said Ryan Zinke (former MT representative) is now the Secretary of the Interior.

Membership: Bonnie Morgan said there are 4 individual re-newals, 3 family renewals, and 3 new individual/family members to approve, and she provided a list of the names. Discussion en-sued on the new members. A motion was made by Marilyn Rogish and seconded by Ed Bullock to approve the renewed and new members. The motion carried. BBCH currently has 79 memberships and 121 members.

Training: Bonnie Morgan asked whether she could send out an email to potential members who attend the Defensive Horse-

manship (DH) demonstration clinic and who may want to attend the riding portion that they need to be a registered member to participate. Bonnie said that a First Aid (FA)/CPR clinic to be taught by Melissa Henderson will cost $25/person and is availa-ble on April 1, 15, or 16. Bonnie will send around a sheet to find out which date is best. She noted that arranging for FA/CPR training is becoming more difficult. She asked whether BBCH could work with other groups who are scheduling training, and whether this is a something to pursue with these groups. The recent FS regulations meeting provided a list of registered train-ers in the valley. The DH demo clinic is set for March 4 at C-Max Stables. Sandra O’Brien, Jan Bullock, Leslie Maiyo, Dan Maiyo, and Bonnie will all be presenting topics. Lunch will be provided, and between 20-40 attendees are anticipated.

Program: Christy Duggan will be speaking on weed manage-ment for the March general meeting.

Youth: Ed Duggan will be meeting with Kathy Hundley (the Selway-Pintler Wilderness BCH youth coordinator) at the state convention to discuss youth programs.

OLD BUSINESS 2017 State Convention and Delegates: Kathy S-H, Chuck M, Mike Costanzo, Ed Duggan, Karen P, Joe & Rita Atencio, and Dan Maiyo will be delegates; Max Stroppel is the alternative delegate. Registration paperwork has been turned in.

BCH MT Chairman’s Award Submittal: The write up on Bon-nie and photos were sent into BCH MT.

NEW BUSINESS None.

OTHER BUSINESS Federal Lands Transfer Webinar: Tim Meyer spoke about a re-cent email from BCHA concerning a webinar on "The Federal Lands Transfer, What it Means and What You Should Know" to be held March 8 and whether anyone from BBCH would be attend-ing it.

Advertising: Ed Bullock will be handling advertising for the BBCH newsletter. He has developed a rate chart and has made 20 busi-ness contacts, primarily with those that deal with stock, equip-ment, or have a western focus. He provided background about BCHA to the business, and anticipates about 8 business ads in the next newsletter. He will eventually widen the businesses to ap-proach. The newsletter circulation is about 150 (combined elec-tronic and hardcopy). One advertiser is interested in having color print done if possible. Marilyn asked if it would help to post the newsletter on the Facebook page.

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Businesses were impressed with the extent of influence that BCH has. Chuck suggested checking with businesses in Salmon, ID. Ed said businesses will contact Aimee about supplying the ad setup. Businesses asked him whether BBCH would have a booth at this year’s fair. Bill Black said BBCH has had one in the past but cover-age is from start to finish every day. He has also been asked by the fair folks whether BBCH would have a booth this year. Fred noted that it is more difficult to have a booth since BBCH covers the gates.

Calf Creek Toilet: Fred W wrote a grant to the Rapp Family Foun-dation to help cover rental on the Calf Creek toilet. He will ask for a split of the costs for 6 months for 2 years. After adding the EIN and proper spelling of the BBCH name, he will submit the paper-work.

Adjourn: A motion was made by Marilyn Rogish and second-ed by Ed Bullock to adjourn the meeting at 7:50 pm. The mo-tion carried.

Kathy Stroppel-Holl, Secretary BBCH

2010 Specialized saddle 15" suede seat, brown leather. Well taken care of and I am original owner. My horse outgrew it. $850.00 Call 961-4429 for more information

** Free to an approved home only ** - 27 year old mare, has packed everything I have put on her, grandchildren, elk, deer, planks, culverts, abandoned camps, fish, etc. - 26 year old gelding, loves trails and cattle. Both are sound. If interested please call 541-980-2883

Mid 1990's Orthoflex saddle Fleece refurbished in 2013. 15" seat, black/brown leather. Brand new to me but not a good fit. $950.00 Call 961-4429 for more information

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CPR/FIRST AID CLASS On January 27, thirteen Bitter Root BCH members updated their CPR/First Aid certification in a course taught by the Forest Service's Roylene Gaul. This course is a pre-requisite to taking the chain saw and crosscut saw certification classes to be offered later this spring.

Jan Bullock practices CPR Mel Monson helps Julie Schram count chest compressions.

Robert Leever and Karen Phillips learn the process for activating a shock.

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Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen 2017 Board President Vice President Secretary Treasurer Karen Philips 406-369-0725 Fred Weisbecker 406-546-8067 Kathy Stroppel 961-0096 Marilyn Rogish 642-3246 Directors: Bill Black (2017-18) 363-6834, Ed Bullock (2016-17) 907-575-7878, Jan Bullock (2017-18) 907-242-9853, Mike Costanzo (2016-17) 375-1340, Dan Brandborg (2016-17) 381-5643, Taylor Orr (2016-17) 930-5838, Joe Rogish (2017-18) 642-3246, Ed Duggan (2017-18) 406-369-3140, Tim Meyer (2017-18) 907-440-0841 Past President: Alan Lackey 505-603-8499 State Chairman: Brad Pollman 406-546-6491 State Directors: Chuck Miller (2017-18) 961-5453, Joe Rogish (2016-17) 642-3246 Alt. State Director: Mark DeGrazier (2017) 777-1234

BUSINESS SUPPORTERS

First Aid/CPR training (good for 2 years): Saturday, April 1, 1-5 pm at the Stevensville Firehouse, cost $25 First Saw Classroom training: TBD, some time after April 15 we will have a date to meet in the Trapper Creek Auditorium for both crosscut and chainsaw training. At that time, hands on training for each type will be scheduled. You may attend the classroom portion without the First Aid/CPR certification, but must have a current card for the hands on portion. Defensive Horsemanship: riding sessions (cards good for 3 years): March 25 and April 22 trainings have two sessions each with a limit of 10 horses per session. One is from 9 - noon, the second is 1-4 pm. Each class will let members practice moving your horse or mule forward, backwards, sideways, and over or under a variety of obstacles. Members who are getting a card for the first time and those whose cards are expiring have priority but all other members may fill in the extra spaces. It is a good time to "spring tune" your mount. All are welcome to audit the clinic and watching is open to the public. The training will be at the C-Max stables, 657 Bass Creek Road, Corvallis. Call, text, or email Bonnie Morgan (381-9021, mrgnbnn@gmail.com) to sign up for the first aid or DH classes. I will send out an an-nouncement for saw training when we get a firm date.

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Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen

Visit our website: bchmt.org/bitterroot

Bitter Root Back Country Horsemen P.O. Box 1083 Hamilton, MT 59840

NEXT BBCH MEETING Thursday, March 16th

Location: Corvallis School Cafeteria Program speaker: Christy Schram-Duggan from the Ravalli County Weed District. She will be going over noxious weeds and how to control them using an integrated weed management plan. Potluck at 6:30

Meeting at 7:00

Guests are welcome!