Ripple Effect: Dillon Field Office Partners Help Riparian Areas Thrive

Riparian areas in the BLM Dillon Field Office area are thriving thanks in part to partnerships with local non-profit organizations.

The Southwest Montana Sagebrush Partnership (SMSP) and the Youth Employment Program (YEP) have been hard at work this summer installing Beaver Dam Analogs (BDAs) on BLM-administered lands in southwestern Montana.

BDAs are handmade structures that mimic beaver dams. They hold back water and cause it to spread across the landscape. This process creates larger wetland areas which in turn increases willows and other riparian area plant species.

Riparian areas are critically important for diverse wildlife habitat and forage. By expanding riparian areas and holding more water on the landscape, these riparian areas continue to thrive and help the BLM fulfill its multiple use mission.

So far this summer, SMSP and YEP have maintained close to 70 BDA structures and built 60 new ones. YEP crews are comprised of mostly high school-aged youth and some college-aged employees. The youthful enthusiasm of the crews makes for a very fun and productive environment. They are very important to the Dillon Field Office and get a lot of work accomplished on BLM and adjacent lands.

These projects are partially funded through Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds. IRA funding is hitting the ground locally and is helping to complete important conservation projects as well as providing the next generation of public land users and managers with a great jump start in public land awareness.