Power and Fiberoptic Line Burial Project Brings Conservation and Connectivity to South Valley County

GLASGOW, Mont. – In a unique public-private partnership, two utility companies are burying powerlines and fiberoptic cables across south Valley County, Montana, while improving thousands of acres of greater sage grouse habitat.

This project became a model for collaborative conservation and rural development.

It started as a business project to replace more than 15 miles of powerline. By the time it is finished, it will replace more than 25 miles of overhead powerline and replace 27 miles of copper phone lines with fiber optic connectivity to a remote community near Fort Peck Lake on the Missouri River.

To do that, NorVal Electric Utility Cooperative and Nemont Telecommunications Cooperative needed to obtain rights-of-way for portions of the powerline route crossing Bureau of Land Management-administered lands in an area classified by the BLM as a Priority Habitat Management Area for sage grouse and other wildlife species.

That’s when BLM project manager Matt Comer suggested co-locating the lines and possibly thinking even bigger by including additional single-phase lines to other nearby services.

“Burying powerlines is a game-changer for sage grouse,” said Comer. “This particular project eliminates overhead raptor perches near sage grouse leks and brood-rearing and winter habitats, restores landscape connectivity and function for the grouse and other grassland birds, and significantly reduces the chance of wildfire starts associated with powerlines.”

The companies agreed, and with the help of about $1.8 million in funding, a partnership was formed to bury and co-locate the lines.

Plowing an underground utility line across public and private lands covered in sage grouse habitat requires a lot of coordination.

“This project was a collaborative effort from many entities, and NorVal would like to thank all those who helped along the way,” said Nick Dulaney, NorVal line superintendent. “Once completed, our system reliability should be solid for many years to come, giving all NorVal members in the South Valley area a more durable and capable line to withstand wind, ice, and frost issues that we have battled in the past with overhead lines. The fire mitigation that goes along with a project like this one will be a great benefit for everyone in the area.”  

Collaboration occurred across the BLM, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and private property owners. Plus, coordination with Montana’s Department of Natural Resources and Conservation was needed for the cooperative agreement that helped fund the project and determine the value to sage grouse habitat in the form of conservation credits. 

Working closely with the Montana DRNC’s Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program, the project is projected to generate more than a quarter-million conservation credits for land-health improvements in critical sage grouse habitat.

“The habitat surrounding this project represents some of the highest quality sagebrush habitat in the state,” said Therese Hartman, Montana DRNC Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program manager. “Overhead powerlines provide perches for avian predators making powerlines one of the most impactful features on a landscape. Buried lines greatly reduce impacts to greater sage grouse.”

Construction activities began in late-July, after sage grouse breeding, nesting, and early brood-rearing seasons. After the new lines are installed, the old above-ground lines and poles will be removed. The project should be completed by November. By installing the buried powerline with a specialized plow instead of digging an open trench, minimal soil disturbance will occur, creating optimal conditions for native grasses, forbs, and shrubs to quickly reestablish.

“By working together to achieve our individual goals, this project demonstrates how infrastructure upgrades can go hand-in-hand with wildlife conservation,” said Comer. “We’re proving that Montana’s sagebrush landscapes can be cared for, and even improved, while simultaneously reducing wildfire risk, providing reliable power, and bridging the digital divide in rural Montana.”

Through science-based strategies and collaborative action between companies, private property owners, and state and federal agencies, Montana’s sage grouse and rural communities are poised to thrive.