Montana

Experts see decline in trout population in SW Montana

Published

11 months ago

June 4, 2023

Press Room

Experts see decline in trout population in SW Montana

BOZEMAN, Mont. — Along the Jefferson Basin you can find wild trout in Southwest Montana.

But now the fish are in trouble as experts saw an impactful decline in the trout population.

Normally there would be between 1,800 to 2,000 fish per mile, now those numbers are down to 400 to 500.

NBC Montana spoke with Guy Alsentzer with the Upper Missouri Waterkeeper to find out what is behind the alarming numbers.

“The big notable issue this year is the idea that we have no recruitment of what are called young of year. Which is to say the spawning class of the young fish. If we don’t have population recruitment, it means we’re going to have a crashing population number,” said Guy Alsentzer, executive director of Upper Missouri Waterkeeper.

Alsentzer said if the trout population continues to tank, it can impact the local economy for Southwest Montana.

“We’re talking about 1,400 plus jobs directly related to outdoor recreation on our river. To the extent that we ignore the writing on the wall which is to say massively historically low trout numbers. We’re essentially giving up on the jobs, those local businesses and we’re giving up on our outdoors heritage,” said Alsentzer.

Alsentzer said Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists identified over a decade ago there was a statistical decrease in the trout population, and it continued to sink year to year.

We reached out to the Bozeman FWP and wanted to ask what could’ve been done to prevent the trout population from plummeting and what the necessary steps are right now to try and recover those numbers.

We’re still waiting on a response.

Alsentzer believes Montana’s elected leaders need to step up to invest into scientific solutions to protect and conserve the wild trout population.

“The most important emphasis now is leadership from our elected leaders and the allocation of resources so that we can develop management solutions to again build viability, build resiliency, in the face of massive population decline,” said Alsentzer.

We will continue to follow this story and let you know what plan of action is next to help raise the wild trout population.

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Montana

Heavy police presence will continue at the University of Montana Campus throughout the night

Published

2 hours ago

April 29, 2024

Press Room

Heavy police presence will continue at the University of Montana Campus throughout the night

UPDATE 10:47 P.M. April 28, 2024
MISSOULA- MTN News received the following email.

“UMPD in partnership with Missoula law enforcement continue to search the campus but have not found anything or received information to substantiate a threat. University operations are returning to normal but we ask for your continued vigilance and that you report anything you see that appears suspicious to UMPD (x4000 or 406-243-4000). Officers will continue to patrol campus throughout the night. Thank you for your cooperation and have a good evening.”

MISSOULA- The University of Montana and the Missoula Police Department are investigating after two calls were placed to 911 threatening gun violence at the University.

Officials said they received the call around 9 p.m. on Sunday.

The University of Montana sent this email to family’s and students on Sunday night following the report:

“911 received an anonymous call of a person dressed in black threatening violence on campus (including the use of firearms). There has been no verification to this call however the University has gone to secure mode by locking all external buildings. Police are actively searching campus.

Anyone on campus should be vigilant and if you see anything suspicious to call University Police. Anyone attending the show at the Adams Center can exit orderly at end of show and there are police on scene .

If anyone has information or sees anything unfamiliar, please call Missoula 911, or University Police Emergency at 4000 (on campus), 406-243-4000 (off campus).”

There will continue to be a heavy police presence on campus tonight as campus remains in safety mode, meaning that if a student has a key to get into a door they will be allowed in but external doors will be locked, according to the UM Communications Director Dave Kuntz.

Kuntz told MTN that there is no indication that this is connected to the Protecting Freedom event that occurred earlier on Sunday.

Police are actively searching the campus for any indication of the threat. There is currently no evidence of a threat to the public.

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Montana

Donald Trump Jr., Montana conservatives bash Biden, Tester at Missoula event

Published

9 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

Donald Trump Jr., Montana conservatives bash Biden, Tester at Missoula event

MISSOULA, Mont. — Republican officials Rep. Ryan Zinke, Gov. Greg Gianforte and Senate hopeful Tim Sheehy joined Donald Trump Jr. at the Montana Association of Conservatives’ “Protecting Freedom Event” Sunday in an effort to rev up conservative voters for 2024.

“We need everyone out there for the governor, for Tim, for Ryan. but also guys go all the way down to dog catcher. Seriously, get involved, your school boards, your state reps, it all matters,” Trump Jr. said.

When not attacking the current administration over issues like foreign policy and the border, GOP officials took aim at incumbent Sen. Jon Tester.

Criticism of Tester ranged from personal insults to the senator’s voting record. Event headliners Trump Jr. and Alex Bruesewitz, who is the CEO of a pro-Trump media agency, both mocked Tester’s weight. Bruesewitz was one of several speakers who painted Tester as “far left.”

“I don’t think this is a far left state, is it?” Bruesewitz, the CEO of X Strategies LLC asked the crowd. “So tell me why do you guys keep sending Jon Tester back?”

Ukraine’s war against Russia was another topic many conservatives addressed. Zinke defended his recent no-votes on a bipartisan funding effort supporting Ukraine and Israel, while Trump Jr. compared the money to a “slush fund.”

“Is Ukraine a top three issue for anyone in the room?” Trump asked. (Some in the audience yell no)“No? Not one? Oh that’s interesting. How about a top ten? (some attendees yell no again) That’s amazing.”

NBC Montana caught up with GOP Senate candidate Tim Sheehy after the event to ask him his stance on funding Ukraine following the 2022 Russian invasion.

The U.S. should “absolutely not” be sending money to support Ukraine right now, Sheehy said.

“I wish Ukraine the best. I hope they push Putin out. I hope they win, but ultimately we have to be focused on what’s right for America first and that’s a long way down the list right now,” Sheehy said.

Americans should be taken care of first, the likely GOP Senate nominees said, citing illegal border crossings and the tens of thousands of deaths from fentanyl overdoses.

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Montana

Three records fall for Montana State Bobcats at Bengal Invitational track and field meet

Published

16 hours ago

April 28, 2024

Press Room

Three records fall for Montana State Bobcats at Bengal Invitational track and field meet

MSU Athletics and 406mtsports.com

POCATELLO, Idaho — Three school records fell for the Montana State track and field team at the Bengal Invitational over the weekend.

All-time MSU marks in the men’s javelin, women’s 100 meter hurdles and men’s 4×400 meter relay were broken, making it now five new total school records for the Bobcats during the 2024 season (the other two were men’s 200 meters and women’s shot put).

On Friday, sophomore Pat Vialva broke his own MSU record in the men’s javelin for the third time this season with a throw of 229 feet, 10 inches. The Tigard, Oregon, product surpassed the 70-meter mark on his fifth throw, moving him up to No. 34 this season in NCAA Division I.

On Saturday, Elena Carter added on to what is one of the most decorated careers in Montana State track and field history with a school record in the 100 meter hurdles. The senior from Helena turned in an altitude-converted time of 13.45 seconds, eclipsing her previous mark of 13.53 from the 2022 outdoor season.

Carter also added a personal best in the long jump, leaping 20-05 to win the event and improve upon her No. 3 all-time mark in MSU history. Along with her teammate Hailey Coey, Carter is one of four MSU women all-time to jump 20 feet (Janet Buntin, 1983; Lacey Hinzpeter, 2003).

Also on Saturday, the MSU men’s 4×400 meter relay team of Michael Swan Jr., Stryder Todd-Fields, Sean Jackson and Jett Grundy broke a record that had stood since 2005 with an altitude-converted time of 3:10.98.

Grundy, the 2024 Big Sky Indoor Track and Field Freshman of the Year and 2024 indoor champion in the event, won thanks to an altitude-converted mark of 46.92, the third-best mark in school history.

Swan, a native of Manhattan, Montana, and the school record-holder in the 200 meters, ran a converted 47.35 to move up to fifth all-time in MSU history.

In the women’s 100 meters, sophomore Peyton Garrison rocketed up to No. 5 all-time with an altitude-converted time of 11.80 (+1.5)

Caroline Hawkes ran an altitude-converted time of 54.30 in the women’s 400 meters, climbing to fourth on the MSU all-time list with the fastest mark since 2014.

Maisee Brown’s win in the pole vault with a mark of 13-08.25 now leads the Big Sky and is second in MSU history in the event, behind only NCAA champion vaulter Elouise Rudy. Brown’s teammate, Taylor Holmes, also enjoyed a big personal-best in the event this weekend, clearing 13-00.25 to reach No. 7 in program history.

In the long jump, Destiny Nkeonye tacked on three-quarters of an inch to his best mark with a winning leap of 24-05.75, the No. 3 jump in MSU history. Ian Fosdick, the school record-holder in the triple jump since 2022 (51-02.75), cleared 50 feet for the first time this season to win the event.

On the women’s side, Taylor Brisendine joined Carter with PRs in the long jump, as she recorded a mark of 19-05.25 to break into the top-10 all-time at No. 8. The 2024 Bobcats now have three of the top-eight long jumpers in program history on the same squad (Carter, Coey and Brisendine).

Brisendine, a Kalispell native, finished with a mark of 40-07.75 in the triple jump to reach No. 4 on the all-time MSU list and become just the fourth Bobcat in history to reach 40 feet in the event, and the first since Alex Hellenberg in 2022.

MSU freshman Emma Brensdal added on a few inches to her personal-best in the discus, winning the event with a throw 158-02 — the fifth-best mark in school history.

Andrew Powdrell, a defensive back for the MSU football team running in his second collegiate meet, ran a wind-aided time of 10.52 (+4.2) in the men’s 100 meters. Grundy ran a 21.28 (+2.5) in the men’s 200, and Carter ran an 11.77 (+2.2) in the women’s 100.

Marks above the +2.0 wind threshold but under the +4.0 barrier can qualify athletes for the NCAA West Preliminaries but do not count towards Montana State all-time top 10 lists.

Montana State closes out the regular season at the Tom Gage Invitational in Missoula at Dornblaser Field on Saturday.

The 2024 Big Sky Outdoor Track and Field Championships, hosted by MSU at Bobcat Track and Field Complex, begin May 8 and conclude May 11.

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