2024-11-15T08:38:09-00:00 2023-12-31 472202405 Fay L Espeland CPA PLLC 30 N 4th St PO Box 1470 Columbus MT 590191470 990 2023-01-01 900641225 STILLWATER VALLEY WATERSHED COUNCIL STIL 4063211235 PO BOX 112 ABSAROKEE MT 59001 FAY L ESPELAND TREASURER 4063211235 2024-11-14 true FAY L ESPELAND P01211352 4063228630 2024-11-14 2023 2024-10-15 13:58:12Z FAY L ESPELAND PO BOX 1470 COLUMBUS MT 59019 282874 false X www.stillwatervalleywatershed.com X 2011 MT Stillwater Valley Watershed Council SVWC continues to progess as an organization expanding weed control, water quality / quanity, forest health and soil enhancement programs through education and research. 12 12 0 0 314589 220836 30299 29645 3302 6619 -2700 -474 345490 256626 157906 81211 0 33158 42949 0 765 107954 144570 299018 268730 46472 -12104 342138 331775 989 2730 341149 329045 X Stillwater Valley Watershed Council SVWC will provide an open forum in which all interested parties may work in a collaborative effort to preservie the integrity of the river, the land, an the beauty of our valley. We will endeavor to bring together public, private and government resources, funding and grants to achieve our goals. false false 77169 66858 HAZARDOUS FUELS PROGRAM This program provides homeowner with cost-share assistance for fuels reduction projects, prevention and mitigation materials regarding wildfire fire. Tallies for 2023 Completed hazardous fuel mitigation projects on 8 properties, encompassing over 3,500 acres. Improved the wildfire resiliency on 170 acres through prescriptive tree thinning practices. Awarded Cost Share to 5 participants in the amount of 68,858. Informed over 500 Valley residents and statewide stakeholders through one on one communications, social media platforms and targeted mailings about the importance of improving wildfire resiliency and enhanced forest health practices. Funding from the second round of Western States WUI funds is still available to qualified landowners. In late 2023 SVWC received 250,000 through the Montana Forest Action Plan for landscape level fire mitigation treatments. 62326 RIVER ASSESSMENT TRIAGE TEAM RATT. The flooding of the Stillwater and East Rosebud River was on a scale never seen before. Along with other community organizations in the county, SVWC was left asking what could be done. SVWC provided the seed money to get the RATT team off the ground and into the water. The team was modeled after the concept used as a response to the disaster along the Musselshell River near Roundup, MT. The team included a geomorphologist, hydrologist, fisheries biologist, local Conservation District, and representatives from the SVWC. SVWC used 52,000 to complete, and release titled The Stillwater River Flood Rehabilitation River Assessment Triage Team RATT. We are now working with local agencies and landowners to identify projects that will both improve fish spawning habitat and future flood relief efforts. 52880 14353 29645 COOPERATIVE WEED CONTROL PROGRAMS SMALL AND LARGE ACREAGE, integrated, locally led approaches to noxious weed management enabling SVWC to collaborate with multiple agencies and hundreds of local landowners. Programs include SVWCs SMALL ACREAGE Cooperative Weed Control Program has treated from Nye to Columbus Montana. This program is intended for landowners with LESS than 20 acres. Tallies for 2023 Enrolled 100 participants 1700 acres and provided Cost Share to 95 participants in the amount of 3927. SVWC used 7 commercial applicators. SVWC Large Acreage Noxious Weed Control Program targets landowners with MORE than 20 acres located on or adjacent to elk habitat. SVWC has received another 20,000 from the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation RMEF for 2023-2024. RMEF has contributed 130,000 over the past 13 years to this program. Tallies for 2023 Provided Cost Share to 14 participants, representing 24,600 acres, to treat 390 acres via areal and ground application and provided Cost Share in the amount of 10,425. 44040 236415 true true false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false false true false false false true false false false false false false false false false false true false false false false false false false true 15 0 true 0 false false false false false false false false false false false false X 12 12 true false false false false true false true false false false true true true true false false false false false LINDSEY CLARK 4067801249 PO BOX 112 ABSAROKEE MT 59001 X LINDSEY CLARK COORDINATOR 018.00 X 39333 0 0 TOMMY FLANAGAN ASSISTANT COORDINATOR 005.00 X 4561 0 0 FAY L ESPELAND TREASURER 005.00 X X 2195 0 0 TIMOTHY SCHAFF CHAIRMAN 001.00 X X 0 0 0 DIRK PELTON VICE CHAIRMAN 001.00 X X 0 0 0 CEDAR MAGONE SECRETARY 001.00 X X 0 0 0 LAURA BLOND DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 CHRIS FLECK DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 TOM KIRCHER DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 BUTCH BEHRENT DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 NOEL KEOGH DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 THEO YANZICK DIRECTOR 000.50 X 0 0 0 TYRELE SCHAFF DIRECTOR 001.00 X 0 0 0 CHASE OSTRUM DIRECTOR 000.25 X 0 0 0 WILLIAM R MYTTON DIRECTOR 000.25 X 0 0 0 KAREN MARTS DIRECTOR 000.25 X 0 0 0 46089 false false false 8262 18684 71786 122104 10000 220836 COOPERATIVE WEED-SMALL/LARGE 900099 29645 29645 6619 22130 18684 24444 -2314 3644 1804 1840 256626 X 4070 4070 77141 77141 0 0 42949 24561 17623 765 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1180 1180 119775 119775 8605 2141 6464 3187 743 2444 0 0 470 220 250 2849 1473 1376 0 591 451 140 0 0 0 1882 1882 SUPPLIES/CHEMICALS 5809 5809 BANK CHARGES/PAYPAL FEES 202 31 171 SOS ANNUAL FILING 20 20 0 268730 236415 31550 765 195768 109966 13453 86475 132917 135334 342138 331775 989 2730 989 2730 X 341149 329045 341149 329045 342138 331775 -12104 X false false false X 105210 300554 183681 314589 220836 1124870 105210 300554 183681 314589 220836 1124870 243407 881463 364 772 2752 3333 6619 13840 1138710 0.77410 0.77890 X RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED RESTRICTED Summer Celebration 32935 10805 22130 575 6999 1600 14815 Montana Gives 7879 7879 455 40814 18684 22130 575 6999 1600 15270 24444 -2314 true COOPERATIVE WEED CONTROL PROGRAMS 100 10283 HAZARDOUS FUELS PROGRAM-Cost Rimbursement 5 66858 X 875 Value on Donor Webpage X 9125 Value brought at Auction Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Program Service Expenses 36,924, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 WILDLIFE HABITAT IMPROVEMENT PROGRAM WHIP GRANT. This is a 7 year project secured in 2019 and the mission encompasses treatment and monitoring of noxious weeds with Custer-Gallatin National Forest, preventing further spread of noxious weed throughout the Stillwater watershed. This project will enhance cooperative efforts of the US Forest Service USFS along with adjacent small and large tract landowners. Why is a non-profit group assisting the USFS in their noxious weed control efforts The budget line item for noxious weed control for the Custer-Gallatin National Forest has been significantly reduce in recent years. This grant pays 100 of costs of application on USFS land. Tallies for 2023 Treated 500 acres on USFS grazing allotments, paid commercial applicators 35,497 in 2023 and a total of over 113,527 to date. Form 990, Part III, Line 4d Program Service Expenses 7,116, Grants and allocations 0, Revenue 0 STILLWATER-ROSEBUD WATER QUALITY INITIATIVE SRWQI was new in Fall of 2020. SRWQI is aimed at continuing a watershed assessment project, monitoring the health of streams and developing geographic information system GIS mapping capability in the watershed. The SRWQI involves monitoring basic water quality parameters at sites in the Stillwater-Rosebud drainages roughly monthly over a two-year period beginning October 1, 2020. The SRWQI has completed 5 years of water sampling. We are beginning to evaluate the data and look for seasonal trends at each evaluation site. The data collected by this project is of a non-regulatory nature, intended to provide some basic indication of stream health to inform the residents of the Stillwater Valley and protect all the uses we make our streams for this generation and those to come. Form 990, Part IX, Line 11g FEES FOR SERVICES OTHER TOTAL IN 2023 119,775. Fees for Service consists of the following expenses Contract labor CWCP commercial applicators fees 29,272 HAZ FUELS drone services 80 RATT fees to professionals to prepare and print The Stillwater River Flood Rehabilitation River Assessment Triage Team RATT report 52,145 SRWQI fees to Energy Labs for water sample testing 2,781 WHIP commercial applicator fees 35,497. Form 990, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a 1,15,16 Compensation of treasurer of 2,195 was voted on by board based on what a prior accountant was charging. The treasurer recused herself from the discussion and vote when board was determining her annual allowance. The treasurer does substantial bookkeeping, invoicing, and budgeting. The treasurer also efiles Form 1099 MISC and 1099 NEC and is incurring out of pocket charges for performing services. Some of the treasurers compensation is to reimburse for such expenses. The Coordinator is compensated 39,333 to procure grants that align with our tax exempt mission. If a grant is awarded it is the responsibility of the Coordinator to oversee grant compliance on our behalf. The coordinator is also responsible for planning our fundraising events. The Coordinator has no voting power, and no authority over management decisions. We also have an assistant coordinator to oversee RATT and his compensation was 4,561. Form 990, Part VI, Section B, Line 11a A copy of Form 990 was presented to the board on November 15th prior to efiling and draft copy was uploaded to the Treasurers secure portal and all board members can be invited to the portal. Form 990, Part VII, Section A, Line 1a 1-16 SVWC is located in a rural area of Montana and recruiting board members can be a challenge. SVWC would like to disclose family relationships in existence on the current board. Timothy Schaff Chairman family relationship with Tyrele Schaff Board Member. Fay Espeland Treasurer family relationship with Theo Yanzick Board Member. Tom Kircher Board Member is an employee of Sibanye Stillwater Mining Company in their environmental department. Sibanye Stillwater Mining Company made a 25,000 contribution in 2023. Noel Keogh Board Member has a family relationship with Penny Keoh who on the Board of the Nye Community Foundation an unrelated organization and they are a grant contributor. The board has procedures in place to insure no conflicts of interest arise when voting or discussing board matters. Form 990, Part VI, Section C, Line 19 Copies of Form 990, and amended Bylaws are available on our website. Governing Documents, Letter of Determination, Conflict of Interest Policy, and Form 990 Schedule B-Schedule of Contributors can all be obtained by contacting our Coordinator at svwc2010hotmail.com.