Habitat Protection

Each year the Last Chance Audubon Society (LCAS) grants funds to Helena area projects for habitat protection, enhancement or restoration. Funds for these community projects come from fund-raising efforts including the LCAS Birdathon, November/December (Not a) Silent Auction, sale of birdseed, and LCAS membership dues.

LCAS accepts grant applications from local groups interested in promoting the protection or enhancement of habitat that has, or could have, significant value for birds and other wildlife. Since 1995 the chapter has offered grants for habitat projects throughout the local area.

HABITAT GRANT APPLICATION PROCESS

To apply for a habitat grant, please submit the following:

• a statement of work proposed for your project
• an explanation of how the work will enhance avian habitat
• a plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the work
• a proposed timeline
• a detailed proposed budget.

Proposals will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

• their value for birds and other wildlife
• their feasibility
• the credibility of the proposal and the applicant
• their visibility and other benefits to LCAS and to the public
• their timeliness and possible urgency

Also, preference will be given to projects located within the LCAS membership area (Augusta, Lincoln, Boulder, Townsend, White Sulphur Springs, and points in between).

The application should not exceed 3 pages. All applications will be reviewed by the LCAS Habitat Protection Committee. Applications should be sent to Last Chance Audubon Society, Habitat Protection, P.O. Box 924, Helena, MT. 59624. Alternatively, applications may be emailed to Shane Sater, LCAS Habitat Protection Chair, shsater@gmail.com.

Recent projects:

• In the spring of 2017, a $500 grant was awarded to Shane Sater for his work with Prickly Pear Land Trust and the avian surveys being conducted on the Sevenmile Creek property.
• Between 2010 and 2012 LCAS granted $4,000 to Kessler School to develop a native plant habitat on the school grounds for bird habitat development and educational purposes.
• In 2009 a habitat grant of $1,000 was awarded to the Lewis & Clark County Water Quality Protection District for restoration of native shrubs and trees in riparian sites along Prickly Pear Creek in the Helena Valley.
• In 2009, a $1,000 sponsorship was provided to assist with the release of a Trumpeter Swan to re-establish a Trumpeter Swan population in the Blackfoot Valley, Ovando, Montana.
• In 2008, a $2,000 habitat grant was awarded to Montana State Parks for the restoration and replanting of trees at Spring Meadow Lake State Park near Helena after a 2007 wildfire burned many of the mature trees and substantial bird habitat in the park.