Centennial Valley Association

The Centennial Valley Association (CVA) had another successful year and we are so excited to share the highlights and achievements with you! CVA had a full staff team of eight (8) this year -- which included many returning staff that contributed to long-term, sustainable knowledge of our programs and the hiring of a year-round Field Coordinator position. The CVA Team adds capacity to not only CVA's programs and projects, but to our partners and members in the Centennial Valley as well. A big thanks to our Team!  Learn more about the Centennial Valley, learn about the 2024 program highlights and do a deep dive into other specific projects throughout the Centennial Valley, and consider supporting the CVA this #GivingTuesday by getting involved, signing-up to volunteer, or by providing a donation that will ensure we can have sustainable programs and staff. Scroll through and let us know what you think!

The Centennial Valley is a remote working landscape in Southwest Montana that serves generational ranching families, provides an important migratory corridor for a variety of wildlife, and is rich with water resources, native vegetation, and recreational opportunities. The healthy rangelands on public and private lands provide open space and biodiversity that makes the Centennial Valley a very special place.  CVA strives to preserve traditional ranching as a way of life in the Centennial Valley, while maintaining open space, wildlife habitat, water quality, and migration corridors, as they exist today, for future generations. Created to be the main disseminator of information to help build trust between community members, organizations and agencies that live and work in the Centennial Valley, the CVA has expanded to include three primary program areas (Wildlife-Conflict Mitigation, Water & Drought Awareness, and Invasive Species Management) while providing education and outreach efforts to share information broadly.

Wildlife-Conflict Mitigation Program The Wildlife-Conflict Mitigation Program reduces conflicts between wildlife, particularly large predators, livestock, and people may all thrive on a shared landscape. CVA partners with participating producers and employs range riders to reduce unconfirmed losses, while documenting how wildlife use the valley, using over 20 game cameras and observations, to increase safety and reduce potential conflicts. In addition, the program also supports carcass pick-up/removal efforts and provides additional assistance to partners implementing wildlife-friendly fencing initiatives. In the 2024 field season, the program was fortunate to have Erika (Wildlife Program Coordinator), Taylor, Joe, and Pat (Range Riders) on the Team collaborating with five participating producers. They documented 45 grizzly bear observations, 22 black bear observations, 11 wolf observations, and 2 mountain lion observations.

Water and Drought Awareness Program The Water & Drought Awareness Program collects and disseminates water and drought data in a clear and concise format so that water users can make sustainable and informed management decisions. CVA collects precipitation, snow, streamflow, and a variety of other information and shares the information through monthly Water Reports. In addition, we partner with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks and the US Fish and Wildlife Service on data collection for the Arctic Grayling Candidate Conservation Agreement with Assurances (CCAA) program. Early on in the year, Niah (Field Coordinator) joined the Team to coordinate and implement the program, while bringing it to the next level. In 2024, and looking forward to 2025, the program is monitoring 12 rain gauges, 2 streamflow sites, 10 soil moisture monitoring sites, and began sharing monthly Water Topics to explore more topics related to water resources and drought. We are excited to see what Niah does for the program year-round!

Invasive Species Management Program The Invasive Species Management Program monitors and treats invasive weed infestations in the Centennial Valley to protect our native plant communities and reduce sedimentation in streams. CVA follows an Early Detection, Rapid Response model to map and treat invasive weeds for new and existing infestations, hosts community spray days with partners and private landowners, and reduces bareground soils by reseeding with native grasses and forbs. This year, we were lucky to have Shannon (TNCVA Coordinator) join us for her third season in the Centennial Valley to coordinate the program. She was joined by Joe (Field Technician) to implement weed treatments. During the 2024 field season, the Team hosted four Weed Weeks, three community Spray Days, and treated nearly 145-acres in the Centennial Valley!

Click on areas of the map to learn more about CVA's project areas!

The programs of the CVA displays how public, private, and community sectors can work together for the benefit of the Centennial Valley landscape, as well as the people, wildlife, and water resources. CVA will continue to collaborate with the community and its partners to ensure we having a thriving Centennial Valley for future generations. The Centennial Valley Association a small, but mighty community organization that will greatly appreciate the generosity of your time or financial contributions that will ensure the organization can continue to sustain our amazing staff and expand into new projects that help the community, landscape, culture, and wildlife of the Centennial Valley thrive.

If you'd like to make a donation to CVA, please see the link below! If you have any questions, or would like to commit to volunteer endeavors in 2025, please reach out to Kara at  communityorg@centennialvalleyassociation.org . Thank you and enjoy the holidays!