Patti Mason
Outreach & Watershed Coordinator, Flathead Conservation District
- 133 Interstate Lane
- Kalispell, Montana
- United States
Topics
11 Comments
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Re: Planting Vegetated Buffers to Improve Water Quality.
2010-06-09 10:31:16 UTC
One thing I have noticed is that "water words that work" in one place may not be effective elsewhere. Someone mentioned buffer is not a good word, but it has been working well here in MT, since it replaced the politically charged setback.
We are just finishing a media campaign that used TV, radio, online banner ads (and in one county billboards)that is being evaluated extensively. I would be happy to share those materials with you. We run a Living by Water workshop and tour every year, and run ads monthly.
Our biggest barrier is that many people think buffers look messy. Now we promote the concept of the waterfront garden. We developed a garden design that encourages use of native species (and why)that is being distributed in brochure form to garden centers. We are also working on demo projects so people can see that they can design a buffer that works for them.
Patti Mason
Flathead Conservation District
United States -
Re: Conservation Easements
2010-01-29 11:52:10 UTC
Deborah,
You could look at the work done by the Flathead Land Trust. They have successfully protected some large tracts of farm land along the Flathead River. Check out their website at www.flatheadlandtrust.org.
fcd3 -
stormwater solution
2008-12-09 10:24:34 UTC
Hi Lorna,
Try looking into a bio-swale. If they can infiltrate the water before it gets to the channel it will be a little cleaner when it discharges.
Patti -
Re: Managing Horse Manure
2008-10-20 10:13:36 UTC
Don,
Two good resources for this type of information are Comprehensive Nutrient management plan at http://www.cnmpwatch.com/ and the Rhode Island folks at Healthy Landscapes http://www.uri.edu/ce/healthylandscapes/
Patti Mason
Outreach & Watershed Coordinator
Flathead Conservation District
133 Interstate Lane Kalispell, MT 59901
406-752-4220 [email protected] -
Re: RX drugs in supplies
2008-06-12 12:47:37 UTC
Mike and Bernie,
Here in NW Montana a couple of local studies have documented PPCPs (pharmaceuticals and personal care products) in ground water resources too. The Flathead Basin Commission held a symposium last year with many local planners and decision makers in attendence. One session covered this topic, so the local powers-that-be are now aware. Since then the Basin Commission has begun to develop outreach materials and make contacts with people at local hospitals, clinics, doctors' offices and nursing homes to inform people that the best way to dispose of unused medicines is not to flush them but to safely send them to the landfill. Some people are concerned that drugs disposed of in this way will make their way into the wrong hands, so the recommendation has to include how to package them for disposal to make them unusuable should they be intercepted. And of course, when I can get into a high school earth science or geology class and talk about water resources, I tell them! They are usually horrified to know they might be drinking caffeine, mood stabilizer, antibiotic, pesticide, female hormones and anti-seizure drugs, to name a few.
Patti -
Good Sustainability/Water Resources
2008-01-18 11:30:39 UTC
Sarah,
Try www.wateruseitwisely.com . They have lots of good materials.
Patti -
Funding Help for LEED Remodel
2007-12-19 10:29:07 UTC
One of the local high schools here is planning a remodel and would like to incorporate LEED building elements into the project. They are looking for any available funding sources that might help them finance this. Does anyone know of anything that might be of help?
Thanks.
Patti Mason
Education & Outreach Specialist/
Watershed Coordinator
Flathead Conservation District
133 Interstate Lane
Kalispell, MT 59901
406-752-4220
[email protected]
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sustainable shopping
2007-12-17 11:01:32 UTC
David,
I can make a couple of comments. The organic grocery store I go to has been selling in bulk for years and years. You can bring in your bags and bottles, they weigh them, you fill them, and they weigh them again. It works great for dry goods, liquids of any sort (including non food items such as dish soap), peanut butter, etc. They don't seem to have a problem keeping things clean. Most grocery stores around me have at least limited capabilities for bulk buying. The important thing is for demand to be high enough to keep bulk supplies fresh. On the other hand, some years ago the place that cut my hair tried to sell refills of bulk products. The problem they ran into was that people did not clean out their bottles between fills, and so the supplier felt the product quality was being compromised. The supplier refused to continue providing the bulk product to the salon. I could see this being a problem with the more general public, especially with consumables. Quality control would be a big issue, perhaps even a health issue, so you might want to focus on that.
Good luck!
Patti Mason
[email protected] -
Re: Clothes Washer Recycling
2006-10-17 06:40:11 UTC
Our landfill takes the appliances and recycles them. They have a special area where you drop them off. Anything you can do to make it easier encourages people to participate, and it works well. -
Re: Seeking alternatives to asphalt pathways
2006-10-03 13:28:20 UTC
Natalie
It sounds like you should look into some type of pervious or porous pavement. There are many styles on the market. Uni Eco-Stone is one brand that has shaped stones atop layers of drain stone which facilitate infiltration and are quite decorative. There are others that look similar to asphalt that will allow water to run through. Do a search on pervious or porous pavement and you will come up with a plethora of choices.
Patti Mason
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