Montana Outdoor Podcast
A weekly podcast covering the topics and people that make Montana’s Outdoors like no other place in the world.
Montana Outdoor Podcast
Keeping Our State Parks on a Solid Foundation!
This week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with the Executive Director of the Montana State Parks Foundation, Megan Buecking. No doubt many of you may be asking, "is that the formal name for the branch of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks that runs all Montana's State Parks?". We thought the same thing but when you listen to this Podcast you will learn that is a completely different organization. The Montana State Parks Foundation is a nonprofit organization that in essence raises funds for the things that the State Parks need or would like to provide but can't afford. So, does Montana's State Parks just not get enough tax dollars? Well, State parks don't receive any of your tax dollars. So, how do they get by? Listen to this week's Podcast to find out! Megan and all the folks involved with the Foundation not only help raise money for many of the special projects and services that our State Parks provide but also helps come up with some of the great ideas that you come across when you visit Montana's State Parks. For example, the Montana State Parks Foundation provides those amazing all terrain Track Chairs that allow disabled park goers to go just about anywhere anyone else can go around the parks. Going for a hike was basically impossible for our disabled veterans and other disabled park goers before those came along. And best of all those wonderful pieces of technology are available at no cost to use! There is whole lot of other incredible things that Megan's organization provides that will blow you away, plus you will also get to hear about Montana's newest State Park that will be bringing some incredible history to life soon. So hit that play button now and prepare to be amazed!
Links:
- To learn more about the Montana State Parks Foundation click here.
- To learn about some of the latest project they have going on right now click here.
- Interested in taking a shot at winning some amazing prizes? Click here to learn more.
- To watch this Podcast on YouTube, click here.
- To learn more about all of Montana's State Parks, find a State Park, make a campsite reservation and more, click here.
- Would you like to help the Montana State Parks Foundation accomplish even more? Click here and get involved!
- Questions for Megan Buecking? Click here to send her and email.
- Click here to let Downrigger know what you thought of this Podcast and to let him know your ideas for other Podcast topics.
Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.
This is the Montana Outdoor Podcast brought to you in part by Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer in Missoula, home of Boss Snowplows, cm, truck beds and diamond sea trailers. Just go to R-E-M-T-T e.com for more information and buy superior hardwoods of Montana, home of the largest selection of in stock, high-end wood products and flooring in the western United States. Let them guide you through theWoods@superior-hardwoods.com. Now get ready for more fascinating topics and the most interesting people you will ever find in Montana's great outdoors. We offer new podcasts most every Saturday. You can get a link to these podcasts by going to our website, Montana outdoor.com, or by going to our Facebook page. Or just send an email to down rigger@montanaoutdoor.com. And say, send a link to my email. It's that simple. Now let's head out with your host down rigger Dale and see what's going on in Montana's great outdoors.
Rigger:Thank you very much, Manny, and welcome, welcome into the Montana Outdoor Podcast studio. So glad you chose us to explore a part of Montana's great outdoors today. I wanna give a special welcome to our men and women of the United States Armed forces that are deployed all across the world. Listening to this podcast. Uh, we are indeed honored to have so many of you all around, uh, the world. Listening to us. It's, uh, it's just great to have you here and I hope this brings a little bit of home back to you. Uh, there are so many of you that are from Montana and are deployed around the world, so, just great to have you. Thank you also to our wonderful veterans for your service as well to our great country. Um, ask a quick favor of all of you that are listening right now, and that is if you get a chance, please share this podcast to your social media. Uh, share it with your family and friends. It helps us out a great deal. Um, and so when you get a chance to do that for us also, uh, we are now a video podcast. You know, for the last few years we have been just audio only, but uh, yeah, we got drug. S kicking and screaming into the future. And we are now on YouTube. And I'll have a link to that in the podcast description if you'd like to watch, because we do put some pretty cool pictures and things in there. Uh, and that, and you get to look at my handsome mug, which, uh, okay. I do have a Face Four radio. Uh, so anyway, check that out. Uh, now I wanna bring in our, our guest here, uh, today. Um, and I'm gonna butcher your last name, so I'm just gonna ask you, uh, to pronounce it for me. Uh, Megan, how do you say your last name, just so I don't miss it up? Say
Megan:Like a big pen.
Rigger:Bicking. Okay. See, I, I would've, I would've messed it up. Okay.
Megan:I usually do too.
Rigger:Uh. but, uh, today we have Megan Bicking, and she is the executive Director of the Montana State Parks Foundation. And I love the way the Montana State Parks Foundation's website introduces us to Megan. it, it really shows how passionate she is about the great state of Montana. Uh, she came, well, here, let, let me just read it to you that that's the best way. says this, Meghan's passion for outdoor recreation, conservation and advocacy began during her upbringing between, between the Adirondack State Park and the St. Lawrence River. That's in upstate New York with dreams of skiing, hiking, and rafting on the Gallatin. Megan and her now husband, Alex, moved to Montana on New Year's Day in 2008 with little more than a thousand dollars and a red Jeep and a golden retriever. Uh, I, I just love that it, it really shows what kind of person is and the passion and all that. So, um, it's been a ride, a long ride in your, uh, red Jeep with your doggy and your, your husband. Uh, but we're glad you're here, Megan. And, and what, what brought you New York, uh, it is had to be the, the, as I love to call it, the mystical, magical place called Montana. It seems like the further away someone is from the state, the more and magical it becomes. Uh, I think that's why we have so many people from, we're now in, what is it, over 60 countries in, about 1900 different cities around the world that listen. So
Megan:Wow.
Rigger:people out there in the world, uh, are fascinated with us. Um, in fact, we have a lot of, um, outfitters and guides in Africa that listen to the podcast and are just fascinated by the animals We hunt
Megan:Oh, interesting.
Rigger:and
Megan:There's so much that draws people to Montana.
Rigger:when. On, uh, you know, email and that I always say, well, you think our animals are interesting. I think the stuff you guys have there is just, you know, people that go on these, uh, photography safaris and the,
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:that they go see. It just blows me away. But I guess, you know, when it's something different. Anyway, um, so, uh, you, you came from back east, you got
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:uh, you
Megan:Okay.
Rigger:then we'll get into the Montana State Parks Foundation.
Megan:Okay, cool. So yeah, I grew up on the Canadian border in upstate New York. Um, a lot of times when people hear New York, I have to clarify upstate New York and then I have to clarify again the Canadian border because it's very different than what someone might assume. When you say New York, it's very rural, um, rustic and really nice in upstate New York.
Rigger:Yeah,
Megan:yeah, I spent a lot of time, I spent a lot of time in the Adirondack Park. Um, but I spent a lot more time actually on the St. Lawrence River, which is close to where I grew up, um, especially at Wellesley Island State Park. I always think about that now that I have this really strong state park tie and I spent. So much time as a little kid on Wellesley Island, just running around the trails with my parents. Um, I have a lot of fond memories and I think that's really where it started for me. Like just that very accessible front country recreation was the kinda stuff that I did as a kid. We weren't doing like major backpacking trips or anything like that. We were going to state parks, local campgrounds going swimming in the rivers, um, you know, watching black bears eat our food off the picnic table and things like that. So yeah, that was just a major part of my life growing up. I, I guess I might've taken it for granted to be honest. I never really thought about it as a special thing, but, you know, growing up in upstate New York and then being able to move out here to Montana, um, I'm really blessed. I'm really, really glad with the amount of nature that's in my life. It's, it's been an amazing thing. Um, yeah, so when I moved here, that is a true, that is a very accurate and very true story. I. Um, my boyfriend and I, Alex, my husband now. Um, it all worked out. Thankfully.
Rigger:yeah.
Megan:We, uh, packed up and moved right outta college. We didn't have jobs. We didn't have a place to live. We lived in a super eight in Bozeman, um, and it was 2008. We were 21. We didn't have much to lose and we really wanted to go skiing,
Rigger:Yeah.
Megan:so we really moved here to be ski bums. Um, just like a lot of people have. But I think we played our cards really well. Um, we got jobs. I spent about 10 years as a teacher and in that time I did a lot of volunteer work, um, with outdoor recreation groups. I did three years as a mentor at BYEP, which is the Big Sky Youth Empowerment group. And they bring at-risk kids out into, out, mostly skiing, but out into the woods and just doing a lot of cool recreation stuff, um, as. Kind of a way to just enhance their lives and give them confidence. And that was a super impactful, um, experience for me as a younger mentor. It was huge. It was kind of directed my whole life, to be honest. Um, I also worked at a lot of summer camps as a teacher. I worked in, um, fishing shop, and then I also worked as a backpacking guide, which was another hugely impactful experience. 45 days of backpacking will change a person and I think for the better. Yeah. So, um, I kind of made a tran, uh, career transition somewhere in there and moved to the nonprofit realm. Um, my first role in nonprofits was managing educational programming and also public art installations, which is where I really got a feel for project management and working with, um, landowners and the local government or municipalities, whatever. and then from there I kind of landed my dream job at Montana State Parks Foundation and I've been here going on, this is gonna be the beginning of my third year, and it's been a wild ride. I drank outta the fire hose for a long time, and it's been really exciting. It's, it's a really cool place to be working.
Rigger:Yeah. Well, I, I have a love affair with Montana State Parks. Uh, I think we are so fortunate that we have 56 state parks to, to go to. but the State Parks Foundation, the organization that you're with that is different than the Montana State Parks. Correct. So tell us about the foundation and how it differs, but how you guys all work together.
Megan:Yeah, for sure. Um, and that's a question I get a lot because it's a little confusing. Um, we're the Montana State Parks Foundation, so that means we're the official nonprofit partner of the Montana State Parks. So we're not part of the state government. We're completely separate. We're an independent 5 0 1 C3, um, and we're really a very small grassroots organization. We're relatively new. We were founded in 2015 with the goal of, um, raising private support for projects at state parks that were outside of state park budgets. So being, being that entity that could show up and help find funding or advocate for the state parks in ways that the, the state itself could not,
Rigger:Hmm.
Megan:So the way that we work is we collaborate really, really closely with the FWP, specifically the people working in the parks administration and also the park staffs themselves. Um, so what we do is basically we have a lot of conversations, ongoing emails, um, about different projects that we could prioritize and work on together. And from there we kind of come up with project plans and on our end we seek out funding or whatever kind of support is needed and make those projects happen.
Rigger:Oh, that's great. one of the things that has always amazed me about Montana State Parks is, as I was saying, just how many of'em there is
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:of them. So, so many of them. Uh, what what's incredible is they're
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:affordable. I mean, you, these are very nice parks. They're, they're more than just, you know, a place to, to pitch a tent. I mean, some of'em have full services, all that, uh, even like guided tours, guest speakers, I mean, the list goes on and on. are, these are really well done parks.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:Now all of it, like I said, is very reasonably priced and in some cases even free.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:they afford to do all that? Uh, that's what amazes me. I assume that's where the Montana State Parks Foundation comes in. Am
Megan:Yeah, I can break, I can kind of break it all down for you. We serve a very kind of specific role, um, but I think to explain that I should probably talk about how the state parks themselves are funded. So there's a couple different, um, funding sources for the state parks themselves. So the first one, um, that I really think people should be aware of, and I'm sure that they are, is the$9, um, vehicle registration fee. So when you go to register your vehicle, there's that like optional checkbox to um, you know, contribute$9 to the state parks. And that's actually a very significant funding source and a relatively new funding source for the state parks. Um. They also generate their own revenue. So like you were just describing things like camping fees and um, special permits or rentals, things like that. Um, program fees, like the cave tours at the caverns. Um, all of those things generate revenue for the parks, and that's another major gener or, um, major source of revenue for them. There's also some dedicated revenue sources that are a little bit different. Um, and they are things like the coal severance tax revenue and the marijuana tax revenue. Um, marijuana tax revenue was a really big issue in the current or. The just wrapped up legislative session, that funding was actually at risk of being removed from state parks and other outdoor conservation efforts. And us, along with a lot of other groups, fought pretty hard in the legislature to keep that funding and we won. So we're really happy to report that all of the advocacy that we did in the legislature helped keep some of that funding with the parks, which is one of the major things that we do is, um, advocating for park funding and then somebody. Well, you know, I think there's a lot of different reasons, um, that it could have been removed. What was being proposed was reallocating that funding to, um, law enforcement services. I don't really have the entire background. It's another, obviously very critical and important service, but there was a lot of other, other funding sources available for that. And so we fought really hard to keep it with the state parks because while we recognize the importance of law enforcement obviously is critical, um, you know, that that money was intended for the parks and we really wanted it to stay there because the parks are, to be honest, have very minimal, um, operating budgets for the parks themselves throughout the year. And I can actually give you an example of that and, and kind of that'll segue into the work we do. So. Here's a small example. So there is a state park up on Whitefish Lake called Les Mason State Park. And a couple years ago there was this really popular swim dock, like the kind that you swim out to, like kids swim out to, and they sit on it and they jump off. People really love this dock. Like I get it. Those are, those are docks are super fun. But the dock itself had degraded to the point that it wasn't safe. There was like holes in it and it had to be removed. Um, so they removed the dock a couple years ago and then everyone was really sad. Understandably the dock was gone, the actual cost of replacing the dock exceeded the entire park's operating budget. And so it was just, yeah, it was just not feasible for them to replace the doc on a quick timeline. It, you know, it's something that they, I'm sure over years could have gotten the funds together to do. But you know, right in the moment, the next year the, everyone was super sad not having that doc. Um, and we actually had a volunteer step up and say, Hey, I really wanna see this doc come back. Is there a way that. Um, I can volunteer with you and help fundraise, like is there something we could do? And from there we started talking with the park staff and we brought the concept to the park administration and got the thumbs up to go ahead with it. We did a crowdsourcing style fundraiser and we raised enough money to replace that dock in about a month. Um, so the dock is back. We're celebrating it this year. And that's just a good example of the kind of work that we could do on a small, like the smaller scale type of project that we can do. But that, that idea, that concept that of stepping in when the state. For whatever reason, can't, um, fund a certain project. Um, so that applies all the way up to a recent half million project, half million dollar project that we did at Fort Owen. Same concept. Um, the, the smallest park, the small state park in Montana, a really great historical site, but it was pretty, um, run down. There was really bad access. The, the road to the park was pretty poorly accessible. There was one parking spot, so it's not like you could bring school tours there or anything. And we were able to secure funding to, uh, help build a parking lot, help do a major, major preservation project with help from the friends of Fort Owen, which is a friends group. And, um, we also did a major interpretive project there and we are telling the true story of Fort Owen and all of that wouldn't have been possible with the base budget for Fort Owen. We really had to bring in the outside funding to make that kind of next level, um, park experience happen. So that's basically what we do.
Rigger:I. love this because this is the kind of thing, um, people need to hear about because so often people think, oh, well it's just all, you know, funded by our tax dollars. So, you know, they just need to deal with it and all that. They don't realize that funding isn't there. And instead of people just complaining about it, folks like you say, now we're gonna find a way. And you do. And, and that's, that's what's great about it. And the people that benefit are those that then wanna come to our state parks. Uh, you know, like the example about that doc kids are jumping and playing and swimming and doing all that instead of sitting at home and, and watching a video game. So, uh, you know, it's thanks to organizations like this that, that say, no, we'll, we'll figure it out. We'll get it done. And they do. And that's what's so important. Uh, and I just. We, these are the kind of things that we need to know more about, and I hope our listeners will really take some time you're listening to this, to research, uh, this organization. Uh, up on your screen, you're gonna see, um, a link to that, of course, in the podcast description, there'll be a link to it as well. You can click on that and go to the Montana State Parks Foundation website and look at it. So as we go along, get to know this, this organization. So, let's get into, um, some of your current projects. You've already talked about a couple of them, and now I don't know if we're gonna be able to get to all of them because you guys got a lot going on, which is great. Megan, you have been very busy,
Megan:I have, you're right.
Rigger:I'm sure we're gonna be bugging you to come back again and, and all that. So, uh, I'm just gonna turn you loose. Why don't you go through some
Megan:Okay.
Rigger:projects that are going on.
Megan:Okay. Um, is a dangerous thing to turn me loose, but I'll go for it. So I actually just wanna talk about two of our major projects that we have going on that are multifaceted. So the first one is, um, our newest state park, Judith Landing State Park. And, um, I will, um, show some beautiful pictures of this new site to your listeners because it's such an incredible place. I'm so excited about this new park. Um, let me tell you a little bit about it. So. Over the past couple years, we have been having some conversations with the state and American Prairie about, um, donating this parcel of land. It's been a pretty long, lengthy process, um, getting it all set up. And back in December, we were able to partner with American Prairie to donate 106 acres to create a new state park. So, um, the 106 acres is now state park land. It was accepted by the state park, um, parks and Recreation Board back in December. And. It's open to the public, but it's not quite developed yet. They've added, they've started to do a little bit of the development work and we are able to, um, appeal to the Montana legislature to request development funding for the new park, and it was approved. We're hoping it goes through the governor's office soon, so we know a hundred percent that that funding will be there. But something that we are doing from the foundation's end is looking at what are those potential, um, pieces of development of the new park that could kind of elevate it to that next level, that next level of visitor experience. And one of the most interesting things about that park, um, is actually the historical context. As a river person, I initially was like, oh my goodness, Missouri breaks, like, get me on that river. It's the headwaters or the confluence of the Judith and the Missouri. So it's a super amazing, amazing river access site that's gonna be a major draw for people. And initially that's what I was the most excited about, but once I started reading about the history of the site, I was like, whoa, this is. This is an important site that a lot of people don't know much about. Um, and that's one of the, the kind of the main reason that we all agreed that it should be a state park because the state can do such a lovely job of managing that resource and conducting proper research and preservation efforts. So it was really a dream come true to have this, um, entered into the state park system. So what we're working on now is working with some, um, new partners. We're seeking out new partners to help fund historic preservation and interpretation efforts. So I'll tell you a little bit about the history'cause it's super cool. Um, and I will also share some pictures to go along with it.
Rigger:you mentioned, uh, the governor and, um, the, both the governor and the first lady of our state listened to this podcast. So you're talking to him right now. So.
Megan:Oh yeah.
Rigger:Uh,
Megan:Good, good day. Governor Gianforte, he's been a, he's been a wonderful supporter of the work we've done particularly, um, the accessibility work we've done. He's come out and, um, tested out some of the equipment that we've donated and, um, it's been a, I had a great time working with Governor Gianforte on, um, the Missouri Headwaters Project as well.
Rigger:Yeah. He's, he's been a, a, a frequent guest here on the podcast and, and, um, both he and his wife are, are very much outdoor folks, as we say. So,
Megan:Yes, they're, yes.
Rigger:listen up gov because, uh, Megan's got some cool stuff for you to hear about
Megan:Yeah. Um, so yeah, let me tell you about the history here. I'll kind of just cover the bullet points because there's so much, um, every time I talk to the archeologist from the FWP, it's like a, you know, it, we could talk for hours about it'cause it's so interesting. But, so I'll start with the beginning. So it's a really critical site of indigenous history. There were important treaties there and, um, just a lot of indigenous history that needs to be researched and discovered and the have the story told. It was also, um, Montana's first military outpost outpost. Um, camp Cook and Camp Claggett were located there. It also has the steamship and ferry history, which I don't actually know that much about, but it's a really striking image to see a steamship ferry in the middle of the Missouri River. It's pretty cool. Um, the historic PN Ranch was one of Montana's first cattle, large cattle operations. And actually on the site there's still the PN mansion, um, which is just a beautiful historic building, um, that we're really hoping to preserve and make more accessible to visitors. Currently it's all boarded up, um, is a beautiful structure still, but it's not quite ready for people to enter. So we're really hoping our efforts will help make it, um, more accessible. And then the other thing that's just a cherry on top is it's also the site of the first d dinosaur fossil discovery in Montana. It's got everything. It's got everything
Rigger:Wow.
Megan:I.
Rigger:Yeah, you know, the, the, uh, the, the steam ships that came up, uh, before the, you know, dams and all that stuff, uh, Fort Benton, Montana was the last stop that as far as you could go north. So you could actually start from, uh, new Orleans and go all the way up to Fort Benton, Montana. So Mississippi, up to the Missouri and, and on in, and that was a popular way to travel, uh, to, to get up to Montana. And that was even way before we were a state. So anyway, a little
Megan:I wonder how long that would take,
Rigger:boy.
Megan:like, yeah. I have no concept of how long that would take years.
Rigger:back, back in those days, that was pretty fast, you know? Uh,'cause your alternative was riding a horse or walking. Um, and so it, it got you around pretty quick. But, uh, anyway, this, this new state park. This is exciting because, uh, you know, state parks serve a lot of different, uh, purposes. Uh, for a lot of our listeners who, uh, love to hunt and fish, a lot of them stay at state parks. And I mean, a lot of our listeners use state parks because they are usually the closest to where you like to hunt and, and fish and all that. Um, they're very affordable and, um, great to work with. So, uh, the more of these that we bring on board, but then. As things time has gone on, we've found that these state parks have this great history. So it's so neat to hear that we've got a new one with this incredible history. So is it, so would this be number 56 or would this be 57 Now?
Megan:I think that this one's 56. I get a little bit confused about that. I'm pretty sure that I go back and forth between 56, 57. I think it's 56 though. I think this one's 56.
Rigger:55 before, so
Megan:Hmm.
Rigger:fantastic. So, um, you guys, what, what are your plans as far as, I mean, how soon do you think you'll be able to start getting some of these type of, uh, I, I imagine this is gonna take a lot of construction in that to start putting up some of this stuff.
Megan:Yeah. The, the plans for the park. So this is, um, I guess an important thing to keep in mind with how the foundation and the, um, state parks actually work together. The. State park, actual projects, development projects, anything like that are really truly just planned by the state park staff because that is their expertise, our expertise is coming in to support those efforts. So they're, they're really in charge of all the planning. And from my personal experience, it's been really cool to see how much I. Consideration, they give public input. If you have an opportunity to make a public comment on any proposal that comes up from the FWP that affects you or you care about, I really strongly recommend people make comments. I also recommend that people go to public scoping events that are hosted because they genuinely really take, um, your comments into major consideration. So, so anyway, so they, they're, um, in charge of planning the project and I'm really excited for what they have planned. It's gonna be a rustic heritage site, so that means that it stays intact as it is, it's not gonna have a bunch of major development. Um, and the purpose of that is maintaining the historical context. It also, um, just, it's just really lovely outdoor space, so we don't wanna. Mess it up with a bunch of parking lots and things like that. There is gonna be camping there, um, like tent camping. I do believe several, several camp locations and, um, other plans include the stabilization of the historic buildings, um, which is gonna be a pretty major effort. Some of them are pretty, uh, degraded and they'll need a lot of work to be stabilized, just to be safe for people to kind of interact with them. Um, I'm trying to think the, some new trail systems in there and yeah, it's gonna be a really, really lovely park, very much out in the just smack middle of Montana. And if people have the opportunity to check it out, it's, it's gonna be a beautiful park.
Rigger:Okay. Uh, we're gonna take just a quick, uh, break for a second and I want to, uh, have an opportunity to talk a bit about one of our great sponsors that allow us to do podcasts like this, and that is Superior Hardwoods of Montana. Uh, you guys to, to really listen up on this one because these folks talk about history and preserving things in that they do this really cool thing with taking old buildings that would be torn down and burned in a lot of cases, redoing that wood and allowing you to some history into your home and keep all that going. So we'll talk about that You know, they say they don't make'em like they used to, but at Superior Hardwoods of Montana, that's kind of the whole point. This isn't just a lumber yard. We're talking about 11 acres of reclaimed wood wall paneling, flooring, trim beans, slabs, you name it, every single piece has a story behind it. Old Barnes, historic homesteads, long forgotten factories. This wood has been places, and now it can be part of your story too. Maybe you're building a home, remodeling a room, or just putting together that dream project you've had on the back burner. Superior hardwoods of Montana can help bring it to life. They can even custom mill it to fit your exact vision because real craftsmanship never goes out of style. And here's the thing, you're not just getting character and beauty when you choose reclaimed wood. You're reclaiming American history. You're giving something old, a brand new chapter with values that never go out of style. Reduce, reuse, recycle, whether you're a contractor, a weakened, DI wire, or someone who just loves a one of a kind piece of wood superior hardwoods is open to the public and ready to help exotic woods live edge slabs, pre-finished and unfinished flooring. It's all in stock and ready to go. Need help picking out the right material. Just ask. Their team has been doing it since nine. Teens 77, and they know how to guide you through the woods, literally and figuratively. Swing by their beautiful showroom at 51 20 Highway 93 South in Missoula, or check them out online@superior-hardwoods.com. I promise you, you'll leave inspired. That's Superior Hardwoods of Montana. Local, knowledgeable family run and ready to help you build something that lasts. Let them help guide you through theWoods@superiorhardwoods.com. Superior Hardwoods of Montana. Go see'em. back here on the Montana Outdoor podcast. uh, Megan Bicking is my guest. We are talking about, um, our great state parks. And were just talking the, the new Estate park. Give us that name again so I get it right.
Megan:Judith Landing State Park.
Rigger:Judith Landing State Park.
Megan:Mm-hmm. Correct.
Rigger:Um, you, you've got one picture in mind. Tell us about what we're gonna look at here.
Megan:Yeah. So the PN Ranch Mansion, I think just tells the whole story and I actually made my first visit there two weeks ago now. I'm actually going back tomorrow. Um, I visited there for the first time two weeks ago, and there's all, you know, I've been spending basically two years just looking at photos of this location and learning about it and the. Focal point of the park is the pn, um, mansion, which mansion take, take that with a grain of salt, but it's a beautiful old house it's surrounded by, you know, like a beautiful cotton cottonwood grove. And as you come down to the park from the hill above, you can actually see it from quite a ways off. And when I saw it, I was just like, there it is there. I see the building in real life. Um, so I'll show you some pictures of the pn, um, mansion that are current, and I'll also show you some historical photos so you can see it in that, that it's like pioneer day, um, glamor.
Rigger:Yeah. Wow, tho, those are cool looking pictures. I like that. So is gonna give you a taste. Now, who would've originally built this place that we're looking at here?
Megan:So pn, um, stands for Power and Norris, who were the ranchers that started the PN ranch. So they built that mansion as their home. Um, and I believe there's a lot of history behind it that, um, the, our archeologist friends at the FWP can tell us more about once we are able to conduct more thorough research. But yeah, power and Norris were the, um, the ranchers that had that property way back and, oh gosh, I actually need to look up the dates of the ranch. There's so many different dates of all the events that have happened there. I don't recall exactly when the ranch was built.
Rigger:Well, Montana is got such an incredible history. I mean, ranching and farming were kind of what put our state on the map in a lot of ways. Uh, and so, so that's neat. So will there be a time you think that, that this, this home will be something that people can tour through and that sort of thing?
Megan:I think that is an ultimate goal, and I think something like that really depends on it, um, funding and being able to, to make that happen. Yeah. So I know that currently they're already working on developing the park itself. They've already, um, put up a, some new fencing and made a small parking area. People can actually currently go there, but other than the, you know, new parking area, it's really undeveloped and the development's currently happening, um, all of that's just general state park development should start happening. You know, it's beginning now and it will keep going, but we're really hoping to secure some funding by 2027 to start the more advanced historical preservation work.
Rigger:So when you, uh, go to secure funding, uh, where will, where do you get that from? Is it just like a fundraising drive where people like our listeners that are listening and watching now can, can donate to, or do you get grants? How does all that work?
Megan:It is a little bit of everything. So we are definitely seeking grant funding for this, this type of project. Um, but we're also working with individuals, individual donors who might wanna support and, you know, anyone can make a donation. And if someone's interested in talking to me more about what that looks like, I'm really happy to speak one-on-one with anyone interested. But yeah, it's gonna be for an effort like that, it's gonna be focused on a lot of grants and, um, making partnerships with major donors, maybe looping in some foundations for some help. And yeah, just finding which partners are passionate about Montana history and making that park happen.
Rigger:Hmm. Okay. Well, um, our, our friends at, uh, superior Hardwoods of Montana, they, they work with a lot of old wood and reconditioning stuff. You never know. They might even want to jump in there.'cause
Megan:No,
Rigger:that is, that is a, is just a great, that's exciting. So we're gonna see
Megan:it really is.
Rigger:We're gonna see some history come to life as far as when people would be able to start camping. And that there is, when do you suppose that'll
Megan:I would probably, uh, I can't completely answer that. I would, my guess would be kind of tentatively plan on 2027, it being open and available. The park, you can still, you can currently go there. There's just no camping currently.
Rigger:Mm-hmm.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:Cool. All right. Anything more on that one, or do you wanna move to your next, uh.
Megan:I'll go to, I'll go to my next one if you're ready. Okay, cool. So the other big project that we're currently focusing on, um, that I am also very excited about, I'm just very excited about many things, is our park accessibility project. And the goal of the park accessibility project is to make the parks more accessible for people with disabilities. And a major tenant of that is the concept of nothing about us without us. So when I came on, um, we had already done some accessibility work, which was awesome. It really set us, um, on a path to success in initiating this project. But something that was missing was. Inclusion of the disability community. And so I was able to reach out and pull together a small committee. Um, our park accessibility committee and people on this committee are members of the disability community and they're also people who work professionally in that field in a kind of a variety of different ways, whether they work at like assisted living facilities or at a va, et cetera. And so with their help and with my board and with actually quite a few other groups, a lot of outdoor recreation groups are really digging in deep to accessibility right now, which is amazing, obviously for making outdoor spaces more accessible, but also for finding resources and information. I've had a really great time talking to different organizations just about what they're doing in the accessibility realm. Um, and I've been learning a lot, so. All of that led to the park accessibility project. And we have three current projects. Um, I'll kind of go through'em quickly. first is at Yellow Bay on Flathead Lake. Um, so that's a Flathead Lake State Park unit. And the FWP is developing an accessible campground, and we were able to partner with a private donor to help fund some of that infrastructure. Um, we're really excited about that campground. I really, I wanna put a pin in that for everyone who's interested in accessible camping and boating and like kayaking. Check, check that out, keep that on your list. And then the next project that we're doing this summer is a Wayfair state. It's at Wayfair State Park, which is on Flathead Lake, also near Big Fork. And we're actually piloting something that I'm super excited about called an Inclusive interdisciplinary Walk, move audit. Lots of words to say. We're gonna judge the trail system here by bringing, um, members of the disability community and professionals in that world basically for a, a move across the trail to. Assess what are the accessibility barriers here? Like, what are the problems that keep people from being able to get on this trail? A lot of the times they're really simple solutions like moving some rocks or, you know, making a wider turn, things like that. Um, but a lot of those things are really easy to overlook unless you're in a wheelchair or you are, um, you know, dealing with some other limitation. So what we'll do is go to the park, we'll lead that, um, audit, and then we'll come back with findings and recommendations for some improvement projects. And from there we will work with the park staff and park administration to decide on exactly the projects and the timeline, and then the foundation will come in and fund those projects and make them happen. That's the most important part. The audits, the first step making the project happen is the end goal. Um, and we're excited about this specifically because it's a pilot program. So this is our first time leading one of these. Our goal is to do it this year, tweak it, make it. Perfect if we can, and then replicate it at all of the state parks across the state is the long-term goal. Um
Rigger:this really hits home to me because, um, Montana, and there's a reason why, and lot of our hunters and and fishermen out there are very involved in helping disabled veterans be able to hunt and fish and do a lot of these things that, that we take for granted that, oh, we'll go hiking here or do this there. Montana has huge number of veterans. We're, we're right up there with some of the, the top states in the country with, uh, a huge percentage of our population that are veterans.
Megan:mm-hmm.
Rigger:with that, a huge percentage are. Unfortunately disabled. Uh, my, uh, daughter is a disabled veteran, so a, that's something that we, I think our whole audience is very passionate about because want everybody to come fishing and camping and hiking and, you know, all those great things. And what we found is that, uh, it's a great way to heal, um, especially those with, uh, uh, traumatic, uh, stress disorder and, you know, so many other things, uh, that, that we suffer from. And so this is, this really hits home. So these are things that need to happen.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:about this. are, that include some of these new track chairs that, that of our parks have now
Megan:Yeah. Yeah. So those track chairs, we were actually able to donate those. Those were kind of our first, um, steps into accessibility programming. They're super awesome. They're really fun. Um, they're very burly. They're like super cool. Um, so yeah, I'll actually tell you about the next project with accessibility, which includes a track chair. So we are gonna be, um, fundraising. This is a public fundraising effort and it's just kicking off now, um, for Spring Meadow Lake State Park in Helena. So that's the really nice park that's pretty much right in town. Um, it's really close to the Archie Bray Center and it's got a beautiful lake and really nice beach for kids. It's probably my son's favorite park because he's a beach kid. And you know, ni it connects into the 10 Mile Creek Trail system. It also connects to the Montana Wild Center, and it also connects to the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center. All of that. Goes to say that there's a really, um, important group of people that visit that park, which is, um, you know, the residents of Helena, veterans kids on school trips, um, things like that, families. So our fundraising efforts are to install a new adaptive doc and kayak launch, and we are also fundraising to purchase and donate a few different pieces of, um, adaptive recreation equipment. And talking about the adaptive recreation equipment is actually kind of where we got started with the accessibility committee. Um, I kind of just, you know, was, um, thinking about different kinds of equipment and the fact that I don't know that much about them and I was like, I need. People that use this equipment to tell me about it because I need to know the facts of, how this equipment works. And so that's how I got, I got started with the accessibility committee and it snowballed from there to thinking more big picture. Um, but with the accessibility committee, we were able actually to kinda look through and do research on quite a few different pieces of equipment and to pinpoint pieces of equipment that were actually really appropriate for that park. Some parks, you really don't need a full big, burly action track chair that's designed more for trails or a Stinger bike, which is an adaptive bike. Um, you might need something. A little bit less, less, uh, burley, I can't think of a different word than burley today. Um, so what we landed on was a huckleberry hiker, which is a cool adaptive system where a hiker attaches this kind of, um, tether to themselves and is actually able to pull someone with like a wheel sit chair kind of situation. It's really cool and I'll share some photos with you. Um, so you need a visual on that one. And then we're also gonna be purchasing if we could fundraise enough, um, a Zoom mobility chair, which is an all-terrain chair and it's really nice. I think it will be a really nice feature for people to go ice fishing with actually. And then the final piece that we're hoping to fundraise for is a, um, what's it called? Hippo Camp Beach Chair. So it's a really specialized beach wheelchair. Um, anyone who uses a wheelchair or that has ever tried to take something with wheels on sand knows that it is very impossible.
Rigger:Yeah.
Megan:very difficult. And so the, this Hippo, camp Beach wheelchair has special wheels that help just go on the sand really easily. All of those pieces of equipment will be available for complementary reservation and for use at the park itself, as well as the Fort Harrison VA Medical Center. So if someone wanted to hit the trail system up, they could use that equipment, they could borrow it and, and use it on the trail. And it will also be available for, um, use at the Montana Wild Center.
Rigger:Mm-hmm.
Megan:Yeah, so that's our, that's our other project for accessibility. Um, we're currently looking for business partners to help sponsor this initiative, and we're hosting a fund fundraising celebration way out in September for this. Yeah.
Rigger:What kind of, uh, businesses, um, would, would be partnered with you just because we get a lot of them that, that listen and all that. And, uh, I know I can hear the we Wheels turn in with some of our listeners. we have the greatest group of listeners that you'll ever know, uh, the most generous and amazing people. So, uh, I think you'll get a lot of help with this.
Megan:Cool.
Rigger:If, if you want it. Um, what kind of, uh, businesses are you looking for and what would you expect them to do to help you?
Megan:Any, any business. We're really open and open to any partnership, any group of people that wants to support. Accessibility to state parks would be welcome to work with us. Um, I have a couple business sponsored donation levels that I'd be happy to share with individuals who might be interested. But, um, for a business sponsor to initially get involved, our lowest levels around 500 and our highest levels around 10,000. Um, we're working on securing a lead gift with a local donor to help kick it off. Um, and we're just super excited. So if anyone's interested, I really encourage them to just reach out. We are a small enough and flexible enough organization to make anything work. Another cool thing, um, if businesses were interested in supporting the project, but in a different way, is businesses could bring their employees to serve as volunteers for park events. Um, maybe whether that's, you know, helping with installing some of that equipment or helping with our event in September, things like that.
Rigger:Well, speaking of sponsors, I wanted to do one last little break here with, uh, our sponsor, Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer, who, uh, have been just such a wonderful supporter of this podcast. And, uh, uh, they have some, well, you, a lot of you listening probably don't realize just how much in common you have with Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer. Truth is the Montana Outdoor Podcast wouldn't exist without their incredible support. And if you've been enjoying these episodes each week, maybe it's time to support the folks who help make it happen. So here's the question. Do you need a trailer for work, for hauling gear to your next adventure or maybe a new truck bed to help keep your life organized, whether it's for work or play? Well then go see the folks who already get what you are about. You see, if you listen to this show, you've already got something in common with Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer like you. They love the outdoors, they work hard, and they're dang good at what they do. Their job. Helping people like you get your work done faster so you can get back out. In Montana, it's great outdoors. Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer carries a full lineup of diamond sea trailers, gooseneck equipment, dub trailers, well you name it. Whether you're hauling a few supplies or towing, the big stuff, diamond sea trailers are built to handle it all with reliability and ease. They also carry seam truck beds, the strongest, most durable truck beds around. Plus, they service everything they sell. Need your trailer rewired so the lights work the way they're supposed to. They'll take care of that too. Got a new truck. They'll get you set up with the accessories you need installed and ready to roll. And don't wait until the last minute to schedule your trailer service. Do that ahead of time so your gear's ready to go when you are. They also stock a huge selection of parts for Boss Snowplows, CM truck beds and diamond seat trailers. And if it's not in stuck. They'll find it. Need financing? Well, they've got you covered there too. Need a gooseneck or fifth wheel hitch for that rodeo trip or family outing to the great outdoors. Yep. They install those two Rocky Mountain Trucking Trailer. They're in Missoula at fifty six eighty Expressway. You can call'em at(406) 549-4243 or check them out online@rmtt.com. That's Rocky Mountain truck and trailer RMTT e.com. Now let's get back to what Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer helped create the podcast. Back here on the Montana Outdoor Podcast. Megan Bicking is my guest. We're talking about all these incredible things that the Montana State Parks Foundation is doing for our state parks. Uh, this whole topic we got on about accessibility just, just really does my heart wonders. I love to see these kind of things because we, you know, we never wanna leave a, a, uh, soldier behind, out there on the battlefield. And we for sure do not ever wanna leave anyone behind. when they want to go out and see our great outdoors. That's just key. We gotta do this. So this is something I really hope our listeners will jump on board with and help, uh, especially so many of them are business owners. So if you can, I know you get hit up a lot, but this would be a good one because we don't want anyone on the sidelines when it comes to our state parks. Um, so, uh, what anything else you want us to, to know about this, that, as far as our listeners getting involved or, or things we ought to know about how, how many parks will, will this kind of accessibility initiative hit?
Megan:Yeah. that's a great question. So our end goal is literally to do some level of this at each state park, and that is a very long-term goal. That's kind of like the grand picture. So currently what the state is actually working on, this is really cool. The FWP has two college interns this summer, and their job is to go to the 11, kind of premier, the largest state parks to conduct an accessibility inventory. So those are kind of our first target parks or those, um, 11 state parks that are the larger ones. And the, the real reason for that is because those are already the most visited and the most accessible in a certain sense, as in they're closer to towns, they're a little bit larger. They have the established infrastructure like parking lots, et cetera. Um, just to have that initial. Establishment that's a little bit easier to access. Um, so these interns are going to those parks and they're conducting these inventories. They're gonna have a, basically come up with a really detailed list of all of the accessibility features at those parks. And that will really help us in understanding what's already there so that we can come in and fill in the blanks. Um, and all of that also will be supported by a pretty major communication effort to get this information to people. Because if people don't have the information about what's at each park, they don't know if it's gonna work out for them to go there. The worst thing in the world is to drive all the way to a park or outdoor recreation area after doing a lot of planning and to get there and realize that, um. It's not accessible for a member of your group. It's, it's the worst. And it happens. Unfortunately, it's just really hard to convey all the information. And so that's something that we're partnering with the state on, is getting that information out to people as well. Um, but yeah, so our first parks will be those 11 main state parks, not main state parks, but the larger ones. And then we'll just continue to go from there. And we're also, like I said, we're a really flexible organization, so whenever there's opportunities, um, that jives with the priorities of the state and that we can make happen, we're pretty open to you know, going for it.
Rigger:Yeah. Yeah. I, I'll never forget, um, uh, one of the, um, disabled veterans that I, that I did some work with, and, uh, I said, well, you know, one of these days you're gonna have to come fishing with us. And he said, well, that's not really something crippled folks can do. And I said, oh, now you're challenging me. Yes you can. uh, lo and behold, uh, we had him out fishing in no time. Uh, and so, thi this is important and what it. does, even for folks that you know that have, are able to go anywhere.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:It, it's a really great thing to know that, hey, we, we, we did something here. We were able to bring, get someone to come along with us. Everyone should be able to go fishing. Everyone should be able to go camping and, and, and discover these, these incredible sight and sounds and things that, we
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:parks. So this, is just great I, I'm so happy that
Megan:And Dale, I'll say like the, the flip side of us, of all people really wanting to make these spaces accessible and to get more people there. The thing that I think people sometimes forget is that in our lives as human beings, we're are each person is going to come up against some form of a disability in their life. Um, or something that limits them from accessing public spaces. So, you know, whether it be related to old age or an injury, if you've ever been on crutches, it's very difficult to get around on crutches and open doors and do things like that, Or if you've had a baby and you're walking around with a stroller all the time, people maybe don't realize how much accessibility features benefit all of us, whether or not we are currently, um, disabled. So it's just an important feature for the longevity of people's, like careers in the outdoors, you know, as we are super young, state parks are a great place to recreate because they're so accessible and front country. And then I really think as we age. They serve the same purpose.
Rigger:Yeah, well, without a doubt. And often that's the time when we're, we're getting older, when we have the time to do
Megan:Right?
Rigger:but then we may not have the ability at that point. And
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:this, this is where, uh, some really cool things can happen so that, you know, you've, you, you worked your whole life, you did all this stuff, and now you have the time. Well, now you can't get around the park to see it.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:that's,
Megan:Yeah.
Rigger:about,
Megan:And, and the thing about Montana State Parks is they're pretty cool.
Rigger:yeah. Yeah.
Megan:You know, they're not all just like picnic parks. So we have some, some pretty incredible spaces to recreate outdoors here.
Rigger:Without a doubt. Uh, there, when people come to this state and, tour our state parks, I've, I've talked to so many people that, that either work at the parks or work in the FWP and that, that say, we get so many great comments.'cause people go, I had no idea, you know, mean it is just our, state parks are amazing and we just, this, is some great stuff. Um, before we go, are there any things, glimpses of the future that, that are out there or ways that you guys have got planned? I suppose you've got all kinds of things, but
Megan:we do have all kinds of things. We do have all kinds of things. One of the things we're, um, continuously focusing on, aware of, ready for is supporting projects that we start. Through completion. And so a couple years ago we were able to donate, um, 20, just 26 acres. 36 acres. Woo, I'm forgetting. It was such a big part of my life. I'm forgetting the number now. We were able to donate, um, quite a few acres to the Missouri Headwaters State Park to basically fill in a gap. now we're really committed to making sure that that new portion of the park, um, is integrated nicely and supported through. It's future. Um, so we're ready to be involved there and we're also really focused on that park accessibility project in the future of that, figuring out how to roll it out across parks. Also figuring out, you know, once we do the audits, what's the next step? What's the real project gonna look like? Which is the exciting part to me. Um. A couple other things that we're working on is establishing more friends groups and being a bit of a mother hen to the existing friends groups. There's about five or six friends groups out there that are similar to us. There's nonprofit organizations that support individual state parks, so there's quite a few great ones. Um, Koska has a great friends group. Bannock has a friends group, friends of four Owen. Um, there's quite a few and we're hoping to partner with them more Travelers rest also has a really lovely friends group. Um, we're hoping to partner more with the friends group and to empower new friends groups to get started to support their local state parks. So that's something on our horizon. Um, we're also hoping to grow our organization. I'm actually the only staff person that works here. Um, so I'm really hoping to hire some people in the next couple years to just help expand our mission and to reach more areas of the state. Um, we do serve the entire state, obviously as a state park organization. One other cool specific project that, um. I am beginning to learn more about and hoping that the foundation can help out with more is a tribal language project that's being led by Kuka, who's the tribal liaison for the FWP. And I love this project. So the concept is to incorporate tribal language interpretation, signage at some state parks that describes, that, tells what, um, different pieces of flora and fauna are at the state park and tribal languages. So if there's a certain type of tree, the name of that tree would be on a sign in a native language. Um, and we're, I think that's such a cool project to keep language alive and to educate people about the indigenous cultures that, um, were, that were founded this land. Um, so I'm just super excited for the future of that project and figuring out how the foundation can get involved. We also always have projects just, they pop up all the time. We're always doing small scale park project trail projects, lots of docs, lots of stuff like that, lots of trees.
Rigger:and I imagine that, uh, just like the friends groups and that if folks have some ideas of, Hey, have you thought of doing this or that, I suppose you're, you're all ears and wanting to
Megan:I am all ears. I really like to have those conversations with people, even if they're, they end up not necessarily going somewhere. I'm just curious about hearing people's park stories. I love talking with people about their, their park pass. I get a lot of phone calls on accident, people calling me to like, make reservations and I always end up talking to people for like 20 minutes about like what they should do when they're there. And then I, then I give'em the right phone number to call. So I love to have conversations about parks. I'm an open book if anyone's interested in talking to me.
Rigger:when you go to that, uh, uh, podcast description, you're gonna see, uh, Megan's email there, and you're gonna be able to email her. Now, just remember that this is not Montana State Park. So, you know, don't email saying, Hey, when are they gonna fix the, uh. the showers at x, y, z park? That, that's the other side of it. That's the actual Montana State Park. So, uh, and I, and I'll, I'll put their their link too, so you folks can do that. But this is, helping the state parks grow. And this is where we'd love to see some of these Ideas of, of, one, how can I help? Those are great emails. I'm sure you'll love to, to get is someone that says, Hey, I wanna help and how can I help?
Megan:I do.
Rigger:uh. Ideas of, uh, hey, wouldn't it be neat if, if we could put this in this park or whatever. So dream a little too, but mainly, uh, get involved with this organization. Find some ways to help'em find, find some ways to get out and, and bring them some of the, um, the, um, that they need or, or, uh, funds that they're trying to get because, uh, this is for all of our state parks. I mean, they're our state parks. So let's work together with, with the Montana State Parks Foundation and do that and get on their website and take a look at all this stuff that Megan does and, and yeah, we need to get you some help. We don't want you wearing out on us now.
Megan:I know, I know. I have a really great board
Rigger:yeah.
Megan:I have a great board of volunteers. Mm-hmm.
Rigger:around? You gotta go all around the state then, don't you?
Megan:I do. Well, it's a huge perk of the job for me. I mean, I love Montana and I love like going to new places. I'm going to Judith Landing tomorrow. I was in Helena today, so it's uh, and I'm back home at my house in Gallin Gateway right now.
Rigger:You are nonstop the Energizer bunny there. Well, Megan, anything else you wanna, uh, uh, lay on us before we go
Megan:I wanted to plug a couple, just little quick things. Um, So we are doing, like I've mentioned, a, a current fundraiser that we're kind of just launching for the Spring Meadow, um, park accessibility project. and we're having a really good raffle. So We have a raffle going on right now. Um, one ticket for 10 bucks I think, and then, it kind of goes up from there in packages and there's three packages. So there's camping package that has a new tent, camp stove. Um, a lot of donations from REI, just cool camping gear. We also have a trail running package that has gift cards from Obos, Bozeman Running Company and Runner's Edge in Missoula that can be redeemed in person or online. has registration to quite a few, um, races at state parks and a lot of other really cool goodies. Um, and then we also have a fly fishing package, which includes a guided trip out in Missoula, and that is sponsored by the, um, Missoula River Lodge. I believe they're awesome. And then that also has an orvis, uh, rod and reel included. It has a sims, boots and waiters included, and a bunch of other goodies too. It's a, it's a very solid package, and the, the idea behind those is. Giving people the gear they need to get outside. And the other idea is that it's a fundraiser for the Park accessibility project. So go ahead and buy raffle tickets. They're on sale until July 15th, and you can buy them online. Um, we're also partnering with the Missoula Paddle Heads, the baseball team, and you Yeah. So you can go onto our website and purchase tickets to a game on August 5th, and all of the proceeds actually go to us. So if you're in Missoula or you wanna go to the baseball game, go ahead and buy'em through us and the proceeds go to us, which is really cool. And also, if you buy a baseball ticket before, uh, July 15th, you are entering into the raffle for free. and the final thing I wanna plug is that we're actually looking for new board members, um, specifically in the Billings area, central Montana area. So if anyone's listening to this podcast and they are really passionate about state parks, recreation history, um, all of that, and has the time and wherewithal to kind of commit to, a board position, I would love to hear from you
Rigger:Okay.
Megan:Oh.
Rigger:again, if any of those interest you to get the raffle tickets, you go to, uh, your website.
Megan:Mm-hmm.
Rigger:us that website just for our audio only listeners, that
Megan:Yes.
Rigger:them find some of these obscure, uh uh, which is okay that you get your podcasts there, but there are some other cool sites, but of those don't even have the podcast description, with it. So for those folks, uh, give us the website for that to get
Megan:Yep. it's just the Montana State Parks Foundation all spelled out. Dot org, Montana State Park. Oh my goodness. Montana state parks foundation.org.
Rigger:Okay. Uh, and, uh, for those of you that are watching, that's on your screen right now, and for those of you that, uh, uh, wanna check it out in the podcast description, it's there too. So click on that, get you some raffle tickets, and, uh, let's find you a few board members too. That would be awesome.
Megan:Cool.
Rigger:we will do all that. Uh, so there you have it, folks. There is a lot to, to go over and, uh, we can't wait to have you come back and give us more updates about all the things that you have going on. Megan, uh, I wanna thank you so much for your time. Uh, uh, Megan Bicking, thank you very much for all you do for our state parks and for the Montana State Parks Foundation.
Megan:Thanks Down rigor. It was such a pleasure to talk to you. Thank you so much.
Rigger:Yeah, we'll, we'll have to have you on again. And, uh, so folks, check all those things out. Get on there, share this podcast. If you know of somebody out there that would either benefit from, uh, uh, the state parks and the great work that, uh, Megan does, let us know. Also, those of you that wanna get involved, get involved. For those of you that are listening via audio, you can find the video portion of this podcast right there on YouTube, and there's a link to that. So I hope you'll go watch it we talk again. Folks, be safe out there. Be good to each other and we'll see you next time here on the Montana Outdoor Podcast.
PC Close Manny Only:Thanks for listening to the Montana Outdoor Podcast. It has been brought to you in part by Superior Hardwoods of Montana, home of the largest selection of in stock, high end wood products and, flooring in the western United States. Let them guide you through theWoods@superior-hardwoods.com and by Rocky Mountain Truck and Trailer in Missoula, home of boss snowplows, cm, truck beds and, diamond sea trailers. Just go to RMTT e.com for more information. So what did you think of today's podcast? Send your questions and comments to Down rigger@montanaoutdoor.com. We should be dropping a new podcast this next Saturday. Until then, we will see you soon out. in Montana's Great outdoors.
