Legacy Foundation helps fund vital bear programs

Quietly, the Montana Legacy Foundation has been supporting fish, wildlife and conservation projects across the state and has goals to increase its support in 2016. 

The nonprofit was formed in 1999 and was initially called the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Foundation, but a few years ago, the state Legislature changed the name and broadened the scope of the Foundation to include not just fish and wildlife projects, but other outdoor projects everyone can enjoy, interim director Jane Ratzlaff said last week.

 Locally, the Foundation has centered its efforts on bear conservation efforts, Ratzlaff said, including funding an annual bear fair, that teaches the public how to safely live in grizzly bear and black bear country. It also funded equipment and an intern that worked with FWP bear management specialist Tim Manley, Ratzlaff said.

All told, through private philanthropy, the Legacy Foundation contributed over $300,000 to outdoor projects in 2015. These included educational initiatives at Lone Pine State Park, Teller Wildlife Refuge, Montana Wild, citizen science programs, watershed days, bear fairs and Becoming an Outdoor Woman programs. 

The Foundation’s goals for 2016 include bringing the Montana Wild Education program to schools and communities throughout Montana, expanding its monitoring and research programs to include such species as harlequin ducks and fisheries, and continuing the boots on the ground work with grizzlies, lions and wolves. The Foundation has an annual budget of about $150,000. 

Its major fundraiser each year is a party with noted conservationist and TV personality Jack Hanna in Bigfork, Ratzlaff said.

To learn more about the Foundation, go to its web site at: https://www.mtoutdoorlegacy.org/