Conservation FLYer – July 2026

JULY 2026

Painted Rocks Reservoir is along the West Fork of the Bitterroot River in Montana. It is one part of the watershed that could be harmed by pollution from a proposed mine's operations. Photo by Keila Szpaller.

The Bitterroot River winds through a picturesque valley in Western Montana, its meandering path carving a winding streambed across the landscapes and depositing rich soils that have served family farms for generations. The area’s beauty served as the backdrop for the Dutton Ranch in the TV series Yellowstone.

The Bitterroot River’s West Fork headwaters have been attracting attention long before the show, drawing fly-fishing enthusiasts from across the country and around the world. Lately, those headwaters have been drawing a different kind of attention: government officials are considering a proposed rare earth mine in the Sheep Creek area, and developers are hoping to fast-track its approval.

Opponents of the mine warn of its threat to the Bitterroot River, a waterway that communities throughout the valley depend on. Pollution from toxic chemicals or fuel spills could travel downstream, threatening the health of the river along with the ground water, soil and streams that feed into it.

Photo: Wendy Shattil | Pilot: Michael Maya Charles

East of Fort Collins, CO and north of Greeley, CO lies the Pawnee National Grassland, 193,060 acres in the South Platte River basin. Part of the short grass plains of North America, the grassland contains eleven vegetation zones and supports a wide range of wildlife, including pronghorn, deer, bison, prairie dogs, coyotes, and black-tailed jackrabbits. Golden eagles and prairie falcons are among the birds that nest there.

Photographer and long-time LightHawk partner Wendy Shattil is documenting how the Pawnee National Grassland has changed since 1939, flying with volunteer pilot Michael Maya Charles to collect aerial imagery of specific locations that align with dioramas on display at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

This month's photo captures one of the more striking changes to the grassland: wind turbines rising from the landscape. Shattil's aerial photographs offer a vantage point ground-based images can't, making the differences between the 1939 landscape and today's all the more visible.

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