Five Valleys Audubon conducts bird surveys to document bird populations and identify important habitat that demonstrates the need for conservation involving conservation easements, protecting critical habitats from human disturbance and restoration of degraded habitats. Bird surveys are conducted periodically in the Clark Fork River-Grass Valley Important Bird Area and elsewhere in Western Montana when we identify opportunities to influence how land is to be managed and developed. The best opportunities arise when we partner with other organizations such as land trusts, city and county governments and Montana Audubon.
In 2014 we conducted surveys for Long-billed Curlew in the Arlee and Flathead Valleys to assist Montana Audubon and the Confederated Salish-Kootenai Tribes to make a case for conservation of grasslands and agricultural lands in Western Montana. In 2015, we assisted Five Valleys Land Trust in their efforts to acquire funding to help purchase conservation easements on two ranches and a large private property at the edge of Missoula. In previous years several bird surveys helped Five Valleys Land Trust obtain grants to help purchase conservation easements on 12,000 acres of wetland and grassland habitats in and next to the IBA.