In late September, veterans with the Montana Vet Program (MVP) spent four days on the Smith River helping FWP staff stabilize and restore eroded banks at several boat camp landings. This was the seventh year vets with the program volunteered their time to help keep the Smith wild, safe and scenic.

The mission of MVP, according to its website, is to take veterans into the Montana wilderness to rediscover strength, purpose and camaraderie through therapeutic adventure and conservation.

“Several years ago, members of MVP approached my former lead river ranger asking about volunteer opportunities on the Smith River, and then they accompanied him on a weekly patrol,” said Colin Maas, recreation manager for Region 4. “After the initial trip, they were interested in volunteering longer-term, so we began scheduling trips with them to assist us with routine maintenance as well as special projects.”

Over the last few years, MVP has helped with routine boat camp maintenance as well as, limbing, and bucking and splitting downed hazard trees. Last year, the group helped to remove the pit latrines at the campsites.?

The work they accomplished in September included:

• Building rock and log stairs at the Lower Indian Springs, Lower Rock Garden and Lower Scotty Allen boat camps
• Layering willow and brush to help prevent further bank erosion at Upper Rock Garden
• Creating brush barriers to block fragile bank sections and to redirect foot traffic
• Planting willows to shade, cool and strengthen banks.
• Packing brush and soil together to rebuild eroded ground and keep people from trampling recovering areas

“I’m very pleased with the end results of the projects,” Maas said. “Without the assistance of MVP – their manpower and rafts – we would not have accomplished as much as we did in the short amount of time.”