Missouri River and Eagle Canyon Ranches
Landowners’ Corporation
Welcome to the Missouri River and Eagle Canyon Ranches Landowners Corporation (LOC) website!
In the summer of 2022, the Board of Directors (Board) unanimously voted to engage the services of Innovative Solutions Group out of Helena (https://inovativhosting.com/contact-us/) to create a website for the LOC so that Members could be kept informed about the governance of the LOC and activities that committees are engaged in.
The Board is always seeking landowners who are willing to participate on a Road Committee. Committee members provide input on area roads and crossings that are in disrepair, and assist the Board of Directors in prioritizing annual maintenance. The Board encourages Members to come together and form additional committees to address issues of concern in an organized manner that can be submitted to the Board for review and action.
You will find links to information about the governance of the LOC to include past minutes of meetings and financials, plus information about the Directors and updates about road maintenance and other activities in the subdivisions.
There are also links to email the Board about any concerns related to the governance of the LOC and to email the Developer about any concerns related to enforcement of the Covenants or concerns related to enforcement of the Declaration of Easements.
The site is fairly new and the Board will continue to work on the content with additions and improvements. Input from Members in the way of constructive comments or suggestions are welcome.
Toxic Weed Alert!
Recently, a landowner identified a plant, Black Henbane, on his property. Since then, additional plants have been identified on other properties as well. A highly toxic member of the nightshade family, Black Henbane is poisonous to humans and livestock. It is considered a noxious weed and invasive species. Landowners should use caution when handling or removing this plant from their property.
Mailbox Alert!
The cluster mailboxes located at the Rocky Road entrance were damaged over the Labor Day weekend. Out of an abundance of caution, the Cascade Post Office has declared the boxes unusable until they are reset and/or replaced.
Until this takes place, box holders will need to go to the Cascade Post Office, located at105 3 rd Ave S in Cascade. You will need to bring proper ID. Also, you may request that packages be left in the red storage shed, but you will need to sign a waiver with the Post Office to do so. For security reasons, the Post Office will not leave regular mail at the shed.
Notice from the Developer of the Missouri River & Eagle Canyon Ranch Landowners Corporation
The Developer has contributed significantly over the past 3 years with the improvements of the subdivision roads. Beginning in 2025, the Board of Directors of the LOC will continue with the seasonal maintenance of the roads, and at the same time, budget for any necessary repairs in the future.
Up until the summer of 2024, the use of a water truck to help compact the road after grading was used by taking water from the North Fork of Stickney Creek. In the late summer of 2023 someone in the subdivision sent in a complaint to the DNRC about taking water from the creek for road maintenance.
The road maintenance for the 2024 season was performed without a water truck. The condition of Charbonneau Drive with the extreme washboard in some areas may have been an effect of not having water to help compact the loose road material after grading. The speed in which people drive over a gravel road also has an effect on the road surface and can contribute to washboard.
This notice is to inform the Members of the LOC that the Developer has entered into a lease with the LOC to allow the Road Maintenance Committee to take water from the North Fork of Stickney Creek for the seasonal road maintenance at one of the locations where he has a water right.
During the process of investigating the water right laws of Montana, it was also noted that anyone wishing to take water from a source in Montana must have a water right. Further information can be found at the DNRC Website.
The location on North Fork Road where the LOC will draw water will be posted. No one, other than the driver of the water truck, can take water from the creek at that location, nor any other location in the subdivisions unless they have a water right to do so.
Hunting & Trespassing
Mountain Lion Awareness
Mountain lions (Puma concolor) are also called cougars, pumas, panthers, and catamounts. They roam throughout this area in both desert and mountain country, and are usually quiet and elusive. Although your chances of seeing one of these secretive animals is slight, people sometimes encounter them. Typically, mountain lion sightings occur from a distance and usually around dawn or dusk. However, lions are unpredictable and can be dangerous.
Mountain lions are solitary animals, traveling alone except during mating season or when a female is supporting young. They can be seen at any time of the day or night, but are most active at dawn and dusk, corresponding with deer activity.
Mountain lions are carnivores (meat eaters) and prey mostly on deer. They also eat small animals like porcupines, rabbits, squirrels, marmots, and skunks.
Do not feed deer. Feeding deer encourages them to remain in close proximity to humans. Keep the wild in wildlife! Avoid carcasses as mountain lions will occasionally return to their kills to feed over several days. Do not leave pets outside at night.
Here are 10 things you can do to stay safe in mountain lion habitat
- When it comes to personal safety, always be aware of your surroundings, wherever you are; conduct yourself and attend to children and dependents accordingly.
- If you encounter a cougar, make yourself appear larger, more aggressive. Open your jacket, raise your arms, and throw stones, branches, etc., without turning away. Wave raised arms slowly, and speak slowly, firmly, loudly to disrupt and discourage predatory behavior
- Never run past or from a cougar. This may trigger their instinct to chase. Make eye contact. Stand your ground. Pick up small children without, if possible, turning away or bending over.
- Never bend over or crouch down. Doing so causes humans to resemble four-legged prey animals. Crouching down or bending over also makes the neck and back of the head vulnerable.
- Try to remain standing to protect head and neck and, if attacked, fight back with whatever is at hand (without turning your back)—people have used rocks, jackets, garden tools, tree branches, and even bare hands to turn away cougars.
- Don’t approach a cougar. Most cougars want to avoid humans. Give a cougar the time and space to steer clear of you.
- Supervise children, especially outdoors between dusk and dawn. Educate them about cougars and other wildlife they might encounter.
- Always hike, backpack, and camp in wild areas with a companion.
- Don’t feed wildlife. Don’t leave food outside. Both may attract cougars by attracting their natural prey.
- Keep pets secure. Roaming pets are easy prey for cougars.
LOC Secretary and Treasurer Positions Available
The volunteer secretary position is a great way to learn more about the inner workings of your LOC Board. The secretary position schedules the monthly meetings, develops the draft agenda (based upon Director input), and sits in on meetings to take notes and produce the meeting minutes. The secretary is also the primary liaison with the webpage developer and forwards updates as needed.
The volunteer treasurer would act as Accounting Liaison – primary contact with the LOC bookkeeper. Requests and receives reports to show the payment status of landowners and land purchasers. Forwards approved invoices for payment. Also performs banking and budgeting – Guides the establishment of the annual budget. If you have an interest in filling either of these positions, please email the LOC Board at mrecrloc@gmail.com
Election Results for the 2027 LOC Board of Director positions
Pursuant to the bylaws, our landowners’ corporation is managed by a Board consisting of five (5) Directors.
Ballots for open positions were sent out on September 18, and the election period was closed on October 14, 2026. Ballots were counted by the accounting firm, Douglas Wilson, and witnessed by both Liberty Beecham and Randy Trefry.
The results of the ballot count are as follows:
- 176 votes for Nicholas Pieloch
- 31 votes for Randy Trefry
- 21 votes for Salina Hunter
- 0 votes for Mike Burcusa
Thirty-four (34) landowners participated in the voting process. Director positions begin in January of the year following the election (January 1, 2027). Nick Pieloch will begin a 3-year term as a Director-at-large, and Salina Hunter will begin a 1-year term as Resident Director.