About the Bridger Plant Materials Center

Updated 07/14/2008

Contacting the PMC

Bridger Plant Materials Center
98 South River Rd.
Bridger, MT 59014-9718
Phone: (406) 662-3579
Fax: (406) 662-3428

Description of the PMC Service Area

Environmental conditions in the area served by Bridger PMC are diverse. The topography ranges from mountains in the western one-third of Montana and Wyoming, to rolling flat plains, and desert basins, and plateaus in the remaining areas. Elevations range from less than 2,000 feet to more than 12,500 feet above sea level. Soils range from coarse sand to clay, with a majority in the loam, clay loam, silt loam, and silty clay loam textural classes.

The frost-free period ranges from less than 40 days to 145 days. Average annual precipitation ranges from 5 inches in the desert basins of Wyoming to 60 inches or more at the higher elevations and around Glacier National Park in Montana. More than 50 percent of the annual precipitation occurs in winter.

Mining, agriculture, tourism, and forest products continue to be the basic industries which utilize the vast majority of land areas in Montana and Wyoming. The remediation of natural and man-caused disturbances requires the use of plants that have been tested and selected to solve conservation problems. High priority environmental concerns identified in a long range plan direct the Center’s work and guide technology development. Research and technology transfer have focused on the need to reduce soil erosion from cropland with buffer strips and adapted windbreak/shelterbelt woody plants; improve cropland soil quality with green manure cover crops; extend the grazing period with warm season grasses and winter forage species; provide species diversity in reclaiming and reseeding rangeland with native grasses, forbs, legumes, and shrubs; reduce soil erosion and noxious weed invasion after timber harvest and forest fires with seeding grasses; stabilize roadsides and maintain genetic integrity with indigenous plant materials; assist Native American Indians with identification and establishment of culturally significant plants; develop propagation and production techniques for threatened and endangered species; increase forage production and pastureland and rangeland by field testing and producing foundation seed of plant materials developed by the Agriculture Research Service; revegetation of heavy-metal contaminated soils and acid soils with selected indigenous plant species; and reclamation of saline seeps and salinized irrigated cropland with the selection of salt-tolerant plants and development of techniques for successful establishment.

Getting to the Bridger PMC

The Bridger PMC is located in south-central Montana approximately 50 miles southwest of Billings, MT. To get to the PMC from Interstate 90, take the Red Lodge/Yellowstone National Park Interchange at Laurel, MT and proceed in a southerly direction on Highway 310 to junction at Rockvale (approx. 11 miles). Remain on Highway 310, by taking a left turn at the flashing light in Rockvale. Continue on Highway 310, through Edgar and Fromberg, to Bridger (approx. 17 miles). Stay on Highway 310 though Bridger, past the right turn to Red Lodge, MT, and Cody, WY (Highway 72), and continue on towards Lovell, WY. Drive over the Clarks Fork of the Yellowstone River, and then Bridger Creek, and prepare to turn left on to Pryor Mountain Road (approx. 0.75 miles from bridge over Bridger Creek). Proceed easterly until the road takes a hard right turn (approx. 1.5-2.0 miles) and slow speed to take gravel road on the left. This is a cut-off road that parallels (in a southerly direction) the blacktop road for approx. 100 yards and then turns left (east) again, at a railroad crossing. Go another 100 yards to a T-junction and turn left, at this point the travel route is north. The PMC is approx. 1.0 mile on the left side of the road. (See map.)

Description of the PMC Facilities

The 140 acres are irrigated primarily by furrow irrigation, however, we have a small, hand-moved sprinkler system for establishment-year irrigation. Major buildings include:

1. 40’ x 80’ metal building for seed cleaning
2. 30’ x 50’ addition to seed cleaning building for seed storage
3. 50’ x 80’ metal building for shop and machinery storage
4. 26’ x 52’ office building
5. 19’ x 31’ greenhouse with 19’ x 31’ headhouse
6. 20’ x 48’ coldframe/lath house
7. 30’ x 40’ addition to headhouse for laboratory.

History of the PMC

The Bridger Plant Materials Center (PMC) opened its doors in 1959 for evaluation, selection, and development of plant materials for Montana and Wyoming. From 1959 to 1970, the PMC operated on 80 acres of a privately owned, 140-acre farm leased by the Carbon County, Montana Conservation District. In 1970, the 104 Conservation Districts in Montana and Wyoming purchased the 140-acre farm. The USDA Soil Conservation Service leased 110 acres of this farm from 1970 to 1984. Due to an ever-expanding program, the Natural Resources Conservation Service now lease 130 acres from the Conservation Districts.

The Bridger Laboratory

The Bridger Plant Materials Center was one of five centers nationwide selected as a site for a national plant materials laboratory. Although originally slated as a plant tissue culture lab, we currently use the facility for seed germination and dormancy research, limited soil testing, and other general laboratory work.

In 1993, construction was completed on a 20' x 40' annex on our greenhouse/headhouse complex. Lab development continued in 1994 with additional design modifications and equipment procurement. The media preparation area -- a sort of high tech kitchen -- was designed and cabinetry specifications released for bid. The contract was awarded and we received cabinet delivery in January 1995. Approximately one-half of the equipment and supplies needed for startup have been funded and procured to date. Although no funding is anticipated for 1997, the PMC staff plans to continue with limited lab development and to use equipment for general program support.

 

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