Archive for September, 2011

Sep 28 2011

Proposed bill could open up Glacier Park to Homeland Security projects

Published by under Environmental Issues,News

An important story posted to this week’s Hungry Horse News concerning the so-called “National Security and Federal Lands Protection Act.” Recommended reading . . . Glacier National Park’s border with Canada is marked by broad prairies and majestic mountains. A bill in Congress co-sponsored by Rep. Dennis Rehberg could conceivably allow the Department of Homeland [...]

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Sep 28 2011

Grizzly population study planned for Idaho and Montana

Published by under Environmental Issues,News

From the Flathead Beacon . . . Researchers are planning to collect grizzly bear fur samples snagged on barbed wire as part of a three-year study in northern Idaho and northwestern Montana. The study, which begins next summer, should give a more precise estimate of the number of grizzlies in the 2.4-million acre Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem, [...]

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Sep 24 2011

Recent rains and cooler, longer nights quiet fires

The Daily Inter Lake has a pretty good report on current wildfire status in the region . . . While fires burning in and around the Bob Marshall Wilderness are still listed as “active,” recent rains and cooler, longer nights have mostly put a lid on them. Continue reading . . .

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Sep 23 2011

‘Unlikely accident’ claims kayaker’s life on North Fork

Published by under News

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . . The woman who drowned on the North Fork Flathead River on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Shawna Thomas, 51, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho. Thomas and her husband were in a rigid-framed collapsible kayak when they came around a corner on the North Fork four miles south [...]

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Sep 22 2011

Kayaker drowns in North Fork near Polebridge

Published by under News

A tragedy on the river yesterday, a couple miles south of Polebridge. The Daily Inter Lake has the story . . . An Idaho woman drowned in the North Fork Flathead River on Wednesday afternoon after her inflatable kayak got tangled in tree roots. Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said the woman and her husband [...]

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Sep 21 2011

Larry Wilson: North Fork roads, weeds and toilets

Published by under Commentary,News

Larry covers a lot of territory in this week’s column. There’s lots of good information on pending road improvement and weed control projects, as well as a brief discussion of a …uh… tourist traffic related issue. I think almost all North Forkers have been pleased with the use of federal and Flathead County funds on [...]

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Sep 21 2011

Web site aims to protect Glacier Park and its surroundings

Published by under Environmental Issues,News

From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . . A new Web site created by the National Parks Conservation Association aims to expose some of the threats facing Glacier National Park. ProtectGlacier.com keeps an eye on the Park’s environmental news and showcases legislation NPCA and other partners support, most notably the North Fork Watershed Protection [...]

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Sep 20 2011

Western Montana counties, including Flathead, to rescind Stage I fire restrictions

From today’s Missoulian . . . Federal and state wildland fire agencies will rescind Stage I fire restrictions on Wednesday throughout much of western Montana. Included in the order are Flathead, Lake, Mineral, Sanders, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Granite, Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties. Restrictions will remain in effect on the Flathead Indian Reservation. Continue [...]

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Sep 20 2011

U.S. Customs and Border Protection asks for input on Northern Border environmental study

Published by under Environmental Issues

Customs and Border Protection has completed a draft “programmatic environmental impact statement” on the effects of its entire operation along the U.S. northern border. This would, of course, include the North Fork. I am not making this up. Anyways, the “Northern Border PEIS” is in its 45-day public comment period. There is even a dedicated [...]

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Sep 20 2011

The devil’s in the details: Resolving state mineral rights in the North Fork Flathead Valley

Published by under Commentary,Environmental Issues

From the most recent Headwaters Montana newsletter . . . When Gov. Schweitzer and BC Premier Gordon Campbell signed the historic Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the North Fork Flathead River in February 2010 Headwaters Montana heralded that event as an “historic breakthrough”.  And indeed it was.  But like all signed agreements, the MOU was [...]

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