May
23
2013
The Local chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association is launching this year’s “Wilderness Walks” program with a get-together and presentation at the Split Rock Cafe in Kalispell at 5:30 p.m. on May 31 . . . On Friday, May 31, the Flathead/Kootenai Chapter of the Montana Wilderness Association will present a Wilderness Walks Kickoff Party [...]
Tags: Chris Hammond, Montana FWP, Montana Wilderness Association, Tim Thier, wilderness walks
May
23
2013
The NFPA sends representatives to each year’s Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent, which is becoming a significant regional event. Registration is now open for the 2013 meeting on September 11-13 at Glacier Park Lodge in East Glacier Park, Montana. The Roundtable has a broad reach, including people, communities and organizations with a wide [...]
Tags: East Glacier, Glacier Park Lodge, Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent
May
20
2013
For mysterious, unspecified reasons, the feds have postponed making a decision on removing wolves from the endangered species list throughout the Continental U.S. . . . Federal wildlife officials are postponing a much-anticipated decision on whether to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states. In a court filing Monday, government attorneys say [...]
Tags: Endangered Species List, wolf management
May
13
2013
Grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) could be removed form the threatened species list as early as next year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFS) is developing a “conservation strategy” to deal with this eventuality. On May 2, a draft version of this plan was released for public comment. There is [...]
Tags: bear population, Endangered Species Act, grizzly bear research, grizzly bears, Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem
May
13
2013
The Montana FWP commission floated a proposal last week to expand the wolf hunt . . . State wildlife commissioners are taking public comment on a proposal to lengthen the hunting season for wolves and increase the bag limit from one to five. The Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission gave tentative approval to the plan [...]
Tags: Montana FWP Commission, wolf hunt, wolf population, wolf quotas
May
07
2013
Montana, Idaho and Wyoming officials don’t think wolverines need federal “threatened species” protection . . . State officials in the Northern Rockies on Monday lined up against a federal proposal to give new protections to the carnivorous wolverine, as climate change threatens to melt the species’ snowy mountain strongholds. A pending U.S. Fish and Wildlife [...]
Tags: threatened species list, wolverine trapping, wolverines
May
02
2013
A couple of guys found a new species of Indian paintbrush a few years ago while hiking in the Scapegoat Wilderness . . . When Pete Lesica and Dave Hanna get their boots on the ground, they like to keep their eyes there, too. “I do botany as a hobby and as a living. I’m [...]
Tags: Indian paintbrush, Scapegoat Wilderness
May
02
2013
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks is proposing a longer wolf hunt and higher kill limits for next season . . . Montana wildlife commissioners may extend the hunting season for wolves and the number of predators that can be killed by a hunter or trapper. Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing a rifle season from [...]
Tags: Montana FWP, wolf hunt, wolf quotas
Apr
30
2013
A current grizzly bear diet study is an important factor in determine whether to continue federal protections . . . Researchers say a study on Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bear diets should be completed this October. The study will help determine whether managers will recommend ending federal protections for the species. Continue reading . . .
Tags: bear study, diet, grizzly bears, Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team
Apr
27
2013
The U.S. Department of Interior has posted a draft rule proposing to remove federal wolf protections . . . Federal wildlife officials have drafted plans to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move that could end a decades-long recovery effort that has restored the animals but only in parts of [...]
Tags: Endangered Species List, wolf management, wolf population, wolf recovery, wolves