Tag Archives: North Fork Compact

“Banquet on the Border” draws 90 attendees

Monday, August 20th was the Banquet on the Border; by all reports, a resounding success. Dave Haddon of Headwaters Montana wrote an excellent report on the whole affair. Since this report is still not available online, I am shamelessly stealing adapting large portions of it here . . .

The Banquet on the Border – last Monday, August 20 – celebrated the British Columbia government’s 2011 official act of banning mining and energy development on their side of the watershed; the progress made to date to do the same in the U.S North Fork with Senate Bill 233 (the North Fork Watershed protection Act – still pending); and the other work that is moving forward to enhance protections for water and wildlife in the rest of the watershed, most notably:

  • Completing Waterton-Glacier Peace Park by adding the ‘Missing Piece’ in the BC Flathead, and
  • Protecting the existing international wildlife corridor between Whitefish and Banff National Park.

Headwaters Montana and National Parks Conservation Association organized the party for the south side of the boundary.  Wildsight did so for the north.

Who Showed Up?

We invited the U.S. Border Patrol.  But with the exception of a brief drive up and turn around we were left to securing our own borders and enjoying our neighborliness.

The Canadians outnumbered the Americans 3 to 2 but who’s counting?  Their greater numbers stemmed from the week-long Flathead Bioblitz and Flathead Artists’ Workshop that was based at the Canadian border and had concluded the day before

In addition to the ten Canadian and U.S. scientists who attended the bioblitz and some ten artists, members of the Flathead Wild Team and supporters filled out the Canadian tables.

On the U.S. side, Headwaters Montana board members and supporters showed up in good numbers, as well as representatives of the North Fork Preservation Association, board members of the Flathead Coalition, and The North Fork Landowners Association, North Fork Compact, and representatives for Senator Max Baucus.

20 Years Ago

Steve Thompson with the Cinnabar Foundation (Montana’s home-grown conservation fund) helped deepen the Banquet-goer’s appreciation for this far flung event by reminding folks that champions of the Transboundary Flathead had celebrated with a banquet at the same spot 20 years ago.  Amazingly, four people from that 1992 event were on hand last week... [Our own John Frederick was one of them. – ed.]

Larry Wilson: Pertinent information to avoid pouting

Larry talks about the beginning of summer on the North Fork and what to expect in the way of activities . . .

The first North Fork Landowners Association meeting of 2012 was apparently not very well attended. This is not really unusual for June. After all, the majority of landowners are summer residents and not year-rounders. Most NFLA members will be arriving later this month. In addition, quite a few members traveled to the valley this year to attend high school graduations…

I don’t know how the social committee managed to fill so many dates for this summer’s fun activities. All of these activities are open to everyone, whether they are members or not. This creates a need for a subcommittee to make signs, which will be posted at the Polebridge junction and at Sondreson Community Hall. The signs will announce the next social activity and where and when to meet…

Continue reading . . .

Larry Wilson: North Fork groups elect new officers

Larry Wilson discusses the recent organizational elections . . .

At first it seemed that summer would never arrive. It certainly took its own sweet time. June was cold and rainy, and it was cool and wet in July – we celebrated the anniversary of the Wedge Canyon Fire of 2003 on July 18 with a rainstorm.

All of a sudden it’s mid-August and already there are signs of fall. The huckleberry crop is waning, and the serviceberries are ripening. Just a note to Joe Novak – ripe serviceberries may be purple, but they are otherwise nothing like huckleberries.

All of the local organizations have held their annual elections…

Continue reading . . .