Changing climate seems to be the biggest factor, along with increased park visitation . . .
A long-running citizen science program in Glacier National Park has observed a marked decrease in the population of mountain goats since 2008, with scientists concerned that a warming alpine climate could be detrimental to the future of the species.
In a study published in the journal “Ecosphere” in January, researchers with Glacier National Park and the U.S. Geological Survey found from 2008 to 2019 the number of goats observed throughout the park declined by 45%.
“As the largest non-hunted, native population in the contiguous United States, this raises concerns about native mountain goat populations at the southern extent of the range,” according to the study, which states that “climate appears to play a large role” in population shifts.
Public information sessions held at Flathead Valley Community College February 17 and 18
Kalispell, Mont., February 10, 2026 — The Flathead National Forest has released a draft Comprehensive River Management Plan for the three forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River and associated draft environmental assessment of the plan. Both draft documents are available for public review on the project webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/projects/56536
The draft Flathead Comprehensive River Management Plan and associated draft environmental analysis outline the existing condition of the three forks of the Flathead River; identify the outstandingly remarkable values and desired conditions; and identify user capacities and articulate management actions that would be taken to protect these values into the future. The draft also contains a monitoring plan designed to gather real-time data on river use, track long-term trends and assess the effectiveness of management actions.
The draft plan incorporates changes that have occurred since the Wild and Scenic designation, including visitor use patterns, environmental conditions, Endangered Species Act species listing and other laws that affect resources within the Wild and Scenic River corridor.
“We have a high level of river recreation from all over the country and the world. All three forks are highly sought after for recreation opportunities, and this draft plan is an important step towards long-term river management and protection of this world-class resource” said Rob Davies, district ranger for the Hungry Horse and Glacier View Ranger Districts. “The 1980 plan is past due for an update, and the Flathead National Forest has been deeply engaged in this multi-agency project. We’re grateful for the involvement and collaboration from Glacier National Park, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, community members, nonprofit organizations, and our outfitter and guiding partners who have all contributed to the development of this draft plan.”
“This project has received a high level of public and stakeholder investment from the start, and the demand for protection of the outstandingly remarkable values found on these river segments has driven the development of the draft plan” said Anthony Botello, Flathead National Forest supervisor. “We are all eagerly waiting for this river plan. The passion and support that exists for the three forks of the Flathead and the protection of the Wild and Scenic River is inspiring. We are privileged to steward and protect the three forks of the Flathead.”
Wild and Scenic River management plans protect and enhance the outstandingly remarkable values identified in Wild and Scenic designations. The draft Comprehensive River Management Plan revises the existing 1980 river management plan and brings it into compliance with the statutory requirements of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The final Comprehensive River Management Plan is expected to be released in summer of 2026, accompanied by the final environmental analysis document.
Two opportunities to join us for a project information session:
6 – 8pm on Tuesday Feb. 17
6 – 8pm on Wednesday Feb. 18
Both information sessions will be open-house format at Flathead Valley Community College, Arts and Technology building, room 139 (AT-139), with information stations staffed by members of the project team.
Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park will provide information on the draft Comprehensive River Management Plan and will be available to answer specific questions. The sessions will start with a brief presentation with an option for virtual attendance. Link to attend virtually will be made available under Project Documents on the project website.
How to submit comments on the project:
This public comment period will be open for 30 days, concluding March 13, 2026. Comments and attachments may be submitted electronically at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=56536.
Written comments may be mailed, or hand-delivered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays, to the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Station (P.O. Box 190340, 10 Hungry Horse Drive, Hungry Horse, MT, 59919) or to the Forest Supervisors Office, (650 Wolf Pack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901).
Additional information can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/projects/56536.
Short version: Tolerance for wolves on the landscape is increasing. but those with negative views have a significant role in management, despite being a small percentage of the population.
People’s tolerance for wolves goes up when they see one. It also goes up when they don’t.
The study, released Dec. 12, was co-authored by husband-wife duo Alexander and Elizabeth Metcalf of the University of Montana School of Forestry, Justin Gude and Michael Lewis of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, and John Baldridge of UM’s Bureau of Business and Economic Research. It compared a 2023 wolf-tolerance survey to results from the same questions asked in 2012 and 2017, reaching a total of 7,607 Montanans over that decade.
Forest ownership in the United States — Mark D. Nelson, Greg C. Liknes, and Brett J. Butler – U.S. Forest Service
“…there is always a well-known solution to every human problem — neat, plausible, and wrong.” — H. L. Mencken
Here’s a good article, with a minimum of editorializing and including actual numbers and stuff, discussing why increased wildfire danger does not actually justify an increased timber harvest. Better forest management however . . .
As U.S. forests burn, Congress and federal agencies are asking an important question: What role should federal land management play in reducing fire risk?
When created in 2001, The Roadless Rule protected almost 60 million acres of U.S. Forest Service Land by preventing new road construction and development. 37% of these lands are in Montana. At that time 1.6 million communications were submitted during public comment with over 95% in favor of the Rule. The present Department of Agriculture Secretary Rollins is using two of Donald Trump’s executive orders to justify the eliminating Roadless Rule. One demands increased timber harvest and another calls for making wildfire prevention and suppression more effective by easing burdensome rules and regulations. These actions will endanger the ecosystems of the public lands we cherish, diminish wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities, and increased runoff will reduce water quality.
Please help protest the rescinding of the Roadless Rule by participating in the public comment period. NOTE: The public comment period expires on September 19!
Help further by contacting your representatives in Congress and ask them to support the Roadless Area Conservation Act which has been introduced by Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Ruben Gallego (D-AZ), and Representatives Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03) and Andrea Salinas (OR-06). This legislation has support in both the House and Senate and if passed will codify the 2001 Roadless Rule into law once and for all.
For more background, here are a couple of articles worth reading…
Links to the entire suite of dashboards, as well as a great deal of additional information on FWP’s bear management efforts can be found on their Grizzly Bear Management and Conservation webpage.
Gray wolf – John and Karen Hollingsworth, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
Saw this coming . . .
Citing “serious and pervasive” deficiencies with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s basis for rejecting a 2021 petition by a coalition of environmental groups seeking to revive Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in the northern Rocky Mountains, a federal judge in Missoula this week instructed wildlife managers to reconsider.
U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy issued the 105-page ruling in response to a lawsuit that conservation and animal welfare groups filed last year seeking to either restore protections, or afford new ones, to a distinct population of wolves spanning Montana, Idaho and Wyoming, as well as portions of Washington, Oregon and Utah…
A very interesting article from the New York Times discussing how folks on the east side of Montana’s Continental Divide are learning to deal with grizzlies as they return to their historic range . . .
The grizzly bears feasted on piles of spilled wheat and barley. They broke into grain bins. They helped themselves to apples from family orchards. Sometimes they massacred chickens or picked off calves.
Once nearly eradicated from the lower 48 United States, grizzlies are growing in population and spreading onto Montana’s plains, where they had not roamed in perhaps a century.
In their travels, they’ve acquired a fondness for the good eating to be found in farmyards.
A wildlife overpass along U.S. Highway 93 in Montana – Kylie Paul, Center for Large Landscape Conservation
Montana now has some dedicated funding to support wildlife crossing efforts . . .
Montana has taken a major step toward protecting both wildlife and drivers with the passage of two groundbreaking pieces of legislation this spring: House Bill 855 and House Bill 932. Together, the bills establish the state’s first dedicated funding streams for wildlife crossings, structures proven to reduce collisions and improve landscape connectivity.
Montana currently has the second-highest per capita rate of wildlife-vehicle collisions in the United States. The average driver faces a 1 in 53 chance of hitting an animal each year and 13 percent of total reported collisions in the state related to wildlife, according to the Montana Department of Transportation. These crashes pose serious risks to people and animals alike, and cost Montanans tens of millions of dollars annually.
Kylie Paul, road ecologist at the Center for Large Landscape Conservation, a nonprofit creating strategies to solve large-scale challenges like climate change and habitat fragmentation, told Mountain Journal the nonprofit supported the legislation.
“In Montana, we have a lot of roads cutting through intact wildlife habitats and migration routes,” Paul said. “Many are high-speed, low-light and, to some level, still low-traffic highways which help animals still feel safe to move across them.”
