All posts by nfpa

Feds decide not to upgrade protections for Cabinet-Yaak grizzlies

Environmental Issues, News,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Alliance for the Wild Rockies are butting heads over the status of the grizzly bear population in the Cabinet-Yaak region . . .

Federal wildlife officials last week declined to upgrade protections for a small population of grizzly bears in the Cabinet Mountains and Yaak River drainage in Northwest Montana, sparking outcry from a conservation organization that claims the population is nearing extinction.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service published a decision in the Federal Register on Dec. 5 that said grizzlies living in the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem are stable and likely to reach a recovery goal of 100 without changing their status from threatened to endangered under the Endangered Species Act…

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Conservationists wonder what’s next for Montana lands

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , ,

This is the conclusion of a two-part series by Rob Chaney of the Missoulian on the roll-up of Montana land-use legislation inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act last week . . .

While everyone wonders if the U.S. Senate will pass a huge package of public lands legislation this week, many Montanans are already looking beyond the fate of the two wildland protection bills in the mix.

“The positive thing is a logjam is going to break loose,” said Scott Bosse of American Rivers in Bozeman. “That helps future conservation bills. I think members of our delegation were reluctant to take on other big projects as long as the logjam existed.”

Wilderness advocate Steward Brandborg felt quite the opposite…

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Montana wilderness bill a product of last-minute horse-trading

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , ,

This is part one of a two-part series by Rob Chaney of the Missoulian on the roll-up of Montana land-use legislation inserted into the National Defense Authorization Act last week . . .

Years of legislative wrangling squeezed down to hours of last-minute negotiating to get a bundle of Montana land bills into the National Defense Authorization Act last week.

“We were not sure what was going to be in the package until 11 p.m. Tuesday night,” Rep. Steve Daines, R-Montana, said Friday. “There’s a lot of pieces in that package. It was late in the game before we could see what was going on.”

For Montana Democratic senators Jon Tester and John Walsh, the legislative work started in October. But the final horse-trading took place just days before all three members of the congressional delegation stood together to announce their achievement on Wednesday.

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Climate change imperiling Glacier Park stonefly

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Climate change is threatening the survival of the west glacier stonefly . . .

Climate change is imperiling a rare aquatic insect found only in Glacier National Park, scientists said in a study that underscores how high-elevation species could be particularly vulnerable to global warming.

Researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, Bucknell University and the University of Montana reported on the plight of the western glacier stonefly in the journal Freshwater Science.

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Michael Jamison & Bob Brown: Collaboration key to solving land-management problems

Commentary, , ,

Here are a couple of familiar names addressing some familiar issues . . .

We’re a strange pair of fishing buddies, the retired Republican lawmaker and the environmentalist, but we sure do enjoy each other’s company. Together, we tramp through thickets, scramble down riverbanks, wade icy currents – all for the shared pleasure of laying a fly in front of a handsome westslope cutt.

This fall, as we bushwhacked into a secret hole, we couldn’t help but notice each other’s hats: the veteran GOP campaigner was wearing a ballcap touting Trout Unlimited; the conservationist was bearing the badge of the local lumber mill. Maybe that’s why we get on so well. We’re willing to fish a mile in another man’s hat.

We both believe, generally, that there’s room enough in Montana’s wilds for all sorts of folks. We agree that there’s room enough for compromise, that it’s better to talk than to shout, that we’d rather negotiate than litigate. And we both believe that when neighbors cooperate in good faith to help manage their own backyards, then the powers that be should pay very close attention, and think twice before tipping the scales on behalf of special interests.

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Bullock signs order creating Montana Invasive Species Council

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Can’t hurt, I guess . . .

An executive order aimed at improving and streamlining Montana’s efforts to tackle the threat of invasive species was signed by Gov. Steve Bullock on Dec. 4.

The order establishes an Montana Invasive Species Council to serve as the overarching council to combat invasive species in the state — both aquatic and terrestrial. Bullock was joined by sportsmen, conservationists and land managers as he signed the order.

“Montanans cherish our outdoor recreation and spaces, and those spaces play a crucial role in our state’s vibrant economy,” said. “It is imperative that we do everything we can to protect Montana from the threat of invasive species that disrupt our land, water and native species. None of us want another knapweed spreading across Montana.”

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Study says land-use collaboration efforts in Montana effective

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

A recent study from The Wilderness Society concludes collaborative land-use efforts in Montana are often very effective. The Whitefish Range Partnership, in which several North Fork organizations participated, gets a mention . . .

Right behind an historic show of bipartisanship in the Montana congressional delegation, a new study of collaborative efforts in the state claims that playing nice together can reap big rewards.

The “Collaboration at a Crossroads” report looked at 15 of the 37 active roundtables trying to fix land-use issues in Montana.

Accomplishments ranged from 15,000 acres of noxious weed treatment backed by the Blackfoot Challenge to a dozen detailed recommendations for the Flathead National Forest management plan provided by the Whitefish Range Partnership.

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Source document: Collaboration at a Crossroads (PDF format, 2.88MB)

House passes defense bill that includes Rocky Mountain Front, North Fork provisions

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

The defense bill passed the U.S. House this afternoon, including the provisions for the various Montana conservation and lands legislation packages. Next week, the bill is debated in the Senate, a much higher hurdle . . .

The U.S. House on Thursday passed a defense spending bill containing a broad public lands package for Montana, including new wilderness on the Rocky Mountain Front, a ban on mining near Glacier National Park and changes supporting oil exploration and grazing on federal land.

The Republican-controlled House voted 300-119 for the $585 billion defense policy bill, which funds U.S. troops, military operations, ships, planes and war equipment. Montana’s only House member, U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, a Republican, voted for it.

The bill now goes to the U.S. Senate for consideration, where a vote is expected next week.

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Peripatetic grizzly’s 2,800-mile tour intrigues experts

Environmental Issues, News,

When the state and federal grizzly bear people got together in Missoula this week, one of the highlights of the meeting was a discussion of Ethyl, a grizzly who decided to take a lengthy tour of Western Montana and Northern Idaho . . .

The roomful of biologists had lots of funny ideas why Ethyl the grizzly bear logged 2,800 miles arcing from Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, past Florence and Missoula and eventually up to Eureka by way of Glacier National Park.

Maybe she ate a bad chicken. Or she was looking for someone she couldn’t find. Or she couldn’t find her back to her home range northeast of Bigfork – the one place she noticeably missed in the three-year ramble.

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Update: A Fox News version of this story includes a map showing Ethyl’s travels.

‘Historic’ Montana lands conservation bill roll-up merged into defense bill

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

Montana’s congressional delegation is taking another swing at getting several long-delayed lands use bills passed. This time around, they’ve rolled up the whole collection, including the North Fork Watershed Protection Act and the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, and merged it with the pending defense spending bill, a “must pass” piece of legislation.

Here’s the lead-in from the Hungry Horse News, along with links to additional local coverage . . .

Montana’s Congressional delegation announced Dec. 3 they have come together on an agreement for a major land-use bill that rolls several pieces of key conservation legislation into a defense spending bill that could pass Congress in the coming days.

In a conference call Wednesday morning, Sens. Jon Tester and John Walsh and Rep. Steve Daines said the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, the Northern Cheyenne Lands Act and several other lands-use bills would be merged into the legislation.

“Today is an historic day for Montana,” Tester announced.

Read more . . .

Further reading:

‘Historic’ Montana Lands Package to Advance – Flathead Beacon

Front, North Fork, other Montana lands bills set to advance – Missoulian

Poised for Protection – Montana Wilderness Association