We’ve updated our collection of zoning information. The “Zoning Documents & Links” section of the archives now includes:
These materials were retrieved from the Flathead County Planning and Zoning “Documents Online” page. All are PDF documents.
Apgar is already open and Glacier Park will be opening up more campgrounds over the next few weeks . . .
The campgrounds of Glacier National Park are set to begin opening for the summer season in the upcoming weeks, with Apgar Campground, located on the west side of the park, already open.
The Apgar Campground is the largest campground in the park and hosts almost 200 sites for tents and RV campers. Potable water is accessible in the campground, and restroom facilities provide flush toilets and sinks with running water. All Apgar Campground sites are first-come first-serve, with a summer overnight fee of $20.
Most campgrounds in Glacier are on a first-come first-serve basis. Reservations are available at Fish Creek and St. Mary Campgrounds beginning June 1, and may be made up to six months in advance through the National Recreation Reservation Service at http://www.recreation.gov/ or by calling 1-877-444-6777. Campers without prior reservations are also welcome at these campgrounds, as space is available.
In a Missoulian op-ed, George Wuerthner expresses misgivings about the impact of the forest restoration provisions in the new farm bill . . .
Recently the Bullock administration convened a committee to designate federal forest lands that could be logged under a special categorical exclusion provision of the recently passed Farm Bill.
This section of the Farm Bill repeals the National Environmental Policy Act to allow an unlimited number of commercial logging projects – up to 3,000 acres in size each – to be implemented on U.S. national forests without any environmental analysis of harmful effects to threatened/endangered or sensitive species. It would also eliminate administrative appeals, severely reducing public participation in forest management decisions.
Under the proposal, any lands outside of special set asides like wilderness areas and proposed wilderness deemed “threatened” by insects, disease or wildfire could be logged. Since insects, disease and wildfire are the major ecological processes that rejuvenate and restore forest ecosystems, and are found in all forested ecosystems, this means just about any federal forest lands could potentially be logged.
See also: “Gov. Bullock lists 5.1 million acres of forest lands for restoration“
An interesting interplay between genetic diversity and climate change . . .
During their annual Winter Study at Isle Royale National Park, scientists from Michigan Technological University counted nine wolves organized into one breeding pack and a second small group that is a remnant of a formerly breeding pack.
In the Isle Royale Wolf-Moose Study’s annual report released today, the researchers say that over the past three years, they have tallied the lowest numbers of wolves ever: nine in 2011-12, eight in 2012-13 and nine in 2013-14. During the same period, predation rates — the proportion of the moose population killed by wolves — also dropped to the lowest ever recorded, while the number of moose doubled, to approximately 1,050 moose.
Wolves are the only predators of moose on the remote island national park in northwestern Lake Superior. The moose population has been increasing because wolf predation has been so low.
As in the last several years, the Interior Department is likely to come up short on funds to fight wildfires . . .
This year’s wildfires could cost almost half a billion dollars more than what the U.S. Forest Service has budgeted, according to Department of Interior estimates.
In a report to Congress released Thursday, DOI officials said they may need $1.8 billion for firefighting this season. But they have only $1.4 billion budgeted for the work.
“While our agencies will spend the necessary resources to protect people, homes and our forests, the high levels of wildfire this report predicts would force us to borrow funds from forest restoration, recreation and other areas,” Undersecretary for Natural Resources and Environment Robert Bonnie said in a news release. Both President Barack Obama’s proposed budget and legislation currently before Congress would allow the Forest Service to pay for fire expenses the same way the federal government assists natural disasters like hurricanes and floods.
A federal judge turned down a suit to force protection of whitebark pine . . .
A federal judge has ruled against conservationists who sought to force the government to protect a high-elevation pine tree whose nuts are a food source for threatened grizzly bears.
The Wildwest Institute and Alliance for the Wild Rockies sued after the government designated in 2011 that protections for the whitebark pine tree were warranted, but precluded by other priorities.
U.S. District Judge Dana Christensen ruled on April 25 that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service designation leaves species such as the pine tree in limbo. But he declined to overturn the government finding, saying it’s up to Congress to allocate enough money to pay for protections.
All the Flathead National Forest campgrounds should open this month.
Read the official press release for the details . . .
Flathead National Forest (FNF) campgrounds start opening in early May and all campgrounds, weather permitting, are scheduled to be open for your enjoyment by the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. Holland Lake, Swan Lake and Tally Lake Campgrounds will open to the public Friday, May 9, 2014. Big Creek Campground is scheduled to open May 15. Emery Bay, Murray Bay, Doris Creek, Lost Johnny, Devil Creek, Lid Creek and Riverside Campgrounds and associated boat launches are all scheduled to open Friday, May 23. All openings are dependent on weather conditions.
These campgrounds and recreation areas are operated by the forest concessionaire Barta Enterprises Inc., known locally as Flathead Valley Campgrounds. There are a few changes this year that recreationists will want to be aware of. Campground fees will be charged per camping unit such as an RV, a vehicle with tent, a camper or a trailer. A five dollar fee will be charged for each additional vehicle. Starting July 1, 2014, there will be a five dollar fee at the Holland Lake Day Use Area consistent with day use fees across the forest. The day use area at the Swan Lake Campground can no longer be reserved and will be available on a first come, first served basis.
The Spotted Bear Campground is operated by the Forest Service and will open for primitive camping starting May 15 if road conditions permit access. Water and services will be available May 23. In addition to campgrounds, boat launches and day-use areas, the forest also has 14 rental cabins. To rent a cabin or to reserve select campground sites please go to http://www.recreation.gov.
Steven Gnam, who does really nice photography work, has just released a new book on the Crown of the Continent . . .
Through the lens of his camera, Steven Gnam has captured the kind of fleeting, untamed moments that might otherwise elude the human eye, disappearing like a puff of vapor in a sprawling chunk of country called the Crown of the Continent – the ecologically diverse landscape spanning the U.S.-Canada border between Missoula and Banff, Alberta.
In his new book, “The Crown of the Continent: The Wildest Rockies,” Gnam not only preserves the wild, ephemeral beauty of those moments, but through them attaches value to the region, defending its role and depicting why it’s critical to pay attention, lest we fritter away the landscape that defines us.
Meant to promote stewardship, “The Wildest Rockies” showcases images that span the boundaries of Glacier-Waterton International Peace Park, tracking along the spine of the Rocky Mountains as the Whitefish native reanimates a landscape brimming with life.
As of May 1, if you want to burn that slash pile, you’ll need a permit . . .
The Department of Natural Resources and Conservation reminds residents that as of Thursday, May 1, a permit will be required for burning any natural yard, wildland or agricultural debris in Flathead County and northern Lake County.
Burn permits are free and available at www.firesafekalispell.com, at several locations including department offices and Flathead Environmental Health, or, for those without Internet access, by calling 752-7376 Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Plan ahead because debris burning will be prohibited during July, August and September due to Montana’s fire season.
This is a little like discussing the World Series after the first few games, but forecasters are hoping for reduced fire danger to go with the above average snowpack and flooding danger this year . . .
A wet Montana doesn’t burn very well.
That’s the mixed message from the Montana Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Committee forecast presented Wednesday in Missoula. A much-above-average snowpack in the mountains may produce flooding in many river drainages across western Montana. But the moisture should also keep the 2014 fire season below average in intensity.
“Usually the long-range forecast for July and August in the Intermountain West has a big drought bull’s-eye over the area,” said Northern Rockies Predictive Services meteorologist Bryan Henry. “This is one of the first years in a long time I don’t have a major concern for moisture.”