All posts by nfpa

Montana FWP seeks comment on “bucket biology” rule

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Montana FWP is collecting comments on a proposed rule on how to handle incidents of “bucket biology,” the unauthorized dumping of live fish into public waters.

Here’s the press release . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking comment on a draft rule that outlines how officials will respond to the unauthorized placement of live fish into public waters.

Commonly referred to as “bucket biology,” the unauthorized placement of fish is a crime of significant concern and is likely to have adverse impacts on aquatic resources, angling opportunities, and fish management costs.

Examples include the illegal dumping of northern pike in the Upper Missouri River near Toston and walleye placed in Noxon Rapids Reservoir in northwestern Montana.

The new rule commits FWP to launching investigations within 30 days of learning about an unauthorized placement of fish in streams or lakes, followed by the development of an action plan to remove or suppress the fish.

Management actions could include removing unauthorized fish with nets and electrofishing or by chemicals that can kill fish. Actions to suppress the fish include changes to fishing regulations, fishing contests, and use of commercial fishing.

An electronic database would be established to catalog unauthorized fish placements and FWP management actions underway.

Eight public hearings are scheduled in February and March to discuss and take comment on the proposed rule. The sessions will begin at 7 p.m. at following locations:

  • Feb. 24 Kalispell FWP Region 1 HQ; 490 N. Meridian Rd.
  • Feb. 25 Missoula FWP Region 2 HQ; 3201 Spurgin Rd.
  • March 3 Helena FWP HQ; 1420 E. Sixth Ave.
  • March 3 Bozeman FWP Region 3 HQ; 1400 S. 19th
  • March 4 Great Falls FWP Region 4 HQ; 4600 Giant Springs Rd.
  • March 11 Glasgow FWP Region 6 HQ; 54078 U.S. Highway 2 W.
  • March 11 Billings FWP Region 5 HQ; 2300 Lake Elmo Drive
  • March 11 Miles City FWP Region 7 HQ; 325 I-94 Business Loop

For more information or to comment on the proposed rule online, visit the FWP website at fwp.mt.gov. Click “Public Notices.” Comments, due by March 21, can be emailed to fwpfsh@mt.gov; or mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

New fish species found in Idaho and Montana

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

U.S. Forest Service researchers discovered a new species of fish, the cedar sculpin, living in mountain rivers in Montana and Idaho . . .

A tiny fish characterized by a disproportionately large head and previously unknown to scientists has been found in mountain rivers of Idaho and Montana, in what biologists said on Thursday marked a rare discovery.

The new aquatic species is a type of freshwater sculpin, a class of fish that dwell at the bottom of cold, swift-flowing streams throughout North America and are known for their oversized head and shoulder structure.

“The discovery of a new fish is something I never thought would happen in my career, because it’s very rare in the United States,” said Michael Young, co-author of a scientific description of the find that has been published in the latest edition of the peer-reviewed journal Zootaxa.

Read more . . .

North Fork Watershed Protection Act clears House panel

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here is the Daily Inter Lake’s write-up on the North Fork Watershed Protection Act’s progress through the U.S. House . . .

A bill aimed at protecting national forest lands west of Glacier National Park cleared a key House Committee Tuesday, drawing praise from local supporters.

Known as the North Fork Watershed Protection Act and sponsored by U.S. Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont., the bill would withdraw 362,000 acres of public lands from future oil and gas leasing and development, hard-rock mining and geothermal development.

Similar legislation sponsored by Montana Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester has been advancing in the Senate.

“The North Fork bill is a great example of people of all walks of alife coming together and developing local solutions for public lands issues,” said Chris Schustrom of the Flathead Valley Chapter of Trout Unlimited. “This bill will help ensure that traditional land uses and fish and wildlife habitat in the valley are protected in perpetuity.”

Read more . . .

North Fork Watershed Protection Act gets past House Natural Resources Committee without opposition

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The House version of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act easily passed its first hurdle this morning . . .

Legislation to protect the North Fork of the Flathead River from energy development passed a crucial congressional milestone early Tuesday morning.

The House Natural Resources Committee approved its version of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act without opposition, according to Rep. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., authored the measure and got it passed through the Senate Natural Resources Committee last June. That puts the bill in position for votes by both chambers.

“The North Fork is widely treasured as a precious corner of our state, a place where we harvest timber, we hunt and fish, and lead trips into the adjacent Glacier National Park,” Daines said in an email statement on Tuesday. “The local community wants to continue using this watershed of the river to benefit their local economy – which is largely outdoor recreation based.”

Read more . . .

North Fork Interlocal meeting coming up February 19 – update

News

[Updated to correct the start time — it is now 10:00 a.m.]

The winter North Fork Interlocal Agreement meeting will be held Wednesday, February 19 at the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Station, 10 Hungry Horse Drive, in Hungry Horse. Start time is 10:00 a.m.

The Interlocal Agreement provides for face-to-face contact with representatives of agencies whose policies and actions affect the North Fork. Interlocal Agreement meetings are held in the winter (in town) and summer (at Sondreson Hall). Signatories to the agreement include the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

This is always a very interesting meeting, with reports from a range of government agencies and local organizations and often some quite vigorous discussion.

John White Lecture Series includes North Forkers

History, News, , ,

The Museum at Central School in Kalispell started holding its annual John White Lecture Series in 2002. During January and February, the museum hosts a series of four presentations by residents and experts on various aspects of local history.

This year’s series winds up with a talk in February 23 at 2:30 p.m.called “Sons of Sheriffs” involving two long-term North Fork landowners/residents, Pat Walsh and Larry Wilson. The presentation features “…three sons of former Flathead County sheriffs. Retired attorney Ty Robinson is 96 years old and sharp as the proverbial tack. His father, Cal Robinson, Sr., was Flathead Co. Sheriff in the 1930s & 40s. Pat Walsh is the son of Dick Walsh, who followed Cal Robinson as Sheriff, serving from 1947 to 1963. Larry Wilson is the son of Ross Wilson, who followed Dick Walsh, serving as Sheriff in the 1960s. All three gentlemen will share the memories and experiences of being sons of Flathead County sheriffs.”

See the John White Lecture Series web page for more information, including descriptions of the other talks in the series, ticket availability and pricing.

Also, the Flathead Beacon has an excellent write-up on the lecture series.

Largest Mission Valley easement protects wildlife corridor

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Some encouraging news regarding habitat connectivity . . .

Animals from grizzly bears to dairy cows will benefit from the largest-ever conservation easement in the Mission Valley, according to the people who signed it.

Five Valleys Land Trust announced this week that almost 2,300 acres east of Charlo will be protected for both wildlife and agricultural purposes after a conservation easement was entered into on the property.

Grasslands on the Moiese Valley Ranch – better known locally as Hillside Farms – buffer Crow Creek, a critical corridor used by grizzlies and other wildlife to travel between the Mission Mountains and the Flathead River.

Read more . . .

John Frederick, “The icon of the North Fork”

Commentary, History, ,

John Frederick, NFPA founder and perennial president, got some well-deserved recognition in Larry Wilson’s Hungry Horse News column this week . . .

Everyone who has spent any time on the North Fork has to know John Frederick. In the last few years, his friends have been worried about his health, and everyone has marveled at the level of his physical activity.

Just this past summer, he managed an all-day mule ride from Whale Creek to Thompson-Seton Lookout and back. That a minor achievement when compared to the multiple days he spent helping Bill Walker and others reopen the Coal Ridge Trail. By all accounts, the trail had not been maintained for nearly 40 years.

His activity level seems all the more remarkable when you see him brace himself to stand from a sitting position. It wasn’t always this way.

Although I have often considered John a relative newcomer to the North Fork, he has actually been here for nearly 40 years. He is a self-described environmentalist and was one of the founders of the North Fork Preservation Association and has been the president of that group most of the time since it was started.

Read more . . .

National Park Service, wildlife experts developing plan to protect migrating wildlife

Environmental Issues, News,

Concerns over protection of migratory wildlife are growing . . .

The National Park Service and the country’s leading wildlife experts are developing a plan to conserve migrating wildlife as it moves through protected areas, sometimes crossing vast regions of the globe to reach birthing and feeding grounds.

Unveiled in a paper published last week in Conservation Biology, the plan details the need for more collaboration between the NPS, local governments and public landowners.

If migratory species are to survive the slow creep of human development, the plan adds, conservation efforts must begin sooner than later, and the public must have a participatory role.

Read more . . .

Second Annual Wilderness Speaker Series focuses on future

News, , , , ,

In commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the passing of the Wilderness Act, the Flathead Valley Community College will be hosting a four-part series on “50 Years of Wilderness:  What Will the Next 50 Years Look Like?”   Presentations will focus on the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, the crown jewel of the Federal Wilderness System. The series is sponsored by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation (BMWF) and the Montana Wilderness Association (MWA).

The first of the series, “Wilderness Turns 50 – Who Cares?”, will be on Thursday, January 23 at 7:00 p.m. The presenter will be Rick Potts, Refuge Manager, from Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

The lectures will be held on the FVCC campus, 777 Grandview Drive, Kalispell, in the Arts & Technology Building, Room 139, from 7:00 to 8:30 p.m.  There is no charge; everyone welcome.

Here is the full schedule. (Note that NFPA member Frank Vitale is on the March 13 panel.):

January 23:
Wilderness Turns 50 – Who Cares?
Rick Potts, Refuge Manager, Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge.

February 13:
Climate Change Effects on Landscapes and Ecosystems of Western Montana
Bob Keane, U.S. Forest Service, Missoula FireResearch Station

March 13:
Leaving a Legacy; Passing on Wilderness to the Next Generation
Panel discussion between elders and youth.
Panelists: Roland Cheek, retired wilderness outfitter and writer; Dave Owen; retired USFS wilderness ranger; Frank Vitale, Farrier and wilderness advocate; Rebecca Boslow, University of Montana student; Jonson England, high school student and BMWF summer intern

April 10:
Hair Raising Encounters with Wildlife in Wilderness
Jonathan Klein, U.S.F.S. retired Wilderness and Recreation manager (34years) on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest