All posts by nfpa

Larry Wilson: The times they are a-changin’

Commentary, History, ,

Larry Wilson’s column this week discusses the changes on the North Fork over the last century or so, especially those related to Forest Service activity . . .

I have written several times about how change has affected the North Fork, especially the changes brought about by the influx of the two periods of homesteading that opened up the area with roads and dwellings and, most of all, with people.

Of course, there were white men in the North Fork before the homesteaders. The earliest were no doubt trappers and hunters who left no written records to speak of and few marks on the land.

Without a doubt the U.S. Forest Service has had the longest presence on the North Fork closely followed by the U.S. Park Service.

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Montana sportsmen ask state for quick action on wolves

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

This article from yesterday’s Ravalli Republic is worth reading for context. It includes some indication of the likely quotas for this year’s wolf hunt, as well as information on the planning schedule . . .

Sportsmen’s groups from around Montana are asking wildlife officials to move as quickly as possible to implement the state’s wolf management plan once the animal is removed from federal protection.

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Idaho officials set meeting to plan wolf hunt

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Idaho is already spooling up for a wolf hunt this year. No word from Montana yet . . .

Officials with the Idaho Department of Fish and Game plan to meet with Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter on Monday to discuss a public wolf hunting season.

“We will be ready to have another hunting season,” said Jim Unsworth, deputy director of Fish and Game.

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It’s official: wolves to come off endangered list within 60 days

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

It’s official: Gray wolves are off the endangered species list in this corner of the country . . .

Federal wildlife officials say they will take more than 1,300 gray wolves in the Northern Rockies off the endangered species list within 60 days.

An attachment to the budget bill signed into law Friday by President Barack Obama strips protections from wolves in five Western states.

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Recent mountain snow heightens concerns of flooding across western Montana

Flood Information, News,

Here’s the latest write-up on the flooding danger this spring. Even without any additional precipitation, there’s potential for problems . . .

An already abundant winter snowpack has continued to accumulate in the mountains across western Montana this past month, creating an even greater potential for flooding than predicted.

“We’ve got a lot of snow, and with that snow comes the potential for flooding,” said Ray Nickless, a hydrologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula.

Nickless delivered his most recent flood forecasts during a conference call Thursday, predicting that nearly all the rivers and creeks in the Missoula, Flathead, Swan and Bitterroot valleys are likely to approach flood levels from this winter’s snowpack alone.

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Feds want to take Great Lakes wolves off endangered list

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Seems like there’s also a move afoot to remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in the Great Lakes region . . .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is making another attempt to remove gray wolves in the western Great Lakes region from the endangered species list.

The agency says Friday that wolves in Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin have recovered and no longer need federal protection. About 4,000 wolves roam the three states.

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Montana and Idaho wolves delisted by Congress

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here’s the Daily Inter Lake’s story on congressionally mandated delisting of wolves . . .

Congress passed legislation Thursday removing Montana and Idaho wolves from the Endangered Species list and returning management to the state, as part of a budget bill to continue federal funding this year.

The legislation was advanced by Montana Democratic Sens. Jon Tester and Max Baucus, along with Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, in the House.

Tester said the overall package is expected to be signed by President Barack Obama.

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Obama expected to sign budget bill containing wolf delisting measure

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

This recent post to the Missoulian contains some additional information on the wolf delisting rider attached to the federal budget bill that is expected to be signed into law within the next few days . . .

The U.S. Senate passed a budget bill Thursday that will return gray wolf management to Montana and Idaho state control, settling the question whether the predator is endangered or recovered.

“Our provision does not undermine the Endangered Species Act,” said Montana Sen. Jon Tester, who led the effort to delist the wolf in Congress. “It recognizes the ESA as a success.”

Under a 2009 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service delisting rule, wolves reached the numbers needed for full recovery in 2002, Tester said in a conference call Thursday afternoon. There are almost 1,700 animals in the three-state area, including about 600 in Montana.

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Congressional move to reduce wolf protections raises concerns about precedent

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

This is a pretty good article about the potential implications of the budget bill rider that will remove gray wolves from the Endangered Species List in several western states . . .

The White House is poised to accept a budget bill that includes an unprecedented end-run around Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves in five Western states — the first time Congress has targeted a species protected under the 37-year-old law.

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