All posts by nfpa

Judge Molloy rejects settlement to lift wolf protections in Montana and Idaho

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

This is not a huge surprise. Molloy refused to budge from his previous position that the Endangered Species Act does not provide for a staged withdrawal of protections based on political boundaries . . .

A federal judge has denied a proposed settlement agreement between the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and 10 conservation groups that would have lifted endangered species protections for wolves in Montana and Idaho.

U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula on Saturday rejected the agreement that could have led to public hunting of some 1,300 wolves in the two states.

In the 24-page decision, Molloy cited the court’s lack of authority to put part of an endangered species population under state management and expose that population to hunting, noting, “Congress has clearly determined that animals on the ESA must be protected as such,” and the court couldn’t “exercise its discretion to allow what Congress forbids.”

He also said he couldn’t approve the settlement proposed in March because not all the parties involved in the case agreed with it. Part of the argument for the settlement was that it could end litigation, but Molloy noted that was unlikely given the opposition by some to the proposed settlement.

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Pending U.S. budget bill includes language to lift wolf protections in Montana and Idaho

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From an AP article posted to the Missoulian’s online site . . .

Gray wolves in Montana and Idaho would be taken off the endangered list under the budget bill pending before Congress, two Western lawmakers said.

Inclusion of the language to lift protections for wolves was confirmed by the offices of Montana Democratic Sen. Jon Tester and Idaho Republican Rep. Mike Simpson on Saturday.

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Montana snowpack above average; streamflows expected to be double last year

Flood Information, News,

Here are some up-to-date numbers on snowpack and expected stream runoff from today’s Missoulian . . .

Snowpack across the state of Montana remains above average, and spring runoff flows should be nearly twice what they were last spring.

Snowpack numbers statewide show 120 percent of average, and a whopping 185 percent of last year’s paltry snowpack . . .

Columbia River drainages – Kootenai, Flathead, Clark Fork and Bitterroot – range from 107 percent of average snowpack to a whopping 129 percent in the Flathead drainage.

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Harsh winter hammers county roads

News,

Here’s another one of those obligatory, periodic road pieces.

It will come as no surprise to anyone on the North Fork that winter was pretty hard on local roads. An article in today’s Daily Inter Lake discusses this. It also provides some statistics on this year’s cost-shared dust abatement program . . .

Flathead County roads are in bad shape this spring, the county’s public works director told commissioners Tuesday.

“I’ve never seen it this bad in my career,” Dave Prunty responded when Commissioner Dale Lauman asked him if there is “an extraordinary amount of road breakup this year.”

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Larry Wilson: ‘The Road,’ a history

Commentary, News, , ,

This week, Larry Wilson discusses the state of the North Fork Road this mud season and compares it with conditions in past decades . . .

I made two round trips from Trail Creek to Columbia Falls this week and one of my neighbors asked how I fared on the terrible road. My reply was that I thought the road was really good – for the time of year.

How you view the North Fork Road is a matter of perception. If you compare it to Interstate 90 it is always awful. In fact, by comparison, it isn’t a road at all, it’s a nearly impassable ditch.

If you compare it to how it was in 1950 it is greatly improved…

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2011 Spring plowing is underway in the park

News, , , , , ,

They’re starting to move snow in Glacier National Park and they have plenty extra this year. Don’t expect Logan Pass access before mid-June at best and, as usual, they are letting Camas and the inside North Fork Road melt out on their own. Read the press release for all the gory details . . .

Glacier National Park road crews have begun spring snow plowing on the park’s roads and are finding substantial amounts of snow. Flattop and Many Glacier Snotel sites, snow measuring stations, are showing between 20 and 40 percent above normal snow water equivalent. Last week, USGS snow survey crews recorded 100 inches of snow on the ground at Siyeh Bend, two miles east of Logan Pass, and 140 inches of snow at the 7,500 foot elevation nearby.

Park crews began plowing the Chief Mountain Road, near the park’s northeast corner on Tuesday, March 15. The crews then focused their efforts on the Two Medicine Road. Instead of the three foot drifts they normally encounter at this time of year, the crews were plowing drifts up to eight feet deep. As soon as weather and road conditions permit, visitors will be able to drive to Running Eagle Falls. The Many Glacier Road will be the focus of east side plowing efforts this week. At present, crews are encountering drifts over ten feet deep. The Many Glacier Road will not open to motor vehicles until the third weekend of April at the earliest, to reduce stress on wildlife in critical winter range.

On the west side, the crews have completed plowing Apgar Village and one lane on the Camas Road. The Camas and Inside North Fork Roads will be allowed to melt out prior to opening. Plowing of the Going-to-the-Sun Road (Sun Road) began on Friday, April 1, beyond the Lake McDonald Lodge. Crews are encountering 12-36 inches of snow with two to six inches of ice on the road surface. Once the crews plow beyond Avalanche Creek, HK Contractors will continue rehabilitation of the Sun Road along Upper McDonald Creek and on both sides of Logan Pass.

Because of the contract to rehabilitate the Sun Road, the earliest possible opening of the road in its entirety would be June 17, weather and road conditions dependent. Spring snow storms play a large factor in safely opening the Sun Road to two-way motor vehicle traffic. Once the plow crews are working in the higher elevations, visitors will be able to drive to Avalanche Creek on the west side and Jackson Glacier Overlook on the east side.

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Glacier National Park to be featured on new quarter

News,

Here’s a fun little tidbit. From today’s press release . . .

Glacier National Park is pleased to join the United States Mint for the launch of the seventh coin in the America the Beautiful Quarters® Program. The ceremony will take place on April 13, 2011 at the Columbia Falls High School Gymnasium at 1:00pm, and the public is invited to attend. At the ceremony, B. B. Craig, Associate Director of Sales and Marketing, United States Mint and Chas Cartwright, Superintendent of Glacier National Park will be joined by dignitaries, and their representatives, from throughout the state of Montana. Following brief remarks, a coin exchange will take place where the public can swap their currency for $10 rolls of the new Glacier National Park quarters. All children 18 and under will receive a free quarter.

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New method may provide better wolf population estimates

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

This interesting article was posted to the Daily Inter Lake. Apparently, wolf counts are usually minimum estimates. This new technique could be more accurate . . .

Monitoring wolf populations has never been easy and it’s gotten more difficult in recent years with an expanding wolf population in Montana, but now there’s interest in putting a new method to work, possibly as soon as this year.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials have been working with the Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit at the University of Montana for the last few years to develop a “patch occupancy modeling” for wolves . . .

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