All posts by nfpa

Crews begin plowing Glacier Park roads; snow depths above average

News, , ,

The Missoulian yesterday evening posted a pretty thorough write-up on this year’s snow removal efforts in Glacier National Park, including this interesting tidbit: “Basin totals for the entire North Fork of the Flathead River are an astounding 197 percent of average snow water equivalent” . . .

In this corner of Montana, nothing heralds the approach of springtime quite like the mechanical whirring of a fleet of snowplows hewing out a path on Glacier National Park’s famed Going-to-the-Sun Road.

On April 1, plow crews will begin the annual work of forging through a wall of white on the 50-mile-long engineering marvel, a job that will require several months of steady churning before visitors can make the tortuous journey – and perhaps longer, given this winter’s cumbrous snowpack.

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Judge Molloy hears various sides on wolf settlement, hunts

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Today’s Missoulian made a valiant effort to summarize yesterday’s hearing before Judge Molloy regarding the recently proposed deal to return wolf management to the states of Montana and Idaho, as well as other related matters. It’s a bit of a mess. Settle down with your favorite beverage before diving into this one . . .

Wolves faced two kinds of hunts during a hearing before U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy on Thursday.

A proposed settlement between wolf advocates and the federal government could open up public wolf hunting in Montana and Idaho, if Molloy supports it.

But he’s also considering an older case that considers how federal and state authorities could kill wolves while they’re still protected under the Endangered Species Act.

Complicating matters, the settlement has fractured both sides of the wolf delisting case, resulting in a courtroom Thursday with almost two dozen lawyers representing different factions.

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Bears on the move in Glacier National Park

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

It’s that time again. The bears are starting to get up and moving. The folks in Glacier National Park are seeing fresh tracks . . .

Recent observations of bear tracks in the snow indicate bears are emerging from hibernation and venturing out looking for food in and around Glacier National Park. Park Superintendent Chas Cartwright remarked, “Bear tracks in the snow are a good reminder that Glacier National Park is bear country and park visitors need to be alert for bear activity and to be familiar with and comply with safety regulations.”

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Wolf deal faces first test in federal court

Environmental Issues, News, ,

The recently announced deal to return wolf management to the states of Montana and Idaho faced its first court test today . . .

A proposal to settle years of litigation and allow public hunting of wolves in parts of the Northern Rockies faces its first legal test on Thursday, as it goes before a federal judge who has twice rebuffed attempts to lift protections for the predators.

The hearing before U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy in Missoula follows a settlement agreement last week between the Obama administration and 10 conservation groups.

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‘Wolverine Way’ a humorous, informative book

Environmental Issues, News,

While we’re on the subject of Wolverines, here’s a nice review of local author Doug Chadwick’s recent (May, 2010) book, The Wolverine Way . . .

“Wolverines belong to the carnivore family Mustelidae, more commonly called the weasel family after its most familiar members. From a public relations standpoint, this is a bit unfortunate, considering how corporate shills, spammers, faithless lovers and hedge fund managers keep giving weasels a bad name.”

That quotation is from “The Wolverine Way” by Doug Chadwick, a surprisingly funny yet keenly informative book about Glacier National Park’s mysterious wolverine population.

“I’m a biologist. It’s been really hard for me to get it through my thick head that people aren’t as interested in all those geeky facts,” Chadwick said from his rural Whitefish home last week. “Wolverines are fun and exciting. If I don’t get that across, I’m not conveying the real information about the animal. I’m a superfan.”

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In Glacier, volunteers help track secretive wolverines

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Here’s another article on the wolverine study in Glacier National Park. This one, from the Hungry Horse News, is based on an interview with Doug Chadwick — reasonable enough, since he has published a book on wolverines . . .

A creature long-maligned is finally getting some positive attention. The wolverine, one of Glacier National Park’s most rugged animals, is the subject of an ongoing study by biologists to learn more about the mysterious animal.

“We’re trying to get out there an learn everything we can,” said volunteer and local author Doug Chadwick. “The single most concentrated, vigorous population we know of in the Lower 48 is in Glacier National Park and we’re only talking about 40 to 45 animals.”

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Larry Wilson: Opinions from Trail Creek

Commentary,

Larry Wilson presents a 25th anniversary column this week. Or maybe, since he says the first one was in 1985, it’s 26 years. Anyways, here’s the lead-in . . .

At the end of March I will have written this column for twenty-five years. The first one appeared on April Fools Day 1985 which was probably appropriate.

I was asked to write the column by then owner and editor, Brian Kennedy, and I agreed with many reservations. My only writing experience was writing wrestling columns for Mel Ruder when I was coaching at Columbia Falls High School and felt ill-prepared to replace John Frederick, who had been writing the column. He at least was an English major. At that point I decided I would try to inform folks about the North Fork and let someone else teach grammar and English.

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Missoula audience scrutinizes U.S. Forest Service’s proposed planning rule

Environmental Issues, News,

This article from today’s Missoulian is well worth reading if you have any interest in the proposed changes to the USFS planning rule. The write-up includes information on how to access the planning rule website and leave comments . . .

It’s a little like changing the shape of the strike zone in baseball, or the allowable deductions on your income tax form. A proposed planning rule for all U.S. Forest Service activity is both deeply wonky and game-changing.

The draft rule spreads fine print from page 8,480 to page 8,528 in the Federal Register. In there is something that may affect every trail walker, tree cutter, mushroom picker, snowmobile rider, hunter, angler, small-plane pilot, outfitter, gold miner, folf player and who-knows-what other national forest user.

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Settlement reached on wolf recovery in western states – more info

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, here’s some more information on the proposed gray wolf recovery settlement announced last Friday . . .

Wolf management in the Northern Rockies took a step forward Friday, March 18, when a coalition of 10 conservation groups — including GYC — announced a legal settlement with the U.S. Department of the Interior. The agreement was filed in a federal district court in Missoula, where the court will review it and decide whether to support [it] . . .

If the court OKs the settlement, wolf management will return to the states of Montana and Idaho. Meanwhile, Endangered Species Act protections will be retained in the states where wolves remain threatened: Wyoming, Oregon, Washington and Utah . . .

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Further reading:
GYC press release
Press release from the U.S. Department of the Interior