From an Associated Press article posted this afternoon . . .
Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester say two more energy companies have agreed to retire their leases in the North Fork watershed of Montana’s Flathead River.
Louisiana-based Allen and Kirmse, Ltd. will relinquish its interest in 50,889 acres of land in the region, which borders Glacier National Park and extends into British Columbia. Texas-based Anadarko will relinquish its interest in 24,111 acres.
As expected, Montana FWP set this year’s wolf hunt quota at 186. The Associated Press has a write-up . . .
Montana wildlife regulators on Thursday set this year’s wolf-hunt quota at 186, more than doubling 2009’s quota, with the aim of reducing the state’s wolf population for the first time since they were reintroduced to the Northern Rockies in 1995.
Advocates for the wolf hunt hailed the decision, although some said they would still like to see a bigger number.
But whether a hunting season actually happens may be in the hands of a federal judge…
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
The Flathead Lakers will present their annual Stewardship Award to Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell at their annual meeting on July 15.
The award will recognize the landmark agreement the two leaders signed in February banning mining and oil-and-gas development in the North Fork Flathead watershed, headwaters to Flathead Lake.
The Montana FWP commission will likely set this year’s wolf hunt quota at 186 this Thursday, up from last year’s 75. No word on quotas for the North Fork or other specific management areas yet.
State wildlife officials will recommend increasing the quota of wolves allowed to be killed by hunters this year to 186, compared to 75 in last year’s inaugural hunt.
The increased hunting quota could decrease the state’s wolf population for the first time since the gray wolf was reintroduced to the Northern Rockies in 1995.
Read the full article for details . . .
Wow! This is getting interesting, if not downright entertaining. Gov. Schweitzer and Sens. Baucus and Tester are really starting to butt heads over implementation of the memorandum of understanding Schweitzer negotiated with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell regarding protection of the trans-boundary Flathead. Today’s Flathead Beacon has a good write-up on the issue . . .
Despite a common goal of securing permanent environmental protection for the North Fork of the Flathead River, Montana’s governor and senators don’t appear to be on the same page. The differences between the positions of Gov. Brian Schweitzer and Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester extend from the binding strength of the memorandum of understanding between Montana and British Columbia to the necessity of an international treaty to protect the transboundary Flathead region. And these policy differences are becoming increasingly glaring.
For those of you keeping an eye on the North Fork side of Glacier Park, this item from one of today’s press releases:
The Inside North Fork Road has re-opened after minor road repairs due to recent flooding. Logging Creek and Quartz Creek campgrounds open Thursday, July 1. Only three of the seven camping sites at Logging Creek are currently open due to flooding.
The press release, which talks mostly about the Going-to-the-Sun Road shuttle service, also mentions that Granite Park Chalet is open, Sperry Chalet will open on July 7 and the Highline Trail should open up on July 10.
From an Associated Press article posted yesterday . . .
Gov. Brian Schweitzer is facing sharp questions from Montana’s congressional delegation over the way the governor has handled an agreement with Canada to protect the Glacier National Park area.
Schweitzer inked a deal with Canadian officials earlier this year promising that both sides would move to permanently protect the Flathead region from development. The governor promised the U.S. side would come up with millions to buy out two Canadian companies — a promise Schweitzer apparently made without first getting federal officials on board.
The Democratic governor had been critical of the congressional delegation — U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester along with Rep. Denny Rehberg — for failing to come up with the cash.
Tester and Baucus, both Democrats, sent an unusually terse letter to the governor Wednesday. In it, they pointedly ask where Schweitzer expected the money to come from — and where it would go.
Read the full article (highly recommended) . . .
For additional background, read the text of Wednesday’s letter to Gov. Schweitzer from Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester.
From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .
A deal to permanently protect the North Fork of the Flathead from mining and energy exploration could ultimately be resolved in a treaty between the two countries.
President Barack Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced Monday that they were directing their federal agencies to look at ways of solidifying a deal struck between Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Prime Minister Gordon Campbell in February.
The road. Again. This time, the National Parks Conservation Association and Earthjustice are weighing in.
From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .
Two environmental groups have laid out a legal case against paving a section of the North Fork Road.
The National Parks Conservation Association and Earthjustice have submitted an eight-page letter detailing how paving the road would disturb Glacier National Park.
Those of you accustomed to looping through Glacier Park to avoid the southern part of the North Fork Road may encounter some delays this summer. They will be chip sealing just about all the pavement in the park, with the exception of Going-to-the-Sun Road. They’ll also be doing road striping and some clean-up work. Chip sealing starts Monday, July 12 and should be finished by late August. The striping and clean-up is scheduled to be done by Friday, September 17.
For more details, read the press release. Also, a two week projected schedule and map will be updated weekly and posted to the Glacier website at http://www.nps.gov/glac/planyourvisit/chipseal2010.htm.