Here’s an insightful follow-up article on last weekend’s Western governors meeting, written by Michael Jamison and posted to the Missoulian’s website early this morning . . .
A plan to forever protect Canadian wildlands north of Glacier National Park — and to pay for those protections — is slowly taking shape, cobbled together by an international coalition that includes local, state and federal partners.
Here’s the Associated Press take on last weekend’s Western governors meeting in Whitefish. This story is getting some national coverage. From yesterday’s Billings Gazette . . .
Gov. Brian Schweitzer isn’t done jousting with federal officials over a deal with Canada to protect the area surrounding Glacier National Park.
Montana’s governor used the bully pulpit over the weekend as chairman of the Western governors to again criticize his federal partners in the deal — even as the Obama administration was talking with the Canada about moving the state-level pact along.
Coverage of last weekend’s western governor’s conference in Whitefish from the Flathead Beacon . . .
Gov. Brian Schweitzer called on Montana’s federal delegation Sunday to support legislation by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, dedicated to restoring the Columbia River Basin, as a way to fund commitments in the agreement between Montana and British Columbia to protect the North Fork from mining and drilling in Canada.
“Don’t be running after the bus, get on the bus and sit beside the driver,” Schweitzer said. “And this bill is the vehicle.”
Posted late yesterday evening to the Missoulian . . .
No park is an island.
That was the message from Whitefish, where governors from Western states met early this week to discuss, among other things, how to protect wildlife and ecosystems that span jurisdictional boundaries.
Montana shares borders with Idaho, and with Wyoming and the Dakotas and with two Canadian provinces, “and wildlife, water and air don’t declare allegiance to any of those borders,” . . .
From todays’ Flathead Beacon, more fussing about the July deadline for implementing the provisions of the memorandum of understanding signed by Montana Gov. Schweitzer and BC Premier Campbell during the Winter Olympics . . .
The historic agreement banning natural resource development along the North Fork Flathead River, signed by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell earlier this year, contains language saying the retirement of oil, gas and mineral leases must be completed by July.
It is a deadline, Schweitzer acknowledged last week, “in doubt.”
From today’s Missoulian. Recommended reading . . .
An agreement to protect the American and Canadian sides of the Flathead River Basin from mining and energy extraction is holding together, even though snags have developed in financing the deal.
Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer met with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell in Victoria on Wednesday and returned with assurances their memorandum of understanding on the Flathead’s protection would survive a July deadline.
From today’s Flathead Beacon . . .
U.S. Sen. Jon Tester released some changes Thursday to his logging and wilderness bill, beating back a Washington, D.C.-based rewrite of the carefully crafted Montana compromise.
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
The Flathead National Forest is launching a series of federal stimulus projects this summer, some of which will cause temporary access changes across the forest.
“We are doing so much improvements that the public is going to like this and appreciate it. They will be very noticeable,” said Denise Germann, the forest’s public affairs officer.
However, Germann said there will be temporary inconveniences at some locations, and that is why the forest is engaged in a outreach effort to inform the public about where construction activity is under way.
“We highly encourage forest users to plan ahead, and visit our website or contact us directly regarding temporary closures and access changes this summer and next,” she said.
There were no surprises in the first day of the hearing on whether gray wolves should be placed back under the Endangered Species Act in Montana and Idaho. Both sides presented the expected arguments. Here’s the lead-in from a relevant AP story. . .
A federal judge heard arguments Tuesday on whether gray wolves in Montana and Idaho should be protected once more under the Endangered Species Act and whether those states can ensure the species won’t be wiped out under their management.
The latest round in the lawsuit regarding Endangered Species Act delisting of gray wolves kicks off Tuesday. Today’s Missoulian has a good overview of the situation . . .
The wolves themselves may be the only ones who won’t be at the Russell Smith Courthouse on Tuesday morning when U.S. District Judge Don Molloy returns to arguments about the predator’s Endangered Species Act status.