All posts by nfpa

BC government signs order banning resource extraction activity in Canadian Flathead

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The government of British Columbia has signed an order that apparently bans mining and other resource extraction activity in the Canadian Flathead watershed. The Missoulian has a good write-up, including a map . . .

British Columbia’s government has formalized its promise to protect wildlands north of Glacier National Park, signing a legislative order that effectively bans mining in the Canadian Flathead.

Called the Flathead Watershed Area Order, the law signed Tuesday completely reverses a longstanding land-use plan for the area, which gave drilling and mining primacy over all other uses.

Read the entire article . . .

More coverage of BC’s North Fork mining and energy development ban

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

We’re starting to see more — and more detailed — coverage of British Columbia’s decision to forgo resource extraction activities in the Canadian Flathead River Valley. Two good articles appeared today.

The Daily Inter Lake did a nice, balanced job . . .

The lieutenant governor of British Columbia announced Tuesday that all types of mining and oil and gas development “will not be permitted” in the province’s portion of the Flathead Valley.

It was news that was well received in Montana.

Read the entire article . . .

Unsurprisingly, the Environmental News Service write-up was a bit heavier on quotes from various environmental outfits, but also includes considerable background information . . .

Mining and drilling for oil, gas and coal will be banned in the Canadian portion of the Flathead River Basin, under a new partnership with the state of Montana announced Tuesday in British Columbia’s Speech from the Throne, an annual address that identifies the Province’s legislative priorities for the coming year.

British Columbia Lieutenant Governor Steven Point declared, “A new partnership with Montana will sustain the environmental values in the Flathead River Basin in a manner consistent with current forestry, recreation, guide outfitting and trapping uses. It will identify permissible land uses and establish new collaborative approaches to transboundary issues.”

Read the entire article . . .

BC declares North Fork off limits to mining & energy development

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

In the annual “Throne Speech,” British Columbia Lt. Gov. Steven Point declared the Canadian portion of the Flathead River Valley off limits to mining and energy extraction. Assuming no subtle weasel-wording, this means B.C. just shut the door to activities such as coal and gold mining and coalbed methane development in the Canadian North Fork. Word is, Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer will be flying to Vancouver, B.C., next week to sign a memorandum of understanding committing both the state and the province to work towards the same goals for the Flathead River Basin on their respective sides of the border.

Currently, the Missoulian has the most detailed coverage . . .

British Columbia Lt. Gov. Steven Point declared the Canadian portion of the Flathead River Valley off limits to mining and energy extraction in a speech to his parliament on Tuesday.

Citing a new partnership with Montana, Point said the Flathead River Basin would be managed for existing types of forestry, recreation, guide outfitting and trapping uses.

Read the entire article . . .

The Flathead Beacon has an Associated Press write-up . . .

British Columbia’s government said Tuesday it will not permit mining or drilling in a remote valley along the Montana border that companies have been trying to develop for 25 years.

Read the entire article . . .

Wolves as “park stewards”?

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Now, here’s an interesting idea: Introducing wolves into national parks to control elk and deer herds and prevent overgrazing. Dunno if this would ever be feasible in the real world — managing a pack of neutered, collared wolves seems a bit (ahem) over-engineered compared to more straightforward alternatives — but the underlying science is plausible. If nothing else, it’s a nice break from coverage of The Great Wolf Hunt Squabble.

Here’s the lead-in . . .

With ballooning elk and deer populations eating up greenery and altering ecosystems at national parks across the country, a group of researchers is suggesting an unusual solution: introduce small packs of gray wolves to curb the expanding herds.

Read the entire article . . .

New, expanded critical habitat designation for bull trout proposed

Environmental Issues, News,

The US Fish and Wildlife Service is proposing a substantial increase to the critical habitat designation for Bull Trout throughout the Northwest. This includes drainages around Glacier Park such as the North Fork Flathead River. A post to the New West site yesterday has the story, including information on meetings and on public comment procedures . . .

On January 13th, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) released a new critical habitat designation for bull trout throughout the Northwest, including western Montana. The new draft — offering four-to-six times more protected waters than a previous proposal — includes 21,694 miles of stream habitat and 533,426 acres of reservoirs and lakes in Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon and Nevada.

Read the entire article . . .

Tester announces changes to “wilderness bill”

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

If you’ve been following the progress of Sen. Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, this is fairly interesting.

From today’s Missoulian . . .

Reacting to both criticism and constructive advice, Sen. Jon Tester revealed a thick list of changes to his Forest Jobs and Recreation Act during a visit to Missoula on Friday.

In all, Tester proposed 21 changes to S. 1470…

Read the entire article . . .

Flathead Wild: UN Report calls for ban on Flathead mining

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

The folks at Flathead Wild posted a good summary of the high points of the UNESCO World Heritage report on threats to Waterton-Glacier Park, along with links to major press coverage — both print and video.

Here’s the lead-in . . .

Great news for Friends of the Flathead! A UNESCO World Heritage report is recommending a permanent prohibition on mining in the Flathead River Valley. And that a single conservation and wildlife management plan be developed for the entire trans-boundary Flathead region.

The report also says the adjacent Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park should be declared a World Heritage Site in Danger if plans proceed for a controversial Flathead coal strip mine.

Read the entire article . . .

Despite hunts, wolves holding steady

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Here’s  a wolf population status overview from an AP article appearing on today’s Flathead Beacon web site . . .

A new tally of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies shows the population held steady across the region in 2009, ending more than a decade of expansion by the predators but also underscoring their resilience in the face of new hunting seasons in Montana and Idaho.

Read the entire article . . .

UN scientists call for end to mining in Canadian Flathead

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

This week’s Hungry Horse News has a decent write-up on the UN World Heritage Committee scientific mission report on threats to Waterton-Glacier Park . . .

Scientists from the United Nations are calling for a moratorium on mining in the Canadian Flathead, just north of Glacier National Park.

Last fall Paul Dingwall, a New Zealand scientist with the World Conservation Union and the World Wide Fund for Nature, and Keshore Rao, deputy director of the United Nation’s World Heritage Center, toured Glacier and Waterton Parks as well as the Canadian Flathead. They wanted to see for themselves the potential impacts of proposed coal, coal bed methane and gold mines in Canada on the Park.

“Their basic conclusion is they have no doubt that mining is incompatible,” with the park, said Stephen Morris, chief of international affairs for the National Parks Service.

Read the entire article . . .

Presentation on mining’s threat to Flathead water quality on Feb 9th in Polson

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From yesterday’s Missoulian . . .

University of Montana professor Ric Hauer will discuss threats to the water quality of Flathead Lake and the Flathead River at the next program sponsored by the Mission Mountain Audubon Society.

“Pristine waters and biodiversity threatened in the North Fork Flathead River” will be the subject of Hauer’s talk Tuesday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. in the Polson City Library meeting room. The public is welcome to attend.

Read the entire article . . .

[Trivia department: For those of you who follow us on Twitter, this post generated our 100th “tweet.” Are we fashion-forward or what?]