From today’s online edition of the Daily Inter Lake . . .
On the eve of its centennial year, Glacier National Park is primed for a long overdue wilderness designation, Glacier Superintendent Chas Cartwright said Tuesday at a Kalispell Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
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From this week’s online edition of the Hungry Horse News . . .
Sen. Max Baucus last week said he would push to have the North Fork of the Flathead designated as a World Heritage Site in Danger, a dubious distinction as Glacier National Park turns 100 next year.
The North Fork will see the international limelight in June, when Will Hammerquist, the Glacier representative of the National Park Conservation Association and Ryland Nelson, of the Canadian environmental organization Wildsight, will testify in front of a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage panel.
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Another sure sign of spring: A new bear study.
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
A new and expansive effort to monitor the Northern Continental Divide’s grizzly bear population will capitalize on a creature comfort for bears: the irresistible urge to scratch their backs on trees.
The research project mainly will be aimed at determining whether collecting hair samples from rub trees over three successive years can provide a reliable measure of whether the region’s grizzly population is stable, growing or shrinking.
It will be led by Kate Kendall, the U.S. Geological Survey scientist who spearheaded two previous grizzly bear population studies based on genetic analysis of bear hair.
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According to an article in yesterday’s Daily Inter Lake, many of Glacier National Park’s lower altitude roads are now open. This includes the Camas Road and the inside North Fork Road from the Polebridge entrance north to Big Prairie.
This whole wolf thing is getting a little confusing, but here’s the latest, as posted in today’s Flathead Beacon . . .
Wolves in parts of the Northern Rockies and the Great Lakes region come off the endangered species list Monday — opening the way for public hunting of the animals to begin in some states this fall.
But prior attempts to remove federal protection for the predators have been rejected by judges and new legal challenges are certain.
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Here’s an interesting entry from the North Fork Landowners’ Association Road Committee’s February minutes:
Dave Prunty has inquired about landowners’ interest in narrowing the section of gravel road from the end of the blacktop to Camas Creek Road. It is currently 40 plus feet wide and the proposal is to narrow it to a 24-foot width. The 24-foot width would reduce maintenance expenses from the grading aspect and probably plowing snow as well. The county thinks there is some good material that would be “reclaimed” to provide a better driving surface. The county is just beginning to [talk] about this idea and wanted community input.
To comment, landowners can contact the Road Committee at northforkroad@live.com. Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty can be contacted directly at dprunty@flathead.mt.gov, although it’s probably best and most effective to funnel comments through the Road Committee in most circumstances.
By the way, the NFLA Road Committee has been doing some very nice work. See their North Fork Road page for details. Recommended reading.
Besides the general infrastructure money announced a little over a week ago, Glacier National Park is getting $27.6 million in federal stimulus funding for repairs to Going-to-the-Sun Road. It will be used for work on the section between Big Bend and Logan Pass during next year’s construction season.
Yesterday’s Daily Inter Lake had the initial coverage. Today’s Missoulian has a lengthier, more detailed article.
An article in today’s Missoulian and another in the Daily Inter Lake provide more information on the recently announced allocation of federal stimulus money for Glacier National Park. $15.6 million will go toward renovations at Many Glacier Hotel, $1.5 million is for upgrading comfort stations for proper handicap access and around $400,000 will be used for backcountry trail and campground maintenance.
Glacier Park still needs about a gazillion dollars for work on Going-to-the-Sun Road. Any money for that purpose would be funneled through the Federal Highway Administration. No word on that yet.
No word on how it will be spent yet, but Glacier National Park is getting $17.5 million for infrastructure work.
Here’s the lead from today’s online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .
Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced Wednesday that Montana’s national parks will receive $33.2 from the federal stimulus, more than half of which will sent to Glacier National Park.
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There’s sort of an odd article in today’s Daily Interlake reporting on a presentation by Regional Forester Tom Tidwell concerning plans for federal stimulus money in the area’s national forests. Wilderness designation also gets a passing mention, as well a number of other interesting tidbits.
Here’s the lead . . .
A wave of federal stimulus money will hit the ground in national forests soon, and it will be aimed at boosting private sector employment, Regional Forester Tom Tidwell said Monday in Kalispell.
In a meeting with the Inter Lake’s editorial board, Tidwell also discussed the importance of maintaining a Montana timber industry and the potential for wilderness designations in the region.
Read the entire article . . .