All posts by nfpa

Bear evictions

News, ,

It must be spring. Montana FWP is back in the bear eviction business again. According to an article in today’s Daily Inter Lake, they had to relocate a sow and her cub a few days ago that were getting into garbage in the Swan Range foothills. Tim Manley, a grizzly bear management specialist, reports that half the radio-collared bears he monitors are already up and about, looking for food. So, this would be good time to make sure there aren’t any bear attractants — garbage, dog food, bird seed, etc. — around the property.

Read the entire article . . .

NPCA information on North Fork and Glacier Park

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , ,

With all the coverage the Trans-boundary Flathead has gotten over the past few weeks, it seemed appropriate to point out that the U.S.-based National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA) also has a dog in that fight. They maintain a web page discussing the threats to Glacier Park and the adjoining Flathead River Valley arising from potential resource development in the Canadian Flathead, as well as links to a great deal of supporting material and related documentation. The NPCA is also advocating for the U.N. to designate Waterton-Glacier Park as an endangered World Heritage Site, a move that would focus additional international attention on  the situation.

Endangered river designation for North Fork draws more coverage

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , , , ,

The Flathead Beacon posted a tardy, but well-written article covering both of  the North Fork’s recent “endangered river” designations . . .

As the threat of large-scale mining continues to bear down on the headwaters of the Flathead River Basin – and as funding for conservation research hits a snag – Ric Hauer believes the North Fork Flathead River’s recent designation as one of the most endangered rivers in North America arrives with appropriate timing.

Read the entire article . . .

Blankenship press outing discusses endangered North Fork

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , ,

The Hungry Horse News has a nice article about a press conference held at Blankenship to discuss American River’s listing of the North Fork as one of the ten most endangered rivers in the U.S.

Here’s the lead . . .

On a bright blue day at Blankenship black bugs come off the water and land on your head and arms and hat. They would be annoying if they weren’t such a good omen, because these black bugs are no ordinary bugs.

They’re stoneflies and they make their living in the tiny cracks between the rocks of the North Fork of the Flathead River. They’re annoying to us, maybe. But to trout they’re like candy. To trout they’re food staple.

Stoneflies in a river mean it’s clean and pure and unpolluted. Because streams that are polluted have sediments and filth that fill those cracks between the rocks that ultimately choke out the stoneflies entirely.

Put a coal mine along a stream and that’s what gets squeezed out first — the stoneflies from sediment washing into the river…

Read the entire article . . .

Flathead County gets some takers for their dust program

News, , , , ,

Flathead County got enough takers for their dust abatement program to use up about half the $100,000 budget allocation — none on the North Fork, though.

Today’s Daily Inter Lake has the story . . .

More than 24 miles of Flathead County roads will get dust abatement this summer through a new cost-sharing program.

It’s a pay-to-play endeavor in which the county and rural residents split the cost of applying magnesium chloride to curb a growing road-dust problem.

Magnesium chloride, which costs about $4,000 per mile, will be applied to 15 miles of road, county Public Works Director Dave Prunty told the county commissioners on Tuesday.

About 9.5 miles will get emulsified asphalt (black oil). Oil is twice as expensive as magnesium chloride, but the county’s match for oil will be the same — $2,000 per mile.

Read the entire article . . .

Flathead’s North Fork makes another ‘most endangered’ list

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

Following up on our earlier post about about the North Fork Flathead River making the American Rivers organization’s list of “America’s Most Endangered Rivers,” here’s the Missoulian’s write-up, which includes some additional information . . .

The North Fork Flathead River, a wild waterway forming the western edge of Glacier National Park, has recently been listed as one of the most endangered rivers in North America.

Canadian coal mine proposals and plans for coalbed methane and gold exploration all threaten the North Fork’s headwaters, according to both U.S. and Canadian watchdogs.

“Countries may recognize borders, but rivers don’t, and pollution doesn’t stop at the border,” said Will Hammerquist of the National Parks Conservation Association. His group, along with the Flathead Coalition, recently nominated the North Fork for inclusion in “America’s Most Endangered Rivers.”

Read the entire article . . .

North Fork fifth on US endangered rivers list

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

Today’s Daily Inter Lake reports that the North Fork Flathead River ranks fifth on American Rivers’  2009 list of endangered rivers due to the threats posed by resource development in the Canadian Flathead.

Here’s the lead . . .

An “indefinite opportunity” for coal mining and other resource development in Canada has put the North Fork Flathead River on a list of the nation’s 10 most endangered rivers.

American Rivers, the country’s leading river conservation organization, ranks the North Fork fifth on its 2009 list.

Read the entire article . . .

Campaign to save the Flathead River Valley launches in B.C.

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , ,

The Sierra Club BC, Wildsight, Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society – BC Chapter and Flathead Wild recently launched a drive to save British Columbia’s Flathead River Valley. They hope to get the southern third designated as a national park, effectively filling out Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, and protect the remainder by establishing it as part of a wildlife management area. See the Friends of the Flathead website for more information.

Wolf numbers and sightings up

Environmental Issues, News,

Today’s Missoulian features a pretty good article on the current state of wolf populations throughout Montana and adjoining areas. The “hook” is the increased number of sightings near Missoula, but there is a lot of general information, as well.

Here’s the lead-in . . .

The howl of the wolf soon may be heard in Missoula.

Neighbors at the end of Marshall Canyon found wolf-killed wildlife in the drainage just northeast of the Missoula Valley in mid-March. Hunters last fall reported wolf tracks and scat in the Rattlesnake Wilderness and Gold Creek drainage. Residents in Bonner noticed the bighorn sheep hanging closer to town last winter, and wondered if wolves might be spooking them.

Read the entire article . . .

Spring Visitors

Travel Articles, , ,

The North Fork Hostel and the Polebridge area got a nice write-up in the Helena Independent Record last Thursday . . .

I awoke to a thump-thump-thump sound of fresh spring snow blowing off the trees and landing on the metal roof.

It was morning in North Fork Country.

Situated next to Glacier National Park’s western boundary about 20 miles south of the Canadian border, Polebridge offers visitors a relaxed attitude and sweeping views of the Livingston Range to the east and the Whitefish Range to the west.

Read the entire article . . .