Category Archives: Environmental Issues

In a weed stomping mood? Now’s the time

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

If you are concerned about invasive plant species — noxious weeds — there are plenty of opportunities to do something about it within the next few weeks.

The North Fork Landowners’ Association has two “weed roundup” events scheduled. The first, on Tuesday, July 26, will concentrate on the area from the border to Ford Station; the second, Friday, August 19, will work from Ford to Polebridge. See the NFLA online calendar for details.

Glacier Park is also kicking off their second annual Noxious Weed Blitz on Thursday, July 28th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the West Glacier Community Building. You get training on weed identification, surveying and mapping. You also get a free lunch out of the deal. Here’s the core part of the press release announcing the event:

Participants will spend the morning learning how to identify five targeted invasive plant species. After lunch attendants will learn how to conduct invasive plant surveys and map the locations of invasive plants using GPS units. Attending the Blitz will give you the option to continue as a citizen scientist weed warrior during future hikes. The event is free and open to all ages. Lunch will be provided for those who sign up for the event. Please bring gloves for hand pulling weeds, footwear for hiking, and drinking water. To sign up or to find out about other invasive plant opportunities, please contact the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at (406) 888-7986 or glac_citizen_science@nps.gov.

Read the full press release for more details.

Wolf management pioneer Carolyn Sime leaving Montana FWP

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From yesterday’s Missoulian . . .

Carolyn Sime, a pioneer in wolf management in Montana, is leaving her job with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in order to pursue a law degree.

“After 10 years of late-night phone calls, ranch meetings and 20 years of game check stations, I’m ready to try something new,” Sime said this week. “But I leave with some really, really fond memories of the relationships we’ve made and the work toward finding common ground, having open dialogues and civil discussions.”

For more than a decade, Sime was in the epicenter of the wolf management controversy…

Continue reading . . .

Wolverine, other animals jump to top of endangered review list with recent agreement

Environmental Issues, News,

Here’s an excellent article by Rob Chaney posted to today’s Missoulian. Recommended reading . . .

In part because they’re so good at evading biologists, Montana’s elusive wolverines nearly escaped a bureaucratic roundup – and a chance at earning federal Endangered Species Act protection.

Now they’re at the top of the “to-do” list.

Continue reading . . .

Montana sets quota of 220 wolves for Fall hunt

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From an AP article posted in today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

Hunters will be able to shoot as many as 220 gray wolves in Montana this fall under rules adopted Thursday by state wildlife commissioners.

The hunt is scheduled to begin in early September and is expected to reduce the predator’s Montana population by about 25 percent to 425 wolves.

A wolf hunt is also planned in Idaho, where officials have not proposed statewide harvest targets or quotas.

Wolves were taken off the endangered species list in an unprecedented move by Congress this spring in Montana, Idaho and parts of Utah, Washington and Oregon.

Continue reading . . .

Numerous bear problems

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Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has been pretty busy recently dealing with various bear encounters and some long-term nuisance bears, including one dropped of on the North Fork. The Daily Inter Lake has a summary . . .

A man escaped mostly unscathed after coming face to face with a black bear Friday morning…

Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologists captured grizzlies near Eureka and Ferndale Thursday and trapped and killed one grizzly near Ferndale…

Continue reading . . .

Grizzly bear population rising in Northwest Montana

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Probably not a big surprise to long-term residents, but it’s nice to have some recent numbers on the increased griz population. From yesterday’s Flathead Beacon . . .

The number of grizzly bears in Northwest Montana is on the rise, according to the National Park Service.

John Waller, wildlife biologist for Glacier National Park, said data being collected in the area of the northern continental divide – approximately 7 million acres between Missoula and the Canadian border – shows the bear population has risen by 3 percent annually since 2004, when there were 765 grizzly bears. Today the number is estimated to be about 950.

Continue reading . . .

Federal officials to visit Wyoming to talk wolves

Environmental Issues, News

Looks like Wyoming is slowly edging towards a deal with the feds on wolf management. From today’s Missoulian . . .

Interior Secretary Ken Salazar is headed to Wyoming to meet with Gov. Matt Mead and others to discuss removing wolves from the endangered list in the state.

Sen. John Barrasso says Daniel Ashe, President Barack Obama’s nominee to lead the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, also will be traveling to Wyoming.

Continue reading . . .

The North Fork Bear News is out! ‘Patti Bear’ at risk

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The North Fork Bear News is out! If you are on the mailing list, you should have it now or be getting it soon. If you are not on the mailing list, or just don’t want to wait, you can read it online here (in color, no less).

This year’s issue has lots of good content about bears, but its primary motivation is the (unnecessary) risk to “Patti Bear,” a young female North Fork grizzly. Here’s what the Bear News people have to say . . .

Patti Bear & hummingbird feeder

Dear Fellow North Forkers:

A few of us have resurrected the North Fork Bear News in response to Tim Manley’s warning at the winter Interlocal meeting that he may have to remove Patti Bear this summer if she gets another food reward. We don’t want to see that happen, and we’re confident the rest of the North Fork community doesn’t want to see it happen either. So we’ve decided to get the word out, and we invite you to do the same.

It’s been a long time since the North Fork has lost a bear because of human food rewards, and we have a good reputation for keeping our camps clean and our bears safe. Patti Bear’s story isn’t over yet – Manley says she can still learn to stay out of trouble and he’s made it clear that the last thing he wants to do is kill a bear. But now more than ever, her survival is up to us.

Preventing Patti or any other bear from getting a food reward is simple, and most of us know the drill: don’t leave food or garbage out where bears can get to it. But if it’s so simple and we know the drill, why is a grizzly bear’s life on the line because of human food rewards?

It’s a question each of us needs to ask ourselves if we are serious about the welfare of bears on the North Fork. And it’s not a stretch to say that the welfare of our neighbors and their property is at stake, too. Most of us know what a food conditioned grizzly bear can do to a cabin, or to a person.

Putting up electric fencing, cleaning up dog food or garbage, or removing dead ground squirrels from the yard can be inconvenient, and everyone enjoys seeing birds at a birdfeeder. The question ultimately becomes whether a bear’s life is worth a little extra cleanup or giving up our birdfeeders. We think it is. With a little extra effort on all our parts, Patti Bear can stay wild, free, and alive.

Continue reading the North Fork Bear News . . .

“Bear fair” to be held at the Polebridge Mercantile July 9th

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , ,

From the just-published North Fork Bear News . . .

The U.S. Forest Service in cooperation with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Glacier National Park and others is sponsoring a community bear fair on July 9th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Polebridge Mercantile. The event will feature educational talks, booths and displays (including a culvert trap to check out in case you’ve been curious…), great food (of course!) and an opportunity to learn more about bears and how to keep them safe. There will even be pots of flowers to give away to those who renounce their hummingbird feeders and a fushsia raffle for a couple of lucky winners. Come join the fun!

Glacier National Park participates in long-term grizzly monitoring study

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

An interesting press release posted to Glacier Park’s web site yesterday . . .

Glacier National Park is participating in a long-term interagency program to monitor the trend of the grizzly bear population in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Bait stations, automated cameras, and traps will be used to capture and monitor grizzly bears within the park. The program attempts to maintain a sample of up to 10 radio-marked female grizzly bears out of an estimated population of 300 grizzly bears living in the park.

Bait stations and trap sites will be marked with brightly colored warning and closure signs. For safety reasons visitors are reminded to heed and comply with these signs and not enter areas closed for baiting or trapping. A man died last year seven miles east of Yellowstone National Park after he wandered into a capture site and was attacked by a grizzly bear. Trapping efforts will continue at various locations throughout Glacier National Park beginning June through October. For further information, please contact park bear biologist, John Waller, at (406) 888-7829.