From the Associated Press . . .
Montana’s U.S. Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester announced today that their federal legislation to protect the Upper Flathead Valley has cleared a major hurdle.
Category Archives: Environmental Issues
Wildlife advocates hail Rocky Mountain wolf ruling
From today’s Flathead Beacon, here’s the Associated Press’ take on the restoration of wolves to Endangered Species Act protection . . .
Wildlife advocates say a ruling to restore Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains buys time to create a better plan than the one the judge rejected, one that ensures their numbers don’t dwindle again.
Wolves back on endangered species list — temporarily, at least
Posted this evening to the Missoulian website . . .
Wolves are back on the endangered species list, after U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled Thursday that populations in Montana and Idaho cannot be considered separately from Wyoming’s wolves.
In a 50-page decision, Molloy said “the rule delisting the gray wolf (in Montana and Idaho) must be set aside because, though it may be a pragmatic solution to a difficult biological issue, it is not a legal one.”
UNESCO warns of threats to wildlife in the Flathead and surrounding areas
Posted today to the Flathead Wild website . . .
Work still needs to be done to protect wildlife in the Flathead and surrounding areas, and to ensure that Rocky Mountain wildlife connectivity is not compromised by forestry practices and other development, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee said today in a “state of conservation” report.
The state of conservation report recommends “development of a pro-active plan for enhancing connectivity” in the Flathead River Valley and adjoining areas. It also raises concerns about proposed mine expansions in southeastern British Columbia, adjacent to the Flathead, “in a corridor providing vital habitat connectivity to the Rocky Mountains World Heritage property in Alberta” [the Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks].
North Fork Road draft study released, discussed
Here’s the Flathead Beacon’s take on last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft . . .
To pave or not to pave? The question of what to do with the North Fork Road was further debated Tuesday night in Columbia Falls. Residents, local business owners and Flathead County officials gathered at the Glacier Discovery Square to discuss the recently released draft of a $125,000 study on the corridor.
Lack of money likely to deter North Fork Road paving plans — for now, at least
Here’s the Daily Inter Lake’s write-up on last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft. If for no other reason, it’s worth reading for Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont’s pragmatic comments . . .
To pave or not to pave may not be the question.
Due to lack of money, Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont said the long-talked-about paving of the North Fork Road will not likely happen anytime soon unless the federal government decides to pay for it.
Public comments sought on North Fork Road corridor study draft
This week’s Hungry Horse News has a good summary of last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft.
Note that public comments are due by August 10. Send e-mail to mdtnffrteam@mt.gov or write to Lani Eggertsen-Goff, PB 488 E. Wincester Street, Suite 400, Murray, UT 84107. The draft corridor study can be viewed online at http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/northfork/. (Warning! Some big files.)
Here’s the lead-in from the HHN write-up . . .
The public was invited to give comment at the North Fork Flathead Road meeting Tuesday, July 27, which will be entered as part of the final Corridor Study Document.
At the meeting, representatives from Parsons Brinckerhoff — the group commissioned to conduct the study — answered questions.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee report recommends increased Flathead Valley protection
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee released the final report of the scientific mission study of threats to Waterton-Glacier Park. A press release posted to the Flathead Wild website has the highlights . . .
A report commissioned by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is calling for a “conservation and wildlife management plan” for the transboundary Flathead and a new management plan for the Flathead River Valley that “gives priority to natural ecological values and wildlife conservation.”…
The 50-page report, released today at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia, recommends:
- A new B.C. Southern Rocky Mountains Management Plan “that gives priority to natural ecological values and wildlife conservation.”
- Taking steps to minimize barriers to wildlife connectivity, including a long-term moratorium on further mining developments in south eastern B.C., including in the Elk Valley, “in the corridor of natural terrain that creates vital habitat connectivity and allows the unimpeded movement of carnivores and ungulates” between Waterton-Glacier and Canada’s Rocky Mountains national parks.
- A single conservation and wildlife management plan for the transboundary Flathead.
- Inscription of Waterton-Glacier on the list of World Heritage in Danger if development of the proposed Lodgepole coal strip mine had proceeded (the B.C. government banned Flathead mining and energy development in February 2010 after receiving a draft copy of the mission report).
For those of you who prefer to get your information directly from source documents, we’ve made the full report available for direct viewing/download (50 pages, PDF format, 2MB).
Meeting scheduled to review draft North Fork Road corridor study
Here’s some more information on the upcoming public meeting on the North Fork Road corridor study from yesterday’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
An open-house-style meeting has been scheduled for the public to review and give comments on the corridor study of a portion of the North Fork Road.
The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, July 27, at the Discovery Center at 540 Nucleus Ave., Columbia Falls. As an open-house style meeting, no formal presentation will be given.
UNESCO World Heritage Committee report to be released soon
According to a post on the Flathead Wild site today, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee report on threats to Waterton-Glacier Park and its environs will be released at the committee’s meeting in Brasilia, which begins tomorrow.
We’ll provide access to the report once it becomes available.