Category Archives: News

Delisting of Yellowstone region grizzlies moves forward

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is a little closer to removing grizzly bears from the endangered list in the Yellowstone area . . .

Work to remove grizzly bears in the greater Yellowstone ecosystem from federal endangered species protection is moving forward.

That’s what Chris Servheen, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s grizzly bear recovery coordinator, told members of the Yellowstone Ecosystem Subcommittee of the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee in Jackson, Wyo., this week.

A new rule removing the bears from the endangered species list could be finished by the end of the year.

Read more . . .

Park’s glaciers illustrate climate change impact

Environmental Issues, History, News, ,

The Flathead Beacon posted an interesting profile of the work of Dan Fagre, a USGS  research ecologist stationed at Glacier Park . . .

Twenty-two years ago, when Dan Fagre first walked up to the Grinnell Glacier, its icy mass towered overhead. Today, it’s about as high as his knees.

Grinnell is one of the few glaciers that still exists inside the 1 million acres of Glacier National Park. But just because Grinnell and the other glaciers find shelter inside the preserve doesn’t mean they are not endangered. In fact, due to rising temperatures, scientists believe the park’s namesake bodies of ice will be gone in a few decades. In 1850, it’s estimated that there were 150 glaciers inside the park; today there are just 25. Fagre, a research ecologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, says it is one of the most visual examples of climate change in the continental United States.

Read more . . .

Southwest Montana grizzly bear management plan approved

Documents, Environmental Issues, News, , ,

According to a recent press release, Montana FWP now has a plan in place for managing grizzly bears in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem if/when the bears are removed from the endangered species list . . .

As more than 700 grizzly bears begin to emerge from winter dens in southwestern Montana, state wildlife officials say a recently updated conservation plan shows Montana is well prepared to take over management of the federally threatened species.

The plan, approved by the Montana Fish & Wildlife Commission in February, was developed over the past year in conjunction with a programmatic environmental impact statement. The update addresses state management options once the Greater Yellowstone Area’s more than 700 grizzly bears are removed from the federal list of threatened species.

Read more . . .

Further reading: The management plan is available online at fwp.mt.gov. Click “SW MT Grizzly Bear Management Plan.”

National Forest Northern Region 2013 Year in Review available

News, ,

This year, the Northern Region’s annual report is even available in a number of ebook formats. Here’s the official announcement . . .

The Northern Region’s 2013 Year in Review highlights a wide range of feature articles, information and photos that showcase national programs and priorities at work on the ground here in the Northern Rockies. This overview features numerous partnership and collaborative projects and national emphasis programs that have taken hold and are growing in scope each year in the Region.

The review features write-ups and photos about individual projects at the district and forest level, as well as national initiatives and program accomplishments that cross management and state boundaries. The contents highlight how these efforts improve forest health, revitalize resilient landscapes and restore watershed functions in projects whose impacts literally span coast to coast.

The 2013 Year in Review also contains information submitted by partner and collaborative groups, further conveying the improved results the agency has seen through these multi-layer partner and collaborative efforts across the Region.

The publication is available as a .pdf document, and also available in limited traditional hard copy format from most national forests and grasslands, as well as major visitor center locations.

Incorporating new technology for today’s mobile audiences, the Forest Service’s Northern Region has released its 2013 Year in Review in electronic format on a variety of smart phones and other handheld and tablet devices.

Because there are a number of eReader formats, check the directions or software for the specific device in order to download and then read or convert the file.

Download the file for Kindle (.mobi).

Download the file for Apple iBooks, Nook and Android-based e-readers (.epub).

The Northern Region, also called Region 1 within the agency, is comprised of 13 forests and grasslands, and manages more than 25 million acres of public lands that include Wilderness areas, Wild & Scenic River corridors, plus many other scenic and recreational opportunities.

The NFPA is giving Facebook a try

News, Site Updates, , ,

We have, heaven help us, started a Facebook page for the North Fork Preservation Association. It’s a bit of an experiment in hopes that this will provide yet another way for folks to keep an eye on the NFPA and its activities.

Material posted to our weblog will also be posted to Facebook and continue to be announced on Twitter. So, there are now four ways to keep in touch: watch the web site, monitor the web log’s news feed, follow us on Twitter or like us on Facebook.

The North Fork Preservation Association Facebook page is at https://www.facebook.com/nfpreservationassociation. Don’t forget to “like” us.

Montana Public Radio interviews Secretary Jewell

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

Montana Public Radio interviewed Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell during her tour of this corner of Montana (text and audio) . . .

Senators Jon Tester and John Walsh recently hosted Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell on a tour of Montana, stopping at Glacier Park to talk about protection of the trans-boundary North Fork Flathead River.

Jewell said grassroots efforts hold a lot of sway with policy makers as chances for them to hear people’s voices on issues they find important.

She said securing protection of the North Fork of the Flathead is a great example of people from all over the spectrum coming together for a common goal.

Read more . . .

Group of lawmakers wants wolf protections preserved

Commentary, News, ,

More blow-back from that rejected federal wolf study . . .

Federal lawmakers pressed Interior Secretary Sally Jewell on Wednesday to drop the administration’s plan to end federal protections for gray wolves across most of the Lower 48 states.

Seventy-four House members signed onto a Wednesday letter to Jewell that cited a peer-review panel’s recent conclusion the government relied on unsettled science to make its case that the wolves have sufficiently recovered.

Gray wolves were added to the endangered-species list in 1975 after being widely exterminated in the last century. Protections already have been lifted for rebounding populations of the predators in the northern Rockies and Great Lakes regions.

Read more . . .

Tester says North Fork Watershed Protection Act being held up in Senate

Environmental Issues, News,

It seems three U.S. Senators are trying to use the North Fork Watershed Protection Act as a bargaining chip .  . .

Sen. Jon Tester claimed last week that the North Fork Watershed Protection Act was being held up by three Republican senators — Tom Cruz, of Texas, Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma, and Pat Toomey, of Pennsylvania.

The Act, which would ban all future oil, mineral and gas leases on federal lands in the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead River, sailed through the Republican-controlled House last month on a voice vote. Republican Rep. Steve Daines sponsored the bill.

Tester claimed the three Senate Republicans holding up the bill want other federal lands opened for exploration if lands here are withdrawn. Tester noted that the Senate has different rules than the House, and it’s much easier for a few Senators to hold up legislation.

Read more . . .

Annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex public meeting March 29

News

The Annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex public meeting is scheduled for Saturday, March 29, focusing on the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act. Here’s the official press release . . .

Focusing on the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act

The public is invited to the annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC) Public Meeting on Saturday, March 29, 2014 starting at 10 AM at the Choteau Library in Choteau, Montana.

“This is a great annual opportunity to meet with the National Forest Wilderness Managers and Montana Fish and Wildlife staff”, says Deb Mucklow, Spotted Bear District Ranger. “This year the managers and public participants will be focusing on the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act. All of the participants will be asked to share their connection to the wilderness as we have this celebration. In addition, updates will be provided on specific activities and projects, and ongoing monitoring across the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. The monitoring and actions are a piece of the Limits of Acceptable change for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC).”

The BMWC plan was developed by interested individuals, partners and agency representatives. The Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is comprised of the Bob Marshall Wilderness, Great Bear Wilderness, and Scapegoat Wilderness and jointly they are an area of more than 1.5 million acres. This is the third largest wilderness complex in the lower 48 states. The complex is managed by four national forests (Flathead, Lolo, Helena, and Lewis & Clark) and five ranger districts (Spotted Bear, Hungry Horse, Seeley Lake, Lincoln, and Rocky Mountain).

Recently the Forest managers and Fish and Wildlife staff prepared the annual BMWC newsletter which is available on the Flathead National Forest Web page under Special Places
(http://www.fs.usda.gov/attmain/flathead/specialplaces). This newsletter gives background and highlights of information that will be shared at the public meeting.

For additional information, please contact the Spotted Bear Ranger District at (406) 387-3800.

Effects of climate change on Crown of the Continent uncertain

Environmental Issues, News,

A recent meeting of land managers along the Crown of the Continent discussed the uncertainties of dealing with the effects of climate change . . .

Glacier National Park’s superintendent once lost a glacier at another park he supervised, and he advises fellow land managers to get used to the feeling.

“You’d better develop your zest for ambiguity,” Jeff Mow told the 2014 Crown Managers Partnership Forum on Tuesday. “The problem with taking risks in the public sector is people just don’t know where they’re going.”

Read more . . .