Category Archives: News

Grinnell Glacier study reveals 25,000 years of climate history

Environmental Issues, News, ,

The Hungry Horse News has a fascinating report on a recent Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day session. A presentation by Kelly MacGregor, a geomorphologist and associate professor of geology at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota, discussed the history of Grinnell Glacier over the past 22,000+ years as revealed by core samples from nearby lakes . . .

It’s well documented that the glaciers in Glacier National Park are receding and many have vanished. But when they were bigger, they were likely far bigger — in fact, the iconic Grinnell Glacier once likely extended nearly to what is now Swiftcurrent Lake.

Kelly MacGregor, a geomorphologist and associate professor of geology at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minn., has been studying the ebb and flow of Grinnell Glacier over the past 25,000 years.

Giant masses of moving ice, glaciers are difficult to study on the ground — the carving, grinding and shaping of the landscape occurs beneath them and simply can’t be observed. Glaciers also have a tendency to destroy, or at least alter, their geological tracks. But there is a way to track glaciers over time, MacGregor explained to a packed house at the Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day recently — by taking core samples from the sediments in the lakes that glaciers leave behind. She called the sediment in lakes “nature’s junk drawer” — heaped with remnants from the past.

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Second of four forest plan revision field trips coming soon

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In the midst of everything else they do, the Flathead National Forest has started the process of revising their Forest Plan. According to the Forest Plan Revision web page, “Forest Plans provide strategic direction to guide management of forest resources and provide a framework for decision making on site-specific projects and activities.”

The last Forest Plan was established in 1986. They hope to have the new one in the bag by 2016. This time around, they are required to have better transparency and consultation with the public.

As part of this effort, they are running a series of field trips this year, open to the general public. The second trip is on August 29. Here’s the press release . . .

The second of four field trips to kick off the collaborative effort for forest plan revision will be held August 29, 2013.  The trip will focus on recreation opportunities, access, existing wilderness and scenic character and will take people around the Hungry Horse Reservoir on the Hungry Horse and Spotted Bear Ranger Districts. The public field trips each focus on subject matter important to the forest plan. On these field trips we ask people to share their values and the benefits they derive from the Flathead National Forest as well as provide input to help us accurately assess the current conditions we have on the forest as they pertain to the topic of the field trip. The trips will also be an opportunity to experience the distinct geographical areas that make up our ranger districts.

The Flathead National Forest is embarking on a multi-year process to update its forest plan, the document that guides how we manage your public lands. The forest plan provides direction for managing resources and activities such as recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, historic and sacred sites, vegetation and timber production. . Forest plan revision is achieved in a three-phase process: assessment, revision, and monitoring. The 2012 National Forest System land management planning rule calls for an enhanced commitment to collaboration and public engagement across all three phases, including outreach to groups such as youth.

Due to the distance we will need to travel on the August 29th field trip we will start at 7:45 AM at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, with second a pick-up at the Hungry Horse Ranger District at 8:30 AM. We plan to return people to Hungry Horse by 5:15 PM and the fairgrounds by 6:00 PM. The last two trips are planned to run from 8:30 AM to 4:00 PM. Those trips will begin and end at the Flathead County Fairgrounds with transportation provided for all the field trips.

  • August 29 – Recreation settings, opportunities and access, existing wilderness and scenic character (Hungry Horse/Spotted Bear Ranger Districts)
  • September 12 – Terrestrial and aquatic habitats, threatened and endangered species, species of conservation concern, and invasive species (Swan Lake Ranger District)
  • September 26 – Inventoried roadless areas, recommended wilderness, and wild and scenic rivers (Glacier View Ranger District)

* Social science, economics, and the role and contributions of the Flathead National Forest will be a component of each of the field trips.

The information shared and the feedback received will be used to develop and finalize the assessment, determine needs for change, and to draft a proposed plan. There will be additional opportunities to engage in the collaborative process as the plan is developed over the next few years.

Please RSVP to Wade Muehlhof (ewmuehlhof@fs.fed.us or 406-758-5252) at least one week before the field trip(s) you plan to attend. Please let us know if you have any special accommodation needs. For additional details please visit the Flathead National Forest Plan Revision page on our website.

Local fires under control so far

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Wildfires in this corner of Montana are under control as of this morning . . .

While our neighbors to the south are dealing with considerably more wildfires and the resulting smoke, the northwest corner of the state hasn’t yet had any starts blow up to something more serious.

Authorities said to credit rapid responses, and wildfire location.

Three helicopters on Monday “hammered with water” the 100-acre Stoner Creek blaze just 2 1/2 miles west of Lakeside and prevented its further spread toward structures, the closest just a quarter of a mile away.

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Fire near Lakeside grows to 100 acres

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Crews are fighting a fire near Lakeside and dealing with two fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness . . .

Firefighters were aggressively attacking the Stoner Creek fire on Monday, Aug. 19 as the 2013 wildfire season arrived in the Flathead Valley. The Stoner Creek fire started on Aug. 18 along Blacktail Road in Lakeside and is one of three active fires in the area.

The fire had burned 100 acres by Monday afternoon and was a quarter mile away from structures, according to Flathead National Forest Public Information Officer Wade Muehlhof. No evacuations had been issued by Monday evening…

The Stoner Creek fire is one of three active fires being managed by the Flathead National Forest…

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Fire in Bob Marshall Wilderness grows to 1,375 acres

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Wildfire activity in “the Bob” picked up a little yesterday . . .

A lightning-caused fire in the Bob Marshall Wilderness grew to 1,375 acres on Saturday.

The Damnation Fire was at 150 acres Friday before active burning in the Damnation and Lewis creek drainages increased its size.

The fire, approximately 21 miles east of Swan Lake, is burning primarily in previously burned areas, particularly the area burned by the Lewis Fire in 2000.

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In Montana, a relatively quiet fire season so far

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Fire season in Montana has been pretty manageable so far . . .

Despite the smoke and occasional buzz of an air tanker, the 2013 fire season in Montana has been quiet, historically speaking.

Eleven fires totaling 35,220 acres remain active in the state, all but two of them burning west of the Continental Divide.

Across Montana, 48,637 acres have burned this year, according to the Northern Rockies Coordination Center. The center lists nearly 690 human-caused fires, which have burned about 15,000 acres statewide. Around 380 lightning fires have burned nearly 34,000 acres.

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Wildfire season comes to the Flathead National Forest

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The Forest Service is dealing with two lightning-triggered fires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Here’s the official press release . . .

Fire managers on the Flathead National Forest are managing two fires on the Spotted Bear Ranger District. Both are believed to have been started by lightning strikes from the storm that passed through the area on August 11, 2013. Both are in the Bob Marshall Wilderness area and will be managed so they can play their natural role in the wilderness while providing for public and firefighter safety and protecting values at risk.

The Snow Creek fire is burning about 20 acres and is located up the Snow Creek Drainage. The fire is close enough to Black Bear Cabin that fire fighters are starting to implement structure protection, but there is no immediate threat. There may be some future impacts to the trails in the area depending on where the fire grows.

The Damnation fire is covering more than 150 acres and is growing to the east and north-east. This fire could impact trail access as well. Managers are working to keep area trails open with crews on the ground to observe fire location and behavior; however trail closures to ensure public safety may occur as fire conditions dictate.

Growth is expected today, August 16, 2013, as the weather forecast calls for high temperatures, low relative humidity and wind. Please contact the Spotted Bear Ranger District before heading into these areas to ensure you have the latest information on conditions: 406-758-5376.

As firefighting resources are needed to respond to natural wildfires it becomes even more important for everyone to thoughtful and careful in their use of fire in the forest. The forest is not currently in fire restricts, but the fire danger is high in the Flathead Valley, meaning a small spark or an unattended fire of any kind can start a wildfire and it could quickly spread.

Grizzlies injure 4 in Yellowstone area

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This was not a good day for human-bear interactions, although it was something of a testament to the use of bear spray . . .

Four people injured in two separate bear attacks in and near Yellowstone National Park on the same day were able to escape with relatively minor injuries. None remained hospitalized Friday.

In Yellowstone, officials decided not to pursue a grizzly that attacked two hikers on a trail near Canyon Village on Thursday in the north-central portion of the park. The sow grizzly attacked after the hikers came across its young cub born the previous winter, according to park spokesman Al Nash…

Later that day, two Bureau of Land Management contract workers were attacked about 70 miles west of the Yellowstone attack…

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Old Moose Fire burn on North Fork has a knapweed problem

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Knapweed is a real nuisance in the old Moose Fire burn area . . .

The hillsides above Big Creek and the North Fork of the Flathead River are valuable winter range for deer and elk. Unfortunately, a new invader has moved in — weeds. Spotted knapweed is becoming a problem along the North Fork Road where the 2001 Moose Fire razed the landscape.

The Forest Service is aware of the problem, said Tris Hoffman, weed coordinator for the Flathead National Forest.

Hoffman said last week that Montana Conservation Corps crews were hand-pulling weeds from the slopes last week. The Forest Service is also spraying and in some cases using weevils to control the weed.

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