Category Archives: News

Larry Wilson: Thompson-Seton Peak by mule and foot

Commentary, Environmental Issues, News, , ,

For those of you who haven’t encountered Larry Wilson’s enthusiastic Thompson-Seton trip report, here it is. Kudos to Frank Vitale for coming up with the idea in the first place and making it happen . . .

What a great trip. Regular readers of this column will no doubt remember Frank Vitale and I debating the wilderness issue in this newspaper late last summer. That debate ended with Frank challenging me to go with him on his mules to Thompson-Seton Peak, where we would sit down and debate the issue on the mountain top. After getting Frank to agree to not only take me into the mountains but also bring me out, I accepted the challenge.

Unfortunately, the weather turned wet and cold, and we had to postpone the trip until the summer. During the winter, we were both involved in the Whitefish Range Partnership, and over the course of the meetings, we both became fully aware of the other’s feelings and concerns about wilderness. Thus, there was no big need for a mountain-top debate, but I was still anxious to take the trip and was more than happy that Frank, too, was still willing to take me.

July 28 was set as a mutually acceptable date, and I was so excited I started putting my gear together a week ahead of time…

Continue reading at the Hungry Horse News . . .

Grizzly bear population and recovery

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

Well, now, the NFPA got some ink. The Flathead Beacon’s Tristan Scott did a good write-up on Rick Mace’s presentation at the July 27 NFPA annual meeting concerning grizzly bear research and management over the past several decades. John Frederick even gets a quote . . .

Biologists who have spent years counting grizzly bears in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem say the species is on the road to recovery. With the public comment period on a post-delisting bear management strategy having drawn to a close Aug. 1, Endangered Species Act protections could be removed as early as next year.

At the North Fork Preservation Association’s annual meeting last month, attendees heard a presentation from Fish, Wildlife and Parks biologist Rick Mace. The presentation gave a 30-year history of grizzly bear conservation in western Montana.

Mace traced the history of research and management from the 1970s to the present, and talked about the science of counting bears and population trends of bears in the NCDE.

Continue reading . . .

Late breaking news: Sen. Baucus holding ‘work day’ in North Fork tomorrow

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According to Valerie Cox, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus is holding one of his “work days” tomorrow morning (Thursday, August 8). It is a trail building work session, beginning at 8:00 a.m. near the Camas Road intersection. Attendees include Sen. Baucus, Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies, a Montana Conservation Core trail crew and any North Fork folks who are interested in attending.

The Daily Inter Lake also posted an article about the event, although it lacked the late-breaking scheduling details. Here’s the lead-in . . .

Montana Sen. Max Baucus will return to the Flathead Valley this week to carry out one of his signature “work days,” this time doing trail work in the North Fork Flathead drainage.

Baucus said he will be working alongside Montana Conservation Corps crews as a tie to his efforts over 40 years to protect the North Fork drainage.

Continue reading the article . . .

Confrontation between bears at the Freund cabin

News, Photos & Images, ,

Peter Freund sent a report, with photos, to the Hungry Horse News of a set-to between a black bear with cubs and a brown bear near his cabin recently . . .

As you know, the end of July is the height of buffalo berry season along the North Fork River. At our cabin in the North Fork, this seasonal event provides for an annual feeding frenzy by the local bear population.

This year was unique with the presence of a black bear with cubs. The harvesting occurred right outside the door of our cabin.

The show started with the brown bear. All was tranquil until the brown bear encroached on the black bear’s zone, and she became loud and chased the brown bear away.

Continue reading . . .

Timber sale proposed along North Fork Road

News,

The state proposes to harvest some 2,600 acres of tress from the Stillwater State Forest . . .

A proposed state timber sale on the Stillwater State Forest about 25 miles north of Columbia Falls calls for harvesting up to 6 million board feet of lumber from 2,600 acres of state trust land.

The Moran Cyclone Timber Sale Project runs along the North Fork Road. The project area was historically comprised of Douglas fir and western larch but has become mixed conifer. Some stands in the area are 150 years old and are potentially old-growth.

Continue reading . . .

Tester and Baucus make another push to get their forest bills through the system

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Senators Baucus and Tester took another swing Tuesday at getting their respective forest bills back under consideration in the U.S. Senate . . .

U.S. Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester told their colleagues Tuesday that it is time to pass their bills expanding forest protections.

Both Democrats testified in Washington, D.C., to the U.S. Senate Public Lands, Forests, and Mining Subcommittee on measures that failed to clear the last Congress.

Continue reading . . .

Return of wolves means more berries for bears in Yellowstone

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

This is pretty interesting stuff. A new report suggests that the increased wolf population in Yellowstone National Park, and the consequent reduction in over-grazing by elk, is making a lot more berries available to bears in late summer/early fall . . .

A new study suggests that the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park is beginning to bring back a key part of the diet of grizzly bears that has been missing for much of the past century — berries that help bears put on fat before going into hibernation.

It’s one of the first reports to identify the interactions between these large, important predators, based on complex ecological processes. It was published today by scientists from Oregon State University and Washington State University in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

The researchers found that the level of berries consumed by Yellowstone grizzlies is significantly higher now that shrubs are starting to recover following the re-introduction of wolves, which have reduced over-browsing by elk herds. The berry bushes also produce flowers of value to pollinators like butterflies, insects and hummingbirds; food for other small and large mammals; and special benefits to birds.

Continue reading . . .

Entire Inside North Fork Road expected to open this weekend

News,

Well, now. It looks like the complete Inside North Fork Road will open this weekend.

From the official press release . . .

All 28 miles of the Inside North Fork Road between Fish Creek Campground and Polebridge is anticipated to open this weekend. Glacier National Park road crews are currently completing temporary repairs, including utilization of existing gravel to fill holes in the road due to annual spring runoff flooding. The section of the road between Polebridge and Logging Creek opened in May of this year to vehicle travel.

Flooding and road washout has caused significant damage to the Inside North Fork Road, particularly near the Anaconda Creek and Logging Creek areas. Yearly spring floods cause recurring damage to these areas of the road. A third location on the road between Quartz Creek and Logging Creek converges with the North Fork of the Flathead River. The river is beginning to undercut this section of the road due to sloughing of the riverbank, posing safety concerns and potential road loss issues.

Planning is needed for long-term solutions to the continual damage occurring on the Inside North Fork Road. When planning efforts begin, public input will be sought for long-term solutions that would ensure visitor safety and best protect park resources. An announcement will be released once the planning effort begins. Future temporary repairs to the road will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Inside North Fork Road was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is a narrow, gravel road and use of recreational, towed, and low-clearance vehicles is strongly discouraged. In ideal conditions, at least two hours are needed to travel the entire length of the Inside North Fork Road. Visitors are advised to prepare for travelling this road by carrying plenty of water and food. Also be prepared to encounter possible downed trees.

For more information on the current status of roads within the park visit, http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm or call 406-888-7800.

Flathead Valley fire danger is now “high”

Fire Information and Status, News, ,

The warm days continue and the fire danger rises . . .

Fire danger in the Flathead Valley is rising and is now considered “high,” according to fire managers.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday the heightened fire danger on the Flathead National Forest and public lands in the valley, signaling an increased likelihood that fuels such as grass will ignite easily. Temperatures are forecasted to remain in the low 90s throughout the week and light fuels have dried out considerably in recent weeks, according to fire officials.

Although fire danger is elevated, no restrictions are currently planned for the Flathead Valley, according to Wade Muehlhof, a public information officer with the Forest Service. But that could change in the near future, he said.

Continue reading . . .