Category Archives: News

Forest Plan revision field trips announced

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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.

Anyway, as part of this effort, they are running four field trips this year, open to the general public. Here’s the meat of the press release . . .

. . . To start the collaborative process we are holding four public field trips which will each focus on subject matter important to the forest plan. On these field trips we need people to share their values and the benefits they derive from the Flathead National Forest as well as provide input to help us accurately capture 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.

We anticipate the trips to run from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM (except for August 29 which includes a stop at the Spotted Bear Ranger District with a 5:00 PM return). The trips will begin and end at the Flathead County Fairgrounds with transportation provided.

  1. August 8 – Forest vegetation and disturbances including fire, timber harvest, and forest products (Tally Lake Ranger District)
  2. August 29 – Recreation settings, opportunities and access, native knowledge, existing wilderness and scenic character (Hungry Horse/Spotted Bear Ranger Districts)
  3. September 12 – Terrestrial and aquatic habitats, threatened and endangered species, species of conservation concern, and invasive species (Swan Lake Ranger District)
  4. 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: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5422786&width=full.

Waterton-Glacier Park holds 10th Annual Science and History Day

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Waterton-Glacier holds a pretty interesting annual Science and History Day. This year, it’s on the U.S. side. Here’s the press release . . .

Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park will host the Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day on Tuesday, July 30, from 9:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. at the West Glacier Community Building in Glacier National Park. The event is free of charge and all are encouraged to attend. This year marks the 10th anniversary of the event, which alternates between Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks.

Science and History Day is a great way for the public to hear the latest results from scientists and historians carrying out projects in and around the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park. Topics are presented in a non-technical manner, and are grouped into themes such as ecosystem dynamics, history, and wildlife. Some of the topics for this year include: bat inventory, Civilian Public Service Corps presence in the park, non-invasive grizzly bear monitoring, Going-to-the-Sun Road rehabilitation, ecological restoration, and environmental history revealed through sediment cores.

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Report says national forest trails need a lot of work

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The U.S. General Accounting Office just released a discouraging report on the state of the Forest Service trail network. No surprise to anyone familiar with the North Folk’s trail inventory, only about a fourth of them receive adequate maintenance . . .

A new federal report says only one-quarter of U.S. Forest Service trails meet the agency’s own standards as it attempts to catch up with a $524 million maintenance deficit.

Volunteer groups like the Backcountry Horsemen of America and The Wilderness Society have stepped into that gap, but they worry the backlog will drive folks out of the woods.

“We found problems with trail maintenance was undermining support for wilderness and public land in general,” said Paul Spitler, director of wilderness campaigns for The Wilderness Society…

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Additional material: GAO report on the state of Forest Service trails

The Glacier Institute at 30

News,

The Great Falls Tribune posted an excellent article on the Glacier Institute . . .

Justin Barth’s first experience with the Glacier Institute as a sixth grader left a lasting impression.

“I remember putting on waders, hopping into Big Creek, finding bugs and looking at them under a microscope,” said the Kalispell native. “At the time, seeing them magnified kind of scared me.”

Ten years later, as program manager of the Institute’s West Glacier Field Camp, he’s eagerly leading others through the same discoveries…

For 30 years, the Glacier Institute has made the natural world accessible, fascinating and memorable to tens of thousands of children and adults. That several of its seasonal staff, like Barth, first attended as schoolchildren, is a testament to its enduring influence.

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Glacier Park hosts 4th annual Noxious Weed Blitz, Tuesday, July 23

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Glacier Nation Park is sponsoring their fourth annual Noxious Weed Blitz on Tuesday, July 23. For those who can’t make the event, there’s also an online course. Here’s the press release . . .

Glacier National Park’s Citizen Science Program announces two opportunities to help with early detection of invasive plants along park trails: Noxious Weed Blitz on July 23 and an on-line training course for the Invasive Plants Citizen Science program. Both opportunities are free of charge and open to the public.

The fourth annual Noxious Weed Blitz will take place on Tuesday, July 23 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., meeting at the park’s Community Building in West Glacier. Participants will be trained to assist the Invasive Plant Management Program by learning to identify, map, and pull invasive plants. A free lunch will be provided by the Glacier National Park Conservancy. Be prepared to spend the afternoon in the outdoors, pulling invasive plants. Please bring gloves for hand pulling, footwear for hiking, and drinking water. Please RSVP if you would like to attend.

An on-line training opportunity teaches participants how to identify five targeted invasive plants, conduct surveys, and map locations of invasive plants using GPS units. Once training has been completed, visitors may check-out GPS units from the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center to detect invasive plants while in the park. The on-line training program can be accessed at http://www.nps.gov/glac/naturescience/ccrlc-citizen-science_weeds.htm.

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MWA sponsors day of exploring Whitefish Range

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The Montana Wilderness Association has organized a free guided tour of the Whitefish Range . . .

On Saturday, July 13, guide Brian Baxter will lead a day of exploring the Whitefish Mountain Range as part of the Montana Wilderness Association’s free “Flora, Fauna, Footprints, Fur and Feathers” educational program.

Baxter has spent countless hours searching for wolverine and other wildlife species in this area as well as doing forestry and botanical surveys. Baxter has degrees in both forestry and wildlife management, and over 38 years of experience in the field. He also leads winter tracking classes in the Flathead Valley.

Participants will learn about vegetation and wildflowers and study an overall wildlife outlook, animal tracking, furbearer overview including lynx and wolverine, and birds of prey in this unique habitat.

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Montana increases wolf hunt bag limit; tightens restrictions near Yellowstone

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Montana raised the wolf hunt bag limit to five wolves per person, but added restrictions near Yellowstone National Park. The maximum number of wolves that can be taken in the North Fork remains at two.

Here’s the Flathead Beacon’s write-up . . .

Montana Fish and Wildlife commissioners on Wednesday increased the bag limit from one to five wolves per person and extended the state’s next hunting season, but they also set new restrictions in areas adjacent to Yellowstone National Park.

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New Forest Service report on management of wildfire risk to homes

Environmental Issues, Fire Information and Status, News, ,

The U.S. Forest Service released a new report on managing wildfire danger on the “wildland-urban” interface, a subject of special interest on the North Fork . . .

Earlier this year, U.S. Forest Service researchers found that roughly 90 percent of fuel reduction treatments on national forests were effective in reducing the intensity of wildfire while also allowing for better wildfire control.

The report, “Wildfire, Wildlands, and People: Understanding and Preparing for Wildfire in the Wildland-Urban Interface,” synthesizes the latest research and provides examples of what communities in the wildland-urban interface can do to reduce their risk by becoming “fire adapted.”

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Montana FWP approves Coal Creek habitat improvement project

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

As expected, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has approved the “South Fork of Coal Creek Habitat Enhancement Project” . . .

State fisheries managers approved increased spawning of westslope cutthroat trout and bull trout and habitat improvements on the South Fork of Coal Creek in Flathead County.

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