Category Archives: News

Feds ending wolf protections in Wyoming at end of month

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Federal wolf protections officially end at the end of September. Lawsuits are likely . . .

The federal government will end its protections for wolves in Wyoming, where the species was introduced two decades ago to revive it from near extinction in the United States.

The announcement Friday by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service will entrust the state with managing wolf numbers and endorses a plan that allows for them to be shot on sight in most of the state, while keeping them permanently protected in designated areas like Yellowstone National Park. Wyoming will take over management of the wolves at the end of September.

The decision of the announcement quickly sparked promises of legal challenges from environmental groups that argue wolves still need protection to maintain their successful recovery.

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“Banquet on the Border” draws 90 attendees

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Monday, August 20th was the Banquet on the Border; by all reports, a resounding success. Dave Haddon of Headwaters Montana wrote an excellent report on the whole affair. Since this report is still not available online, I am shamelessly stealing adapting large portions of it here . . .

The Banquet on the Border – last Monday, August 20 – celebrated the British Columbia government’s 2011 official act of banning mining and energy development on their side of the watershed; the progress made to date to do the same in the U.S North Fork with Senate Bill 233 (the North Fork Watershed protection Act – still pending); and the other work that is moving forward to enhance protections for water and wildlife in the rest of the watershed, most notably:

  • Completing Waterton-Glacier Peace Park by adding the ‘Missing Piece’ in the BC Flathead, and
  • Protecting the existing international wildlife corridor between Whitefish and Banff National Park.

Headwaters Montana and National Parks Conservation Association organized the party for the south side of the boundary.  Wildsight did so for the north.

Who Showed Up?

We invited the U.S. Border Patrol.  But with the exception of a brief drive up and turn around we were left to securing our own borders and enjoying our neighborliness.

The Canadians outnumbered the Americans 3 to 2 but who’s counting?  Their greater numbers stemmed from the week-long Flathead Bioblitz and Flathead Artists’ Workshop that was based at the Canadian border and had concluded the day before…

In addition to the ten Canadian and U.S. scientists who attended the bioblitz and some ten artists, members of the Flathead Wild Team and supporters filled out the Canadian tables.

On the U.S. side, Headwaters Montana board members and supporters showed up in good numbers, as well as representatives of the North Fork Preservation Association, board members of the Flathead Coalition, and The North Fork Landowners Association, North Fork Compact, and representatives for Senator Max Baucus.

20 Years Ago

Steve Thompson with the Cinnabar Foundation (Montana’s home-grown conservation fund) helped deepen the Banquet-goer’s appreciation for this far flung event by reminding folks that champions of the Transboundary Flathead had celebrated with a banquet at the same spot 20 years ago.  Amazingly, four people from that 1992 event were on hand last week... [Our own John Frederick was one of them. – ed.]

Safety issues kept Flathead Hotshots off fatal fire

Fire Information and Status, News, , , ,

A Flathead-based fire fighting crew pulled themselves off the Steep Corner fire in Idaho due to safety issues the day before Anne Veseth was killed while working that fire . . .

One day before a 20-year-old firefighter was killed by a falling tree on the Steep Corner fire, a U.S. Forest Service hotshot crew from Montana refused to fight the fire because of safety concerns.

In a report filed Aug. 14 on the National Interagency Fire Center’s SAFENET website, an unnamed superintendent of the Flathead Hotshots said firefighting conditions on the fire, managed by the Clearwater-Potlatch Timber Protective Association, were “extremely unsafe” because of falling snags, lack of communication, lack of a command structure and mixed crews with no leadership. The report was written Aug. 11.

The next day Anne Veseth of Moscow, Idaho, a two-year wildland firefighter with the Forest Service, was killed when she was struck by a falling tree while working on the Steep Corner fire.

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Forest Service wants to snuff out all wildfires this year

Environmental Issues, Fire Information and Status, News, ,

This story centers on Gila National Forest, but discusses a general, if temporary, policy this year: Whenever practical, the U.S. Forest Service is jumping on all fires as soon as they brew up. Why? Because it’s cheaper . . .

If lightning strikes in the New Mexico wilderness and starts a fire, the blaze would normally be little more than a blip on the radar of land managers who have earned a reputation for letting flames burn to keep forested lands from growing into a tangled mess.

This season is different. Now firefighters are trekking deep into the Gila National Forest with trains of equipment-carrying horses and one overriding goal: snuffing out all fires, no matter how small or remote.

The U.S. Forest Service’s decision is temporary. But after years of upholding fire’s natural ability to clean up the landscape, the agency’s about-face has drawn criticism from watchdog groups, some scientists and others who fear the agency might be setting the stage for an even more destructive season next year.

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Larry Wilson: A look at North Fork politics

Commentary, News, ,

Larry talks about two of the main organizations on the North Fork, the North Fork Preservation Association and the North Fork Landowners Association, and their role in the community.

An excerpt . . .

…In my opinion, the NFPA is a relatively moderate environmentalist group. Although I often disagree with them (I oppose expanding Waterton Park or any Whitefish Range wilderness area), I believe they are sincere in their efforts to protect and preserve North Fork values and lifestyle.

On the other hand, I am a strong supporter of the North Fork Improvement Association, which now calls itself the North Fork Landowners Association. I first became a member in 1955 and, except for a few years when I was away from the North Fork, have been a member since then…

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Feds to announce end to wolf protections in Wyoming

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

The final wolf “delisting rule” for Wyoming will be published the end of this month. Expect lawsuits . . .

The federal government plans to announce an end to protections for wolves in Wyoming later this month.

Spokesmen from some environmental groups say they plan to review the final wolf delisting rule carefully when it’s issued Aug. 31. They say legal challenges are likely over the state’s plan to classify wolves as predators that can be shot on sight in most areas.

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Glacier Park hosts seminar on rare mammals within its boundaries

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There’s an interesting “brown-bag lecture” coming up in Glacier Park . . .

The rare species roaming around Glacier National Park are the topic of the latest “brown-bag lecture” hosted by the Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center.

Dr. Kerry Foresman will discuss species inside the park on Tuesday, Aug. 21 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Community Building in West Glacier…

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Man dies in boating accident on North Fork

News, ,

(UPDATED) According to the Daily Inter Lake, an 80-year-old Kalispell man drowned yesterday afternoon when his one-person pontoon boat flipped over on the North Fork near the Glacier Rim access point. A second individual, who was accompanying the victim in another one-man boat that also capsized, was discovered safe on shore about a half-mile upstream.

See the article in the Daily Inter Lake for further details . . .

“Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent” to be held in Fernie this year

Environmental Issues, News, ,

The NFPA sent representatives to last year’s annual Roundtable on the Crown of the Continent in Polson. By all reports, it was a good experience. This year’s event is scheduled for September 27-28 in Fernie, BC.

The Roundtable has a pretty broad reach, including people, communities and organizations with a wide range of interests. Here’s what they have to say about themselves:

The Crown of the Continent is a remarkable place. Spanning the 49th parallel and anchored by Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park, it has been the home of Native Americans and First Nations for thousands of years. Today, the stunning scenery, vast wilderness areas, iconic wildlife, and diverse recreational opportunities attract visitors from throughout the world. These amenities support a ring [of] communities around the Crown. Working landscapes help knit together the natural and cultural fabric of this region.

The Roundtable is an ongoing forum to bring together people who care about this special place . . .

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Wednesday’s storms trigger few new wildfires in western Montana

Fire Information and Status, News, , ,

Lots of lightning Wednesday night, but not much action in western Montana . . .

Wednesday night’s lightning storm didn’t do as much damage as it appeared in western Montana, but eastern Idaho wilderness areas got pounded.

“The Clearwater (Nez Perce-Clearwater National Forest) picked up 41 new starts,” said Bitterroot National Forest spokesman Tod McKay. “That’s where a lot of our smoke is coming from today.”

In contrast, U.S. Forest Service land in the Bitterroot Valley only recorded six new fires out of roughly 400 lightning strikes that hit over a five-hour period. Bitterroot crews and a helicopter also assisted Hamilton firefighters with a 200-acre grass fire off Sleeping Child Road that was declared out about midnight Wednesday.

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