Category Archives: News

Glacier Park still shooting for Friday Sun Road opening

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Glacier National Park still thinks it can have Going-to-the-Sun Road open this Friday, June 15 . . .

Glacier National Park officials say they’re hoping to open Going-to-the-Sun Road on Friday but much depends on the weather.

Businesses that rely on the road, meanwhile, are hoping they don’t see a repeat of last year when the road didn’t open until July 13.

“It’s all up to Mother Nature,” Glacier spokeswoman Denise Germann told the Great Falls Tribune. “We need her help to help move forward.” She said crews are working to open the road despite spring storms that brought 16 new inches of snow since Memorial Day. She said snow slides have also slowed progress, with crews even having to plow their way back through avalanches that came in behind them. Some avalanches on the west side of Logan Pass were up to 15 feet deep.

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Groups sue to stop Flathead National Forest thinning project

Environmental Issues, News,

Some organizations are suing to prevent a forest thinning project . . .

Environmental groups have sued to stop pre-commercial thinning work on the Flathead National Forest, raising arguments that are similar to those applied in two previous lawsuits targeting timber sales.

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Friends of the Wild Swan and the Native Ecosystems Council filed the lawsuit May 29 in U.S. District Court in Missoula.

It challenges a recently approved project that involves pre-commercial thinning on 3,650 acres spread across the Flathead Forest.

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Marker erected to commemorate Flathead’s 1964 flood

History, News, , , ,

Forty-eight years ago, the Flathead experienced a massive flood when something like a foot of rain fell over the Continental Divide. Last Thursday, the National Weather Service and the U.S. Geological Survey commemorated the event with a flood level marker at the foot of South Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls . . .

On Thursday afternoon, the Flathead River through Columbia Falls didn’t look that dangerous. Sure, it was a little high and a little muddy – normal for this time of year. But 48 years ago this month, there was no such thing as “normal.”

On June 7 and 8, 1964, 10 to 14 inches of rain fell over the Continental Divide. That rain, combined with melting snow, resulted in the largest flood to hit the Flathead Valley in nearly a century. On June 9, the Flathead River through Columbia Falls hit 25.58 feet; normal flood conditions are between 12 and 14 feet. That flood was commemorated on Thursday, when the National Weather Service and the United States Geological Survey erected a sign to note the high-water mark of that event at the end of South Nucleus Avenue in Columbia Falls.

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Larry Wilson: Red saplings aren’t dying

Commentary, News, , , , ,

Larry discusses what is causing a lot of young lodgepole pine to turn red, admires the work being done on the road and brings us up to date on NFLA activities . . .

Federal and state forestry offices and several retired foresters have been inundated with calls from concerned North Fork residents in the last couple of weeks.

Young lodgepole pine, regeneration from the Wedge Canyon and Robert fires of 2003 seemed to be dying. The saplings, mostly three feet in height or less, were turning red in large numbers and appeared to be dead or dying. Thus the many calls and visits to foresters.

From what I can gather, all the foresters agree. The disease is called Liphodermella needlecast and generally shows up one year after a moist to wet spring — like we had last year. Fortunately, it looks worse right now than it really is. Unless it occurs for an extended period, it seldom kills trees.

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Despite delays, Sun Road opening still planned for June 15

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According to the Hungry Horse News, Glacier Park still hopes to have Going-to-the-Sun Road open by June 15, despite recent weather delays . . .

Just a few weeks ago, Glacier National Park officials were hoping they’d have plows at Logan Pass by now. Mother Nature, however, had other plans.

Last week was marked by heavy rain, snow and poor visibility. Plows on the west side one day had to clear several snow slides that crossed the highway behind them just to get off the Sun Road.

But now the plows are close to Logan Pass. On the east side, crews should be pioneering a route through the Big Drift this week, and west-side crews should be at Logan Pass — they were at Oberlin Bend late last week, less than half a mile below the pass. Snow depths were 12 to 24 feet.

The Park is hoping to have the entire length of the Run Road open by June 15, if weather cooperates.

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Flood watch in effect through Thursday

Flood Information, News,

UPDATED

All this rain has caused the National Weather Service to post a flood watch through Thursday. They are looking for sharp rises in river levels, specifically for the North Fork and Middle Fork. At this point, the river level forecast data for Flathead County shows expected heights around flood level for the North Fork at the Canadian border during Wednesday-Thursday. (However, the actual river level readings are running well below the forecast.)

Here’s the official flood watch language:

Statement as of 9:45 AM MDT on June 06, 2012

… Flood Watch remains in effect through Thursday morning…

The Flood Watch continues for

* a portion of northwest Montana… including the following counties… Flathead and lake.

* Through Thursday morning

* excessive rainfall resulting from a strong storm system will impact northwest Montana… creating the potential for flooding.

* The Flathead river… including the North Fork and Middle Fork branches… could see dramatic rises in water levels that could cause them to reach flood stage in the next several days. Smaller streams are also at risk for higher flows.

FWP open house to consider wolf-hunt changes

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here’s some more information on the upcoming Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks “listening session” to discuss changes in wolf hunt regulations . . .

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will host an open house in Kalispell on Wednesday, June 13, to give information and answer questions on the proposed 2012-13 wolf hunting and trapping season.

The meeting will begin at 7 p.m. at the Flathead Valley Community College Arts and Technology Building. At the open house, people will break out into small groups to discuss details and work on comments regarding the proposals.

Under the wolf season proposals, the general season would run from Sept. 1, 2012, to Feb. 28, 2013, with trapping allowed from Dec. 15 to the end of the general wolf season. There would be no statewide quota, but quotas would be established in two areas near Glacier and Yellowstone National Parks.

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Grizzly bear panel eying oil activity on east side

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Land and wildlife managers are keeping an eye on the impact of oil and gas development on the Rock Mountain Front . . .

An interagency panel of land and wildlife managers has turned its attention to the impacts on grizzly bears from oil-and-gas exploration and extraction on the Rocky Mountain Front.

The Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem Subcommittee is geared toward delisting the grizzly bear population, with a draft Conservation Strategy for doing so expected to be released this summer.

But removing the threatened Northern Rockies grizzly bear population from protection under the Endangered Species Act is still “several years out,” said Chris Servheen, grizzly bear recovery coordinator with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

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FWP issues alert for grizzly bears on high plains east of Rocky Mountain Front

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Even more evidence that grizzlies are starting to disperse eastward from the Rocky Mountain Front . . .

Wildlife officials are warning residents that grizzly bears are on the prairie east of the Rocky Mountain Front and precautions should be taken.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks workers tell the Great Falls Tribune that the agency has received reports of grizzlies east of Valier, on the Sun River between Fort Shaw and the town of Sun River, and along the Marias River above Tiber Reservoir.

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Montana FWP to hold public forum on proposed wolf rules

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here’s more information on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks effort to gather public feedback on this year’s proposed wolf hunting and trapping regulations. (For more background, see last week’s post.) . . .

Residents will have a chance to speak up about proposed changes to the wolf hunting and trapping season at a public gathering in Kalispell next week.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is hosting an open house forum in the Science and Technology building at Flathead Valley Community College from 7 to 9 p.m. on June 13.

Wildlife officials will give a presentation on the proposed regulations that were recently approved by the state wildlife commission. Attendees will be able to ask questions and discuss the proposals further afterward.

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