Category Archives: News

Grizzly population study planned for Idaho and Montana

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From the Flathead Beacon . . .

Researchers are planning to collect grizzly bear fur samples snagged on barbed wire as part of a three-year study in northern Idaho and northwestern Montana.

The study, which begins next summer, should give a more precise estimate of the number of grizzlies in the 2.4-million acre Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem, said Kate Kendall, a U.S. Geological Service scientist at Glacier National Park.

She also said researchers will also be able to use DNA to determine blood lines and gender.

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‘Unlikely accident’ claims kayaker’s life on North Fork

News, , ,

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

The woman who drowned on the North Fork Flathead River on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Shawna Thomas, 51, of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho.

Thomas and her husband were in a rigid-framed collapsible kayak when they came around a corner on the North Fork four miles south of Polebridge, encountering tree root balls as obstacles on both sides of the river channel.

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Kayaker drowns in North Fork near Polebridge

News, , ,

A tragedy on the river yesterday, a couple miles south of Polebridge. The Daily Inter Lake has the story . . .

An Idaho woman drowned in the North Fork Flathead River on Wednesday afternoon after her inflatable kayak got tangled in tree roots.

Flathead County Sheriff Chuck Curry said the woman and her husband were floating in a double-seated inflatable kayak about two miles south of Polebridge in the Home Ranch Bottoms area when the accident occurred shortly after 1 p.m.

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Larry Wilson: North Fork roads, weeds and toilets

Commentary, News, , ,

Larry covers a lot of territory in this week’s column. There’s lots of good information on pending road improvement and weed control projects, as well as a brief discussion of a …uh… tourist traffic related issue.

I think almost all North Forkers have been pleased with the use of federal and Flathead County funds on the North Fork Road from Camas Junction to Polebridge.

That work, done with a 50 percent Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) grant and 50 percent county funds, has provided a smooth, virtually dust-free corridor on the section of the road that has the most traffic in the summer.

County maintenance on the paved portion from Home Ranch near Coal Creek to Hay Creek Bridge has also helped. The RAC grant was approved in 2009 and most work was completed in 2010. Additional dust abatement was approved in 2010 and applied in 2011 with county matching funds.

Also, a 2010 grant was approved for an additional eight miles of gravel mixed with bentonite binder to be applied from Polebridge north…

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Web site aims to protect Glacier Park and its surroundings

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From this week’s Hungry Horse News . . .

A new Web site created by the National Parks Conservation Association aims to expose some of the threats facing Glacier National Park.

ProtectGlacier.com keeps an eye on the Park’s environmental news and showcases legislation NPCA and other partners support, most notably the North Fork Watershed Protection Act.

The Act, sponsored by Montana Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester, would ban any future mining and energy development in the North Fork watershed.

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Western Montana counties, including Flathead, to rescind Stage I fire restrictions

Fire Information and Status, News,

From today’s Missoulian . . .

Federal and state wildland fire agencies will rescind Stage I fire restrictions on Wednesday throughout much of western Montana.

Included in the order are Flathead, Lake, Mineral, Sanders, Missoula, Powell, Ravalli, Granite, Deer Lodge and Silver Bow counties.

Restrictions will remain in effect on the Flathead Indian Reservation.

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A grizzly takes a serious swim

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

There’s no explicit North Fork connection, here, but North Forkers tend to be grizzly aficionados and this is a good griz story . . .

Could it be webbed claws? Or maybe an ancient connection to a Labrador bloodline?

In any case, a young grizzly bear has demonstrated Olympian swimming skills on Flathead Lake, proved with GPS data from a satellite collar that was recovered Monday near the town of Swan Lake…

Mace calculated that the bear traveled 1,200 miles on land and water while she was wearing the collar from June 2010 to September 2011…

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“The North Fork: Living with Wildlife” pamphlet available online

Documents, News, ,

Newly available in digital form . . .

“The North Fork: Living with Wildlife” is a joint NFLA/NFPA publication that outlines recommendations on how to live responsibly in wildlife habitat and suggests specific ways to minimize the chances of conflict with such animals as grizzly bears, black bears, mountain lions, wolves, coyotes, deer, elk and moose. This is an excellent brochure for new and current landowners alike. It also includes some wonderful illustrations by Diane Boyd.

This brochure is available at the NFLA web site or you can download it right here (PDF format). It also has a permanent home in our archives. Please feel free to reproduce and distribute as often as you like.

Caution urged for backcountry hunters as fires persist

Fire Information and Status, News,

From the Daily Inter Lake . . .

With the early rifle season in wilderness areas opening today, the Spotted Bear Ranger District is urging backcountry hunters to be aware of multiple trail closures caused by ongoing wildfires in the Bob Marshall Wilderness.

And Forest Service officials advise there could be more trail closures with future fire growth. The National Weather Service is forecasting increased westerly winds, especially in higher terrain across Northwest Montana starting later today and continuing into Friday.

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