Category Archives: News

Larry Wilson: North Fork groups elect new officers

August 17, 2011Commentary, Newselections, Larry Wilson, North Fork Compact, North Fork Preservation Associationnfpa

Larry Wilson discusses the recent organizational elections . . .

At first it seemed that summer would never arrive. It certainly took its own sweet time. June was cold and rainy, and it was cool and wet in July – we celebrated the anniversary of the Wedge Canyon Fire of 2003 on July 18 with a rainstorm.

All of a sudden it’s mid-August and already there are signs of fall. The huckleberry crop is waning, and the serviceberries are ripening. Just a note to Joe Novak – ripe serviceberries may be purple, but they are otherwise nothing like huckleberries.

All of the local organizations have held their annual elections…

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Groups ask for emergency injunction to halt wolf hunts in Montana and Idaho

August 14, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsIdaho, Montana, wolf hunt, wolf management, wolf population, wolvesnfpa

From the Daily Inter Lake . . .

Environmentalists have asked a federal appeals court for an emergency injunction to halt wolf hunts scheduled to start in a few weeks in Idaho and Montana.

The request filed by the Alliance for the Wild Rockies and other groups with the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals was made public Saturday. The groups want the hunts canceled until the court issues a decision in an appeal filed Monday challenging a federal judge’s ruling allowing the hunts to go forward.

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“Greenbelt” zoning gets the green light

August 12, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsFlathead County Commissioners, North Fork Zoning District, zoningnfpa

For those of you who have been following the “greenbelt” zoning kerfuffle, the Hungry Horse News posted a brief report . . .

A new zoning district proposed for county land along highways was unanimously approved by the Flathead County Commissioners on July 27.

As proposed, development in the B-2HG general-business highway-greenbelt zoning district would require mitigation of visual impacts of commercial development, with special attention to setbacks, landscaping and signs.

In the Columbia Falls area, the zoning district could be applied to U.S. 2 and Montana Highways 40 and 206, but it will not affect properties regulated under the Canyon and North Fork neighborhood plans and will not apply to properties within the Columbia Falls two-mile planning and zoning jurisdiction.

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Inside North Fork Road still closed

August 12, 2011NewsGlacier National Park, inside North Fork Roadnfpa

**Sigh** From the Hungry Horse News . . .

Glacier National Park’s Inside North Fork Road probably won’t open in its entirety until at least the end of this month, Park spokesperson Denise Germann said last week.

The road has been closed from Fish Creek to Logging Creek because of a slump and washout damage, Germann said. Crews are still waiting for water levels in some streams to drop so the damage can be repaired, she said.

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Feds, Wyoming announce plan to delist wolves

August 5, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species List, wolf hunt, wolf recovery, Wyomingnfpa

From the Missoulian . . .

Wyoming ranchers and hunters fed up with wolves attacking livestock and other wildlife would be able to shoot the predators on sight in most of the state under a tentative agreement state and federal officials announced Wednesday.

Gov. Matt Mead and U.S. Interior Secretary Ken Salazar said they’ve come to terms over how to end federal protections for gray wolves in Wyoming – the last state in the Northern Rockies where the animals remain under federal management.

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Federal judge upholds delisting of wolves in Montana and Idaho

August 5, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsDonald Molloy, Endangered Species List, wolf hunt, wolf management, wolf recovery, wolvesnfpa

From the Missoulian . . .

Strongly disagreeing with his own decision, U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy on Wednesday upheld a congressional rider removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protection.

Barring a successful appeal, the decision means wolves are delisted in Montana and Idaho, and those states may go ahead with their scheduled wolf hunting seasons this fall.

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Four-day trip explores Glacier National Park

August 5, 2011NewsGlacier Institute, Glacier National Park, hiking, University of Montananfpa

This item from the Daily Inter Lake looks pretty interesting . . .

Registration is open for “Discovery in the Crown of the Continent: A Glacier National Park Experience,” a four-day excursion Sept. 23-26.

Participants will be guided to remote locations within the park to study wildlife habitat, Native American history, climate change, forest fires and physical geography.

The excursion will be spent at two locations in Glacier National Park: the forests of the McDonald Valley and the North Fork of the Flathead River.

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Larry Wilson: From flood season to fire season

August 5, 2011Commentary, Newsfire mitigation, flooding, Larry Wilson, wildfiresnfpa

This week, Larry talks about the approach of fire season and common sense preparation for its arrival . . .

We humans are a worrisome lot. We have just finished worrying about flooding, and now it’s time to worry about fire season…

So could 2011 be a big fire year? Barely possible, certainly unlikely…

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Larry Wilson: Auction at Sondreson Hall a big success

July 27, 2011Commentary, Newsauction, Larry Wilson, North Fork Landowners’ Association, Sondreson Hallnfpa

This week, Larry reports on last weekend’s auction at Sondreson Hall and previews some of the other activities scheduled for the next few weeks . . .

The auction at Sondreson Hall last weekend had more than one goal. First was to revive an old tradition. Second was to provide a community experience by hosting a community-wide activity. Finally, there was a desire to raise some money to fund the North Fork Landowners Association’s History Committee.

That committee has expressed interest in doing oral histories of long-time North Fork residents and redigitizing the 78 rpm records that have been the basis for years of square dancing at Sondreson Hall. Maybe some funds could be used for a new sound system as well?

All these goals were met. The community responded with donations which covered every interest…

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Amendment removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protection faces court challenge

July 25, 2011Environmental Issues, NewsEndangered Species Act, wolf management, wolvesnfpa

From today’s Missoulian . . .

The congressional rider removing gray wolves from Endangered Species Act protection faces a court challenge in Missoula on Tuesday.

The Alliance for the Wild Rockies, Center for Biological Diversity, Friends of the Clearwater and WildEarth Guardians together claim Congress violated the U.S. Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine when it ordered the wolf delisted and blocked future court review of that decision.

In response, attorneys for Interior Secretary Ken Salazar say Congress has frequently rewritten laws to get around court rulings, and courts have endorsed the practice.

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