Category Archives: News

Tester’s “Forest Jobs and Recreation Act” gets new Senate hearing

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

From an AP article posted in today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

U.S. Sen. Jon Tester’s bill to increase both logging and wilderness areas in Montana was the focus of another Senate hearing Wednesday as the Democrat hopes to move forward a plan that has already become an issue in his high-profile election challenge from Republican U.S. Rep. Denny Rehberg.

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee in Washington again took testimony on a re-introduced version of a bill Tester first put forward nearly two years ago. Committee members expressed interest in working with Tester to advance a measure that died late last year as part of a last-minute budget bill.

Continue reading . . .

Cold weather expected, river levels to drop temporarily

Flood Information, News, , ,

Well, cripes, now the Weather Service is saying that the weather system moving in is cold enough that river levels may actually drop a little for the next few days, even though we’ll be seeing some rain initially. The Flathead Beacon has the story . . .

Cold weather and rain hitting the Flathead in the next 24 hours and running through the weekend should slow down snowmelt in the mountains, leading to temporarily decreased river flows in the valley.

According to Chris Gibson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Missoula, the Flathead can expect some “big changes” coming in the weather, including winter weather advisories for parts of the state.

Continue reading . . .

Rain this week, with flooding likely to follow

Flood Information, News, , ,

Rain and warmer temperature should bring river levels up across the area by the end of the week. Today’s Daily Inter Lake has a good write-up . . .

A mixed bag of weather is expected to push rivers across Western Montana, including the Flathead River, to flood stage this week.

The National Weather Service in Missoula is forecasting light rain, about a quarter inch, hitting Northwest Montana Monday night and today, followed by a dry Wednesday with temperatures in the 70s.

Then the region is expected to get about an inch of rain on Thursday. The chance of heavy rain on Thursday is listed at 100 percent by the Weather Service.

All Flathead Valley rivers are expected to see higher flows through the week.

Continue reading . . .

Ducks Unlimited lauds federal legislation to protect North Fork habitat in Montana

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From a recent Ducks Unlimited press release . . .

Ducks Unlimited is supporting legislation that will have a positive impact on waterfowl habitats and protect the North Fork of the Flathead Drainage in Montana. The bill, the North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2011 (S.233), was introduced in the 112th Congress by Montana Senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester.

Sen. Baucus will present the bill at a hearing to the Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands and Forests on May 25.

“The legislation will protect the water quality of downstream flows to key wetlands in this drainage area. This is a critical staging area for migrating waterfowl and supports more than 50,000 waterfowl each year,” Robert Sanders, DU manager of conservation programs for Montana said.

Continue reading . . .

Main-stem rivers in western Montana could reach flood stage this week

Flood Information, News, , ,

It looks like this would be a good time to start keeping a close eye on the hydrological forecast. The National Weather Service is expecting a steady rise in river and stream levels throughout the week. Here’s the latest write-up from the Missoulian . . .

The National Weather Service cautioned western Montanans this morning to be on alert for rising river and stream flows through midweek.

“Recent warm daytime temperatures and mild overnight temperatures have resulted in a resurgence of snowmelt being added to already swollen rivers and streams,” the Weather Service’s latest hydrologic outlook said.

“In addition, a low pressure system will affect the northern Rockies beginning late Monday through Wednesday. This weather system could deliver rainfall amounts ranging from 0.25 inches to 0.75 inches across western Montana.

Continue reading . . .

Scientists debate “magic number” of wolves needed for species’ survival

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

A good summary of the science and opinion behind the debate on wolf recovery numbers from yesterday’s Missoulian . . .

One of the biggest arguments left unresolved by last year’s wolf lawsuit was the most obvious: How many wolves are enough?

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service took the gray wolf off the endangered species list in 2009, with the caveat that at least 150 wolves and 15 breeding pairs endure in each of the three states in the northern Rocky Mountain population (Montana, Idaho and Wyoming).

Recent surveys found at least 1,700 wolves in that area – more than enough to justify delisting.

But a coalition of environmental groups sued the government, claiming those numbers were wrong. To survive and thrive, they argued, the population needed at least 2,000 and preferably 5,000 wolves.

Continue reading . . .

Jack Potter: “Conscience of Glacier” leaves lasting legacy for park

News, ,

More well-deserved kudos for Jack Potter, this time from the Missoulian . . .

Friends, colleagues and fellow conservationists call him the conscience of Glacier National Park, a fitting term of endearment for a somewhat unlikely candidate, particularly given Jack Potter’s humble beginnings.

He started his career with the National Park Service scraping dishes at a Many Glacier café and, having achieved the mantle of leadership over the next 41 years, helped shape some of the most influential resource protection policies of his time.

Vast expanses of wilderness remain rustic and undeveloped because of Potter’s influence, and his work has minimized the pressures of development along Glacier Park’s perimeter, preventing the park from becoming a “wilderness island” besieged by incompatible land uses.

Continue reading . . .

Weather Service drops flood watch; warning still in effect for Stillwater River

Flood Information, News, ,

The National Weather Service has dropped the flood watch for areas in northwest Montana, but a flood warning for the Stillwater River near Kalispell is still in effect. According to this morning’s forecast, “the river will remain steady at elevated levels before slowly rising again for beginning of the work week. Additional rises may be possible thereafter.”

Flooding causing problems in eastern Montana

Flood Information, News

Things are still pretty quiet in northwest Montana, but rain in the eastern part of the state is causing flooding problems . . .

Flooding in eastern Montana has caused the cancellation of several high-school graduations, fisherman have been trapped by washed out roads, a community near Billings has a voluntary evacuation in place and a private dam failed due to high water, meteorologists with the National Weather Service said Saturday.

Continue reading . . .