From today’s Flathead Beacon, here’s the Associated Press’ take on the restoration of wolves to Endangered Species Act protection . . .
Wildlife advocates say a ruling to restore Endangered Species Act protections for gray wolves throughout the Northern Rocky Mountains buys time to create a better plan than the one the judge rejected, one that ensures their numbers don’t dwindle again.
At last Tuesday’s meeting, the Flathead County Board of Adjustment approved a conditional use permit for Northern Lights Saloon and Cafe to operate as a tavern in Polebridge. This is a major step in getting them back to full operation under their new management.
The Daily Inter Lake has more information in their write-up on the meeting. The part discussing the saloon is about half-way down.
Posted this evening to the Missoulian website . . .
Wolves are back on the endangered species list, after U.S. District Judge Donald Molloy ruled Thursday that populations in Montana and Idaho cannot be considered separately from Wyoming’s wolves.
In a 50-page decision, Molloy said “the rule delisting the gray wolf (in Montana and Idaho) must be set aside because, though it may be a pragmatic solution to a difficult biological issue, it is not a legal one.”
Starting yesterday, several folks in the North Fork reported smelling smoke. That smoke may be coming from Canada. NOAA’s early morning “Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product” map (see below) showed an extensive smoke plume drifting to the south and east from a large wildfire complex in southern British Columbia. At latest report, BC has some 318 wildfires, the bulk of them in the southern half of the province.
For more information on wildfires in Canada, keep an eye on the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System page.
Posted today to the Flathead Wild website . . .
Work still needs to be done to protect wildlife in the Flathead and surrounding areas, and to ensure that Rocky Mountain wildlife connectivity is not compromised by forestry practices and other development, the UNESCO World Heritage Committee said today in a “state of conservation” report.
The state of conservation report recommends “development of a pro-active plan for enhancing connectivity” in the Flathead River Valley and adjoining areas. It also raises concerns about proposed mine expansions in southeastern British Columbia, adjacent to the Flathead, “in a corridor providing vital habitat connectivity to the Rocky Mountains World Heritage property in Alberta” [the Banff, Jasper, Yoho and Kootenay National Parks].
Here’s the Flathead Beacon’s take on last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft . . .
To pave or not to pave? The question of what to do with the North Fork Road was further debated Tuesday night in Columbia Falls. Residents, local business owners and Flathead County officials gathered at the Glacier Discovery Square to discuss the recently released draft of a $125,000 study on the corridor.
Here’s the Daily Inter Lake’s write-up on last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft. If for no other reason, it’s worth reading for Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont’s pragmatic comments . . .
To pave or not to pave may not be the question.
Due to lack of money, Flathead County Commissioner Jim Dupont said the long-talked-about paving of the North Fork Road will not likely happen anytime soon unless the federal government decides to pay for it.
This week’s Hungry Horse News has a good summary of last Tuesday’s public open house to discuss the North Fork Road corridor study draft.
Note that public comments are due by August 10. Send e-mail to mdtnffrteam@mt.gov or write to Lani Eggertsen-Goff, PB 488 E. Wincester Street, Suite 400, Murray, UT 84107. The draft corridor study can be viewed online at http://www.mdt.mt.gov/pubinvolve/northfork/. (Warning! Some big files.)
Here’s the lead-in from the HHN write-up . . .
The public was invited to give comment at the North Fork Flathead Road meeting Tuesday, July 27, which will be entered as part of the final Corridor Study Document.
At the meeting, representatives from Parsons Brinckerhoff — the group commissioned to conduct the study — answered questions.
The UNESCO World Heritage Committee released the final report of the scientific mission study of threats to Waterton-Glacier Park. A press release posted to the Flathead Wild website has the highlights . . .
A report commissioned by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee is calling for a “conservation and wildlife management plan” for the transboundary Flathead and a new management plan for the Flathead River Valley that “gives priority to natural ecological values and wildlife conservation.”…
The 50-page report, released today at the World Heritage Committee meeting in Brasilia, recommends:
- A new B.C. Southern Rocky Mountains Management Plan “that gives priority to natural ecological values and wildlife conservation.”
- Taking steps to minimize barriers to wildlife connectivity, including a long-term moratorium on further mining developments in south eastern B.C., including in the Elk Valley, “in the corridor of natural terrain that creates vital habitat connectivity and allows the unimpeded movement of carnivores and ungulates” between Waterton-Glacier and Canada’s Rocky Mountains national parks.
- A single conservation and wildlife management plan for the transboundary Flathead.
- Inscription of Waterton-Glacier on the list of World Heritage in Danger if development of the proposed Lodgepole coal strip mine had proceeded (the B.C. government banned Flathead mining and energy development in February 2010 after receiving a draft copy of the mission report).
For those of you who prefer to get your information directly from source documents, we’ve made the full report available for direct viewing/download (50 pages, PDF format, 2MB).
Dr. Charles Jonkel, President and co-founder of the Great Bear Foundation was named the 2005 Conservationist of the year. The award honored his work in establishing the International Wildlife Film Festival in 1977, 30 plus years pioneering ways to improve the quality of wildlife television and, not least, for his 45 (now 50 years) of conducting bear research around the world. Also recognized were Jonkel’s roles in developing the methodology of bear research, establishing the first concepts of modern bear management and his election as President of the International Bear Biology Association.
Jonkel’s bear research efforts started in 1959 with the commercial availability of the dart gun. He has been around for an exceptionally long time and has much yet to accomplish.
Dr. Jonkel will be speaking at the annual meeting of the North Fork Preservation Association at 7:30 pm at the Sondreson Community Hall at Whale Creek, preceded by a potluck at 5pm and business meeting at 6:30 pm.
Chuck’s birthday is July 16. Join NFPA at the annual meeting and celebrate his 80th birthday.