Category Archives: News

Flathead Coalition review pans BP’s environmental study

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

The Flathead Coalition is less than amused at BP-Canada’s approach to environmental science. They don’t think much of British Columbia’s fox-guarding-the-henhouse rules for conducting environmental studies, either.

A press release pubished today by Citizens Concerned About Coalbed Methane summarizes the issue . . .

The Flathead Coalition announced today that its internal evaluation of BP-Canada Energy Company’s environmental science demonstrates bias toward understating the likely environmental impact of its proposed Mist Mountain CBM project.

The Mist Mountain CBM project is being planned by BP-Canada for the Crowsnest Coalfield area that spans the Elk River and Flathead River hydrologic divide. The B.C. government granted tenure last December for the Elk Valley portions of the coalfield. BP says it plans to start exploratory drilling in early 2010, though it may commence sooner.

Read the entire article . . .

Rivers up but flooding unlikely

News,

It looks like the snowpack is melting off in an orderly fashion this year.

From yesterday’s online edition of the Flathead Beacon . . .

Despite slower-than-usual runoff, officials say Flathead Lake is on pace to reach full pool by mid-June. The one thing that can push that back – and did, just last year – is the threat of flooding.

The National Weather Service, however, say flood risks look low this year. Snowpack levels are lower, and the warm-and-cool trends of the past few weeks have delivered a more relaxed release this spring compared to last year’s dramatic runoff.

Read the entire article . . .

UN to hear petition that Waterton-Glacier Park in danger

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Last Tuesday’s Globe and Mail carried an article on the move to place Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park on the UN list of endangered World Heritage Sites due to the proposed Cline Coal Mine in the Canadian Flathead and other possible resource extraction activities in that area. (Thanks to Will Hammerquist of the National Parks Conservation Association for catching this one.)

A stunningly beautiful park that spans the Canada-U.S. border in southwestern Alberta may soon be added to an infamous United Nations list of the world’s most threatened special areas.

In a session in Seville, Spain, next month, the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization will consider a petition by 11 conservation groups asking that Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park be designated a World Heritage Site in Danger.

“If that happens, it would be a really big black eye for both Canada and the United States,” Ryland Nelson, a spokesman for one of the petitioning groups, Wildsight, said yesterday.

Read the entire article . . .

National forest roadless rule revived — sort of

Environmental Issues, News,

I’ve you’ve lost track of the administrative and legal status of the infamous national forest “roadless rule,” you’re not alone. The Obama administration has effectively reinstated it — sort of — for a year while they figure things out. Here’s the lede from the Associated Press article as published in yesterday’s online Flathead Beacon . . .

The Obama administration is ordering a one-year moratorium on most road-building and other development on about 50 million acres of remote national forests.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack issued a directive Thursday reinstating for one year most of a Clinton-era ban against new road construction and development in national forests. The 2001 rule banned road-building and logging in more than 58 million acres of remote national forests, mostly in the West.

Conflicting court decisions issued since then have left the so-called roadless rule’s legal status in doubt.

Read the entire article . . .

North Fork plight in U.N. spotlight

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From this week’s online edition of the Hungry Horse News . . .

Sen. Max Baucus last week said he would push to have the North Fork of the Flathead designated as a World Heritage Site in Danger, a dubious distinction as Glacier National Park turns 100 next year.

The North Fork will see the international limelight in June, when Will Hammerquist, the Glacier representative of the National Park Conservation Association and Ryland Nelson, of the Canadian environmental organization Wildsight, will testify in front of a United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization World Heritage panel.

Read the entire article . . .

New griz study to focus on rub trees

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Another sure sign of spring: A new bear study.

From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .

A new and expansive effort to monitor the Northern Continental Divide’s grizzly bear population will capitalize on a creature comfort for bears: the irresistible urge to scratch their backs on trees.

The research project mainly will be aimed at determining whether collecting hair samples from rub trees over three successive years can provide a reliable measure of whether the region’s grizzly population is stable, growing or shrinking.

It will be led by Kate Kendall, the U.S. Geological Survey scientist who spearheaded two previous grizzly bear population studies based on genetic analysis of bear hair.

Read the entire article . . .

Wolves off endangered list — for a few more days, anyways

Environmental Issues, News, ,

This whole wolf thing is getting a little confusing, but here’s the latest, as posted in today’s Flathead Beacon . . .

Wolves in parts of the Northern Rockies and the Great Lakes region come off the endangered species list Monday — opening the way for public hunting of the animals to begin in some states this fall.

But prior attempts to remove federal protection for the predators have been rejected by judges and new legal challenges are certain.

Read the entire article . . .

Narrowing the North Fork Road south of Camas

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Here’s an interesting entry from the North Fork Landowners’ Association Road Committee’s February minutes:

Dave Prunty has inquired about landowners’ interest in narrowing the section of gravel road from the end of the blacktop to Camas Creek Road. It is currently 40 plus feet wide and the proposal is to narrow it to a 24-foot width. The 24-foot width would reduce maintenance expenses from the grading aspect and probably plowing snow as well. The county thinks there is some good material that would be “reclaimed” to provide a better driving surface. The county is just beginning to [talk] about this idea and wanted community input.

To comment, landowners can contact the Road Committee at northforkroad@live.com. Flathead County Public Works Director Dave Prunty can be contacted directly at dprunty@flathead.mt.gov, although it’s probably best and most effective to funnel comments through the Road Committee in most circumstances.

By the way, the NFLA Road Committee has been doing some very nice work. See their North Fork Road page for details. Recommended reading.