Category Archives: News

116 conservation organizations, including NFPA, sign letter opposing bikes in wilderness

March 28, 2016Commentary, Environmental Issues, Newsmountain bikes, North Fork Preservation Association, Sustainable Trails Coalition, wildernessnfpa

The NFPA joined a large group of other conservation organizations in signing on to a letter to congress opposing any change to the Wilderness Act that would permit bicycles in wilderness areas . . .

A legal change to allow bikes in federal wilderness hasn’t been introduced in Congress yet, but the issue already has advocates riled and rolling.

Last week, a coalition of conservation groups published a letter asking congressional delegations to “reject calls to amend the Wilderness Act to allow for the use of mountain bikes in designated Wilderness.” The coalition included Montana-based Wilderness Watch, Bitterroot Backcountry Horsemen of Montana and North Fork Preservation Association, among others.

They aimed their concern at proposed legislation drafted by a national mountain-biking group called Sustainable Trails Coalition, which also claims members in Montana. STC President Ted Stroll said the bill would move the decision about allowing bicycles in wilderness or proposed wilderness areas to the local forest supervisor level, instead of the national agency headquarters. It would also allow federal land managers to use mechanized and wheeled tools to maintain trails in federal wilderness.

Scientists to present Flathead deep aquifer research

March 28, 2016Environmental Issues, NewsFlathead River Commission, Flathead Valley deep aquifer, hydrology, Montana Bureau of Mines and Geologynfpa

There’s an interesting presentation on the Flathead Valley’s hydrology coming up on April 6 at Flathead Valley Community College, in the Arts and Technology building theater at 6:30 pm . . .

When Flathead Valley residents turn on their tap water, they often take it for granted. But with the exception of those living in Whitefish, most everyone living in the valley relies on groundwater from a series of deep aquifers known as the Flathead Valley deep aquifer.

It’s the most widely used aquifer in the valley, supplying high-capacity municipal and irrigation wells in addition to thousands of domestic wells. The deep aquifer is a thick deposit of gravel and sand, the top of which is 75 to over 400 feet deep and separated from shallow units and the land surface by a thick confining unit.

On April 6, research hydrogeologists John Wheaton and James Rose from the Montana Bureau of Mines and Geology will present their research on the Flathead Valley’s deep aquifer and discuss the long-term sustainability of the area’s groundwater resources.

Read more . . .

Forest Service extends comment period for Rock Creek Mine

March 27, 2016Environmental Issues, NewsKootenai National Forest, Rock Creek Minenfpa

The public now has extra time to make their views known about the proposed Rock Creek Mine . . .

The U.S. Forest Service has extended the comment period for the draft environmental impact statement for the Rock Creek Mine project near Noxon.

Residents will now have until April 19 to submit comments on the proposed copper and silver project. Kootenai National Forest officials said in a press release announcing the extension that they wanted to give people more time to review the draft supplemental environmental impact because it is a “complex document.”

The draft study released in February addresses concerns about sediment control and ground water at Rock Creek.

Read more . . .

Annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex public meeting April 2

March 27, 2016NewsBob Marshall Wilderness Complexnfpa

Chinese Wall - Bob Marshall Wilderness — Chinese Wall – Bob Marshall Wilderness

From the official press release . . .

The public is invited to the annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC) Public Meeting on Saturday, April 2 starting at 10 AM at the Stage Stop Inn in Choteau, Montana.

“This is a great annual opportunity to meet with the National Forest Wilderness Managers and Montana Fish and Wildlife staff”, says Deb Mucklow, Spotted Bear District Ranger. “The challenges of managing wilderness are often not understood. Historically the participants at this annual meeting have helped with solutions or ideas that we as managers may be to incorporate. Specific updates will be shared from the Fire Season of 2015, the Wilderness Stewardship Performance program, and specific trail needs/projects, wilderness issues and more.” All of the participants will be encouraged to interact with the managers present and have time for one on one questions. We’ll also be asking how they value the wilderness we have today and what the expectations are for the future. In addition, updates will be provided on specific activities and projects, and ongoing monitoring across the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. The monitoring and actions are a piece of the Limits of Acceptable change for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC).”

Continue reading Annual Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex public meeting April 2 →

Glacier Park to start plowing; Camas Road is first

March 23, 2016News, Snow ConditionsCamas Road, snow plowingnfpa

Rotary snowplow at work - Glacier NP photo — Rotary snowplow at work – Glacier NP photo

Glacier Park will fire up the snowplows on April 1, with the Camas Road being first in line for attention on the west side.

Since they will likely be able to plow it with a push broom this year, Camas Road should be open in very short order.

To monitor road status: http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm

To see where the plows are: http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/gttsroadplow/gttsroadplowstatus.cfm

Feds & environmental groups reach tentative deal over oil & gas lease emissions

March 22, 2016Environmental Issues, Newsoil and gas development, oil and gas leasesnfpa

Oil and gas development at Colorado's Roan Plateau. Photo by Ecoflight. — Oil and gas development at Colorado’s Roan Plateau. Photo by Ecoflight.

Conservation groups are leaning on the feds over the need to control methane emissions as part of energy development . . .

Environmental groups and the U.S. government reached a tentative agreement to end a dispute over greenhouse gas emissions from federal oil and gas leases in Montana.

Attorneys for the Department of Justice and the environmentalists filed notice in federal court Friday that they have a settlement in principle over a lawsuit that pushes the government to examine the effects on climate change when leasing public lands for energy drilling. They hope to finalize the deal within the month.

The groups say the government should require companies to use technology that would reduce climate-changing methane emissions as a condition of their leases. Better oversight and technology use could cut 40 percent of the methane now lost due to leaking pipes, venting excess gas and exhaust from drilling, processing and transporting the oil and gas, according to the Montana Environmental Information Center, WildEarth Guardians and Earthworks’ Oil and Gas Accountability Project.

Read more . . .

Bighorn ruling could have broad impact on western grazing

March 21, 2016Environmental Issues, Newsbighorn sheep, grazingnfpa

Bighorn Sheep - Kim Keating, USGS photo — Bighorn Sheep – Kim Keating, USGS photo

A new ruling protecting bighorn sheep, although it has no immediate impact on the North Fork, has potential long-term ramifications beyond just grazing conflicts . . .

A ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals recognizing a connection between bighorn sheep die-offs and diseases transmitted by domestic sheep could have far-reaching ramifications on federal grazing allotments in the West.

The ruling earlier this month by the three-judge panel against domestic sheep producers upheld a lower court ruling in Idaho supporting a U.S. Forest Service decision to close sheep grazing allotments to protect bighorns.

“A lot of people were looking at this waiting to see what they did,” said Laurie Rule of Advocates for the West, noting it’s the first time a U.S. circuit court has ruled on disease transmission between the species.

Read more . . .

Photos of all 59 parks in 59 weeks

March 20, 2016News, Photos & Imagesnational parksnfpa

Logging Lake in Glacier National Park, USA - National Park Service — Logging Lake in Glacier National Park, USA – National Park Service

So, these two guys quit their jobs and headed out to take photos of all 59 U.S. national parks in 59 weeks. Their web site already has an impressive collection of photos . . .

This summer, the National Park Service turns 100. It’s safe to say that lots of Americans will be celebrating by visiting a national park.

But two friends — Darius Nabors and Trevor Kemp — are marking the occasion by visiting all of them.

That’s 59 parks, from Joshua Tree to Shenandoah, and from remote Alaskan wilderness to Virgin Island beaches. And Nabors and Kemp are crossing them off the list in 59 weeks.

They quit their jobs to make the journey, which is partially crowd-funded, and are documenting the process on their website, 59in59.com.

Read more . . .

Bull Trout project in Big Creek drainage; public feedback requested

March 18, 2016Documents, Environmental Issues, NewsBig Creek, bull troutnfpa

Bull Trout - Joel Sartore/National Geographic Stock with Wade Fredenberg/USFWS — Bull Trout – Joel Sartore/National Geographic Stock with Wade Fredenberg/USFWS

Rob Davies, the Hungry Horse/Glacier View district ranger, is asking for public feedback on a small, low-impact project in the Big Creek drainage to improve conditions for Bull Trout. If possible, they’d really like to get this accomplished in April, before the stream flows really get going. This means they are looking for public comments by March 30.

Here’s what Rob had to say in his email (lightly edited), followed by the full text of the project letter . . .

We will be issuing a NEPA decision for a small simple project that was presented at the Inter-local Meeting last February.

We would like to know if anyone has concerns or wishes to provide comments on this project…

Essentially the State and the Forest Service wants to breach a log jam, and several small beaver dams where migrating bull trout were blocked from upstream movement to their normal spawning area (last fall). The work would be accomplished using a Spider Backhoe…… if you never have seen this type of heavy equipment it is really interesting…….. it’s essentially a small excavator but instead of using steel tracks, it moves on 4 robotic-like legs so that soil and vegetation disturbance is very minimal.

We would like to complete this work before peak runoff occurs this spring so natural flows will help scour and maintain the channel. Normally bull trout projects never remove or disturb large wood in streams but in this case, the Flathead bull trout populations are so depressed from other Flathead Lake issues…… doing all that we can to assure spawning success is important.

Please provide comments, by email, in writing, or by phone no later than March 30th, 2016.

Rob’s contact information:

Rob Davies , District Ranger
Flathead National Forest
Hungry Horse – Glacier View Ranger Districts
PO Box 190340
Hungry Horse, MT, MT 59919
Phone: 406-387-3801
Email: rdavies@fs.fed.us

Continue reading Bull Trout project in Big Creek drainage; public feedback requested →

Feds cancels energy lease in Badger-Two Medicine!

March 17, 2016Environmental Issues, NewsBadger-Two Medicine region, oil and gas leases, oil exploration, Solonexnfpa

After dragging their feet as long as possible and a frank exchange of views with a federal judge, the feds finally cancelled a disputed drilling lease in the Badger-Two Medicine . . .

The Obama administration has cancelled a disputed oil and gas lease in the Badger-Two Medicine area near Glacier National Park.

Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell announced Thursday the Bureau of Land Management has cancelled the 6,200-acre lease in the Lewis and Clark National Forest. The lease, currently held by Solonex LLC, was issued by the BLM in 1982 on land considered sacred to the Blackfeet tribes of the U.S. and Canada.

The cancellation is expected to be challenged in federal court by Solenex, a Louisiana company seeking to drill for oil and gas.

The BLM concluded the Solonex lease was improperly issued in violation of the National Environmental Policy Act and the National Historical Preservation Act. The agency consulted with the U.S. Forest Service, Advisory Council on Historic Preservation, Blackfeet Tribe, leaseholder and others, according to federal officials.

Read more . . .