Return of wolves means more berries for bears in Yellowstone

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

This is pretty interesting stuff. A new report suggests that the increased wolf population in Yellowstone National Park, and the consequent reduction in over-grazing by elk, is making a lot more berries available to bears in late summer/early fall . . .

A new study suggests that the return of wolves to Yellowstone National Park is beginning to bring back a key part of the diet of grizzly bears that has been missing for much of the past century — berries that help bears put on fat before going into hibernation.

It’s one of the first reports to identify the interactions between these large, important predators, based on complex ecological processes. It was published today by scientists from Oregon State University and Washington State University in the Journal of Animal Ecology.

The researchers found that the level of berries consumed by Yellowstone grizzlies is significantly higher now that shrubs are starting to recover following the re-introduction of wolves, which have reduced over-browsing by elk herds. The berry bushes also produce flowers of value to pollinators like butterflies, insects and hummingbirds; food for other small and large mammals; and special benefits to birds.

Continue reading . . .

Entire Inside North Fork Road expected to open this weekend

News,

Well, now. It looks like the complete Inside North Fork Road will open this weekend.

From the official press release . . .

All 28 miles of the Inside North Fork Road between Fish Creek Campground and Polebridge is anticipated to open this weekend. Glacier National Park road crews are currently completing temporary repairs, including utilization of existing gravel to fill holes in the road due to annual spring runoff flooding. The section of the road between Polebridge and Logging Creek opened in May of this year to vehicle travel.

Flooding and road washout has caused significant damage to the Inside North Fork Road, particularly near the Anaconda Creek and Logging Creek areas. Yearly spring floods cause recurring damage to these areas of the road. A third location on the road between Quartz Creek and Logging Creek converges with the North Fork of the Flathead River. The river is beginning to undercut this section of the road due to sloughing of the riverbank, posing safety concerns and potential road loss issues.

Planning is needed for long-term solutions to the continual damage occurring on the Inside North Fork Road. When planning efforts begin, public input will be sought for long-term solutions that would ensure visitor safety and best protect park resources. An announcement will be released once the planning effort begins. Future temporary repairs to the road will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

The Inside North Fork Road was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1996. It is a narrow, gravel road and use of recreational, towed, and low-clearance vehicles is strongly discouraged. In ideal conditions, at least two hours are needed to travel the entire length of the Inside North Fork Road. Visitors are advised to prepare for travelling this road by carrying plenty of water and food. Also be prepared to encounter possible downed trees.

For more information on the current status of roads within the park visit, http://home.nps.gov/applications/glac/roadstatus/roadstatus.cfm or call 406-888-7800.

Flathead Valley fire danger is now “high”

Fire Information and Status, News, ,

The warm days continue and the fire danger rises . . .

Fire danger in the Flathead Valley is rising and is now considered “high,” according to fire managers.

The U.S. Forest Service announced Tuesday the heightened fire danger on the Flathead National Forest and public lands in the valley, signaling an increased likelihood that fuels such as grass will ignite easily. Temperatures are forecasted to remain in the low 90s throughout the week and light fuels have dried out considerably in recent weeks, according to fire officials.

Although fire danger is elevated, no restrictions are currently planned for the Flathead Valley, according to Wade Muehlhof, a public information officer with the Forest Service. But that could change in the near future, he said.

Continue reading . . .

Food-conditioned bear caught and killed in Glacier Park

News, ,

Another “don’t feed the bears” story: Glacier Park rangers put down a food-conditioned black bear at Fish Creek Campground yesterday . . .

Glacier National Park Rangers captured and euthanized a black bear in the Fish Creek Campground area yesterday afternoon after numerous incidents in which the bear exhibited aggressive and food-conditioned behavior towards park visitors.

The black bear was frequenting the Fish Creek Campground area and displaying aggressive behavior almost daily for the past two weeks. The bear was entering campsites, foraging, and charging visitors. This behavior is consistent with behavior displayed by habituated and food-conditioned wildlife. Attempts to haze were unsuccessful in deterring the bear from frequenting the campground. The female bear was approximately three years old and weighed 100 pounds.

After the recent incidents in the Fish Creek Campground area, park rangers set traps and captured the suspect animal at approximately 7:30p.m., Sunday, July 21. After Glacier National Park personnel verified that the correct animal had been captured through distinct markings, the bear was euthanized…

Continue reading . . .

NFPA Annual Meeting to be held on Saturday, July 27

News, , , ,

On Saturday, July 27, the annual meeting of the North Fork Preservation Association will  be held at the Sondreson Community Hall at Whale Creek.  At 7:30 pm Rick Mace, a North Forker and bear biologist for Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, will present his program entitled “A 30 year history of grizzly bear conservation in Western Montana: How far have we come?”

The 7:30 pm program is preceded by a potluck at 5pm and election of officers at approximately 7 pm when people are finished eating.

Everyone is invited.

Dave Hadden: It all makes sense from up here

Commentary, Environmental Issues, , , ,

Dave Hadden, Executive Director of Headwaters Montana, spent some time in the Canadian Flathead a short time ago. Here are his thoughts, written as he was on the summit of Mount Haig in the Canadian Rockies . . .

I’m sitting atop Mount Haig in the Canadian Rockies, just 30 miles (48km) from the Montana border and Glacier National Park. In front of me, the broken limestone and shale shards descend in sweeping arcs until they merge with ridge lines that go on forever. Behind me, very close behind me, my seat drops away vertically 2,000 feet to a jewel-like turquoise lake. I could be on top of Siyeh Peak in Glacier, but I’m not. I’m sitting on the highest peak in the proposed new Flathead National Park.

From up here you can see how the land fits together. How a grizzly bear and her cubs might tumble out of their winter den and find security in the high, carved cirque basin to my right from the instincts of male bears or the disturbance of human activities. How the green blush of a new year’s flowering moves up the valleys and canyon walls. How the returning winged-ones find willows and cottonwoods along the Flathead River and tributary creeks or in the tall spruce and pine to regenerate the song-filled air.

Continue reading . . .

Flathead Forest taking a look at their road system

News,

The Flathead National Forest is performing a “traffic analysis” of their road system. Supposedly, this is just a data gathering exercise.

Here is the story . . .

The U.S. Forest Service is conducting an analysis of the road system on three of the ranger districts in the Flathead National Forest.

Every national forest will complete a travel analysis report by 2015. The Hungry Horse, Glacier View and Spotted Bear Ranger Districts are scheduled to complete their analysis this year.

The travel analysis will include the identification of risks and benefits on National Forest System Roads (NFSR) roads as they pertain to safe and efficient travel and the protection, management, and use of the national forest.

“The travel analysis is not a proposal or decision, but is intended to help inform possible future road management planning,” Flathead National Forest Supervisor Chip Weber said in a statement.

Continue reading . . .

Judge tosses lawsuit over Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Plan

Environmental Issues, News,

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest completed their most recent Forest Plan in 2009 (the Flathead Forest is in the early stages of their own). They got sued because the plan included an area of recommended wilderness which would be closed to mechanical recreation. The judge rejected the suit . . .

A federal judge on Monday rejected a challenge to a U.S. Forest Service plan to bar motorized and mechanized vehicles in 322,000 acres of recommended wilderness areas in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

Twenty-two plaintiffs sued the Forest Service over its 2009 plan to ban the use of snowmobiles, off-road vehicles and mountain bikes in certain parts of the southwestern Montana forest until Congress decides whether they should become permanent wilderness areas.

Continue reading . . .

Forest Plan revision field trips announced

News, ,

In the midst of everything else they do, the Flathead National Forest has started the process of revising their Forest Plan. According to the Forest Plan Revision web page, “Forest Plans provide strategic direction to guide management of forest resources and provide a framework for decision making on site-specific projects and activities.”

The last Forest Plan was established in 1986. They hope to have the new one in the bag by 2016. This time around, they are required to have better transparency and consultation with the public.

Anyway, as part of this effort, they are running four field trips this year, open to the general public. Here’s the meat of the press release . . .

. . . To start the collaborative process we are holding four public field trips which will each focus on subject matter important to the forest plan. On these field trips we need people to share their values and the benefits they derive from the Flathead National Forest as well as provide input to help us accurately capture the current conditions we have on the forest as they pertain to the topic of the field trip. The trips will also be an opportunity to experience the distinct geographical areas that make up our ranger districts.

We anticipate the trips to run from 8:30 AM to 3:00 PM (except for August 29 which includes a stop at the Spotted Bear Ranger District with a 5:00 PM return). The trips will begin and end at the Flathead County Fairgrounds with transportation provided.

  1. August 8 – Forest vegetation and disturbances including fire, timber harvest, and forest products (Tally Lake Ranger District)
  2. August 29 – Recreation settings, opportunities and access, native knowledge, existing wilderness and scenic character (Hungry Horse/Spotted Bear Ranger Districts)
  3. September 12 – Terrestrial and aquatic habitats, threatened and endangered species, species of conservation concern, and invasive species (Swan Lake Ranger District)
  4. September 26 – Inventoried roadless areas, recommended wilderness, and wild and scenic rivers (Glacier View Ranger District)

* Social science, economics, and the role and contributions of the Flathead National Forest will be a component of each of the field trips.

The information shared and the feedback received will be used to develop and finalize the assessment, determine needs for change, and to draft a proposed plan. There will be additional opportunities to engage in the collaborative process as the plan is developed over the next few years.

Please RSVP to Wade Muehlhof (ewmuehlhof@fs.fed.us or 406-758-5252) at least one week before the field trip(s) you plan to attend. Please let us know if you have any special accommodation needs. For additional details please visit the Flathead National Forest Plan Revision page on our website: http://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/landmanagement/planning/?cid=stelprdb5422786&width=full.