Proposed rule would end federal wolf protections in Lower 48

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The U.S. Department of Interior has posted a draft rule proposing to remove federal wolf protections . . .

Federal wildlife officials have drafted plans to lift protections for gray wolves across the Lower 48 states, a move that could end a decades-long recovery effort that has restored the animals but only in parts of their historic range.

The draft U.S. Department of Interior rule obtained by The Associated Press contends the roughly 6,000 wolves now living in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes are enough to prevent the species’ extinction. The agency says having gray wolves elsewhere — such as the West Coast, parts of New England and elsewhere in the Rockies — is unnecessary for their long-term survival. A small population of Mexican wolves in the Southwest would continue to receive federal protections, as a distinct subspecies of the gray wolf.

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Baucus testifies for North Fork Watershed Protection Act

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Sen Max Baucus begins a serious push to gain passage of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act . . .

Two days after announcing his retirement and, in doing so, promising a full-court press to protect some of Montana’s most pristine places, U.S. Sen. Max Baucus testified before the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee to promote the North Fork Watershed Protection Act, a bill that would permanently protect the American side of the North Fork watershed from new energy development.

Baucus, a six-term Democrat, announced Tuesday he will not seek re-election in 2014, and vowed to serve out the final year and a half of his term focused on accomplishing legislative priorities that would protect Montana’s scenic gems, and “double down” on passage of the North Fork bill and designation of new wilderness along the Rocky Mountain Front.

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New Forest Service budgeting process could impact backcountry trails work

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Some folks are getting fussed about how a new Forest Service budgeting process could impact backcountry trails work. Region 1, which includes the Flathead National Forest, is one of the regions trying out this approach . . .

A U.S. Forest Service cleanup program repaired or removed more than 1,000 of roads and trails in Montana over a recent five-year period. Now its advocates worry a new budgeting process could squelch that momentum…

But that momentum could be lost under a new budgeting system the Forest Service let some of its regions try. Missoula-headquartered Region 1 is one of the pilot sites for Integrated Resource Restoration budgeting, which combines money from five task-related budget pools into single buckets defined by landscapes or watersheds.

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Glacier Park plans prescribed burn in Big Prairie area

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Glacier Park plans a prescribed burn on Big Prairie sometime within the next month . . .

A prescribed fire project is planned in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park, roughly four miles northwest of Polebridge, in the next month, according to park officials.

Park crews plan to burn roughly 175 acres in the Big Prairie area, depending on weather and fuel conditions, according to a news release.

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Grizzly captures planned in Northwestern Montana

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Plans are afoot again this year to capture grizzly bears for research purposes . . .

Biologists will begin capturing grizzly bears in northwestern Montana this month as part of ongoing research into the population of the threatened species.

The work will take place in the Blackfoot Valley, along the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Swan and Clearwater River Valleys, within Glacier National Park, and in the North and Middle Forks of the Flathead River.

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It’s that time again: bears are coming out of hibernation

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Grizzly bears, as well as black bears, are coming out of hibernation and looking for food. “Bear aware” North Forkers will be making sure they have no bear attractants on their property such as smelly trash, bird feeders, animal feed, downed apples and so forth. The Creston area has had several bear incidents already and Glacier Park reports evidence their Grizzlies are stirring. Here are the stgories . . .

Creston seems to be the place for grizzlies this spring – Creston apparently is a hot spot for grizzly bear activity this spring, with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials aware of at least four bears in the area. Continue reading . . .

Glacier Park Officials: Grizzly Bears Emerging From Dens – Grizzly bears are out of their dens and roaming throughout Glacier National Park, according to park officials. Recent observations of bear tracks in the snow indicate bears are emerging from hibernation and looking for food, according to an announcement from park officials. Continue reading . . .

Wolf populations drop in Alaska and Northern Rockies

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Today’s news has information on drops in the wolf population in two areas of the U.S. Both declines are attributed to hunting pressures . . .

Northern Rockies See Sharp Drop in Wolves – Aggressive gray wolf hunting and trapping took a toll in much of the Northern Rockies last year as the predator’s population saw its most significant decline since being reintroduced to the region two decades ago. Yet state and federal wildlife officials said Friday that the population remains healthy overall, despite worries among some wildlife advocates over high harvest rates. Its range is even expanding in some areas as packs take hold in new portions of eastern Washington state and Oregon. Continue reading . . .

Number of wolves in Alaska’s Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve drops by more than 50 percent – Wolves in Alaska are known to have healthy population numbers. Yet now, it turns out that Alaska’s predator control program has resulted in the number of wolves in Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve to drop by more than half. The National Park service counted 80 wolves over nine packs in November 2012. This spring, though, the numbers have dropped drastically. Biologists have only been able to account for 28 to 39 wolves in six different packs–it’s the highest drop in numbers since the park service began tracking wolves 19 years ago. Continue reading . . .

Two North Fork documentaries to show on April 26

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The Gateway-to-Glacier Trail organization is showing two North Fork-related documentaries in a fund raiser at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, on April 26. “Mercantile” is about — what else? — the Polebridge Mercantile. “The Lookout” centers around Thoma Lookout . . .

Gateway-to-Glacier Trail is offering a redux of movie night, this time at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish, to give those who weren’t able to last month a chance to see two documentaries by Brian Bolster.

The original movie night in March was so successful, attendees had to be turned away because the room capacity was exceeded. This movie night, scheduled for April 26 at the Whitefish venue, will feature Bolster’s Northwest Montana documentaries.

Leif Haugan will show “Mercantile,” Bolster’s short documentary on the Polebridge Mercantile, featuring an inside look at the Merc’s baking operation in a rustic setting…

Haugen is the focus of the second award-winning documentary film, “The Lookout,” which features the Flathead National Forest’s Thoma Lookout, above the North Fork of the Flathead River Drainage, a few miles south of the Canadian border…

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Forest Service changes rule on project issue resolution

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The U.S. Forest Service is implementing a rule change that allows discussion of a project with affected parties before a final decision is made.

No, really. This is actual news, not simply common sense. You just can’t make this stuff up . . .

In U.S. Forest Service-speak, we’re switching from a 215 to a 218.

The difference in digits determines how and when someone can protest a timber sale or a road decommissioning, or any other Forest Service project that needs an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment.

Under rule 215, you appeal the decision after it’s announced. Under rule 218, you object before the decision is made.

“The idea is we can sit down together and work out the issues,” said Ray Smith, Forest Service Region 1 objections and appeals coordinator. “It’s really important – the work together part.

“Under the appeal process, an appellant couldn’t sit down with the person who made the decision or the person who’s reviewing the project. It’s all separate, all isolated. You even need a specific official document to communicate. That isolated everybody, and made it difficult to have good back-and-forth dialogue.”

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