Transboundary Flathead still open to coal mining

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Just when you think you can put your feet up and relax. The Flathead Campaign reports that the mining ban passed by British Columbia last year protecting the Canadian Flathead from development has a loophole. There are some federal coal blocks technically unaffected by this provincial legislation. The biggest sits right at the headwaters of the whole transboundary Flathead drainage.

Here’s the lead-in. Read the full article for details, including a map of the areas affected . . .

B.C.’s Flathead River Valley is still open to mountain top removal coal mining and coalbed methane development because a federal coal block is not included in a provincial ban on energy and mining development, conservation groups warned today.

“The Flathead is not protected from open pit coal mining after all,” said Wildsight Executive Director John Bergenske. “We’re calling on the federal government to make an immediate public commitment to join the ban on Flathead mining and energy development.”

The B.C. mining ban, legislated one year ago in November 2011, has no legal effect over 6,290 hectares of federally owned Dominion Coal Blocks in the headwaters of the Flathead River Valley which are being considered for development.

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Glacier Park stonefly could be first species put on endangered list due to climate change

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Glacier Park’s meltwater stonefly is a candidate species for addition to the endangered species list . . .

An obscure aquatic insect found exclusively in the high alpine streams of Glacier National Park will remain a high-priority candidate for endangered species protection because it is at risk of extinction due to climate change, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced last week.

The rare stonefly, called Lednia tumana, has narrow temperature requirements and lives only in cold-water streams fed by Glacier Park’s melting glaciers and snowfields – a mountain ecosystem rapidly disappearing due to global warming. It was included on the most recent list of 192 candidate species eligible for protection under the Endangered Species Act. However, it did not receive emergency listing for protection.

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Flathead National Forest brings new avalanche site online

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This should prove useful. The Flathead National Forest just put up a new “Flathead Avalanche Center” website . . .

Hoping to increase awareness in the winter backcountry, the Flathead National Forest has reorganized its avalanche program with the launch of a new website.

The Flathead Avalanche Center (FAC) launched its site last week, www.flatheadavalanche.org. The site will provide up-to-date information about local avalanche conditions, snow pack, mountain weather and upcoming education classes and events for all types of recreationists. The center’s coverage area will include the Cabinet, Flathead, Mission, Purcell, Swan and Whitefish ranges in the Flathead and Kootenai national forests as well as sections of Glacier National Park.

The FAC is also increasing the number of weekly winter advisories from two to three. Beginning in December, advisories will be released on Saturdays as well as Tuesdays and Fridays. The advisories will include current danger levels for avalanche conditions and expected weather.

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Beargrass focus of new report

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Well, now. Science Daily reports that beargrass, a common sight around here, is the focus of a research report just released by the U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station. One tidbit I didn’t know: Beargrass leaves are very popular with the commercial floral industry . . .

Beargrass is an ecologically, culturally, and economically important plant in the Western United States and, for the first time, landowners, managers, and harvesters now have a comprehensive report about the species.

The report, Natural and Cultural History of Beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax), published by the U.S. Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Research Station, identifies critical knowledge gaps and areas for future research. It also documents how changes in disturbance, including fire, may affect the species across its range.

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Link: Natural and cultural history of beargrass (Xerophyllum tenax)

Logging road debate headed to Supreme Court next

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Platoons of lawyers and all three branches of government are weighing in on this one . . .

Do logging roads create water pollution, or just carry it?

The question has triggered a case of dueling government branches and left many in the woods, both industry leaders and environmental activists, anxious to see what happens.

“It’s an on-the-ground nightmare,” said Loren Rose of Seeley Lake’s Pyramid Mountain Lumber. “It would bring a lot of things to a screeching halt.”

The federal Clean Water Act specifically says farm and ranch roads are not a “point source” of water pollution and don’t need a special permit for construction or maintenance. Forest roads never got a similar exemption. But for decades, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has not considered logging roads a water pollution source.

That started to change last year, when an Oregon lawsuit made it to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals and the judges ruled the Clean Water Act should come down hard on logging roads. That case is now headed for the U.S. Supreme Court, which hears oral arguments on Dec. 3.

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Chas Cartwright retiring as Glacier Park superintendent

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Chas Cartwright is stepping down at the end of the year . . .

The superintendent of Glacier National Park is retiring at the end of December, a park spokesperson confirmed Thursday night.

Chas Cartwright announced his plans this week to step down at the end of the year. Park officials will release further details in the near future, including who will serve as interim superintendent in Cartwright’s absence…

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Glacier Park’s future under discussion

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Glacier Park officials face several challenges over the next few years . . .

As park officials described it, with both optimism and concern, preserving and protecting the Crown of the Continent is a constant effort.

Aquatic invasive species continue to threaten Glacier National Park. Federal funding is drying up nationwide while lawmakers grapple over a transportation bill. As the top attraction in the state, the park’s escalating popularity is beginning to overwhelm resources and trails.

“What does this mean for the future of Glacier National Park?” Deputy Superintendent Kym Hall asked recently. “How do we maintain that quality visitor experience? Because I assume that’s what people come here for. It’s the Glacier experience, and it’s a unique experience.”

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Yellowstone regional grizzly bear population on the upswing

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The Missoulian reports that the grizzly population centered on Yellowstone Park appears to be doing well.  The article also discusses the Cabinet-Yaak Grizzly Bear Project in this corner of Montana . . .

The grizzly bear population around Yellowstone National Park appears to be stable and growing, according to experts in Wyoming.

A story in the Casper Star-Tribune reports that an estimated 608 grizzlies live in the Yellowstone ecosystem, an increase over last year’s estimated population of 593.

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Coalition files suit against Wyoming wolf management plan

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More legal woes for Wyoming’s wolf management plan . . .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service never should have accepted a wolf-management plan that allows the state of Wyoming to classify the animals as predators that may be shot on sight, environmental groups said in a federal lawsuit filed Tuesday in Washington, D.C.

A coalition of groups asked a federal judge to force the Fish and Wildlife Service to rescind its transfer of wolf management authority to Wyoming and protect them once again under the federal Endangered Species Act.

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Glacier Institute wins $20K for alternate energy curriculum at Big Creek

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The Glacier Institute won a nice grant to buy equipment and develop an alternate energy curriculum at their Big Creek education center . . .

A month-long online voting contest among nonprofits in all 50 states has earned the Glacier Institute a $20,000 grant for its Outdoor Education Center located on the North Fork of the Flathead.

The local nonprofit was selected in September as Montana’s lone finalist in the Tom’s of Maine “50 States for Good” program, which helps support a suite of outdoor-oriented community projects nationwide.

The award, announced Thursday, will fund the Glacier Institute’s brand new alternative energy curriculum, which teaches students how to preserve and better use Montana’s natural resources.

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