Larry Wilson’s “North Fork Views” column in this week’s Hungry Horse News heaps well-deserved praise on the Polebridge Mercantile and Northern Lights Café and their new owners.
As usual, Larry’s column is recommended reading.
Polebridge man charged with arson, assault
A bit of excitement just north of Polebridge. The Daily Inter Lake has the story . . .
A Polebridge man was arrested Thursday after allegedly assaulting a neighbor and later setting fire to the man’s outhouse and shelter.
Kent Royce Johnson, 60, has been charged with felony arson and misdemeanor assault following the apparent escalation of an ongoing dispute between the two North Fork residents.
Wolves all over the news
Wolves have been getting enough press the last couple of days to turn a seasoned PR flack green with envy.
Here’s an overview of the more notable local and regional coverage . . .
- The Daily Inter Lake has a pretty good write-up on Rep. Denny Rehberg’s local hearing on the impact of relisting gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
- Bill Schneider unloads on pro-wolf groups in the Flathead Beacon for refusing to consider any comprimise on wolf protection. He argues that the political backlash may put the integrity of the Endangered Species Act at risk. He also provides an excellent summary of the various legislative proposals floating around right now.
- By contrast, there’s an AP article in the Missoulian indicating that Montana, at least, is trying to reach a settlement with environmental groups that successfully sued to put wolves back under federal protection.
- At the same time, both Montana and Idaho are trying to get the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to allow limited wolf hunts in certain areas under something called the “10(j) rule.” Go figure.
Lots of noise about delisting wolves
An AP article posted to today’s Flathead Beacon surveys the various, competing proposals to remove wolves from the Endangered Species List. Must be an election coming up . . .
Two decades after the federal government spent a half-million dollars to study the reintroduction of gray wolves to the Northern Rockies, lawmakers say it’s time for Congress to step in again — this time to clamp down on the endangered animals.
Montana’s congressional delegation aims to delist wolves
From today’s Flathead Beacon, here’s some more information on the attempt to remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List. This write-up includes links to useful external material . . .
Just days after Republican Congressman Denny Rehberg announced that he had drafted legislation that would remove the gray wolf from the Endangered Species List, Montana’s Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester said they were introducing a similar bill.
Baucus & Tester introduce bill to return wolf management to Montana
Montana’s congresscritters are really jumping on the wolf issue.
A late post to today’s Missoulian . . .
Montana and Idaho could win back state management of gray wolves through legislation offered by senators Max Baucus and Jon Tester late Tuesday.
The state’s two Democratic senators introduced their bill in the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. Republican Rep. Denny Rehberg drafted a bill removing wolves from Endangered Species Act protection on Sept. 15, but has not introduced it yet.
Rehberg to hold local wolf hearing Oct. 6
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont., announced Monday that he will host three hearings — including one in Kalispell on Oct. 6 — on the impacts of relisting gray wolves under the Endangered Species Act.
Rehberg is interested in a legislative solution…
The Oct. 6 meeting in Kalispell will be held from 10 a.m. to noon at Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts and Technology building…
Montana seeks “conservation hunt” for wolves
This will get everyone stirred up. From today’s Flathead Beacon . . .
Montana wildlife officials say they have applied for a special “conservation hunt” for endangered gray wolves . . .
State officials earlier this month asked the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service for an expedited decision on their application so hunting could take place this fall. The proposal has drawn sharp criticism from wildlife advocates who accuse the state of making an end-run around the courts . . .
Study says beetle kills may not elevate fire hazard
Oh, boy. This item posted to today’s Flathead Beacon is going to trigger some debate and, one hopes, further investigation . . .
Swaths of forests killed by mountain pine beetles may not be as prone to massive fires as many previously assumed, a conclusion drawn by researchers from the University of Wisconsin and Yellowstone National Park.
Bear activity rises as temperatures fall
The Flathead Beacon has a nice overview of all the late-season bear activity — not to mention a handy one-sentence definition of “hyperphagia” . . .
As the weather begins to cool for fall’s arrival, Flathead Valley residents may notice a heightened amount of bear activity in the lower basins as the animals continue packing away calories before hibernation.