Longtime North Fork resident Larry Wilson’s weekly “North Fork Views” column in the Hungry Horse News is accessible online.
Finally!
The best way to find it seems to be to go to the “Columns” section of the HHN’s website. Click on the “More of this story” link to read Larry’s full column. [Corrected Oct. 21 because they changed the web address for columnists.]
Today’s Daily Inter Lake had a nice article on the 25th anniversary of the Flathead Land Trust . . .
(By the way, the article mentions that one of the original Flathead Land Trust steering committee members was “a North Fork resident.” Anybody know who that was?)
Think of the Blasdel federal Waterfowl Production Area, or the new McWenneger Slough fishing access, or a 40-acre addition to Lone Pine State Park, or better yet, many of the farm fields and riparian areas along the lower Flathead River system. They have something in common: the Flathead Land Trust.
The organization is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year…
An Associated Press article from today’s Missoulian . . .
Government agencies are seeking broad new authority to ramp up killings and removals of gray wolves in the Northern Rockies and Great Lakes, despite two recent court actions that restored the animal’s endangered status in every state except Alaska and Minnesota…
In Montana and Idaho, officials hope to revive hunting seasons by rebranding them as “conservation hunts” or “research hunts.” Also, Montana Democrat U.S. Senator Max Baucus wants ranchers to have more freedom to shoot wolves harassing livestock…
Yesterday’s Great Falls Tribune had a nice article on rafting the North Fork, including some useful background material . . .
For 59 miles, the North Fork of the Flathead River snakes from the Canadian border to its confluence with the Middle Fork.
It twists and turns along the western boundary of Glacier National Park through rich floodplains teeming with diverse greenery and wildlife.
Floaters on the robust river round each bend to new views of mountains, dappled with snow in early summer and waning to gold by fall.
Richard Wackrow sent out this reminder today. For background information, see the article “Border Patrol agents on North Fork to increase from four to 50-plus” published in this summer’s newsletter . . .
Just a reminder that David Abegglen, agent in charge of the Whitefish office of the Border Patrol (out of which the North Fork is patrolled), will be at the Saturday North Fork Landowners’ Association meeting. That’s 8 p.m. at Sondreson Hall.
This might be our last best chance before the February or July 2011 Inter Local Agreement meeting to ask him questions about Border Patrol operations on the North Fork.
From today’s Missoulian, here’s a good overview of the current status of Sen. Jon Tester’s proposed Forest Jobs and Recreation Act. Short version: Still stuck in committee because of debate over the logging mandate . . .
The first questioner at Sen. Jon Tester’s Monday public forum in Missoula wanted to know how the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act was coming along.
Here’s a good overview from today’s Missoulian of the trade-offs involved with two recent federal court rulings concerning wolf and grizzly bear management. Chris Servheen’s comments regarding the potential negative impact on grizzly bear recovery are particularly interesting . . .
Wolves and bears don’t behave well in courtrooms.
But the two big predators are likely to spend the next 18 months there as their advocates and enemies try to untangle them from the federal Endangered Species Act.
Last week, Montana wildlife managers decided to appeal U.S. District Court Judge Donald Molloy’s Aug. 5 decision placing the gray wolf back under federal protection. Meanwhile, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service officials in Missoula appealed another Molloy ruling that prevented state management of Yellowstone ecosystem grizzly bears.
It’s that time again. Here’s a good overview from today’s Flathead Beacon on dealing with noxious weeds, especially knapweed . . .
As the summer weather begins to wane and most guests head home, a rather unwelcome visitor makes its presence known in the Flathead Valley. Knapweed is in full bloom, and officials say the valley is approaching the best time to attack them.
“It’s definitely that time of year,” Flathead County Weed Control and Parks and Recreation Director Jed Fisher said. “Most noxious weeds are going to seed right now.”
From today’s Daily Inter Lake . . .
The Flathead County Planning Board last week recommended limiting the size of extractive industries in the North Fork, but took pains to disassociate itself from a much-publicized memorandum of understanding between Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell.
That memorandum, signed earlier this year, calls for a ban on mining in the North Fork of the Flathead River in the United States and Canada.
Current county regulations require extractive industries in the North Fork Zoning District be of a “small scale,” but it is undefined and has not been implemented.
The board’s recommendation, which will be considered by the county commissioners, would limit extractive industries to five acres in size and allow no more than 20,000 tons of material to be removed each year. Those limits parallel limits set out in the Canadian-U.S. agreement.
Dave Hadden, director of Headwaters Montana, Robin Steinkraus, executive director of the Flathead Lakers and Will Hammerquist, program manager for the National Parks Conservation Association’s Glacier Field Office have a nice commentary piece in today’s Flathead Beacon . . .
Here in Montana, August brings us the county fair and farm harvests. And this year we also celebrate a harvest of victories for Glacier National Park, the North Fork Flathead River and Flathead Lake. In addition to commemorating Glacier’s first 100 years, citizens from across the Montana-British Columbia border, Gov. Brian Schweitzer, B.C. Premier Gordon Campbell and Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester did yeoman’s work to protect this special place.