A new wilderness designation in Montana?

Environmental Issues, News,

According to an AP article in today’s Missoulian, Senator Jon Tester has plans to propose a new wilderness designation in Montana. One possibility is some 500,000 acres in the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, but Tester is also “considering proposals in the Seeley Lake area and in northwestern Montana.”

Here’s the lede . . .

Wilderness advocates and key officials say Sen. Jon Tester’s office has plans to bring Montana its first new wilderness designation since the 1980s.

But Tester’s office is keeping details quiet — just saying that anyone interested in how forests are managed should contact the senator.

Read the entire article . . .

Northwestern Montana, eh? Interesting. We’ll keep an eye on this.

Coal mine threat to Glacier draws UN attention

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Here’s this week’s Hungry Horse News write-up on UNESCO’s investigation of threats to Waterton-Glacier Park . . .

A United Nations delegation will travel to Glacier National Park and the North Fork to see for itself the threats of mining and coal bed methane development could have on the Park.

Meeting in Spain last week the 21-member United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s World Heritage Committee voted unanimously to send a mission to Waterton-Glacier and the Canadian Flathead.

Read the entire article . . .

NFPA Summer 2009 Newsletter available online

Site Updates

The Summer 2009 NFPA Newsletter just went to the printer. Those of you itching to get your hands on it right away can view it online.

Items of note include a status report on the UNESCO investigation into threats to Waterton-Glacier Park, an article by Cristina Eisenberg on the far-reaching and surprising effects on the ecosystem of top predators such as wolves, and a short history of the Foreman family’s impact on the North Fork.

Canadian press posts coverage of World Heritage Committee investigation

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The Vancouver Sun has a couple of pieces up on the decision by the UNESCO World Heritage Committee to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier Park. There is a basic heads-up article and a short pictorial.

The Tyee also has a pretty decent write-up with some handy links to related material.

There’s an AP/Canadian Press article making the rounds, too. But, at this point, it is essentially a light edit of the original press release.

Missoulian picks up UNESCO Waterton-Glacier investigation story

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From a “Breaking News” post in today’s online edition of the Missoulian . . .

UNESCO will send a mission to Canada to judge for itself the threat posed by a planned Canadian coal mine to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park.

The group’s World Heritage Commission, meeting in Seville, Spain, voted Friday to send the delegation, and also requested a report from the United States and Canada on the potential dangers.

Read the entire article . . .

Word spreads about UNESCO Waterton-Glacier investigation

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The Flathead Beacon has picked up on the story about the UNESCO World Heritage Committee’s decision to send a delegation to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier Park. Here’s the lead-in from a nicely written article by Dan Testa . . .

The United Nations plans to send a fact-finding mission to Canada to investigate environmental threats to the Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park due to proposed coal and energy mining activity in the area.

Representatives of U.S. and Canadian conservation groups opposed to mining activity that could harm the water quality and wildlife of the Flathead River Valley are in Seville, Spain, this week for a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), petitioning to have Waterton-Glacier declared a “World Heritage Site in Danger.”

By a unanimous vote, the 21-country panel that governs those issues decided Friday to send a mission to the region to “evaluate and provide recommendations on the requirements for ensuring the protection” of Waterton-Glacier…

Read the entire article . . .

Threats to BC’s Flathead River Valley trigger World Heritage Committee investigation

Environmental Issues, News, , , ,

According to the Waterton-Glacier in Danger web log, UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee has voted unanimously to send a delegation to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier Park posed by resource development activities.

Here’s the lead-in from the press release. See the Waterton-Glacier in Danger site for details and breaking news . . .

Seville, Spain–UNESCO’s World Heritage Committee voted today to send a fact-finding mission to Canada to investigate threats to Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park posed by energy and mining proposals in BC’s adjacent Flathead River Valley.

The 21-member committee voted unanimously for a 2009 World Heritage Centre mission that will “evaluate and provide recommendations on the requirements for ensuring the protection” of Waterton-Glacier, citing concern about the threats that potential mining and energy development within the Flathead Valley would have on water and ecosystem connectivity. It asked Canada and the US to work together to prepare a report–by February 1, 2010– that examines all Flathead River Valley energy and mining proposals and their cumulative impacts.

Read the full press release . . .

Fuels reduction at no cost, maybe?

News,

Wth fire season approaching, this article that appeared in today’s Daily Inter Lake might be worth checking out . . .

Timberland owners in Northwest Montana have an “unprecedented” opportunity for free fuels reduction work with federal stimulus funding being offered through the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

The department is accepting grant proposals through July 10 to award about $4.8 million in 13 Western Montana counties through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“The logging community is very much aware of the grants and is actively seeking project areas,” said Rick Moore, a state service forester.

Landowners, however, are largely unaware of the program, Moore said.

Read the entire article . . .

Updated rules in effect for travel on three forks of Flathead

News,

Planning on a float trip down the North Fork? Better check the new regulations in effect this year. They cover such things as trash disposal (including — *ahem* — “solid human waste”), safety equipment and fire restrictions. More information is available on the Flathead National Forest web site and in a press release titled “River Enthusiasts Reminded to be Prepared“.