Tag Archives: British Columbia

Partnering to protect the Transboundary Flathead watershed

Commentary, , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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.

Read the full article . . .

British Columbia wildfires put haze over western Montana

Fire Information and Status, News, , ,

From today’s Missoulian (we *ahem* covered this four days ago) . . .

The smoke we’re seeing in western Montana is coming from wildfires in British Columbia

Bridget DeRosa of the National Weather Service in Missoula said that while it was hazy in the Missoula and Bitterroot valleys, visibility was still more than 10 miles on Saturday. But it was reduced to 6 miles in the Flathead Valley around Kalispell.

Read the full story . . .

Smoke in the North Fork may be from Canada

Fire Information and Status, News, , ,

Starting yesterday, several folks in the North Fork reported smelling smoke. That smoke may be coming from Canada. NOAA’s early morning “Hazard Mapping System Fire and Smoke Product” map (see below) showed an extensive smoke plume drifting to the south and east from a large wildfire complex in southern British Columbia. At latest report, BC has some 318 wildfires, the bulk of them in the southern half of the province.

Smoke plume from BC, 03Aug10

For more information on wildfires in Canada, keep an eye on the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System page.

Coalition slowly planning way to pay for protecting North Fork of Flathead

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , , , ,

Here’s an insightful follow-up article on last weekend’s Western governors meeting, written by Michael Jamison and posted to the Missoulian’s website early this morning . . .

A plan to forever protect Canadian wildlands north of Glacier National Park — and to pay for those protections — is slowly taking shape, cobbled together by an international coalition that includes local, state and federal partners.

Read the full article . . .

Schweitzer pushes to secure North Fork protection deal with British Columbia

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , , ,

Here’s the Associated Press take on last weekend’s Western governors meeting in Whitefish. This story is getting some national coverage.  From yesterday’s Billings Gazette . . .

Gov. Brian Schweitzer isn’t done jousting with federal officials over a deal with Canada to protect the area surrounding Glacier National Park.

Montana’s governor used the bully pulpit over the weekend as chairman of the Western governors to again criticize his federal partners in the deal — even as the Obama administration was talking with the Canada about moving the state-level pact along.

Read the full article . . .

Governor suggests Columbia Basin bill could help protect North Fork

Environmental Issues, News, , , , , , , ,

Coverage of last weekend’s western governor’s conference in Whitefish from the Flathead Beacon . . .

Gov. Brian Schweitzer called on Montana’s federal delegation Sunday to support legislation by Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, dedicated to restoring the Columbia River Basin, as a way to fund commitments in the agreement between Montana and British Columbia to protect the North Fork from mining and drilling in Canada.

“Don’t be running after the bus, get on the bus and sit beside the driver,” Schweitzer said. “And this bill is the vehicle.”

Read the full article . . .

North Fork mining ban deadline ‘in doubt’

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

From todays’ Flathead Beacon, more fussing about the July deadline for implementing the provisions of the memorandum of understanding signed by Montana Gov. Schweitzer and BC Premier Campbell during the Winter Olympics . . .

The historic agreement banning natural resource development along the North Fork Flathead River, signed by Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell earlier this year, contains language saying the retirement of oil, gas and mineral leases must be completed by July.

It is a deadline, Schweitzer acknowledged last week, “in doubt.”

Read the full article . . .

Schweitzer says deal to protect Flathead still holding together

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

From today’s Missoulian. Recommended reading . . .

An agreement to protect the American and Canadian sides of the Flathead River Basin from mining and energy extraction is holding together, even though snags have developed in financing the deal.

Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer met with British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell in Victoria on Wednesday and returned with assurances their memorandum of understanding on the Flathead’s protection would survive a July deadline.

Read the full article . . .

B.C. Premier Campbell & Montana Gov. Schweitzer sign agreement banning mining & energy development in Flathead basin

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

They did it. In the promised follow-up to last week’s announcement that British Columbia was halting all resource extraction activities in the Canadian Flathead, British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell and Montana Governor Brian Schweitzer met today in Vancouver, B. C. to sign an agreement banning mining and energy development throughout the transboundary Flathead Valley.

The Missoulian has the best coverage . . .

With an exchange of bolo ties and Olympic mittens, Gov. Brian Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon Campbell signed an agreement in Vancouver to ban mineral and energy extraction in the cross-border Flathead River Basin on Thursday morning.

“I’m not taking credit for this,” Schweitzer said after the ceremony. “There are people who’ve spent their lifetime working on this goal. I’ve run one lap. And now I’m handing the baton along to the congressional delegation. They have a tall order to convince their colleagues this is the right thing and the right time to do it.”

Read the full article . . .

For those of you who like to read source documents, here is the full text of the “Memorandum of Understanding and Cooperation on Environmental Protection, Climate Action and Energy” signed today by Premier Campbell and Governor Schweitzer and witnessed by Kathryn Teneese, Chair of Ktunaxa Nation Council and Michel Kenmille, Council Member of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes.

Watch and wait: Few details yet on Canadian Flathead mining ban

Environmental Issues, News, ,

From today’s Missoulian comes a must-read discussion of what’s not being said about the recent announcement of a mining ban in the Canadian Flathead watershed . . .

To sense the delicacy of an international mining ban along the North Fork of the Flathead River, it helps to hear what isn’t being said.

Read the full article . . .

Note: We’ve also posted the February 9th “Flathead Watershed Area Order” that triggered all the excitement and discussion.