Tag Archives: Flathead National Forest

Larry Wilson: Collaborative forest planning continues

Commentary, Environmental Issues, , ,

Larry’s column is nicely timed this week. A lengthy series of Flathead National Forest Plan revision “stakeholder collaboration” meetings winds up tonight. Several North Fork folks have been participating.

In the more than 60 years I have been on the North Fork, I have been involved in a lot of planning efforts. These involved six years on the Flathead Basin Commission, 20 years on the Montana Governors Team negotiating with British Columbia, the Flathead County Planning Board, the North Fork group that started the Interlocal, and then the North Fork Land-Use Advisory Committee, which guided the Flathead County Commissioners from no planning to adopting a North Fork plan.

In addition, I have spent countless hours and several decades on groups or committees involved directly or indirectly with Flathead National Forest planning. All of these were slow-moving and acting and at times very frustrating, and I had decided I had done all that I could and would withdraw to the sidelines where I could comment on the new generation without spending time in meetings.

Then the Whitefish Range Partnership came along. I didn’t just jump on board but drug my feet for a month or more and finally agreed to be on the group, representing no one but myself as a North Fork resident.

Read more . . .

Flathead National Forest campgrounds start opening

News, ,

All the Flathead National Forest campgrounds should open this month.

Read the official press release for the details . . .

Flathead National Forest (FNF) campgrounds start opening in early May and all campgrounds, weather permitting, are scheduled to be open for your enjoyment by the Memorial Day Holiday Weekend. Holland Lake, Swan Lake and Tally Lake Campgrounds will open to the public Friday, May 9, 2014. Big Creek Campground is scheduled to open May 15. Emery Bay, Murray Bay, Doris Creek, Lost Johnny, Devil Creek, Lid Creek and Riverside Campgrounds and associated boat launches are all scheduled to open Friday, May 23. All openings are dependent on weather conditions.

These campgrounds and recreation areas are operated by the forest concessionaire Barta Enterprises Inc., known locally as Flathead Valley Campgrounds. There are a few changes this year that recreationists will want to be aware of. Campground fees will be charged per camping unit such as an RV, a vehicle with tent, a camper or a trailer. A five dollar fee will be charged for each additional vehicle. Starting July 1, 2014, there will be a five dollar fee at the Holland Lake Day Use Area consistent with day use fees across the forest. The day use area at the Swan Lake Campground can no longer be reserved and will be available on a first come, first served basis.

The Spotted Bear Campground is operated by the Forest Service and will open for primitive camping starting May 15 if road conditions permit access. Water and services will be available May 23. In addition to campgrounds, boat launches and day-use areas, the forest also has 14 rental cabins. To rent a cabin or to reserve select campground sites please go to http://www.recreation.gov.

Read more . . .

Three walk out of Flathead Forest planning process

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

Three local activists are not happy with the way the Flathead Forest Plan Revision is going . . .

Three environmental advocates are withdrawing from the Flathead National Forest’s forest plan revision process, claiming it is “ill-informed, poorly documented and is creating conflict and resentment” at considerable taxpayer expense.

The Flathead Forest’s lead planner, however, says the process is working well and most participants have been fully engaged.

Keith Hammer, chairman of the Swan View Coalition; Arlene Montgomery, program director for Friends of the Wild Swan; and Brian Peck, an independent wildlife consultant, signed a letter objecting to the process that was sent to Forest Service officials, including the agency’s chief.

Read more . . .

Also: Text of the letter sent to Forest Service officials

Flathead National Forest hosts NCDE spring meeting

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

The Flathead National Forest is providing space for the spring Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem meeting. Here’s the press release . . .

Next Steps for Grizzly Bear Conservation & Bear Management Updates

The public is invited to participate in the upcoming Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem (NCDE) Spring Meeting hosted by the Flathead National Forest.

The meeting is scheduled from 10:00 AM to 3:30 PM on April 23, 2014 at the Hungry Horse/Glacier View and Spotted Bear Ranger District Office located at 10 Hungry Horse Drive in Hungry Horse, Montana.

During the meeting there will be an update on the time line and next steps for the Conservation Strategy Plan, efforts to provide a new Grizzly Bear Lesson Plan for high schools, bear mortality rates for 2013 and bear management spring activity.

The Flathead National Forest is one of many agencies and organizations working to ensure the sustainability of the grizzly bear population in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. Additional information on those efforts can be found at: http://www.fws.gov/mountain-prairie/species/mammals/grizzly/continentalindex.html

Click here for the NCDE Spring Meeting agenda.

Work continues on Flathead National Forest Plan revision

Environmental Issues, News,

The Missoulian has a brief progress report on the Flathead National Forest Plan revision project . . .

Work on the Flathead National Forest Plan revision gets underway this week with several work-group meetings in Kalispell.

The stakeholder gathering on habitat, vegetation and disturbance takes place Wednesday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Those interested in recreation, access and wilderness meet Thursday from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Both meetings take place at the Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s office, 650 Wolfpack Way.

Read more . . .

Flathead Forest starts next step in forest plan revision

Environmental Issues, News, ,

The Hungry Horse News covers the start of the collaborative planning phase of the Flathead Forest’s  forest plan revision . . .

There were loggers and snowmobilers, environmentalists and motorcyclists, biologists and backcountry horsemen, all in one room, all looking for a stake in the future of the Flathead National Forest.

Over the course of the next six months, these diverse groups will sit down together in collaborative meetings to craft their vision of a new Forest Plan. More than 100 people attended the first meeting.

The collaborative meetings are just the start of the planning process. After the groups finish their efforts in May, the plan will go through a regular environmental review process starting next fall, with public scoping and public comments. A draft environmental impact statement is expected by June 2015. If all goes according to schedule, the Flathead Forest will have a new plan completed by September 2016.

Read more . . .

Daily Inter Lake: Seeing the forest AND the trees

Commentary, Environmental Issues, , , , , ,

The Daily Inter Lake posted a friendly editorial on the work of the Whitefish Range Partnership Saturday evening . . .

A group called the Whitefish Range Partnership should be commended for efforts to guide long-term forest planning on the Flathead National Forest north of Whitefish and Columbia Falls.

To say that the group of about 30 people representing highly diverse interests were not on the same page at the beginning would be a huge understatement. But after meeting regularly over a 13-month period, with a specific rule that all parties involved would have to sign onto a complete package of recommendations or abandon the effort entirely, the partnership came to a complete consensus on a 58-page set of recommendations.

They addressed potentially conflicting issues such as recommended wilderness, motorized summer use, mountain biking, snowmobiling, and timber harvesting.

Read more . . .

Flathead National Forest open house scheduled for October 3

News,

As part of the kickoff for the Forest Plan revision, the Flathead National Forest is hosting an open house October 3 . . .

The Flathead National Forest is hosting an open house on Thursday, October 3, 2013, at the Supervisor’s Office (650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT) from 5 PM to 8 PM. The event will provide an opportunity for the public to meet with Forest Service specialists working on an assessment of the Flathead National Forest, the first phase of forest plan revision.

The Flathead National Forest is embarking on a multi-year process to update its forest plan, the document that guides management of your public lands. The forest plan provides direction for managing resources and activities such as recreation, fish and wildlife habitat, vegetation and timber production. Forest plan revision is achieved in a three-phase process: assessment, revision, and monitoring. The assessment evaluates existing information about relevant ecological, economic, and social conditions and trends. It also looks at the land management plan within the context of the broader landscape. The 2012 National Forest System land management planning rule calls for an enhanced commitment to collaboration and public engagement throughout the revision process.

Read more . . .

Forest plan revision overview posted

Commentary,

Public Affairs Officer Wade Muehlhof authored an informative article in the Flathead Beacon yesterday explaining the importance of the Forest Plan revision process. The Flathead National Forest is just getting started on this effort, which will take several years to complete . . .

For many people, the Flathead National Forest is the place where you can camp, hike, ride, ski, hunt and fish, observe wildlife and flora, gather firewood and Christmas trees where timber is harvested and fires are managed. Some enjoy the developed areas, others venture deep into the wilderness and many explore the areas in between. What people may not know is how much effort goes into managing these 2.4 million acres of public lands.

Management is guided by the Forest Plan. The plan is periodically revised to reflect current conditions. The forest was well into the plan revision in 2005 when a court case found the rule under which the planning effort was happening was not legal. As such the Flathead’s plan has not been revised since 1986. Now with a new planning rule, the Flathead National Forest is beginning the first phase of a multi-year planning process to revise the Forest Plan. The intent of the planning framework is to create a responsive planning process that informs multiple use management and allows the Forest Service to adapt to changing conditions, including climate change, and improve management based on new information and monitoring…

Read more . . .

Next ‘Flathead Forest Friday’ meeting discusses weeds

News, , ,

You weed wranglers out there might be interested in the next Flathead Forest Friday get-together. Here’s the press release . . .

Everyone Invited for a Breakfast Chat on Friday, September, 20th

KALISPELL, MONT. – Nearly 30 species of invasive plants, or weeds, can be found on the Flathead National Forest. Each year forest employees strategize when and where to put its resources in the fight against these invaders. The tools used to kill the weeds are constantly changing as botanists consider everything from plant sniffing dogs to plant eating insects. Come chat with us about our efforts.

Forest Botanist Chantelle Delay and others invite you to have breakfast with us (no-host) at the Perkins Restaurant (1390 U.S. 2, Evergreen, Montana) starting at 7:00 AM on Friday, September 20, 2013.

Every other month, the Forest Service will coordinate these no-host breakfast meetings at a local restaurant with the goal of sharing good food, great company, and a little information about what’s happening on our National Forest. We hope the event will be a great way to discuss public land management opportunities and challenges that are important to us all.

If you plan to attend or have any questions, please notify Public Affairs Officer Wade Muehlhof at ewmuehlhof@fs.fed.us or (406) 758-5252. Your response allows us to plan accordingly with the restaurant.