Tag Archives: Glacier National Park

Larry Wilson: Bear meat was his main diet

Commentary, ,

This week, Larry talks a bit about another old-timer: Frank Liebig . . .

Even before Norton Pearl made his snowshoe circuits of Glacier National Park, Frank Liebig was there. They must have known each other since Liebig worked for the Forest Service for 33 consecutive years, from 1902 until 1935, when he retired.

From 1902 until 1910, when Glacier Park was established, Liebig’s “district” was the area which became Glacier Park, and his home at the north end of Lake McDonald was reached by a trappers trail that extended to the Canadian Border.

Continue reading . . .

Glacier Park hopes to measure fisher population — if any

Environmental Issues, News, ,

Glacier Park thinks they might have a few fishers living within their boundaries. Now, they are going to try to find out for sure . . .

Every year, Glacier National Park biologist John Waller gets about a half-dozen reports from people who claim to have seen a fisher in the Park.

But the reports don’t come with photos. A few years ago Waller tried setting up some “hair traps” in the Park in hopes of snaring some fisher hair in wire brushes, but to no avail.

Now the Park will give it one last go. Through a $20,000 grant from the Glacier National Park Fund, a Park-wide fisher survey using bait stations and camera traps will try to, once and for all, see if there are truly any fishers in Glacier Park.

Continue reading . . .

Off-trail travel prohibited in Glacier Park for wildlife protection until May 15th

Environmental Issues, News,

Rules to protect critical winter range remain in effect in Glacier Park through May 15 . . .

Glacier National Park officials are reminding visitors that off-trail travel through critical winter range areas is prohibited through May 15 in an effort to protect wildlife. Travel is limited to designated trails throughout specific areas in the North Fork, Lake McDonald and St. Mary districts of the park.

This restriction is intended to protect wintering ungulates such as deer, elk, moose and sheep from disturbance. Limiting human-use to designated trails will help protect the animals during the critical winter and spring months, a release from the park said.

Continue reading . . .

Obama proposes $29M in Montana land conservation projects

Environmental Issues, News, , ,

From today’s Missoulian . . .

Montana acreage ranks high on President Barack Obama’s wish list for 2013 landscape conservation initiatives, including possible additions to Glacier National Park, conservation easements in the Blackfoot Valley and the Rocky Mountain Front, and completion of the Montana Legacy Project.

“The fact this has risen to this level, with a White House conference last week, is really important,” said Greg Neudecker, a U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff member and vice chairman of the Blackfoot Challenge. “The president and secretary of Interior were very complimentary of what folks in the Crown of the Continent have been doing here. It’s great to see them latching on to community conservation.”

Ovando rancher Jim Stone visited with Obama and Interior Secretary Ken Salazar last Friday at the White House Conservation Conference in Washington, D.C. The meeting grew out of the president’s new America’s Great Outdoors Initiative, which kicked off last year in Ovando before going nationwide.

Continue reading . . .

Kyle Johnson named NPS wilderness champion

News, ,

Glacier National Park Wilderness Specialist Kyle Johnson recently received the National Park Service Intermountain Region Wilderness Champion Award. Of the local news organizations, the Hungry Horse News has the best coverage of this story . . .

When Kyle Johnson wasn’t playing sports at Columbia Falls High School, he was out in the woods hunting and fishing with his friends and family.

That passion for the woods – and its preservation – was recently recognized as he received the National Park Service Intermountain Region Wilderness Champion Award.

Johnson is Glacier National Park’s wilderness specialist. He developed and instructs the Park’s interagency wilderness training for backcountry rangers and volunteers and worked with the University of Montana to create the successful wilderness ranger internship position at the Park.

In addition, he oversees the Park’s backcountry permit program and is a leader in teaching Leave-No-Trace principles and practices. He also assists in search-and-rescue missions and other Park ranger duties.

Continue reading . . .

Further reading: the official Glacier Park press release.

Superintendent discusses future challenges for Glacier National Park

Environmental Issues, News, , , , ,

Today’s Flathead Beacon has a pretty good write-up on a recent talk by Chas Cartwright, the Superintendent of Glacier National Park . . .

As the superintendent of Glacier National Park, Chas Cartwright has his eyes on the future, as well as the challenges it could hold for conservation and construction in the Crown of the Continent.

Cartwright spoke on Feb. 23 at an event hosted by the Glacier National Park Fund at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish, discussing the major issues the park currently faces and how he envisions those issues playing out.

Continue reading . . .

Northwest Montana wolf populations had humble beginnings

Environmental Issues, History, , , , ,

This week’s Hungry Horse News has a nice piece on the history of wolf recovery in Northwest Montana . . .

The revival of wolf populations in Northwest Montana likely had its genesis with a single pack just north of Glacier National Park.

A female wolf named Kishinena in British Columbia was caught and radio-collared in April 1979. She was the first radio-collared wolf in the Rocky Mountains as part of the Wolf Ecology Project headed up by Robert Ream, at the University of Montana.

While she spent most of her time in British Columbia roaming the North Fork drainage, Kishinena did wander into Glacier Park on occasion.

Continue reading . . .

Two skiers rescued after spending the night lost in Glacier Park

News, , ,

Here’s a little North Fork area search and rescue action . . .

Two cross-country skiers were rescued Sunday from the remote North Fork area of Glacier National Park after spending the night lost and stranded in the backcountry during a winter storm.

A husband and wife from Kalispell, ages 46 and 39 respectively, sent a 9-1-1 text message at 8 p.m. Saturday, saying they were lost in Glacier Park.

Flathead County dispatchers were able to determine that the message originated from a remote location about one mile north of the Akokala Creek Trail in the North Fork, about six miles north of Polebridge. Park rangers were notified, but ground and air searches could not begin until Sunday morning because of bad weather, downed trees and difficult trail conditions.

Continue reading . . .

Glacier National Park shifts to winter mode

News, ,

Glacier National Park is shifting over to winter mode. The park is not closed by any means; there’s still plenty to see and do.

A couple of online publications have excellent articles on Glacier’s winter operations, including fees, activities and facilities.

The National Parks Traveler has a very complete write up, whereas the Flathead Beacon has a shorter, but more personal, discussion that includes information about Flathead National Forest as well as Glacier Park.