From a Canadian Press article, originally posted January 27, 2005 . . .
A coal project in southeastern British Columbia is raising a stir north and south of the international border, less than a year after the provincial government blocked a coal mine that Montana protested as a threat to U.S. water quality.
Canada's Cline Mining Corp. now plans exploratory work at a site just north of where it proposed mining coal before the province halted the plan last spring. "Wastewater from this (potential) mine could irreparably harm our fisheries and recreational waters here in Montana," Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., said Wednesday. "In the West there is one rule: Don't mess with our water."
"We thought we had a working relationship in place with British Columbia," Baucus said. The need of governments to consider "thoughtful, responsible resource development" is apparent, but "threatening pristine ecosystems and watersheds like Glacier National Park (south of the exploration area) are deal breakers."
Provincial Minister of Energy and Mines Richard Neufeld said Baucus is a "radical" who assumes a mine will be developed when, in fact, Cline is simply exploring possibilities.
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From the Wednesday, January 26, 2005 issue of the Missoulian . . .
A renewed plan to mine Canadian coal in the headwaters of Montana's North Fork Flathead River caught state officials by surprise Tuesday, and appeared certain to set off another round of international debate.
"This is a critically hot issue," said Rick Moy, chief of Montana's water management bureau and member of the Flathead Basin Commission. "No one in Montana was notified. I'm very surprised, and actually very disappointed. British Columbia knows Montana's concerns; we've made it so clear. For them to do this again without even notifying us, I'm very disappointed."
Moy's surprise and disappointment center on a mining exploration permit granted - quietly - in November to Cline Mining Corp.
Last April, Cline made Montana headlines with its plan to mine coal north of Glacier National Park, near the headwaters of the Flathead River system.
The company's request for an exploratory permit immediately ran into stiff bipartisan opposition south of the border.
This time, however, the permit was granted before opponents even knew the request had been made.
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From the Tuesday, January 25, 2005 issue of the Missoulian . . .
The Flathead National Forest is beefing up patrols and getting tougher on snowmobilers who venture into areas where they're not supposed to.
Forest officials say snowmobile trespassing into designated wildernesses and other areas where motor vehicles are forbidden is becoming an increasing problem in the region.
"Last year, we had a significant amount of snowmobile trespass in the Mission Mountain Wilderness and the Jewel Basin and some other closure areas," said Steve Brady, ranger of the Flathead forest's Swan Lake District. The problem appears to be continuing this season and is one "that we need to address with more observation and enforcement," he said.
Forest Service officers plan stepped up patrols from the ground and by air to catch snowmobilers who cross boundaries, and there will be stiffer punishment for those who are caught, Brady said.
The Forest Service will pursue mandatory court appearances, as opposed to issuing citations at the scene, in most cases. Past fines have averaged about $200, but Brady said the agency will seek higher fines -- up to $500 -- and snowmobiles may be impounded until a case is resolved or the fine is paid, Brady said.
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From the Wednesday, January 5, 2005 issue of the Missoulian . . .
Monitoring and protecting water quality in the Flathead River Basin is becoming more complicated as the Flathead area grows, so an environmental engineer has been hired to help.
The Flathead Basin Commission recently increased its staff from one person to two by creating the position of executive director, and hiring Mel Lehman for the job. Lehman has more than 30 years' experience as an environmental engineer, most recently as a consultant in Gainesville, Fla. He grew up in Chester and Highwood.
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