Category Archives: Commentary

Gloria Flora: Why I resigned over a public land dispute

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

An excellent, well-researched op-ed on the current public lands debate . . .

Once again, a provocative armed display of dissatisfaction with a federal land management agency is unfolding—this time, at a remote wildlife refuge in southern Oregon. It’s been happening since 1848, when Mexico ceded the southwest quadrant of the United States after losing the Mexican-American War. Early settlers were primarily Mormons and Confederate Civil War refugees, both fiercely anti-federal government. Those attitudes haven’t changed much.

In the late 1990’s, when I served as Forest Supervisor of the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest in Nevada and eastern California, the simmering anti-federal government animosities boiled over dangerously multiple times but failed to garner much notice. Now, we’re seeing a similar boil-over in Oregon. The Nevada-based protesters, despite confusion over history and the exact purpose of their one-sided stand-off, are demanding privatization, to give the land back to “the people.” It sounds compelling, but it’s invented history.

The federal government created the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, the focus of this standoff, by usurping the Native American Pauite Nation’s homeland, then, years later, aggregating their abandoned reservation and a used-up cattle ranch bought at a premium during the Depression. The Malheur occupation today sounds a battle-cry of frustration from unwanted proxies who believe they speak for the people of Harney County. Clearly, the interlopers have their facts wrong. But their hair-trigger reaction to a situation reminiscent of their grievances deserves a closer look.

The heart of the matter is that the human dimensions of managing public lands are just as important as the physical and biological dimensions. We Americans love our landscapes. Those who spend a lifetime on the land, like ranchers, connect with it even more deeply…

Read more . . .

Frank Vitale: Badger-Two Medicine is no place to drill

Commentary, Environmental Issues, ,
Frank Vitale says his piece
Frank Vitale

NFPA member Frank Vitale has a nice op-ed in today’s Daily Inter Lake concerning drilling in the Badger-Two Medicine region . . .

The Blackfeet call it “Mistakis,” the Backbone of the World. The Continental Divide snakes its way through this land also known as the Badger-Two Medicine. It is the cornerstone of the Blackfeet creation story.

I have ridden, hiked and hunted through this area and know it well. It is some of the wildest country in the Northern Rockies. It lies between Glacier National Park, the Bob Marshall Wilderness and the Great Bear Wilderness. It is one of the largest unprotected roadless areas in the state at 165,588 acres.

The Badger-Two Medicine is a rugged, remote, pristine ecosystem that’s home to grizzlies and black bears, wolves, mountain lions, wolverines and lynx. Moose, bighorn sheep, mountain goats, mule deer and whitetail deer and one of the largest herds of elk on the northern Rocky Mountain Front (numbering around 800 head) also live here. Its cold rivers and streams support some of the last pure populations of westslope cutthroat trout east of the Continental Divide.

The Badger and Two Medicine rivers spill out on the high prairies. Life zones range from the alpine and montane forests to short-grass prairies where grizzlies and antelope intermix.

This is not a place to drill for oil or gas. No mitigation can avoid the negative impacts of oil and gas exploration in this sacred and wild land.

Time is running out to submit comments on the Forest Plan!

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

A very timely reminder from Debo Powers, NFPA Vice-President . . .

Dear Friends of NFPA!

Many of you know that the comment period for the Flathead Forest Plan is fast approaching! May 15 is the deadline. Letters from people who love the North Fork would be very helpful. Please take the time to write your comments today and send them to flatheadplanrevision@fs.fed.us or snail mail your comments to:

Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s Office
Attention: Forest Plan Revision
650 Wolfpack Way
Kalispell, MT 59901

In your comments, please be sure to mention that Nasukoin Mountain should be included in the proposed wilderness for the northern Whitefish Range.

The Forest Plan should be praised for accepting the recommendations from the Whitefish Range Partnership (that several of us from NFPA served on) concerning recommended wilderness for 80,000 acres in the northern Whitefish Range including Tuchuck, Hefty, Thoma, and Thompson-Seton. However, when the lines were drawn, Nasukoin was not included. Hopefully, this was just a mistake which will be corrected, but it is important that they hear from us about the importance of this peak which is the highest in the Whitefish Range and definitely has wilderness characteristics.

In addition, let us join our voices with members of the Montana Wilderness Association and Headwaters Montana in calling for protection of the wild country in the Swan and Mission Mountains in the Flathead Forest Plan:

  • Extend the Bob Marshall Wilderness north to include Bunker and Sullivan Creek – critical areas for grizzlies, elk, mountain goats and other species.
  • Expand the Jewel Basin and protect the wild Swan Front. Bring the boundary down to the valley floor.
  • Widen the Mission Mountains Wilderness! Protect the wildlife corridor of Sunset Ridge, the critical bull trout spawning beds of Elk and Hemlock creeks, and the rugged species-rich lower slopes.

Another issue to consider commenting on is to ask that “non-conforming uses” (like snowmobiling and mountain biking) not be allowed in recommended wilderness. When these activities become established in proposed wilderness, it is often difficult to exclude them later.

Please send your comments today!

Thanks,

Debo Powers,
NFPA Vice President

Carol Edwards: A personal letter to Flathead planners

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

A very timely missive from Carol “Kelly” Edwards, a longtime NFPA member . . .

To the Flathead Forest and Watershed Planners,

My plea, as a local resident and land owner in the Flathead watershed area is that you protect, increase, and  safeguard wilderness within your management area.  By wilderness, I mean strongly regulated, pristine wilderness. Walk in only. At your own risk. No motors. No machines. No logging. No mining. No drilling.  Just the creatures that live there naturally, in the forests that grow there, with water sources running free and clean, accessible only to those who are willing to enter those places on those terms.

Over the last 200+ years on this continent we have taken everything we could get from the natural world in trade for economic growth.  Well, as the song goes… “…This is the end, my friend.”  At this point it is either work to save the little bit of it that remains, or just dig it up, chop it down, pollute the rest of it.

Somewhere along the way we have to open our eyes, look around and realize that we’re in trouble if we continue the way we’ve done before. Sustainable is not just a nonsense word that radicals throw around.  It means something that can be continued……like life on earth, for example.

I think we’d all like that, and it’s time that people in your position, with your responsibility to the environment, helped us out in that direction.

Sincerely,
Carol Edwards
10641 North Fork Rd.
Polebridge, MT 59928

Deb Mucklow talks about overseeing the Bob

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

Sounds like Deb Mucklow, the Spotted bear District Ranger, gave an interesting presentation about managing the Bob Marshall Wilderness . . .

From the remote Spotted Bear Ranger Station, District Ranger Deb Mucklow spends each summer overseeing more than one million acres within the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.

The Lower 48’s third-largest wilderness complex has become a star attraction for Northwest Montana.

But as the Spotted Bear District ranger, Mucklow emphasized the difficulty in balancing human activities with the integrity of the primeval area during a recent presentation hosted by the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation.

Read more . . .

‘The Rachel Carson of the Rockies’

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

Arlene Montgomery of Friends of the Wild Swan gets a very nice write-up in CounterPunch this week. Her accomplishments are quite impressive . . .

If you wanted to locate the frontlines for the battle to protect the future of wild nature in the lower-48 states, you could do worse than tuning your Google map to the Swan Range in northwestern Montana. This rugged and remote swath of the Northern Rockies rambles from the border of Glacier National Park southward for nearly 100 miles. Bounded on the west by the Mission Mountains and Flathead Lake and the vast Bob Marshall Wilderness to the west, the valleys, alpine slopes and forests of the Swan Range retain much of the natural character of the Rockies at the time when Lewis and Clark first encountered the Salish people in 1805.

The landscape looks roughly—very roughly, from some vantages—the same. And most of the wildlife the Corps of Discovery saw, described and often shot as they crossed the Continental Divide, is still present, though in greatly reduced numbers. The Swans still harbor populations of wolves, lynx, mountain goats, wolverines, bobcats, moose, elk and grizzlies. In short, the Swan Range is one of the last redoubts of wild America, one of those rare places that still has most, if not all, of its key ecological parts, from the top of the food chain on down to newts and salamanders, forest lichens and glacial wildflowers.

But it is also hotly contested terrain…

 

Read more . . .

Frank Vitale: Keep federal lands in public hands

Commentary,

Long-time NFPA member Frank Vitale wrote a pointed op-ed addressing the idea of transferring federal lands to state ownership and control. It appeared today on the Flathead Beacon’s website . . .

On Feb. 16 my wife and I attended the Public Lands Rally in Helena in the state capitol rotunda. The rally began at high noon, but people started filtering through the doors well before that. Many sported posters and banners in support of keeping our federal lands in public hands. As the rally began people continued filing into the room standing shoulder to shoulder. All the hallways, balconies and staircase were packed full.

A few people who supported transferring our federal lands to state ownership infiltrated our rally, but they were drowned out. Folks from all around the state made the trip to Helena and stood in solidarity against the lunatic idea of land transfer. Gov. Steve Bullock along with several guest speakers including Mary Sexton, former head of State Lands and Teton County commissioner, and David Allen, president of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, gave fiery speeches against transfer of federal lands to the state. The crowds responded with thundering applause and cheers. Hopefully the state legislators took heed as the State Capitol rocked and rolled.

The land transfer concept is not new. It goes as far back as territorial days and the copper kings. In more recent history, I remember the days of James Watt and the Sagebrush Rebellion of the 1970s and early ’80s. Today it resurfaces with the Koch brothers, American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), and Americans for Prosperity to name a few. They work their dark money in local elections across the country. Their call for local control rings hollow because their agenda is exploitation of the resources on our public lands.

Our public lands belong to all Americans. They’re not for sale to the very wealthy to make huge profits and lock us out. My suggestion to those who support land transfer: pack your bags and move to a place where there are no public lands and access is limited to only those who can afford pay.

Our public lands are a national treasure, a gift to all of us, and the envy of the world.

Frank Vitale
Columbia Falls

Between a rock and a hard place: mountain caribou in the South Selkirks

Commentary, Environmental Issues, ,

John Bergenske posted a lengthy, rather sad article to the Wildsite website discussing the problems recovering mountain caribou herds in the southern Selkirk Mountains in Canada. (South of the border, the Selkirks shelter the sole remaining woodland caribou population in the U.S.)

Sometimes, there are just no good solutions . . .

I have been involved with mountain caribou since the 1970’s and as Wildsight since the 90’s when we first sponsored caribou research in the Purcell Mountains. It has been clear since that time that there are no simple solutions or easy answers to mountain caribou recovery.

Read more . . .

A response to Senator Daines’ resource development letter

Commentary, Environmental Issues, , , , , , , , ,

Sen. Daines wrote Montanans on December 19, 2014 asking for feedback on “what Congress should do to increase development of traditional and renewable resources in our state while ensuring we remain good stewards of the environment.”  He also sought feedback on what to do about Montana Wilderness Study Areas. Signed by six prominent conservation groups, the following level-headed response was sent to him last Friday. It’s a lengthy letter, but worth the read. (It is also available for download as a PDF.)

LETTER TO SENATOR DAINES ON ENERGY POLICY AND WSAs

January 23, 2015

The Honorable Steve Daines
US Senate
Washington, DC 20510

Dear Senator Daines:

We the undersigned groups are sending this letter in response to your December 19 letter seeking feedback on “what Congress should do to increase development of traditional and renewable resources in our state while ensuring we remain good stewards of the environment.” While we appreciate your effort to seek Montanans’ input, we were discouraged by the one-sided framing of issues in your letter. Presenting current government policies as outdated, burdensome and placing severe limits on all energy development does not accurately describe the status quo in our view, nor is this extreme characterization likely to bring diverse Montanans together behind the “balanced solutions” your letter seeks.

Indeed, Montanans across the political spectrum value outdoor spaces and public lands that preserve our natural heritage and enhance our recreation economy, while also promoting responsible resource extraction. The debate on energy and public lands in Montana has progressed beyond the either/or choice between fossil fuel extraction or conservation and recreation. A 2014 Conservation in the West poll confirms this shift, a majority of Montana voters believe we need a balanced approach between energy development and conservation on public lands compared to 27% who think public lands energy development should be strictly limited and 20% who think public lands should be generally open to drilling.

Since your letter specifically requested perspectives on possible release of Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs), we wanted to make sure you are also aware of the consistent and broad support in the state for our wildest lands. Montanans are outdoors people who are proud of our protected Wilderness Areas — from the Bob Marshall to the Cabinets, Rattlesnake and Beartooth Plateau. In the June 2014, University of Montana state wide poll, 78% of respondents said permanently protecting some public lands in Montana as Wilderness has been a good thing for the state. While 51% support designating additional lands as Wilderness, that support level jumped to 66% in the poll if those designations are “crafted here in Montana with community input and the support of local groups.”

Continue reading A response to Senator Daines’ resource development letter →

Rob Breeding: Hanging by a thread

Commentary, Environmental Issues,

Rob Breeding talks about the importance of wildlife corridors by contrasting the Northern Rockies with the tenuous situation in California . . .

When we visit my hometown of Riverside, Calif., my daughters and I like to get some exercise running Mount Rubidoux, a semi-famous landmark in this part of the world. In the winter, especially when the smogless skies get an extra scrubbing from the Santa Ana winds, Mount Rubidoux offers unobstructed 360-degree views of Southern California’s Inland Empire.

You can’t quite see the Pacific from here, but that’s because the Santa Ana Mountains get in the way. Those mountains are where one of my old grad school profs, Paul Beier of Northern Arizona University, used radio collars to show how mountain lions use even the thinnest thread of connectivity to move between habitat islands created by encroaching suburbia. Even narrow culverts running beneath urban freeways are used by traveling wildlife.

On a clear day as I run I can see dozens of these habitat islands scattered across the Inland Empire. I distract myself from my workout by recreating in my mind the wildlife wonderland this natural landscape must have been before it became prime human habitat. I know there were valley quail everywhere, which is enough to get my attention.

Read more . . .