Wilderness Speaker Series starts Jan 25

Wilderness Speaker Series 2017

Presented by: The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation,

Montana Wilderness Association, Flathead-Kootenai Chapter,

Northwest Montana Forest Fire Lookout Association,

Natural Resources Conservation Management Program at FVCC

January-March 2017

Fourth Wednesdays, 7-8:30 p.m.  

Flathead Valley Community College

Arts & Technology Building

No charge; everyone welcome


January 25

“Mountain Goats of Northwest Montana: Natural History, Ecology and Population Status”

Speaker:  Jessy Coltrane, Ph.D., Wildlife Biologist

Mountain goats are an iconic species of Northwest Montana, enjoyed by wildlife viewers and hunters, alike. Come learn about their natural history, ecology, and population status.

Location:  Arts & Technology Building, Room 139


February 22

“100 Days of Solitude”

      Speaker:  Amy Pearson, Adjunct Professor, Humanities Division, FVCC

        Fire lookout, poet, and English Professor at FVCC, Amy Pearson, will share the life changing experience and writings that resulted from the summer she lived and worked at Jumbo Lookout in the heart of the Bob.

Location:  Arts & Technology Building, Room 139


March 22

“THE NAMES OF THE STARS, A Life In The Wilds” a book reading and discussion”

Speaker:  Pete Fromm, wilderness author.

Acclaimed author of “Indian Creek Chronicles,” the story of his seven winter months alone in the Selway Bitterroot Wilderness tending salmon eggs, Pete’s newest book, “THE NAMES OF THE STARS; A Life In The Wilds” is the story of another month alone in the wilderness caring for fish eggs, this time the Bob. He will read from his new book.  Books available for sale and signing.

Location:  Arts & Technology Building, Room 139

Feds consider putting fisher on endangered list

Fisher - U.S. Forest Service, Region 5 photo
Fisher – U.S. Forest Service, Region 5 photo

USFWS is reviewing the status of the fisher to determine whether it should be added to the Endangered Species List . . .

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service announced Friday the initiation of a status review for the distinct population segment of Northern Rocky Mountain fisher, to determine whether this population meets the definition of an endangered or threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Bigger than a marten, but smaller than a wolverine, the fisher is in the same family that also includes weasels, mink, and otters. Fishers live in coniferous and mixed conifer and hardwood forests and are found commonly in mature forest cover. They’re one of the few creatures that kill and eat porcupines.

In Montana, the best fisher habitat is in the old growth wilderness of the Selway-Bitterroot. While fisher tracks have been noted in places like Glacier National Park, extensive hair trapping studies done a few years ago did not find any fishers, according to Park biologist John Waller.

Read more . . .

Decision on Yellowstone region grizzly delisting delayed

Grizzly Bear - courtesy NPS
Grizzly Bear – courtesy NPS

Removal of Yellowstone area grizzlies from the Endangered Species List is by no means a done deal . . .

Federal officials are delaying their decision on whether to lift protections for more than 700 grizzly bears in and around Yellowstone National Park and allow hunting, amid opposition from dozens of American Indian tribes and conservation groups.

Officials had planned to finalize the proposal to turn jurisdiction on grizzlies over to state officials in Montana, Idaho and Wyoming by the end of 2016.

But U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Assistant Regional Director Michael Thabault said it could take the agency another six months to finish reviewing 650,000 public comments that have poured in on the proposal.

Read more . . .

Interior Department cancels remaining oil and gas leases in Badger-Two Medicine

Badger-Two Medicine Region
Badger-Two Medicine Region

Here’s a bit more information on last Tuesday’s announcement of the cancellation of the last two oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine region . . .

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the Bureau of Land Management has canceled the final two oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area within the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Northwest Montana.

The two lease cancellations address outstanding concerns about the potential for oil and gas development in this culturally and ecologically important area. The cancellations come on the heels of U.S. officials cancelling other 15 oil and gas leases in the area.

“We are proud to have worked alongside the Blackfeet Nation and the U.S. Forest Service throughout this process to roll back decades-old leases and reinforce the importance of developing resources in the right way and the right places.” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “The cancellation of the final two leases in the rich cultural and natural Badger-Two Medicine Area will ensure it is protected for future generations.”

Read more . . .

Further reading: The official BLM press release

House vote poses threat to public lands

Three Types of Public Lands
Three types of public lands: Flathead National Forest is in the foreground, left and right; Montana’s Coal Creek State Forest, including Cyclone Lake, is in the middle distance; Glacier National Park stretches across the background.

Here’s a pointed discussion of Rep. Zinke’s vote in favor of a House rules change that would ease the transfer of public lands out of federal control . . .

Keeping federal public lands public is a big issue in Montana and the West. It’s an issue that Rep. Ryan Zinke campaigned on in his successful bid for re-election. In his first term, Zinke frequently described himself as a Teddy Roosevelt Republican, strongly committed to protecting and preserving public lands owned by the people of the United States.

He stated unequivocally that he is against the transfer of federal public lands to states. States such as Montana are rich in public land but lack the staff to manage our priceless American heritage. One concern about the land transfer movement is that cash-strapped states would turn around and sell the land.

So after Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, tucked a provision in the House Rules bill that could make land transfer legislation easier to pass, we expected that Zinke would have something to say about it. The House approved the rules package 233-190 with the Bishop provision that exempts any future land transfers from the budget scrutiny that otherwise must be given to bills that would reduce U.S. revenue or increase U.S. spending. Zinke was among the GOP majority voting for the rules package on Tuesday, the first Congressional work day of 2017.

Read more . . .

US cancels last two oil and gas leases in Badger-Two Medicine area

Badger-Two Medicine Region
Badger-Two Medicine Region

With 12 days left in the Obama administration, the Interior Department cancelled the remaining two oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine region . . .

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced the Bureau of Land Management has canceled the final two oil and gas leases in the Badger-Two Medicine area within the Lewis and Clark National Forest in Northwest Montana.

The two lease cancellations address outstanding concerns about the potential for oil and gas development in this culturally and ecologically important area. The cancellations come on the heels of U.S. officials cancelling another 15 oil and gas leases in the area.

“We are proud to have worked alongside the Blackfeet Nation and the U.S. Forest Service throughout this process to roll back decades-old leases and reinforce the importance of developing resources in the right way and the right places.” said Secretary Sally Jewell. “The cancellation of the final two leases in the rich cultural and natural Badger-Two Medicine Area will ensure it is protected for future generations.”

Read more . . .

Invasive mussels pose big threat to Montana’s waters

Mussel-fouled Propeller - NPS photo
Mussel-fouled Propeller – NPS photo

Late last Fall, waters in the Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs tested positive for invasive mussel larvae. Montana officials reacted quickly, closing boating access at both locations and initiating the removal of underwater structures for inspection. Later, the Milk River near Malta and the Missouri River near York’s Islands Fishing Access Site south of Townsend also showed evidence of possible infestation by zebra and quagga mussels, triggering further responses to the threat.

Glacier National Park immediately closed all its waters to boating,. A close reading of their press release indicates public boating access may well be restricted throughout the 2017 season.

Leaders of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai tribes declared an emergency and called for the formation of an incident management team to deal with the issue as it applies to Flathead Lake.

Zebra mussels
Zebra mussels – via Wikipedia

The Flathead Basin Commission, the River to Lake Initiative, U.S. Fish and Wildlife and a number of other other organizations and federal agencies have all expressed alarm and called for further action.

Why all the uproar? Because invasive mussels cause huge damage to waterways, equipment  and fish populations. Once established, they are impossible to remove completely. Mussels are filter feeders, gobbling up the plankton that form the base of the food chain for native fish. Mussels have been known to reduce available plankton by 70 to 80 percent in some waters.

First detected in the Great Lakes less than 30 years ago, mussels now have a foothold in 29 states. In most cases, they were spread by hitching rides on poorly cleaned private watercraft. So, any positive detection anywhere in the state is a big deal.

Further reading: The Flathead Beacon has an excellent article on invasive mussels (kudos to Dillon Tabish for putting it together). The distribution map at the bottom is pretty scary, by the way.

Rally for Public Lands, Jan 30 in Helena

Hiker viewing mountain valley

We received the following announcement a couple of days ago from the Montana Wilderness Association about a public lands rally in Helena at noon on January 30. By all accounts, last year’s rally was a big success. This one may very well be even bigger . . .

Our public lands are under attack. 

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives passed a rule change that would make it easier for Congress to not just sell off our public lands, but to give them away. Montana Congressman Ryan Zinke, our likely next secretary of Interior, voted for the measure.

This comes a few days after Montana state Senator Jennifer Fielder submitted two joint resolution drafts in the legislature, one calling for a study of transferring national public lands to the state and the other calling for outright transfer – the first step in selling off our public lands.

With the changes brought on by the 2016 election, the threat of losing our public lands and our outdoor way of life is perhaps now greater than it’s ever been.

We need to fight back. 

That’s why we’re holding a Rally for Public Lands on Monday, January 30 at noon under the State Capitol Rotunda in Helena. 

This is your chance to let our elected officials know that our outdoor way of life defines who we are as Montanans, and we will always fight back against any attempts to seize the public lands that enable us to lead that life.

Join us in sending the message to our state and federal elected officials: public lands belong in public hands.

Speakers at the rally will include Governor Steve Bullock, mountaineering legend Conrad Anker, fly fishing guide and TV host Hilary Hutcheson, and K.C. Walsh, CEO of Simms fishing company.

See you at the rally on January 30!

Polebridge Field Course gathering and lecture January 16

Graetz Presentation at Sondreson Hall - Jan 18, 2016
Graetz Presentation at Sondreson Hall – Jan 18, 2016

For the past ten years, Rick and Suzie Graetz of the University of Montana have brought a group of geography students to the Polebridge area for their Field Course.

While they are here, they dedicate one evening to giving a public lecture at Sondreson Hall. If for no other reason, it is worth attending just for the photos of spectacular landscapes, often from far-flung regions of the globe.

This year’s presentation will be at Sondreson Hall on January 16 at 6:30pm.

Here’s the text of Suzie’s announcement . . .

Happy New Year to all of our friends in the North Fork!

There is something about the holidays that makes me sit back and count my blessings.

Yesterday, while I was putting away the trappings of Christmas at the same time I was hauling out and checking off the gear we need to pack for our Polebridge Field Course, it dawned on me that this will be our 10th year of bringing students for a week to the amazing landscape you all are lucky to call home.

The course of study is wide-ranging and a great amount of information is crammed into our short stay… we expose the students to twice daily lectures by experts on fire, wildlife, national and state land management, geography, history, and geology (to name a few subjects), they have pre-trip reading assignments, research projects to complete, lecture notes to turn in, daily snowshoe treks into the landscape they are studying, and as always a final test. But, I feel it is meeting you, the members of this valley that has made the biggest impression on them.

Continue reading Polebridge Field Course gathering and lecture January 16

Greg Zimmerman: Extreme views don’t represent most Montanans on public lands

Three Types of Public Lands
Three types of public lands: Flathead National Forest is in the foreground, left and right; Montana’s Coal Creek State Forest, including Cyclone Lake, is in the middle distance; Glacier National Park stretches across the background.

This well-written op-ed concerning public lands transfer was posted in today’s Flathead Beacon. It is written by Greg Zimmerman, deputy director at the Center for Western Priorities. Interestingly, he quotes incoming President Trump as also opposing the transfer of federal lands to the states . . .

In her recent op-ed, Montana state Sen. Jennifer Fielder continued to perpetuate phony myths about American public lands in an attempt to prop up her naive attempts to dispose of them.

According to Sen. Fielder, Montana’s public lands are a trash dump, filled with pests and fenced off to the public. In her telling, the only thing that can save our public lands is for them to be given to the state.

Don’t tell that to the hundreds of thousands of Montanans streaming across the state’s public lands to hunt and fish, who certainly aren’t buying Sen. Fielder’s premise. On the contrary, public opinion research shows unequivocally that Montana voters value national public lands. And poll after poll shows that Montanans – like voters across the West – have little appetite for her misguided plans to “transfer” American lands to state or private interests.

This month’s election result further validates what the polls have been telling us for years.

Read more . . .