For this year’s annual meeting we’ve invited Liz Fairbanks, a Road Ecologist at The Center for Large Landscapes, to help us better understand the role a road (or road systems) plays in an ecosystem.
We would love for you to be among our honored guests.
5:30pm
Potluck supper
6:45pm
Short business meeting to elect officers and members of the Board of Directors and report on the work of NFPA
7:30pm
Speaker
We are excited to spend an evening with all of you, share with you what we’ve been up to, and look forward to a great presentation.
Larry Wilson had nice things to say about the NFPA 40th anniversary annual meeting in his Hungry Horse News column this week . . .
I still miss John Frederick. Over the years we became close friends although our political views were usually completely opposed. We had hundreds of political discussions and we both enjoyed them. We both recognized that the other had the same or similar goals in mind—we just differed on how to reach those goals.
I thought of John a lot this week because he was one of the founders of the North Fork Preservation Association which celebrated its fortieth anniversary this week, and there were photos of John and even a sweatshirt with his likeness on it.
I have never been a member of the NFPA, but I always try to attend their annual meeting The business portion is always short—they tend to re-elect their officers almost automatically—John Frederick was president for over twenty years and our friend Frank Vitale was Vice-President for an equal number of years.
What they do have every year, including this year, is a knowledgeable, interesting and informative speaker. Also, I really enjoy the members and the opportunity to see and talk with them.
The Missoulian has an interesting report on the April 2, 2016 Bob Marshall Wilderness complex annual meeting in Choteau . . .
For all the work needed in the woods, there’s at least as much to do back in the office regarding the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex.
U.S. Forest Service and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks analysts have several long-term projects underway that will affect how hikers, riders, hunters and neighbors experience the 1.5 million-acre backcountry. Much of the to-do list was reviewed at an annual public meeting on Saturday that’s been convening every spring for more than 30 years.
This years’ gathering attracted everyone from Choteau business owners and ranchers to horseback riders who could trace three generations of family experience in the Bob. In between were outfitters, airplane pilots, snowmobile riders and representatives from conservation groups like the Montana Wilderness Association.
This evening, July 25, the annual meeting of the North Fork Preservation Association will be held at Sondreson Community Hall on the North Fork Road at Whale Creek.
At 7:30 pm Daniel Stiffarm of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, will speak on topics relating to Kootenai history. It should be a very engaging presentation.
The 7:30 pm program is preceded by a potluck dinner starting at 5pm and election of officers at 6:45 pm. Everyone is invited
The North Fork Preservation Association annual meeting is on Saturday, July 26, featuring Canadian activist Harvey Locke speaking on “The Missing Piece of Waterton National Park.” He is a charismatic orator who thinks in large landscapes. Harvey begins his talk at 7:30 p.m. The potluck dinner starts at 5:00 p.m., followed by the business meeting. For more information call 406-888-5084.
John Frederick wrote the following article about this year’s presentation. It appears in the current NFPA newsletter . . .
The “Missing Piece” refers to the area north of us known as the Flathead of British Columbia (in Canada, the North Fork Flathead is called just the Flathead River). The region east of the river is a logical extension to the existing Waterton Lakes National Park on the other side of the Continental Divide in Alberta. The first “Missing Piece Rendezvous” was at Waterton town site last fall to a large crowd of happy people.
The second “Missing Piece Rendezvous” will be held on the porch of the North Fork Community Hall featuring Harvey Locke and Sid Marty at 7:30 pm on Saturday, July 26. Both are engaging entertainers. Bring folding chairs or a blanket and bug dope, if needed.
NFPA 2014 Annual Meeting Announcement
Harvey Locke does not give up easily. This well-known Canadian activist has been trying to have the part of the Flathead of British Columbia that is above Glacier National Park added to Waterton National Park for over twenty years.
I met him 25 years ago on a Waterton-Glacier Superintendents’ Hike and remember him talking in French to a warden in Waterton Park, demonstrating to me his appealing personality (even though I didn’t know French). I marked him as someone unique although I knew nothing about him at the time.
Harvey Locke is recognized as a global leader in the conservation of wilderness and large landscapes. He is known in Canada as one of the leading conservation activists there. He thinks about large landscapes – the movement to establish wildlife corridors from Yellowstone to Yukon was his idea. Harvey has many conservation groups in place on both sides of the border to back up what he says and when he says something it has authority. His connections to powerful individuals are truly amazing. He makes things happen. Continue reading Today! The second ‘Missing Piece Rendezvous’ comes to the North Fork, July 26→
Harvey Locke’s presentation at the upcoming NFPA annual meeting gets a mention in this NPR piece . . .
Waterton-Glacier International Peace park connects over the US-Canada border between Montana and Alberta. However, the two parks don’t match up in their cross-border boundary.
Glacier Park stretches west to encompass the North Fork Flathead River Valley, but the Canadian Flathead is not part of the Park. The Canadian Flathead is Provincial land, akin to state or forest service land in the US, and offering the potential for logging or mineral development. Conservationists have been angling to “Complete the Park” by expanding Waterton into the North Fork Valley.
This idea of completing the Park is not new. Executive Director of Headwaters Montana Dave Hadden said it’s an effort about as old as the Park itself.
The annual public meeting about the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex is scheduled for April 14 at the Seeley Lake Community Hall.
The public is being encouraged to attend and meet the National Forest Wilderness Managers and state Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff.
“This year is the 25th year that we will be collecting monitoring-data based on public participation and partnerships in managing the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and the wilderness plan,” Deb Mucklow, BMWC lead district ranger, said in a statement . . .
For more information about the public meeting, contact the Spotted Bear Ranger District at (406) 387-3800.
