Rachel Potter thought people might be interested in helping Glacier National Park and the U.S. Forest Service with river management, so she passed along the following information. “North Fork River monitoring and patrol” sounds like a pretty neat volunteer opportunity, but anyone interested needs to jump on it pretty quickly . . .

Description: River monitoring is part of the Glacier National Park (GNP) Backcountry Patrol volunteer program.  Duties include:  visitor educational contacts, pulling weeds, picking up trash, conducting surveys, and completing River Use monitoring forms.

Date/s time: Spring-Fall.

Registration Deadline: Contact Kyle Johnson ASAP but you must be signed up before training starts May 21.

Where:  All segments of the North Fork Flathead River

Sponsor: Glacier National Park

Web page: http://www.nps.gov/glac/supportyourpark/volunteerdescriptions.htm for general Glacier volunteer info and application.

Contact: Kyle Johnson kyle_johnson@nps.gov, 406-888-7838

Training dates/info: You need to be certified as a GNP Backcountry Patrol Volunteer first and then additional river training in conjunction with the USFS will be conducted. Those without extensive experience will be in an apprentice program until skills are developed. Backcountry Ranger Training is May 21-23. River training dates are loose, but will be roughly June 25-28.

What to bring/equipment needed: You will need your own boat, lifejackets, etc. for your own patrols, or ride along with agency staff.

Who should participate: Excellent fitness as well as strong swimming and boating skills are required, especially during high water.

Minimum Commitment: Your involvement is flexible but you may be expected to commit at least 1-3 days/week.  Check with Kyle.