Author: Bill Walker

Get those issues in! Interlocal meeting July 14, 1:00pm, at Sondreson Hall

Bob Dunkley explains Park plans for the Polebridge Ranger Station, post Red Bench Fire, at the 1989 Interlocal at Sondreson Hall.
Bob Dunkley explains Park plans for the Polebridge Ranger Station, post Red Bench Fire, at the 1989 Interlocal at Sondreson Hall.

Hi, folks.

The Summer 2021 Interlocal  Agreement Meeting is at 1:00pm, on Wednesday, July 14 at Sondreson Community Hall. This summer’s  Interlocal is hosted by the North Fork Preservation Association (NFPA). It follows the annual Firewise meeting at 9:30am. Lunch is at noon, with the NFPA providing the main course. If you wish, bring a side dish or desert to share.

For those of you who are new to this, Interlocal meetings are held twice each year, winter and summer. These semi-annual get-togethers are intended to encourage open discussion between North Fork landowners and neighbors, and local, state and federal agencies. In other words, it’s a big deal if you have an interest in the North Fork.

As a convenience (it’s not required), I’m serving as a central point of contact for issues that North Fork organizations and individuals would like to see addressed by the various government agencies represented at the meeting. If you’ll send me your issues by the afternoon of Tuesday, June 29, I’ll pass them on to the various organizations in enough time for them to prepare their presentations. (Note: Please do not respond via Facebook. Use my email address, wkwalker@nvdi.com.)

Please feel free to get in touch if you have any questions.

Bill

Spring newsletter and 2021 calendar posted

The 2021 Spring NFLA Newsletter is available on the website “Newsletters” page and the “NFLA Calendar” page has been updated. All new information and/or changes to the calendar, including pandemic-related issues, will be posted to this website and also on bulletin boards in three locations: between the Polebridge Mercantile and the Northern Lights Saloon, at the entrance to Home Ranch Bottoms, and one outside Sondreson Hall.

First Aid/CPR/AED Course May 24

First Aid SignageBob Lee will be giving his well-regarded First Aid/CPR/AED class in the North Fork again this spring. It is an all-day course, starting at 9:00am and wrapping up by 4:00pm. The date is Monday, May 24. The course will be held at Sondreson Hall. Cost is $45/person. Bring your own lunch and drinks.

With a course size limit of 10 people, maintaining appropriate social distancing shouldn’t be a problem.

Continue reading First Aid/CPR/AED Course May 24

Reminder: NFLUAC meets Tuesday, May 11th at 6:00 pm

Sondreson Hall by Gerry StearnsThe North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee (NFLUAC) has scheduled a meeting for Tuesday May 11th at 6:00 pm at Sondreson Hall. This meeting will provide the community with an update on what the committee has learned so far from the outreach received the past month and discuss possible changes to the text amendment. We hope to see you there.
Randy Kenyon
Chair, NFLUAC
AGENDA
NORTH FORK LAND USE ADVISORY COMMITTEE
MEETING TUESDAY May 11th, 2021
SONDRESON HALL
6:00pm
Masks and social distancing remain mandatory
Call to Order
Roll Call
Minutes of Previous Meeting
1. Update on results of community outreach from this past month.
2. Discussion regarding possible changes to the text amendment.
3. Public comment
Adjournment
Accommodations will be made for those with special needs

Forest Service posts Special Use permit details; deadline for comments is May 12

Heads up! It is Forest Service special use permit time again. Some of you may recall the kerfuffle over this last year, particularly when it came to guided ATV tours. There are a few more requests this year. There is a May 12 deadline for responses.

View/download the official press release.

Details on the various projects and information on how to submit concerns can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/passes-permits/event-commercial/?cid=fseprd903970&width=full

Here is an extract from a very useful note sent by Rob Davies, Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger, that provides more focus on the projects affecting the North Fork . . .
 Continue reading Forest Service posts Special Use permit details; deadline for comments is May 12

Flathead National Forest Spring Prescribed Fire Projects

FNF Spring 2021 Prescribed BurnsSpring 2021 prescribed burn activity in the North Fork is limited to areas close to Columbia Falls, Coram and Martin City, although the rest of the Flathead National Forest is seeing considerably more activity.

From the press release…

Kalispell, MT, March 18, 2021- The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct spring prescribed fire projects, when weather, fuel conditions, and air quality become favorable.  Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions.

Each project follows a Prescribed Fire Burn Plan.  The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects, or to escape as a wildland fire.  These projects will follow Montana air quality standards and coordinated with Montana State Department of Environmental Quality to reduce the impacts of smoke to our neighbors, cooperators, and surrounding communities.  The project areas include:

Pile burning: On the attached map major locations of concentrated piles are identified.  These may include both landing and hand piles.  There are also scattered piles not identified on the map which may also be burned. Continue reading Flathead National Forest Spring Prescribed Fire Projects

Access to East Side of Glacier National Park Reopens

From the official press release . . .

WEST GLACIER, Mont. [March 17, 2021] – Glacier National Park announces access to the east side of the park will reopened on March 18 at Two Medicine, Cut Bank and St. Mary for foot traffic, skis and snowshoes. Regular winter closures remain in place. Chief Mountain Road will remain closed at the park boundary until road conditions permit.

The entrance at St. Mary allows vehicle traffic on Going-to-the-Sun Road for 1.5 miles until the winter gate closure at St. Mary Campground. Access past the gate is allowed by foot, skiing and snowshoeing as is typical of normal winter seasons. The St. Mary Campground remains closed to winter camping until further notice.

The roads into Cut Bank, and Two Medicine remain closed to vehicle traffic for the winter, but access by foot, skiing and snowshoeing is available past the gates as is typical of normal winter seasons.  Construction began on Many Glacier Road on March 15 and is closed to vehicular traffic and closed to hiker/biker traffic Monday through Friday through May 28.

Visitors are reminded that winter conditions are unpredictable and can quickly become dangerous. Visitors should prepare for icy conditions, high winds, and snow. Cellular communications in the park are extremely limited.

Access to the park east of the Continental Divide has been closed since March 2020 to protect the Blackfeet Indian Reservation population from COVID-19 due to high-risk members of the community. The decision to allow access to the east side was made after close consultation between health officials from the National Park Service, Indian Health Service, the Blackfeet Tribe, Glacier County and the state of Montana.

Forest Service proposes expansion of Whale Gravel Pit; comment deadline is April 1

Whale Gravel Pit Expansion Project Vicinity Map

A note from Rob Davies, Hungry Horse-Glacier View District Ranger:

Attached is a letter describing the proposed expansion of Whale Gravel Pit.  The material from the pit will be used primarily for the North Fork FLAP project… We are accepting public comments now through April 1st.

PDF attachment: Whale Pit Scoping Letter final 03152021

2021 Winter Interlocal, March 4, 9am, on Zoom

The 2021 winter North Fork Interlocal Agreement meeting will be held Thursday, March 4 at 9:00 a.m. The meeting usually lasts abut three hours. Due to the the ongoing pandemic, it will be a virtual meeting using the Zoom conferencing software.

The Interlocal Agreement provides for face-to-face contact (usually!) with representatives of agencies whose policies and actions affect the North Fork. Interlocal Agreement meetings are held in the winter (in town) and summer (at Sondreson Hall). Agency attendees include Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Montana Department of State Lands, U.S. Border Patrol, Glacier National Park, Flathead National Forest, U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service and Flathead County.

This is always a very interesting meeting, with reports from a range of government agencies and local organizations and often some quite vigorous discussion.