Calendar – Page 8

Winter 2019 Interlocal Meeting – Updated

The Winter 2019 Interlocal Meeting will be hosted by Flathead County. It is scheduled to be held from 10:00 a.m. – 1 p.m. on Wednesday, February 20 at the Flathead Forest headquarters building, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901. (The Forest Service volunteered to supply meeting space.) The meeting will be in the 3-Forks Conference Room.

David Prunty, Flathead County Public Works Director has included the attached agenda.
North Fork Interlocal Meeting Agenda – Winter 2019
Interlocal Issues – Winter 2019
David’s email address is: dprunty@flathead.mt.gov

As a convenience Bill Walker is serving as a central point of contact for issues that North Fork organizations would like to see addressed by the various government agencies represented at the meeting. If you can send him your issues by the afternoon of Tuesday, February 5, he will pass them on to the various organizations in enough time for them to prepare their presentations.

Bill’s contact information is:
William K. Walker
11233 North Fork Road
Polebridge, MT 59928-9611
(406) 407-2764
e-mail wkwalker@nvdi.com

Thank you,
Vernon

Reminder – 1st aid, CPR, and AED Certification – Aug. 14

This is a reminder that Bob Lee is providing training with certification in 1st aid, CPR, and AED at Sondreson Hall on Tuesday, August 14th starting at 9AMand lasting most of the day. Please bring your lunch and drinks. Cost is $45, and is limited to 10 individuals. Contact Bill Walker 406-407-2764 or wkwalker@nvdi.comto reserve a spot. The class is filling up, so don’t wait and sign up today.

Please note the cost is different than published originally in the calendar. It’s $45, not $35.

Class in Wild Land Fire Control – August 9

Here is a message from the Heitz…

Rick Trembath of Flathead Forestry and Fire Consulting will be conducting a class in Wild Land Fire Control at Sondreson Hall at 10:00 am on Thursday, August 9. Trembath, some of you will remember, was head of structure protection on the Wedge Fire in 2003, and chief of the Big Fork Fire Department. He should know his material well, having retired from USFS after many years just before the Wedge.

If you are interested in learning how you can contribute to working on fire control on your own property, or helping the North Fork Irregulars (who are getting old, you know) in slowing a smaller fire start until USFS crews can arrive, please plan on attending. There may be a charge for getting Trembath here, but, at this time, we aren’t sure of that.

Please notify Dick Leigh (dickleigh30@ hotmail.com), Kevin Ulrichsen, or Irv Heitz (chrisirv2@gmail.com) if you are planning to attend.

Janet :Leigh will provide the main lunch, but please bring a side dish, salad, or dessert to share.

See you there!!

First Aid/CPR/AED class at Sondreson Hall – Aug. 14

Here is a note from Bill Walker…

I’d like to remind everyone that Bob Lee is giving his very popular and extremely useful First Aid/CPR/AED class at Sondreson Hall on Tuesday, August 14. It starts at 9:00am and should wrap up around 3:30 or 4:00pm. Bring your own lunch and drinks.

Class size is limited to 10 people. Contact Bill Walker, wkwalker@nvdi.comor 406-407-2764, to reserve a place.

Cost is $45 (not $35 as mentioned elsewhere). Bob accepts cash or checks.

The course includes American Heart Association certification in basic first aid, CPR and use of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs). Also, Bob throws in helpful advice on the sort of supplies to keep on hand in remote areas like the North Fork.

Note: If you happen to work for an organization requiring AHA approved basic first aid certification every two years. Bob’s course fulfills this requirement.

Calendar of Events for July 2018

Here is a note from Chris Heitz, Treasurer of the North Fork Landowners Association…

In talking to people over the 4th of July, it appeared that several of the great activities happening in July had already been forgotten. So here are a couple of reminders:

TODAY: Get your list of questions for the Summer InterLocal to Bill Walker at wkwalker@nvdi.netSomething bothering you? Get someone to give you an answer!

Sunday, July 87pm Colter Pence will be talking about the history of the 3 Forks of the Flathead becoming designated as Wild and Scenic Rivers
8 pm NFLA Meeting – bring a snack to share

Wednesday, July 11Float the river with Hosts Dick Leigh and Kevin Ulrichsen. Contact Dick Leigh at dickleigh30@hotmail.comfor details and meeting times.

Thursday, July 129:30 am Sondreson Hall PROTECT YOUR HOME Fire Mitigation done Professionally. Watch a video presented by Mark Boardman, Stoltze Lumber Company of the work they did thinning around a home. Then travel to the Ulrichsen property and see the results! Bring your own snack and drink.

Wednesday, July 189:30 am Sondreson Hall FireWise Day. See examples of fire mitigation on last year’s Lolo Peak, Sunrise, and Roaring Lion fires. Also updates on the upcoming fire season, and Grants available. NOON: Lunch provided by the NFLA, bring a side dish to share, and eat fast so you can purchase fresh produce from the Wernicks Garden in the parking lot. 1:00 pm Summer InterLocal Meeting with speakers from the County, Glacier Park, Forest Service, FWP. State Land, Border Patrol, & Trails Assn.

Saturday, July 218 am at Polebridge Merc. Join the NF Trails Assn as they hike to Coal Ridge Lookout. Contact Bill Walker atwkwalker@nvdi.netfor details & to sign up.
7 pm Sondreson Hall Annual Pie & Ice Cream Social & Square Dance. Bring a pie, and then churn ice cream to go on top! Square Dance with Debo calling.

Wednesday, July 2510 am at Hoilands. See the Kootenai Indian Trail with Duke Hoiland – don’t miss your chance to see the Trail and listen to the history. Limited to 12 people, contact Irv Heitz at chrisirv2@gmail.comto reserve your spot. Hotdogs served over the campfire afterwards – bring a side dish to share.

Friday, July 277 pm at Sondreson Hall Pie Auction and Crazy Hat Contest and Square Dance with Debo calling. Bring your best dessert, baked goods, or small misc items to enter in a Silent Auction – proceeds benefit Sondreson Hall. Then put on your Craziest Hat, or watch others, and see who will win the title this year. Square Dancing starts at 8 pm. Drinks and snacks provided by the NFLA, but feel free to bring ANOTHER dessert to share!

Monday, July 307 pm at Sondreson Hall Game Night. Join your neighbors, and play board games, cards, dominoes, or other games. Open to all ages, including children. Bring a snack to share.

Also, 10:30 every Sunday morning at Sondreson Hall join Don Sullivan for church services; bring a snack to share.

Hope you can find several things that interest you; feel free to let anyone from the Board know if you think of something to add for next year! Look forward to seeing you.

Flathead Wild and Scenic River: Comprehensive River Management Plan Wildlife Outstandingly Remarkable Value Meeting

The Flathead National Forest, in coordination and partnership with Glacier National Park, has begun the process to prepare a Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the 3-Forks of the Flathead River. Project activities will include reviewing the existing Flathead River Wild and Scenic River Recreation Management Direction and River Management Plan.

The river and surrounding lands offer recreational opportunities and access to outstanding resources for a variety of public lands users. The CRMP will address the current status of these resources, outline goals and desired conditions, determine user capacities, and create a monitoring strategy and plan to carry forward. The public is encouraged to contribute to this planning effort that will secure the outstanding remarkable values of the 3-Forks of the Flathead River for future generations. The planning team is interested in diverse stakeholder input as we develop the CRMP.

A series of resource-focused public meetings are being held beginning with the first meeting in May. Our upcoming meeting on Wednesday, June 20, will focus on wildlife monitoring, management, and concerns as part of the efforts to develop the CRMP. The meeting will be held in the lower level of the Arts and Technology Building at Flathead Valley Community College. A campus map can be found here: https://www.fvcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-11-Campus-Map-Large-WEB.pdf. The main meeting will be from 6 pm to 8 pm and will include presentations on current wildlife information and some facilitated discussion on how wildlife will be addressed in the CRMP. An introductory presentation on the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act for those new to the CRMP process will begin at 5:45pm. Future meeting topics, links to past meeting materials, and the meeting schedule are posted on the CRMP website.

https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/home/?cid=fseprd573051&width=full

The 3-Forks of the Flathead was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1978 and is a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. It encompasses the North Fork of the Flathead from the Canadian border to its confluence with the Middle Fork, the entire Middle Fork, and the South Fork from its headwaters to Hungry Horse Reservoir. The North Fork and the lower Middle Fork form the boundaries between the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park. Portions of the Middle and South Forks flow through the Bob Marshall and Great Bear Wilderness Areas. A total of 219 miles of the Flathead River are included in the designation.

For more information, please call Flathead National Forest Recreation Program Manager, Chris Prew at 406-758-3538.

Ongoing updates on the CRMP can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/home/?cid=fseprd573051&width=full

Fire Mitigation Committee 2018 Late Winter Update

Mark Your Calendars! The Fire Mitigation Committee is planning for the North Fork’s 2018 Firewise Day, which will be held the morning of July 18 preceding the Summer Interlocal. The North Fork has been recognized as a Firewise Community since 2006. Come join our Celebration! Byron Bonney will be our featured speaker again. This year he will tell us about the effects of fuels treatments in the area burned by the 2017 Lolo Peak Fire south of Missoula, as well as some effects from the Sunrise Fire near Superior. Byron’s presentation last year focused on the Roaring Lion Fire, and the effects of fuel treatments on fire behavior. The treatments brought fire to the ground and limited the fuels that could be ignited by flying embers. They also improved the chance of survival for neighbors’ homes downwind. We are looking forward to Byron’s report on what he observed at the Lolo Peak and Sunrise Fires, and a look back at some of the fuel treatment “lessons learned” from the Roaring Lion Fire. You can download a copy of the agenda by tapping here.

While funds in our 4th Hazardous Fuels Grant are obligated, a new grant covering the North half of Flathead County has funds available that can be used in the North Fork. The Flathead Economic Policy Center (FEPC) administers the grants and provides landowners and the committee with invaluable technical assistance. Since taking over administration of Hazardous Fuels Grants in the North Fork in 2012 from the Northwest Montana RC&D, FEPC has administered over $153,000 in grants in the North Fork and treated 241 acres with landowner contributions totaling $129,000.

With the retirement of our friend Mason Richwine, a FEPC forester who has worked with many North Fork landowners, Tony Willits will be taking over administration of projects in the North Fork. We look forward to working with Tony, who brings a wealth of forestry and fire experience to the position as did Mason. Bill Swope will continue to work with us, and can be reached at 406-250-9812 or at bhswope@gmail.com.

Flathead County is continuing to work on revision of its Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The Fire Mitigation Committee expects to update its North Fork Wildfire Mitigation and Planning Report in conjunction with the county’s revision. We’ll need community input in the process. We’ll also need to update maps of the significant public and private work that’s been done on the North Fork since the fires of 2003.

A Business Meeting – Tonight!

The first NFLA Business Meeting of the summer will take place this evening, Sunday June 10th. At 7pm there is a presentation “Grizzlies in YOUR Backyard” by Tim Manley & “Wildlife in the North Fork” by Tim Thier, from MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks. General meeting 8pm. Bring a snack to share, and meet your neighbors! Larry Wilson, host.