Category: Committees

County Planning Board meeting June 9th at 6:00pm

Greetings and a big thank you to those of you who have been kind enough to send in your comments to the planning office!  We’re not done yet, so if you haven’t yet sent in a comment there is still time until June 8th.  The email address is planning.zoning@flathead.mt.gov or snail mail Flathead County Planning and Zoning Office 1035 1st Avenue Avenue West Kalispell, MT 59901. The Planning Board meeting is scheduled for June 9th at 6:00pm on the second floor at 40 11th Street West (this is located at the south end of the skywalk between the two new county buildings). If you could attend that would be greatly appreciated!  Furthermore, if you would like to attend via Zoom here are the details:

Continue reading County Planning Board meeting June 9th at 6:00pm

NFLUAC to meet at Sondreson Hall, March 9, 6pm

Greetings! You are all cordially invited to the next North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee meeting being held Tuesday March 9th at 6:00pm at Sondreson Hall. The text Amendment Sub Committee will be updating their progress. Your involvement is crucial to the success of this important endeavor to help preserve the North Fork we all know and love. Thank you.
Randy Kenyon
Chair, NFLUAC

Almost out of the woods for Fire Season 2020

Cross-posted from Facebook . . .
Well, we are almost out of the woods for Fire Season 2020 in the Northern Rockies. We have areas of dry fuel with potential in Eastern Montana, although the forecast is for normal fire potential across the Geographic Area.
Our rainfall in Northwest Montana on September 24 and 25 provided significant relief, but the warmer daytime temperatures leave us with some potential. More moisture will help a lot. Note there are other parts of the country that will continue to have active fire seasons.
This will be the last Outlook I post until Spring 2021. Feel free to access the monthly updates on your own, posted the first of each month.
Wait for a bit more before burning your piles, unless you enjoy chasing skunking fires. And when you do burn, be sure and know what the wind is going to do. Thanks, and be safe out there!

North Fork Zoning Hearing Notice – Tues, Oct 6, 6:00pm, Country Kitchen Building at the Fairgrounds

A public hearing before the County Board of Adjustment is scheduled regarding an Appeal filed by the North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee to a written Zoning Determination from the County Planning & Zoning Office (“CP&Z”) regarding rental cabins, guest cabins and a yoga studio on property located at 1070 Numa Peak Lane.  This Zoning Determination was made by the CP&Z in a letter to the owner of Montana Yoga Adventure subsequent to the August 4 Board of Adjustment hearing.  The Appeal, filed by the North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee, disputes the CP&Z’s interpretation of two items contained in the North Fork Zoning Regulations.  These items relate to “rental” cabin density (not guest cabins) which our zoning allows at one rental cabin “per each five acres of contiguous property owned”.  The County Planning & Zoning has interpreted our zoning differently, by allowing one rental cabin per every parcel of land owned.  In effect, according to them, our zoning provides that two separate parcels of record of contiguous property, each less than five acres, would be allowed a rental cabin on each parcel.   In addition, the County is considering a canvas wall tent as a structure and building (although a tent does not conform to the Flathead County Zoning’s definition of either a structure or building) and as such, could be considered a rental cabin.   We encourage all North Fork landowners to attend this public hearing on October 6 to voice their concern that our North Fork Zoning Regulations are being misinterpreted and not as intended.  Save the date!

Wildland Fire Potential Outlook – issued September 1, 2020

Well, there is Good News and Not as Good News in this Month’s Wildland Fire Potential Outlook!

The Good News is that Montana is now not forecasted for an “Above Normal” September as it has been in the past two Outlooks.

The “Not as Good” News is that things are critically dry across the State. Energy Release Components, an indication of the volatility of the fuels, are in the 95th to 97th percentile, which is pretty much pegging the meter.

For the most part, we have avoided the large fires associated with these seasonally dry fuel conditions. I think the lack of numerous starts from dry lightning storms factors into the equation. And, as we move into September, the potential for dry thunderstorms drops off.

However, there are numerous other ways fires can start – most of them human. Three fires started earlier this week along Highway 200 outside of Plains/Paradise where a flat tire on a trailer sparked fires with the wheel contacting the pavement throwing sparks. Unattended campfires are always a concern – even transitioning out of the summer camping season into the fall hunting season with hunter fires.

So, continue to be careful out there. If we get some of the forecasted moisture alluded to in the narrative, we’ll get out of this fire season relatively intact. More time to work on fuels projects for next fire season! Only You….

https://www.nifc.gov/nicc/predictive/outlooks/monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf

Results of the August 4 Flathead County Board of Adjustment meeting

Here is a brief summary of the results of the August 4 Flathead County Board of Adjustment meeting . . .

During the Flathead County Board of Adjustment hearing on August 4, 2020, there were three requests for Conditional Use Permits to operate a “Camp and Retreat Center” on various North Fork properties. Besides the applicants, about 40 North Forkers attended the meeting. Several of them expressed opposition to each of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP) requests during public comment. The objections to the Montana Yoga Adventure application were especially numerous, detailed and vigorous.

The Conditional Use Permit (CUP) request from North Fork Cabins, LLC for the acreage in the Home Ranch area containing the rental cabins was denied.

The CUP request from Northern Lights Land, LLC for the Home Ranch Store property was tabled until next month so that the applicant could supply more information. Unless something changes drastically, approval is unlikely.

The CUP request from Montana Yoga Adventure, LLC for their property on Numa Peak Lane was denied.

Wildland Fire Potential Outlook – issued August 1, 2020

As expected, Northwest Montana continues to be projected as above normal for fire activity through August and September. We can all be glad that the moisture we got at the end of June and the first of July pushed our fire season out from becoming active in early to mid July.

But, with the current temperatures, low overnight temperature and humidity recovery, and live fuels suffering due to the combination of those factors, we can become pretty volatile pretty quickly.

The other aspect of this Outlook indicates we will have enough moisture in the air masses pushing up from the 4 Corners area to stimulate convective activity – dry thunderstorms. So, we can wind up with a lot of new starts from lightning.

Probably not telling any of you anything you don’t know – but it is a good time to get those fire tools shaped up, tanks mounted in 4 wheelers, and watching the lightning maps.

Here is the link to the complete Wildland Fire Potential Outlook. As we have said before, these Outlooks are useful but there are no guarantees.
https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/August-monthly_seasonal_outlook.pdf