Category: News

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

June 1st National Wildland Fire Potential

I am a little late forwarding out the current National Wildland Fire Potential.  I’ll be sharing this through the fire season until we get our season ending event.

This is as we would expect given our dry spring and spreading drought.  The good news is that we in the North Fork are in a better position than most of the West.  That is not much consolation since the outlook across the West is grim.  Specifically for the Northern Rockies, here are some excerpts: Continue reading June 1st National Wildland Fire Potential

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

COVID-19: Updated Sondreson Hall Use Restrictions and Guidelines

The COVID-19 policy for events at Sondreson Hall is based on current CDC guidelines. People who have not been fully vaccinated are encouraged to continue taking precautions, including hand washing, wearing a mask and, where practical, practicing social distancing.

If needed, disposable masks are available at the hall. The suggested donation for a mask is $1.00, but do not hesitate to use a mask just because you don’t have a dollar handy.

Hand sanitizer is also available at the hall.

NFLA Board of Directors
May 23, 2021

Notes

In general, people are considered fully vaccinated:
    2 weeks after their second dose in a 2-dose series, such as the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or
    2 weeks after a single-dose vaccine, such as Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen vaccine.

See the CDC website (cdc.gov) for more details on COVID-19 precautions.

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