The North Fork Patrol had its spring meeting on 30 May. So far this year the patrol has logged 722 miles and checked on 132 residences. Only two owners had to be notified of damages.
As folks return to the North Fork for the summer, the patrol reminds them to be sure to have a plan of action incase of medical or fire emergencies.
I hope you are having good early summer.
Mark
Bob Lee will be giving his well-regarded First Aid/CPR/AED class in the North Fork again this spring on Friday, May 31, at Sondreson Hall. It is an all-day course, starting at 9:00am and usually finishing up at 4:00pm or a bit earlier. Cost should be $45/person, cash or check.
Bring a lunch and drinks.
Course size limit is 10 people! Contact Bill Walker (wkwalker@nvdi.com<mailto:wkwalker@nvdi.com> or 406-407-2764) to reserve a place.
(Note! This year, the certification cards will be distributed electronically. The folks sending the cards insist that every recipient have a unique, individual email address. If this is a problem, contact Bill Walker.)
The park’s AIS program will remain the same as it was last year, with one, possibly two changes. The changes being electric motors under 15 horse power will be allowed back on Bowman and Two Medicine Lakes with a same day inspection and permit, and it is likely, although not official yet that motorized boats will be allowed back on Two Medicine Lake by early July with the inspection and 30-day quarantine we require for motorized boats in Lake McDonald. Park waters will open for all boating Saturday, May 11th. Here is a refresher in the park’s boat inspection policies:
Trailered watercraft with gas-powered motors are permitted on Lake McDonald after an inspection and after being quarantined for 30 days prior to launch. Boats will be sealed to the trailer after inspection and seals will be removed by park personnel following the 30-day drying time. Non-motorized watercraft, and non-trailered electric motorized watercraft will also be permitted, and do not require the quarantine period.
Non-motorized watercraft and non-trailered electric motorized watercraft are permitted same day launch on Lake McDonald, Bowman Lake, Two Medicine Lake, St. Mary Lake, and Swiftcurrent Lake, after inspection and permit issuance by NPS staff. They will not require a 30-day dry time because the motors are not water-cooled and therefore are classified as lower risk, similar to hand-propelled water-craft.
Kintla Lake is open to hand-propelled watercraft, after inspection. All boat Inspections for the North Fork area of the park (Bowman and Kintla Lakes) are performed at the Apgar Village permit station.
*Boat inspections are not available in the North Fork area.
You may want to get a hold of Amy Secrest to find out more about the proposed plan to use Rotenone to kill off non-native fish in the Camas drainage starting this August, because she is the one who wrote it… but here is an MTPR article that summarizes the plan nicely:
https://www.mtpr.org/post/glacier-park-plan-would-give-native-fish-boost
Credit: Julie Nelson, Glacier Park Service
Recently I learned that NFLA Website Administrator, Patti Craig-Hart, planned to step down, my first thought was, “Wow, she has completed so much work with the site and her effort has truly been a wonderful source of information for issues relevant to our North Fork community.” As a NFLA member, I want to personally thank Patti for her consistent efforts to keep us informed about current North Fork issues via the NFLA website. Thank you! You will be missed!
I asked Lois Walker for any historical information & background on the NFLA website and who the site administrators have been in the past. Here is what I learned.
Richard Wackrow originally setup the site in 2007. At that time he handled both the website and newsletter. In 2009 he resigned and Patti Craig-Hart took over the website admin role and Jon Elliott took the newsletter. During the last 9 plus years, Patti has expanded the breadth and scope of the site and focused on keeping members current on NFIA/NFLA events, and issues of interest (roads, river, weather & fire information) with the help of community leaders and land owners in the valley. In addition she maintained the NF News website, which has been another source of news for many in our valley.
Looking forward, I am excited to be the NFLA website administrator for our community. If you have photos, news, events or information to share with the North Fork community please send it to me at Vernon@petteyfamily.org.
Randy Kenyon is asking for your help. The North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee (NFLUAC) has been revived and their first mission is to perform a 10 year review of the North Fork Neighborhood Plan approved by the Flathead County Board of Commissioners and adopted in June of 2008. If you are interested in participating in this 10 year review, please get into contact with Randy, Committee Chair, within the next 30 days by sending an email (kenyonnorthfork@gmail.com), letter (77 Moose Creek Road Polebridge 59928), or calling 406-640-3184.
An amendment to the NFLA Bylaws was proposed at the July Business Meeting to move the meeting date back to the first Saturday of every month. At the August Business Meeting, the vote on this amendment was postponed and the Board has accepted the task of sending out a survey to all paid members to get their input. Then, it will be discussed next year at the June Business Meeting, so that we can get a better feel for what all the members want.
Molly Shepherd and Allen Chrisman have combined their notes from the Summer Interlocal that took place at Sondreson Hall on Wednesday, July 18th. You can get a pdf version of that summary by tapping here.
Thank you Molly and Allen for taking the time to put these notes together. They will not only be useful for folks who were unable to attend, but provide a record that can be reviewed in the future about what was discussed during this important meeting.
Here’s a message from Irv Heitz…
Those of you in attendance at Wednesday’s Interlocal Meeting learned of a new research presence in the North Fork, the Flathead Lake Biological Station. Dr. Rachel Malison is researching river and aquifer stonefly populations in the gravel beds of the river and floodplains. You will notice pvc test wells at spots along the river and in some locations on floodplains a bit farther from the river.
Please do not bother these site. If you have questions or concerns, you can contact Dr. Malison at 406-982-33-1 x 246, or check out flbs.umt.edu/apps/research/dob/default.aspx .
Dr. Malison may be looking for additional sites with access to the river or tributaries of the river to continue the study, so if you are interested, contact her.
I have also engaged her for a possible pre-NFLA meeting presentation next summer.
Here’s a message from NFLA Secretary Dawn Olson Jacobson… Reminder that August meeting August 12 is elections for the NFLA in order to vote you need to be an active paid member $15.00 this money is used to pay for hall expenses and other things for the property. Please join the NFLA to help with our building. You can also join as an associate member for $10.00 just to help our building also all donations are gladly accepted. Think of the good times at New Years and other hall activities you enjoy at Sondreson Hall!
For more information on how to join and/or pay your dues, go to… Contact us
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