Glacier Park taps local stakeholders for feedback as it shapes vehicle-reservation system for third year

Camas Road in Glacier NP as seen from Glacier View Mtn, April 16, 2017 - W. K. Walker
Camas Road in Glacier NP as seen from Glacier View Mtn, April 16, 2017 – W. K. Walker

Looks like reservations will be needed for all Glacier Park entrances next year…

As Glacier National Park finalizes the details of an evolving vehicle-reservation system slated to go online for a third summer in 2023, the most urgent refrain from gateway business leaders is: When?

When will they know next year’s plan to manage vehicle access at entrances girding the million-acre park’s sprawling footprint, around which the economic picture is as diverse as ecologic? When can they begin sharing specifics of the adaptive system so that guests won’t be “blindsided” by changes to its configuration next summer? And when will they know whether two popular entrances that so far have remained unencumbered by the reservation requirement will be added to the list?…

Glacier Park Taps Local Stakeholders for Feedback as it Shapes Vehicle-Reservation System for Third Year

Hopefully, one last push…

As you know, due to time restraints the Flathead County Commissioners continued our hearing on the text cleanup for our local zoning guidelines. It is now scheduled for November 29th at 9:00am on the 3rd floor of the old courthouse. We are hoping for a successful resolution, so your continued support remains essential. If you have not contacted the commissioners please take a few minutes to do so. Showing up at the hearing is likewise important. The commissioners contact information: babell@flathead.mt.gov, pholmquist@flathead.mt.gov, rbrodehl@flathead.mt.gov.

We extend our gratitude for your ongoing consideration of this issue so near and dear to us all.

Randy Kenyon
Chair, NFLUAC

Winter Forest Service Special Use Permits proposed

It’s time for another round of Forest Service Special Use Permits. The official “scoping letter” is linked below. See the project web site for additional documentation, including maps.

None of the proposed Special Use Permits affect the North Fork directly, with the exception of a guided snowmobile tour that comes up from the west side of the Whitefish Divide and terminates at Red Meadow Campground.

Comments are due by November 29.

>> Flathead National Forest Winter Special Uses Scoping Letter (PDF)

 

Thanksgiving at the hall is happening!

Thanksgiving at the Hall, 2017
Thanksgiving at the Hall, 2017

We’re back! Thanksgiving at Sondreson Hall is happening on Thursday, November 24th! Doors open at 3:00pm; food will be served starting at 4:00pm.

Turkey, ham and mashed potatoes will be provided.

Please bring a side dish or dessert to share, as well as your own table service (plate/bowl, silverware, glass, napkin).

Contact Krista Johnson (360-815-5454) or Zoe Zardis (731-695-4528) if you have any questions or concerns.

The NFLUAC needs your help! Letters and comments are due by October 26, 2022!!!

 Even if you have written and sent in comments earlier in the process, we need your letters of support one more time to get us across the finish line.

    • Do you have a personal story about how you’ve been, or in the future may be, negatively affected if the zoning is NOT updated?
    • Are you concerned because our zoning is decades out of date and doesn’t meet current growth needs?
    • Are you concerned because our original zoning is sometimes confusing or ambiguous and leads to conflict within the community?

Please send a letter of support to the County Commissioners by October 26, 2022. Their email addresses are: babell@flathead.mt.gov, pholmquist@flathead.mt.gov and rbrodehl@flathead.mt.gov. The physical address is: 800 S. Main, Kalispell MT 59901. If you’re not up to letter writing, you can submit a comment here: cocontactus@flathead.mt.gov. The County Commissioner’s hearing is set for November 1, 2022 at 9:00am, third floor of the courthouse. The presence of landowners would bolster our cause.

Thank you for your support!
NFLUAC

Submit those Firewise-qualifying activities and expenses!

In order to maintain membership in Firewise USA, North Fork landowners must make an annual investment in wildfire risk reduction efforts. We’re required to calculate the number of hours spent in Firewise-qualifying activities, and the expenses associated with those activities.

A summary of some of Firewise-qualifying activities and expenses follows:

    • Collaboration and consultation time with forestry and fire experts
    • Organizing, planning, coordinating, implementing wildfire-related outreach events and educational presentations
    • Program administration time
    • Travel time to risk reduction meetings, trainings, and workshops
    • Attendance at wildfire-related education/informational meetings and events and at evacuation/preparedness trainings
    • Firewise improvements and maintenance on homes and outbuildings
    • Improvements and maintenance within the home ignition zone — for example, thinning or limbing up trees, reducing ladder fuels, dealing with slash and other debris, moving firewood piles
    • Vegetation removal; community clean-up
    • Committee members attendance and participation at Firewise committee meetings
    • Residents’ attendance and participation at wildfire education/outreach events
    • Writing wildfire educational articles

Qualifying expenses include equipment and tool purchases; mileage at the current IRS rate for attendance at wildfire-related meetings and trainings; purchases of food for meetings/trainings; contractor and labor expenses to perform risk reduction work; and the value of volunteer labor participating in risk reduction projects.

The Fire Mitigation Committee asks North Fork landowners to add up the number of hours they have spent in qualifying activities as well as the expenses they have incurred from November 1, 2021, to October 31, 2022. Please email your total hours and expenses to Molly Shepherd, mollshep@gmail.com. Your hours and expenses will be included in applying for renewal of the North Fork’s membership in Firewise USA.

One last zoning push; County Commissioner’s hearing Nov 1

A message from the North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee . . .

SUBJECT: ONE LAST ZONING PUSH!

It’s time for North Fork Landowners to get our revised zoning Text Amendment across the finish line with the County Commissioners! The NFLUAC needs your help!

WHY IT MATTERS:

Many of you have previously written extremely helpful letters of support for the Text Amendment.  We understand there is “planning fatigue”, but we need you to rally yourselves one last time and submit letters of support! Personalized letters pack the biggest punch, especially if they say WHY this matters to you:

      • Do you have a personal story about how you’ve been, or in the future may be, negatively affected if the zoning is NOT updated?
      • Are you concerned because our zoning is decades out of date and doesn’t meet current growth needs?
      • Are you concerned because our original zoning is sometimes confusing or ambiguous and leads to conflict within the community?

Please send a letter of support to the County Commissioners before the November 1, 2022 hearing, the earlier the better to ensure it is received and read. Their email addresses are: babell@flathead.mt.gov; pholmquist@flathead.mt.gov and rbrodehl@flathead.mt.gov.  The physical address is: 800 S. Main, Kalispell MT  59901.   If you’re not up to letter writing, you can submit a comment here: cocontactus@flathead.mt.gov.    The County Commissioner’s hearing is set for November 1, 2022 at 9:00am, third floor of the courthouse.

WANT MORE INFORMATION?

A brief Summary of the Text Amendment, the Text Amendment itself and our letter to the Commissioners are linked below.  Italicized portions of the Text Amendment are those which are unchanged from the existing regulations.

Thank you for your support!

NFLUAC

Attachments