UPDATE: County Board of Adjustment meeting, Aug 4, 6pm at Trade Center Bldg!

The County Board of Adjustment will be holding a public hearing in the Trade Center Bldg. (not the usual Expo Bldg.) at the Fairgrounds to decide whether to allow or deny conditional use permits for 3 Camp & Retreat Centers in the North Fork.  One of the commercial operations is on Numa Peak Lane and the other two are in the Home Ranch Bottoms area.  If you would like to comment on these proposed new commercial activities in the North Fork, send an email to Planning.Zoning@flathead.mt.gov and/or attend the meeting on Aug. 4th where public comments will be heard.

Regardless of whether you submit comments or not, it is very important for as many people as possible to attend the Board of Adjustment hearing!

For more information on the permit requests see items 4, 5 & 6 on the agenda or you can email Pat Cole for additional information at pabdc2@gmail.com.

Related document: Board of Adjustment Meeting agenda, Aug 4, 2020 (PDF format)

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

North Fork fires in Glacier Park still under investigation — $10,000 reward offered by NFLA

See below for the text of a press release announcing a reward for information leading to the arrest of the person or persons who set a series of fires in Glacier Park last Thursday, July 23. Before you start wondering how the NFLA got so rich all of a sudden, we are acting as a representative for an anonymous donor. The donor will supply the reward money as needed — up to $10,000. Crimestoppers will manage everything, including the reward payout…
Remains of Ford Creek Cabin after July 23 arson fire - taken July 26, 2020 - GNP
Remains of Ford Creek Cabin after July 23 arson fire – taken July 26, 2020 – GNP

WEST GLACIER, Mont. [July 28, 2020] – Glacier National Park and Flathead Crimestoppers are asking the assistance of the public in providing information on multiple suspected arson fires started in the North Fork area of Glacier National Park last week. The North Fork Landowners Association is offering a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest of anyone responsible for the fires.     

 Early in the morning of July 23, a local resident woke rangers at Polebridge Ranger Station reporting a nearby fire. Later, the Numa Ridge fire lookout reported smoke near Ford Creek. Rangers and NPS fire crews eventually found a total of eight fire sites along the Inside North Fork Road between Logging Creek and Kintla Lake. Most had begun in dry logs or brush, but one fire destroyed a historic structure. All the fires were extinguished shortly after being discovered. 

The historic Ford Creek patrol cabin was a total loss when rangers arrived on scene. The cabin was built as a “snowshoe cabin” in 1928 and has been used for decades for winter backcountry patrols. The structure was listed in the National Register of Historic Places as having architectural and historic significance, exemplifying the rustic architecture of early park backcountry structures, and the history of Glacier National Park’s development and administration. The cabin site is approximately eight miles north of Polebridge on the Inside North Fork Road. 

 On the evening of July 22, suspicious fires were also reported at the Glacier Gateway Elementary school and at the Summit Mountain Lodge at Marias Pass.  Fire investigators are working together to see if those fires may be related. 

 Anyone witnessing suspicious activity on the night of July 22 or early morning of July 23 in the Polebridge or North Fork area is encouraged to call Flathead Crimestoppers at 406-752-TIPS (8477).  All calls remain anonymous. Glacier National Park also has a tip line established, 406-888-7077, if you would like to talk with a park ranger. 

Official Press Release (PDF format)

Notice of County Board of Adjustment meeting, Aug 4, 6pm

The County Board of Adjustment will be holding a public hearing in the Expo Bldg. at the Fairgrounds to decide whether to allow or deny conditional use permits for 3 Camp & Retreat Centers in the North Fork.  One of the commercial operations is on Numa Peak Lane and the other two are in the Home Ranch Bottoms area.  If you would like to comment on these proposed new commercial activities in the North Fork, send an email to Planning.Zoning@flathead.mt.gov and/or attend the meeting on Aug. 4th where public comments will be heard.  For more information on the permit requests see items 4, 5 & 6 on the agenda or email me for additional information at pabdc2@gmail.com.

Related document: Board of Adjustment Meeting agenda, Aug 4, 2020 (PDF format)

Summer 2020 Interlocal notes available

For those of you who were unable to attend (or are lousy note takers), we’ve uploaded a set of notes taken by the inimitable Irv Heitz at the summer 2020 Interlocal meeting. Also included is a report from Dave Ring concerning planned DNRC activities in the North Fork.

Click here to view/download the “2020 Notes from Summer Interlocal Meeting, July 8” document (PDF format).

North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee meets at Sondreson Hall, 7:00pm, July 28

Sondreson Hall by Gerry StearnsThe North Fork Land Use Advisory Committee (NFLUAC) meets at Sondreson Hall at 7:00pm, Tuesday, July 28. The committee will be reviewing three conditional use permit applications  for  “Camp or Retreat Centers” at various locations: Montana Yoga Adventures, LLC at 1070 Numa Peak Lane, North Fork Cabins at 8954 North Fork Road, and Home Ranch at 8950 North Fork Road.

Masks now required at all Sondreson Hall events

I wear the mask to protect the people closest to me - BatmanIn line with the Governor’s “mask directive,” face coverings (masks) are now required at all Sondreson Hall events. See the NFLA Calendar page for the full list of pandemic-related guidelines and restrictions, but here’s the meat of the matter…

Face coverings are required within the hall for all individuals with the following exceptions:

    • Children under the age of five. All children between the ages of two and four, however, are strongly encouraged to wear a face covering. Children under the age of two should not wear a face covering.
    • Persons who have a medical condition precluding the safe wearing of a face covering.
    • Other exceptions as defined in the Governor’s July 15, 2020 Mask Directive.

New Smokey Bear-Fire Danger sign at Camas intersection

Thanks to the Hungry Horse/Glacier View Fire Staff – Andy Huntsberger and Staff – for installing the new Smokey Bear/Fire Danger Sign on the North Fork Road at the Camas Creek Road Junction. We all appreciate the service our wildland fire protecting Agency, the Flathead National Forest, provides. (Note: the tethers on the sign will come off once the concrete cures.)
And thanks to FireSafe Flathead for promoting the idea. The timing is excellent. It won’t take much more hot and dry weather until we are seeing High Fire Danger.
A good reminder to always Be Careful with Fire!
New Smokey Bear-Fire Danger sign at Camas intersection
New Smokey Bear-Fire Danger sign at Camas intersection

Fire danger moves to moderate on Flathead area public lands

From the official interagency press release…

One Less Spark, One Less Wildfire

July 14, 2020, Kalispell, MT – Flathead area fire managers moved the fire danger rating to moderate today as fuels continue to dry out this week into next.

The danger rating is elevated for the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, the DNRC Swan Unit, Stillwater Unit, and Kalispell Unit, and other local state lands. As a whole, Flathead County is also at a moderate fire danger.

Moderate fire danger means that all fine dead fuels like dried grasses ignite readily, and fires start easily. Campfires are likely to escape, and no debris burning is permitted this time because the area has entered fire season. Fires spread rapidly. Moderate intensity burning may develop on slopes or in concentrations of fine fuels. Under moderate fire danger, fires may take more time or resources to suppress.

Residents and visitors alike need to be especially vigilant this fire season and firefighters appreciate the public taking extra care with prevention. Check trailer chains so that they are not dragging and throwing sparks into roadside grasses. Become familiar with the campfire regulations wherever you are camping this summer. Never leave a campfire unattended and always extinguish it before leaving.

For information on how to prepare for wildfire season, contact the Community Preparedness Specialist for the Kalispell Unit of the DNRC at 406-751-2270.