Public Hearing on the Short Term Rental Proposal

Here’s a message from NFLA President Randy Kenyon… The commissioners are holding a public hearing on the Short Term Rental proposal passed on to them from the Planning Board and Planning Office on June 1st at 10:00 am. The North Fork has been excluded from this proposed regulation. This means we are “almost” assured of not being included, but the commissioners can do whatever they please, however unlikely.

For more information on what this is about, see Flathead County Short Term Rental Regulation Proposal – Summary

Winter Interlocal 2017 Summary

Molly Shepherd has written up her notes from the 2017 Winter Interlocal. Highlights include information about the Federal Lands Access Proposal (FLAP) grant, the Forest Plan Revision, plans for Sondreson Meadow, the battle against aquatic invasive species, updates from FWP on wildlife including grizzly and wolves, the inside North Fork road, and short-term vacation rentals.

These useful and interesting notes may be downloaded as a PDF document to your computer by clicking here.

Fire Mitigation Committee Report, Late Winter 2017

The Fire Mitigation Committee is planning for the North Fork’s 2017 Firewise Day, which probably will be held the morning of July 19, preceding the Summer Interlocal. Byron Bonney will be our featured speaker.  He has been instrumental in working with landowners on hazardous fuels treatments in the Bitterroot. We expect him to tell us about the effects of those treatments in the area burned by the Roaring Lion Fire last summer. Although many homes were destroyed in the fire, almost all of the homes whose owners had created defensible space around them were spared. The treatments brought fire to the ground and limited the fuels that could be ignited by flying embers. They also improved the chance of survival for neighbors’ homes downwind. So as you’ll hear at the workshop, the fire provided important corroboration of the value of defensible space.

We have at least $10,000 left in our 4th hazardous fuels grant, with about 55 acres already treated and 35 in process. So far, landowners and community members have provided over $80,000 in cash match and in-kind labor. Special thanks goes to Flathead County, which donated almost $8000 in equipment and labor for chipping the slash that resulted from our Trail Creek Project. The Fire Mitigation Committee probably will apply for a 5th grant if it has the opportunity.

The Flathead Economic Policy Center administers the grants and provides landowners and the committee with invaluable technical assistance. We’ve just learned that our friend Mason Richwine, a FEPC forester who has worked with many North Fork landowners, is retiring in order to concentrate on hunting and fishing. We wish him success.  Bill Swope will continue to work with us.

Flathead County is launching another revision of its Community Wildfire Protection Plan. The Fire Mitigation Committee expects to update its North Fork Wildfire Mitigation and Planning Report in conjunction with the county’s revision. We’ll need community input in the process. We’ll also need to update maps of the significant public and private work that’s been done on the North Fork since the fires of 2003.

Finally, the DNRC is sponsoring a multi-media presentation on the Era of Mega-Fires in Kalispell this Spring. The presentation will be held on Tuesday April 25 from 6 – 8 p.m. at Flathead Valley Community College, Arts & Technology Room 139.  We understand that the program is compelling.

Zoning regulations text amendment and meeting – UPDATE: CHECK OUT PAGE 2

UPDATE: Chris H. and some others pointed out that we failed to look at the back page of the agreement. So… we’ve added page two. You’ll want to check it out.

A message from Mark Mussman, CFM, Director dated January 5, 2017 and from Flathead County Planning and Zoning…

The Northwest Montana Association of Realtors has submitted a zoning regulations text amendment to allow short-term rentals, or vacation rentals, with the approval of an Administrative Conditional Use Permit in the following zoning districts: AG _ 80, AG-40, AG-20, SAG-10, SAGoS, R-2.S, R-I, R-2, R-3, R-4, R-S, RC-I, RA-I, Ashley Lake, Labrant/Lindsey Lane, Lakeside, North Fork, Rogers Lake, and West Valley.

The Flathead County Planning Board will conduct a public hearing on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 at 6:00 P.M. in the 2nd floor conference of the South Campus Building located at 40 11th Street West, Kalispell, MT to consider this request. I have attached the proposed standards for Short-term Rental Housing submitted with the application for your review.

Please feel free to attend the hearing and submit comments. You may also submit written comments to the Department. If you have any further questions, do not hesitate to contact me.

Click here for a pdf version of the amendment.

NFLA 2017 Calendar

The NFLA Board of Directors is starting work on the 2017 NFLA calendar. The NFLA calendar includes events sponsored by the NFLA as well as other events at Sondreson Hall that are not sponsored by the NFLA (for example, a private party). If you would like to nominate an event, please send the information to the NFLA webmaster by clicking here.

We will use the NFLA Calendar page to coordinate dates. Please note, however, that events marked with an asterisk indicates a proposed date, not a final date. Our plan is to have the calendar finalized by mid March. If you see any information that is incorrect on the proposed 2017 calendar, please do not hesitate to get into contact with us.

Talk by Rick and Susie Graetz at Sondreson Hall

Rick and Susie Graetz bring a group of students from the University of Montana in Missoula to to the North Fork each January. As a part of their activities while on the North Fork, the Graetz make a presentation with beautiful photographs at Sondreson Hall. This year the presentation is on Monday, January 16, starting at 6:30PM. Please come enjoy this annual event, hear the Graetz, and meet the students.

Following is a letter from Susie Graetz talking about their upcoming visit and presentation… There is something about the holidays that makes me sit back and count my blessings.

Yesterday, while I was putting away the trappings of Christmas at the same time I was hauling out and checking off the gear we [she and her husband Rick Graetz) need to pack for our Polebridge Field Course, it dawned on me that this will be our 10th year of bringing students for a week to the amazing landscape you all are lucky to call home. Continue reading Talk by Rick and Susie Graetz at Sondreson Hall

Come Join Your Neighbors at Thanksgiving

Margaret Heaphy and Ray Brown setting up the buffett
Margaret Heaphy and Ray Brown setting up the buffet

The big news on the calendar this week is Thanksgiving at Sondreson Hall on Thursday, November 24th. Here is the announcement with details… Come join your North Fork neighbors at Sondreson Hall for our annual Thanksgiving potluck dinner. Turkey and ham will be provided. Please bring a side dish and your own table setting. The doors open at 3 p.m. and dinner is served at 4 p.m.   Hosts: Steve & Christina Berg

Red Whale Prescribed Fire Information – Units 7 And 8

Andy Huntsberger, Fire Management Officer for the Forest Service, wrote with the following information… We plan on doing some Prescribed Fire implementation in the North Fork of the Flathead on 9/28 and 9/29/2016. Specifically Red Whale Units 7 (270 Acres) & Unit 8 (308 Acres) located directly west of Polebridge, MT. We plan on hand igniting the ridges and potentially utilizing Helicopter PSD ignition to burn the lower portions of the units.

Click here for an interactive map of the planned areas.

Please see the attached maps for the specific locations and area closure.

unit_7_8 rw-areaclosure

Allen Chrisman Honored by the Society of American Foresters

North Forker Allen Chrisman has been elected as a recipient of the Society of American Foresters’ 2016 Presidential Field Forester Award. Award recipients will be recognized at the 2016 SAF National Convention, to be held Nov. 2-6 in Madison, WI. This is a great honor and we extend our heartfelt congratulations to Allen for being having won this award.

Message from Randy Kenyon NFLA President

During the past couple of board meetings, we began talks regarding the treasurer’s duties, generally directed toward simplifying and clarifying. This led to a further discussion regarding developing a secretary position, in light of the fact there are duties that should not really the responsibility of the treasurer. At the July business meeting, a board member made a motion to amend the bylaws to have the treasurer be elected instead of appointed; the creation of a secretary position; and both being voting board members. At the August business meeting, after a discussion and amending the original motion, it was passed. Please see Article IV Officers and Elections of the amended bylaws. We left the treasurer’s duties intact, with the secretary’s duties to be determined by the secretary and board at a further date.

The new board consists of myself as president; vice president Rachel Peura; treasurer Chris Heitz, secretary Donna Harrison, past president Karen McDonough; North Directors Irv Heitz and Larry Wilson and South Directors Kevin Ulrichsen and Jan Caldwell.

Sincerely,
Randy Kenyon
President NFLA