NFLA Holds June Meeting Outdoors

On Saturday night, the North Fork Landowners Association held its first meeting of the season outside due to the refinishing of the Hall floor a few days prior to the meeting. In order to protect the newly re-finished floors, several board members walked across the new floor in their socks and handed out the chairs. Although President Karen McDonough predicted a small turnout, this was not the case and more and more chairs had to be hauled outside as people kept arriving. The meeting proceeded as planned, but it would have been better if a few less mosquitoes had not also attended the meeting.  These photos were provided by Suzanne Daniel.

The Mystery of the Table Knife

During the recently completed Hazardous Fuels Project at Sondreson Community Hall, a very curious item was found.  A table knife was found stuck into a spruce tree near the southwest corner of the NFLA property.  The knife is an old style of tableware, and has obviously been in the tree for decades due to the tree growth over the blade.  It was stuck about six feet above the ground.

Great speculation was revolved around who stuck the knife in the tree, and when did they do it?  The knife could easily have been stuck into the tree some 50 years ago.  Very curious!

The knife is still in place – please feel free to examine it – and share any information you might have on the mystery surrounding it.  But please leave it in place for others to wonder over!

Sondreson Community Hall Hazardous Fuels Project Completed

Work completedWork was completed on the Sondreson Community Hall Fuels Project in Phase 2 on May 30th and 31st.  The intent of the project was to remove surface fuels, ladder fuels, and provide space between the crowns of the remaining trees to reduce the fire hazard.   Phase 1 was completed on May 16 and 17 with the removal of the smaller diameter material as green firewood and posts.

The workday scheduled for June 21st is not needed and is CANCELLED.

The NFLA would like to thank all the Volunteers who participated, and especially Duke Hoiland for his professional falling skills and the donated use of his ATV for skidding, and Richard Hildner for the donated use of his tractor for skidding.

With the completion of the project, the North Fork Landowner’s Association will receive a grant of just over $300. Contact Allen Chrisman with questions about the project or advice on your own fuels project at 406-249-6130 or chrisman@bresnan.net.

For a full report of the completed project including pictures, see Sondreson Hall Hazardous Fuels Project Completed 6.1.2014.

Refinishing the Hall floors

Sondreson Hall will be getting a floor facelift this summer.  The main area will have the wood floors refinished from June 2nd through June 5th.  The kitchen and wood stove areas are going to get brand new tile to make them even more fireproof and easier to clean.  This work takes place between July 7th and 10th.  A special community auction was held last year to raise the money to pay for these improvements to the hall.  So thanks to everyone who donated their time and cash to make this needed upgrade possible.  You can check out the calendar for information about these dates.  Now let the square dancing begin.

2014 NFLA Hall Cleanup Day

The Sondreson Community Hall was buzzing with activity on Saturday morning for the annual Hall Cleanup Day.  Members of the North Fork Landowners Association had a fun time together and accomplished a lot in a short period of time.  Vice President Donna Harrison was in charge of the event and started things off with a list of things that needed to be completed.  Margaret Heaphy and Suzanne Daniel cleaned the outhouses while Bill Walker split kindling.  Richard Hildner and Randy Kenyon hauled kindling into the Hall while Jackie Graham dusted the rafters with Karen McDonough holding the ladder.  Alice Caldwell, Becky Braunig, Naomi Hoiland swept and mopped the inside of the Hall while Jan Caldwell cleaned the windows.  Debo Powers cleaned the generator shed while Bonny Ogle went after old wasp nests in all of the outbuildings.  Lynn Ogle helped to move tables.

An executive decision was made by President Karen McDonough to get rid of the old green plastic sofa and enthusiastic workers carried it out to the road hoping that someone will “steal” it.  Lunch followed with chili dogs provided by Donna and side dishes from other participants which included Naomi’s famous sticky buns.  After lunch, all of the furniture was moved into the kitchen to prepare the Hall for floor refinishing which is scheduled for the first few days in June.  The cleanup day was a demonstration of community spirit and cooperation and was greatly enjoyed by all participants.

Sondreson Community Hall Hazardous Fuels Project Update 5.19.2014

IMG_3132Allen Chrisman sent in an update for the Hazardous Fuels Project that is taking place at Sondreson Hall this month.  It begins…

Work started Friday May 16th on the Sondreson Community Hall Hazardous Fuels Project. Duke Hoiland and Allen Chrisman spent the day falling the smaller trees, cutting it into lengths for post material and green firewood, and piling some of the slash, getting ready for the general workday on Saturday, May 17. The intent of the project is to remove surface fuels, ladder fuels, and provide space between the crowns of the remaining trees to reduce the fire hazard.

Read the full report with all the pictures here.

New Books in the NFLA Trails Committee Library

North Fork landowner Randy Lakes has donated more books for the Trails Committee library. This library was started to provide information for landowners on the flora, fauna, and history of the Northern Rockies. A list of books can be found on the NFLA Library page of this website.

Thanks to Randy who has donated most of the books in this collection. Books can be checked out by North Fork landowners from Sondreson Hall from June through October. The newest titles are:

The Old North Trail: Life, Legends and Religion of the Blackfeet Indians by Walter McClintock
Switchback: Bill Yenne’s 50 Years in the Mountains of Montana and the West by W.J. Yenne
Northern Rocky Mountain Wildflowers by H. Wayne Phillips
Rocky Mountain Flora by William Webber
Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West by Dennis Paulson

The North Fork’s newest noxious weed

Blueweed - Photo by Trish Hoffman

Trish Hoffman, USFS Weed Specialist, wanted to provide us with a “heads up” that a noxious weed new to the North Fork has been discovered just north of the border on the Canadian side in the river corridor.  Spring runoff erosion will likely be bringing this new invader, Blueweed, onto North Fork properties that are adjacent to the Wild and Scenic River Corridor, if it hasn’t brought them south previously.

It grows to about 2 to 5 feet tall.  The flowers are in varying shades of blue.  The stamens are pink.  From a distance blueweed has been confused with lupine.

Blueweed contains an alkaloid that is toxic to humans and animals.  It attacks the liver.   Blueweed is pullable, but gloves and a long-sleeved shirt must be used because the stiff hairs on the plant make handling it similar to handling fiberglass.  Small infestations can be pulled or dug up and bagged.  If a larger infestation is found, call the Flathead County Weed Department for advice on using herbicide.  If blueweed is found growing with a hay crop, it will ruin the hay when baled and stored due to the plant’s high moisture content.  (I know this probably applies to only a couple of North Fork landowners.)

Early identification of this new invader and eradication of it while the infestations are small are critical to effective and relatively inexpensive control.  Besides, it’s just part of being a good steward of the land and a good neighbor.  For more information, contact Trish Hoffman at 406-758-3510.

Applications for 2015 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP)

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is taking applications for 2015 Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

The program provides funding to forest landowners to help them manage their forest.   Practices offered under EQIP are: Pre-Commercial Thinning, Slash Treatment (pile& burn or chipping), Fuel Break around buildings, Tree Planting, and Noxious Weed Control.   The signup is continuous but the deadline to qualify for funding for spring 2015  is June 1, 2014.  Please contact the local NRCS office in Kalispell  at 752-4242 X 3 for more information or to obtain an application.