Kurt Steele, Flathead National Forest Supervisor has moved to a position with Region 1 Forest Headquarters. In the meantime, Deputy Flathead Forest Supervisor Tami McKenzie is holding the fort…
Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele has accepted a new position at the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Region headquarters in Missoula, capping a three-and-a-half-year stint overseeing 2.4 million forested acres in northwest Montana that in the past year had become beset in controversy.
Tami MacKenzie
According to an agency spokesperson, Steele “was offered and accepted” a new post as deputy director at the regional office that involves “environmental planning,” although the details of the position are still being worked out.
“I think it’s just a lateral move to a position at the regional office level,” Dan Hottle, the federal agency’s northern region public information officer, said Friday afternoon, when details about the transition were still scant. “It’s a new role and he will work closely with the regional leadership team on a number of different projects across the region as deputy director. His start date is still being negotiated right now.”
Greetings all!! Here is the Agenda for the North Fork Basic Fire Training Day on June 22nd…
We’ll start at Sondreson Community Hall at 0930. We’ll have coffee, bottled water, and light refreshments available. Molly will open with brief introductions, then turn it over to Richard Hildner to brief the exercise at the Hildner Cabin.
The Group will travel to the Hildner residence at 350 Moose Creek Rd. Structure Assessment forms will be passed out, the group split into teams, and the teams will be tasked with assessing the structures and the fuels modifications surrounding the structures. We would appreciate Lincoln Chute, Todd Lando and Gary Mahugh forming the oversight group to put together the “book answers” and to debrief the teams as they report out on their findings.
At noon, the Group will return to the Community Hall for their brown bag lunch. During this time, we’d appreciate it if Gary Mahugh would have some of his standard firefighting tools and supplies available to display and sell. And Sean Johnson, if you could brief the Wedge Canyon TIP application process, there is time for that. We don’t have plans to have a projector or laptop available for this event, but if you need a projector, the NFLA has one we can use. You’ll either need to bring a laptop or let us know you need one.
After lunch, Kevin Ulrichsen will lead a discussion about how to suppress fires within the Structure. We have asked Kevin or Lynn to lead a moment of silence in memory of Doug Barnes who passed away in a house fire. We would like Gary Mahugh and Lynn Ogle to also participate in the discussion on fire suppression inside the structure.
Molly can wrap up whenever things are done – no later than 3:30.
June’s NFLA meeting will feature a presentation at 7:00pm by Clint Muhlfeld, the Fisheries Biologist with the USGS in Glacier Park. Clint has been heading up the work on preserving native west slope cutthroat and bull trout. His recent work has been in Quartz and Gunsight Lakes. (BONUS item from Clint: “Here is a story that came out in National Geographic last year that features our work on native trout in the North Fork. Thought folks may be interested in case they haven’t seen it.”
The North Fork lost a valued member of the community on May 29, 2023, with the passing of Becky Braunig, 68.
A native of Texas, Becky was a master gardener and a great source of knowledge on all things botanical. She earned a degree in horticulture from Texas A&M University in the 1970s. She began her career working for San Antonio Botanical Gardens. In 1979, she accepted a job with the San Antonio parks department. She worked there for 25 years, rising to the position of Horticultural Services Superintendent for the City of San Antonio. At the height of her career, she was responsible for more than 300 employees.
In the early 1990s, she married Stanley Haag. They came to the North Fork on their honeymoon, staying at the North Fork Hostel. It was love at first sight. Shortly afterward, they purchased property on Trail Creek Road and over several years built a retirement home there. Becky had been a full-time North Fork resident since 2004.
In addition to contributing to local gardening activities, she was an avid wildlife photographer, a member of the North Fork Landowners Association and the North Fork Preservation Association, and a volunteer with North Valley Search and Rescue.
Becky was a sensitive, kind, and generous soul. She will be fondly remembered by her many friends for her love of plants, animals, and the North Fork. And, as many would note, for the delicious stuffed jalapeño peppers she created and brought to many a North Fork potluck dinner.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Carl and Sissy Braunig and her husband Von Stanley Haag. Columbia Mortuary is handling arrangements. A memorial will be planned later this summer.
Here’s a photo of the the mountain of millings generated by a Glacier Park road resurfacing project and subsequently hauled to the DeMers Ridge gravel pit. Beginning July 10, Flathead County will be reusing this material to repair and upgrade the roughly one-mile section of Glacier Drive between the Polebridge Mercantile and the nearby entrance to Glacier Park.
Millings at DeMers Ridge, May 25, 2023 – Lois Walker
Oh, joy… and just in time for the long holiday weekend . . .
GNP Vehicle Reservation System Begins May 26
24-hour advance reservations released on a rolling basis starting May 25 at 8 am MDT
Glacier NP Vehicle Reservation Areas 2023
WEST GLACIER, Mont. [May 24, 2023] – Glacier National Park reminds visitors that vehicle reservations are required May 26 through September 10, 2023 for those entering the park by vehicle or motorcycle from 6 am to 3 pm at west side entrances including the North Fork, Camas and West entrances.
For the east side of the park, vehicle reservations will not be required at Many Glacier, Two Medicine and St. Mary (at Rising Sun) entrances until July 1, 2023.
Visitors with lodging, camping, or commercial activity reservations (e.g., boat tours and horseback rides) do not need a vehicle reservation and can use their confirmation email to access the portion of the park for which their activity is booked.
Visitors who do not already possess a vehicle reservation can book 24-hour advance reservations at 8 am MDT on Recreation.gov the day before their visit. Vehicle reservations are only available at Recreation.gov.
The park is open 24/7 and visitors may enter the park before 6 am or after 3 pm without a vehicle reservation; however, entry to Going-to-the-Sun Road from the west side is restricted before 6 am due to construction activities requiring nightly closures.
For the east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road Corridor, vehicle reservations will be checked at the Rising Sun check point (located 6 miles west of the St. Mary Entrance) beginning on July 1, 2023. Park shuttles at St. Mary Visitor Center are located outside of the vehicle reservation area and accessible without a vehicle reservation.
Additional vehicle reservation information and frequently asked questions are available on the park’s Vehicle Reservation page.
Glacier National Park is surrounded by a vast amount of additional recreational opportunities, including local tribal lands and national forests. Recreational activities on tribal lands such as hiking, boating, fishing, camping, etc. requires a permit through each tribe. Visitors can find more information on the Blackfeet Nation and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) websites. Information for recreation in the Flathead National Forest and Bob Marshall Wilderness can be found on the Forest Services’ website. Visitors should research and plan before visiting these areas.
Need help planning your trip? Visitors looking for travel guidance can visit the Glacier Country Tourism website for additional information about the areas and businesses surrounding Glacier National Park.
Sondreson Hall interior after clean-up, May 14, 2022 – Tami Stone
The Sondreson Hall spring cleanup is fast approaching. This year, it will be on Saturday, May 20 at 10:00am.
Dan Jacobson is in charge of hall maintenance and needs to ensure that enough people will be present to accomplish the various outside and inside tasks. If you can come, please contact his wife, Dawn, and let her know: dawnmjacobson@gmail.com or 406-730-1263. She’ll pass the word on to Dan.
Oh, did I not mention lunch? There will definitely be lunch. I believe Dawn has a lot to do with that part, too.
Bob Lee will be giving his well-regarded First Aid/CPR/AED class in the North Fork again this spring. It is an all-day course, starting at 9:00am and wrapping up by 4:00pm. The date is Tuesday, May 23. The course will be held at Sondreson Hall. Cost is $45/person. Bring your own lunch and drinks. Class size is limited to 10 people.
The course offers two-year AHA certification in First Aid, CPR and AED usage. If your job requires certified First Aid training, your current certification is expiring or if you just want to get up to speed on such things, this is an excellent way to get it done.
Contact Bill Walker, 406-407-2764 or wkwalker@nvdi.com to sign up for the course.
In case you’re wondering why we are having two classes this spring: Last month’s session was mostly for people taking the chainsaw course in early May. This is the regularly scheduled class we hold each May. If we have enough demand, there will also be another class on Tuesday, July 18.
View East into Glacier NP from Glacier View Mtn, April 16, 2017 – W. K. Walker
From the official press release . . .
Glacier National Park Announces 2023 Spring Operations After a long winter construction closure, Going-to-the-Sun Road opened to Lake McDonald Lodge this morning.
WEST GLACIER, Mont. [May 5, 2023] – Glacier National Park staff are gearing up for the season and while full park operations are still a month off, visitors will see an increase in recreational opportunities throughout May.
After remaining closed for the winter due to construction, the west side of Going-to-the-Sun Road opened at 6 am this morning to vehicle and recreational access up to Lake McDonald Lodge. Construction will be ongoing through September to mill, reclaim, and pave the road. Visitors should drive and bike with caution. There will be waits of up to 30 minutes in each direction to pass through the construction zone. Nightly closures will begin June 1 from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. with opportunities for visitors to pass through at midnight, 2 a.m. and 4 a.m. The east side of Going-to-the-Sun Road is currently open to vehicles approximately six miles from St. Mary to Rising Sun.
If you are planning to visit Glacier Park via the Polebridge entrance at any time this year, please pay special attention to District Ranger Jim Dahlstrom’s “Glacier National Park – North Fork Update” article on Page 10!
In case you missed it, the North Fork Landowners’ Association 2023 Spring Newsletter is available online.