News Archive 2013
News & Articles from the year 2013
We bid farewell to Kirstin Gruver, our 2013 Flathead River Steward!
Kirstin worked with the Flathead Lakers, MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Flathead Conservation District to help landowners implement, maintain and monitor seven riparian restoration projects along the Flathead River. She also reached out to community youth groups to share information about river restoration, water quality, and shallow aquifers. Thank you Kirstin for your great work! We are excited to again host a Flathead River Steward in 2014 through the MT Big Sky Watershed Corps program. Stay tuned to learn more about our 2014 River Steward.
Kokanee Bend South property protected to benefit bull trout. The Flathead Land Trust and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks worked with landowners to place a conservation easement on 70 forested acres along the Flathead River. The property includes a creek that provides important habitat for bull trout and wildlife. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks secured funding to compensate the landowners for the conservation easement from the Bonneville Power Administration for fisheries mitigation, and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Partners for Fish and Wildlife Program helped the landowners improve fencing between the riparian forest and adjacent grazed lands. Click here to read more.
Proposed Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks land transfer: protecting fish and wildlife & enhancing recreation along the Flathead River
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks proposes to transfer 147-acre property along the Flathead River from the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes to MFWP. The recommendation to transfer follows public comments and an environmental assessment conducted in September. The Otter Island Fisheries Conservation Area would be managed by MFWP for open space habitat and public recreation. It is adjacent to several protected areas including other MFWP properties and river access sites. Click here to learn more about the proposed project.
Check the new brochure, The Flathead Bird is Central!, about birds in the Flathead Watershed and three Important Bird Areas you can visit. This handout is an insert to the Birding Guide to Flathead Valley, a brochure recently published by Montana Audubon. Click on Publications & Maps to see all our brochures and maps.
The Daily Inter Lake voices its opinion about the North Shore project. “If there’s anywhere around the Flathead where conservation efforts are entirely warranted, it would be the north shore of Flathead Lake, where Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is pursuing the acquisition of 189 acres of farmland.” wrote the Inter Lake editorial board. Click here to read the editorial.
Volunteer to Hawk Watch at Bad Rock Canyon. Join bird experts with the Flathead Audubon Society on Sunday, October 6th between noon and 4 p.m. to observe the annual eagle and hawk migration and help count Golden eagles, Bald eagles, hawks, accipiters and migrating or resident Peregrine Falcons. Take binoculars, scopes and chairs. Visit FAS’ website or contact Kathy Ross at 837-3837 for more information.
Work Party to Maintain Trails at Owen Sowerwine Natural Area
Join Flathead Audubon Society members for a morning of work at the Owen Sowerwine Natural Area on Saturday, September 28. Audubon will be conducting trail maintenance, weeding and monitoring plant growth. Spend a Saturday morning outdoors helping Flathead Audubon maintain this beautiful property on the Flathead River for birds and recreation. For more information click here.
Proposed Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks land purchase: Another step in protecting the north shore.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public comment for the proposed (by August 31) acquisition of 189 acres on the North Shore of Flathead Lake. The purchase would add to several existing protected areas and be managed to protect fish and wildlife and their habitat. Click here to learn more about the proposed project.
Saving room for open space in the Flathead.
Listen to Laura Katzman, Protection Specialist with the Flathead Land Trust, on KUFM Montana Public Radio to learn about the proposed 189-acre land purchase on the North Shore of Flathead Lake and why Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners support this conservation project.
Flathead Valley farmers show river projects to the Society for Range Management
Flathead Valley farmers are doing something right that the International Mountain Section of the Society for Range Management wanted to learn about during its annual summer tour. In July, the IMS toured three land conservation and river restoration projects completed by Flathead River to Lake Initiative partners. Click here to read more.
Read our latest River to Lake Summer Newsletter. Find out upcoming summer and fall events.
River Steward conducts “Edible Aquifer” activity for Boys & Girls Club
“In the Edible Aquifer activity, kids get to create their own aquifers and eat them,” said Kirstin Gruver, our Flathead River Steward. The activity is designed to introduce young people to aquifers in a fun and engaging way. “We use various foods to create different layers of the aquifer, including gummy bears, chocolate chips, and ice. These represent the gravels and sediment in the aquifer.” Click here to read more.
Volunteers help Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks plant cottonwoods
Volunteers joined Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks staff on May 16th to plant 450 cottonwoods at the Foys Bend Fisheries Conservation Area along the Flathead River. The planting includes three different experimental plots to test the best plant survival and protection mechanisms against voles and pocket gophers. Click here to read the Daily Inter Lake story.
Partners help restore riparian buffer
Flathead River Steward Kirstin Gruver organized a planting crew of River to Lake Initiative partners and MT Conservation Corps volunteers to plant trees and shrubs along the Flathead River at the Diamond B Ranch. This project will help protect water quality provide wildlife habitat. Click here to read the Bigfork
Flathead Land Trust awarded NAWCA grant for River to Lake Conservation Project
A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Small North American Wetlands Act (NAWCA) grant will partially help fund a conservation project on the north shore of Flathead Lake. Click here to read more...
Birding Guide for the Flathead Valley
Find out more about birding in the Flathead Valley in this new guide produced by Flathead Audubon Society and others. The guide includes a map highlighting local hot spots for bird watching, as well as information about their habitat and driving directions.
Flathead Land Trust receives the Wildlife Conservation Award for 27 years of “outstanding conservation achievements and demonstrated conservation leadership that benefits the wildlife resources” – said Alan Wood, Wildlife Program Officer for Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. The award was also in recognition of the land trust’s work with the River to Lake Initiative. Click here to read the Flathead Land Trust’s press release, or the Bigfork Eagle’s Article.
Welcome new Flathead River Steward
Kirstin Gruver is joining the River to Lake Initiative as our new Flathead River Steward. Kirstin is a Big Sky Watershed Corps (associated with AmeriCorps) member who will be working on education projects and helping interested landowners restore critical riparian areas and wetlands along the Flathead River and the north shore of Flathead Lake. Click here to read more…
Measuring Migratory Waterfowl Use of the Flathead & Smith Valleys through Citizen-based Science
Read how local people and students are helping MT Fish Wildlife and Parks understand how migratory waterfowl use farms and other critical lands in the Flathead and Smith valleys during their spring migration. To read the article published by the Intermountain West Joint Venture click here.
Articles
Report: Warming climate will squeeze trout in Flathead River, elsewhere, Missoulian, by Tristan Scott, December 11, 2013. See Article.
Flathead Land Trust, Private Landowner Protect 70 Acres on Flathead River, Flathead Beacon, by Flathead Beacon staff, October 7, 2013. See Article.
North Shore preservation, The Daily Inter Lake, by Inter Lake editorial, August 16, 2013. See editoral.
Saving room for open space in the Flathead, Montana Public Radio, KUFM, by Katrin Frye, August 15, 2013.
North shore preservation planned, The Daily Inter Lake, by David Reese/Northwest Montana News Network, August 10, 2013. See Article.
One Step Closer: FWP land purchase could preserve part of north shore puzzle, Bigfork Eagle, by David Reese, August 7, 2013. See Article (Link not functional at this time. Please check again).
FWP Considers Buying 189 Acres of Land on Flathead Lake, Flathead Beacon, by Flathead Beacon staff, August 6, 2013. See Article.
FWP eyes 189 acres along Flathead Lake as part of management area proposal, Missoulian, by Vince Devlin, August 4, 2013. See Article.
Monster pike taken in the Flathead, Hungry Horse News, by Chris Peterson, May 15, 2013. See Article
Tree farming aims to help restore riparian area, The Daily Inter Lake, by Brenda Ahearn, May 21, 2013. See Article.
Let It Grow: Brosten farm planting project controls erosion, Bigfork Eagle, by Caleb M. Soptelean, April 24, 2013. See Article.
EPA to begin evaluation of closed Columbia Falls plant, Missoulian, by Tristan Scott, April 2, 2013. See Article
Tester discusses murky CFAC future, The Daily Inter Lake, by Jim Mann, March 27, 2013. See Article
Senators want pollution study of CFAC site, The Daily Inter Lake, by Lynnette Hintze, March 12, 2013. See Article
Birdsong Tree Farm gives gift of conservation to future generations, The Daily Inter Lake, by Melissa Walther, March 5, 2013. See Article.
Flathead Land Trust awarded for 27 years of conservation, Bigfork Eagle, by Matt Naber, March 13, 2013, See Article
