Talking North Fork roads, fires

Every year in March and April, I am asked repeatedly, “How is the North Fork Road?” Questions come from Flathead Valley residents wanting to drive as far north as Big Creek to look for bull elk in Glacier National Park, or maybe wanting to drive to Polebridge to view elk on Home Ranch Bottoms, or maybe to the Merc to buy a turnover or some other sweet thing. (The Polebridge Mercantile will reopen this year on May 1.)

Also, there are many e-mails and a few phone calls from summer presidents in Florida, California and other undesirable places who are anxious to get back to the North Fork.

My answer always starts out the same way. If the road is bare of snow to Trail Creek Road (I have not been north of there), there are a few small frost boils at Holcomb’s and on Coal Creek Hill, but they are much smaller than usual.

I credit the Flathead County Road Department for their work in doing the snow removal, but mostly for their work crowning the road, clearing brush from the roadside and then replacing culverts and cleaning the ditches. This has pretty much kept water from standing on the road, and it’s much better as a result.

The lower end of the road is rough, but a grader working this last week has made it better also. As I said, the road is really good — for this time of year!

It may be a little early to think about fire season, but everyone should know that the North Fork Landowners Association’s fire mitigation committee received a $100,000 grant to help landowners protect their homes and property. As with the previous two grants, the landowner picks who will do the work, and 75 percent is paid by the grant. The landowner is responsible for only 25 percent of the work.

The NFLA newsletter will be out soon with details on how to apply. Briefly, the landowner has to ask for a risk assessment by our forester. This is free, and the landowner has to ask for a risk assessment by our foresters. You will know exactly how much money you will receive when the work is done and, again, the landowner can do all or part of the work and, if a contractor is employed, they are chosen by the landowner.

Previous grants have focused on protecting homes and access to the homes. This time, consideration will be given to hooking up with adjoining landowners, including the Forest Service, to protect entire neighborhoods.

We’ll always have wildfires, but we’re finally learning to act before a fire starts to minimize its effects and also make firefighters safer when they respond. Altogether, a win-win situation. What do you think?