Outdoor news
Park talk
The Flathead Chapter of the Montana Native Plant Society will host Rebecca Lawrence, of Glacier National Park, who will discuss the perils of whitebark pine and the challenges and successes of restoring them in the Park, at the Teakettle Community Hall, 235 Nucleus Avenue, in Columbia Falls, on Wednesday, Jan. 16, at 7 p.m. Lawrence has a master’s in restoration ecology and worked in the restoration field in the west for 16 years with eight seasons in the Park. A general meeting to discuss society business and projects will take place at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Betty Kuropat at 892-0129 or Jen Hintz at 270-7028.
RAC openings
The Flathead County Resource Advisory Committee has openings for seven members and three alternate members. The committee reviews and recommends projects for funding that will benefit National Forest System lands within Flathead County. Members are appointed volunteers serving four-year terms. Applications must be submitted to the Flathead National Forest Supervisor’s Office, at 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell MT 59901 by March 31. Applications are available from the supervisor’s office or by calling 758-5252.
Avalanche class
The Forest Service’s Flathead Avalanche Center will host a free Advanced Avalanche Awareness class at the Flathead National Forest supervisor’s office in Kalispell from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 9, Monday, Jan. 14, and Wednesday, Jan. 16, with field sessions at the Whitefish Mountain Resort from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 12, and Saturday, Jan. 19. For more information, visit online at www.flatheadavalanche.org. Avalanche advisories are issued weekly on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. For recorded avalanche advisories, call 406-257-8402. For additional information, contact FAC coordinator Tony Willits at 406-837-7546.
Grizzly talk
Richard Mace will talk about the status of delisting grizzly bear, which has been listed as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act since 1975, at the Flathead Audubon meeting on Jan. 14. Mace has a master’s from the University of Montana and a Ph.D. from Sweden and works as a research biologist for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. He is the principal researcher for grizzly bear population monitoring in the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem. The meeting will take place in the United Way Conference Room at the Gateway Community Center on U.S. 2 West, in Kalispell beginning at 7 p.m.
Birding trip
Flathead Audubon will sponsor a joint winter birding trip with the Mission Valley and Five Valleys Audubon chapters on Sunday, Jan. 20, to look for snowy owls, hawks, waterfowl and other birds in the Mission Valley between Polson and Saint Ignatius. Space is limited so people are advised to sign up early. For more information, e-mail Leslie at kehoes11@centurytel.net or call 837-4467 after 5 p.m.
Road closure
The Forest Service will close part of Hay Creek Road, in the North Fork, to all vehicle traffic on Monday through Friday from now until March 31. Logging trucks will be operating there as part of the Hay-More Stewardship project and is closed to snowmobiling. The closed section is on Forest road No. 376 (Hay Creek) from the intersection of the North Fork Road to Forest road No. 909 (Cyclone Creek Road). For more information, call 387-3800.
Fly-tying class
Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited will sponsor free fly-tying classes for those new to the sport or those already into fly-tying and wanting to advance their skills. The classes will be held at Kalispell Middle School library, 205 Parkway Drive, on Mondays, Jan. 14, 21 and 28 and Feb. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m. Fly-tying material and hooks will be furnished. Students should bring their own tools, but some equipment will be loaned out. For more information or to sign up, contact Jim Johnson at 837-3210 or sallyjim@centurytel.net or Chris Schustrom at 260-1198 or chris@gardenwallinn.com.
Comments needed
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is seeking public comment on fishing access site rules for camping fees, group-use permits, facility rentals and special recreation permits on the Blackfoot and Madison rivers. For more information, visit online at fwp.mt.gov and click on “Public Notices.” Comments can be e-mailed to FWPFASRuleComments@mt.gov or mailed to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Attn: FAS Rule, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620-0701. Deadline is Jan. 18. The commission is also seeking public comment on small adjustments to the fall black bear and spring turkey hunting season quotas for next year. For more information, visit online at http://fwp.mt.gov and click on “Hunting.” Comments can be mailed to the address above. Deadline is Jan. 28. For more information call FWP at 406- 444-3888.