Celebratory events scheduled across Northwest Montana

The Montana Wilderness Association will join numerous other groups in hosting events across Northwest Montana in honor of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act.

• On July 11-13, MWA will join the Forest Service, Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness, Cabinet Back Country Horsemen, Cabinet Resource Group and Yaak Valley Forest Council for three days and two nights at the Bull Lake Rod and Gun Club, on Highway 56. The event will feature history displays, ranger and lookout stories, kids activities, hikes, music, food, horseshoes and special programs, including Jack Gladstone and former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer. For more information, visit online at http://bit.ly/FiftyWildYears.

• On July 19-20, the Yaak Valley Forest Council will bring back the Yaak Wilderness Festival at the Yaak River Tavern and Mercantile with live music, family activities, craft vendors, wilderness hikes, and more. For more information, visit online at http://yaakvalley.org/wilderness-festival-2014.html.

• On Aug. 23, the town of Libby will celebrate the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness at Riverfront Park with an art show, games, video, displays and food followed by Wiley and the Wild West, a fun and talented cowboy yodeling band, starting at 7 p.m. For more information, visit online at http://bit.ly/FiftyWildYears.

• On Sept. 5-7, Seeley Lake will play host to the Wild 50th Fest with hikes, tours, activities, speakers, music by the Mission Mountain Wood Band, a special viewing of the Forest Service movie “Untrammeled,” as well as songs and stories from Jack Gladstone. For more information, visit online at www.wildmontana.org/50th.

• On Sept. 20, MWA will join the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation, Back Country Horsemen of the Flathead, Flathead Audubon, Flathead National Forest, Glacier Institute, Glacier National Park, Headwaters Montana, Hungry Horse News, Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Conservation Corps, Forest Service Nine Mile Packstring, Swan View Coalition and the Sustainability Fund to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act at the Flathead County Fairgrounds, Expo Building, in Kalispell from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The “Go Wild” community event will include education, displays, music, food and hands-on activities for the entire family.

Founded in 1958, MWA is Montana’s leading grassroots wilderness conservation organization. It works with communities to protect Montana’s wilderness heritage, quite beauty and outdoor traditions now and for future generations.