Sorted by date Results 1 - 19 of 19
SEELEY LAKE – Since July 6, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has removed four mountain lions that were living in Seeley Lake around the high school. FWP Wildlife Conflict Specialist Eli Hampson believes they were orphaned siblings, between eight and ten months old. He said their removal was necessary for public safety. One June 16, a Seeley Lake resident on Spruce Street reported that his dog was taken by a mountain lion after it was let out in the middle of the night. Hampson said in mid-June there were also reports of a large group of mountain...
MISSOULA - From photography to market animals with a bit of everything in between, 4-H clubs in Potomac and Seeley Lake have their projects ready for the 2020 Western Montana Fair Aug. 2 - 8. All animal projects will be shown by the 4-H members and judged before and during fair week. However, the public is not allowed to attend due to COVID-19. Judging of non-animal projects will take place during fair week in the exhibit building without public attendance. The Livestock sale will be Aug. 8 for...
PLACID LAKE - Dark wetsuits and orange spears floated above the water of Placid Lake July 25 as members of the Missoula-based spearfishing club joined forced with Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, the Clearwater Resource Council and the Placid Lake Cabin Owners Association in hopes to find and kill any northern pike hiding in the water. After five hours of searching, nobody was able to spot the invasive species. "Today went overall pretty good. We didn't find any pike," said Missoula-based...
It is not hard to associate aging adults with limited technological knowledge, nor is it difficult to understand that teens can jump onto a new device with ease. And anyone can understand that tech support in the form of automated chats or lengthy phone calls can lead to more stress than solutions. "Do we really need any more apps in the world right now?" Trish Lopez asked herself as she listened to other people pitch at a startup incubator in Albuquerque, New Mexico in 2015. Lopez's own contrib...
I am writing about the letter from Mr. Bob Rathman in the July 16 Pathfinder paper. Mr. Rathman says in his letter that the National Forest Service roads aren’t really closed because you can just walk around the gates. I can’t really believe that Mr. Rathman is really so selfish and self-centered that he doesn’t understand that many taxpayers who support the National Forest Service are not capable of walking, riding a bicycle or horse. Many of us are disabled but still want to enjoy the public lands we support, including our veterans. If Mr. R...
A bear’s nose knows when the smell of food wafts through the air. It’s integral to their survival, this tool for finding food, and is the reason why one resident of Montana’s Swan Valley has made it her summer’s work to pick up other people’s trash. Kathy Koors has spent nearly 40 years living near Condon, Montana, in a pocket of the Treasure State defined largely by water and trees. Larch, lodgepole and Douglas fir mingle in dense stands around azure lakes squeezed between the Mission Mountains and Swan Range. It’s a place sprouting w...
Many of you know that during past summers I have volunteered to check several of the Swan Valley’s dispersed campsites, clean up garbage and visit with campers who have questions about food storage in bear country. Thanks to a winter fundraiser, ongoing donations and local support, this summer I am paid part-time by the Living With Wildlife Foundation in partnership with the Flathead National Forest, Swan Lake Ranger District. These organizations are helping me and the community strengthen and improve our education efforts. The Forest Service a...
I've often referred to a person's ego as values, beliefs and identity. Now, we can experience ego and these characteristics first-hand in our social lives. Today, there is an enormous divide between people in our society. The divide has a lot to do with ego. At this time, one of the simplest, yet prominent, areas displaying ego in our society is mask wearing. Not wearing or wearing a mask has become a statement, a competition and a behavior for non-mask promoters as well as mask promoters. By...
SEELEY LAKE – At the July 16 Seeley Lake Sewer District Board meeting, Missoula City/County Health Department Environmental Health Specialist II Jim Erven told the Board that if the proposed sewer system were scrapped by the voters in the District, there would be a government response of some kind. “One thing that will not be acceptable is a do nothing option,” said Erven Erven felt the need to make a statement at the Board meeting after the Health Department saw the agenda item considering putting the proposed sewer to a vote of the elect...
SEELEY LAKE - The Lolo National Forest Supervisor has signed the Record of Decision for the Center Horse Project Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The Center Horse project includes restoration activities and road treatments to improve water quality, restore or enhance fish and wildlife habitat, and conserve and improve soil resources. The project will also set the transportation network within the project area to meet public and administrative needs. The project area is in Missoula and Powell Counties on the Seeley Lake Ranger District. It...
By the calendar, Montana has four seasons. Yet, increasingly, we are experiencing a fifth; fire season. As July draws to a close, a lot of us are starting to think what might be ahead as temperatures soar and our forests become increasingly dry. The Seeley Lake community won't soon forget the smoky summer of 2017 when the fire drove folks from town and shuttered businesses and schools – straining nerves, health and the local economy. The forests make the community beautiful but can also put it a...
A large slide across the Shanley Creek Road (FS 602) was reported last Friday. The Seeley Lake Ranger District closed the gate for safety purposes and is working on a plan to address the slide area. More information will be available soon. The District appreciates the public's patience. For more information call the District, 406-677-2233....
The Montana Governor’s Grizzly Bear Advisory Council has updated its consolidated draft recommendations report and it is posted online: fwp.mt.gov/gbac. The council will review all public comments on the July 17 and July 24 versions of the document at the same time. For those who commented on the July 17 version and have a similar comment to share regarding the July 24 version, there is no need to resubmit the comment. The public is invited to provide comments on the two documents through the close of business Aug. 4. The council will m...
“The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace.” Numbers 6:24-26 I watched a scene on the news recently that made me wince; the reporter was standing there with no one within hundreds of yards, yet he had a face mask on. Even the cameraman was a dozen yards away with a long microphone “boom” bridging the space between them. I could barely understand his words. It felt iconic of the moment, as he stood there isolated, and of the space opening...
SEELEY LAKE – At the Seeley Lake School Board meeting July 20, new superintendent Josh Gibbs presented options for returning to school, suggested staff changes following the resignation of Jama Mauldin and Rachel Bemis, discussed transitional kindergarten and addressed SLE equipment and check out options. Reopening Plan Gibbs presented a phased reopening plan that he’s developed incorporating input from regional superintendents, the governor’s office, the Montana School Board Association and local health officials. “It is always adjusti...
SEELEY LAKE – At their July 21 meeting, the Seeley Lake Fire District Board welcomed two new members to the department and learned about a shift in dispatching procedure with Missoula Emergency Services, Inc (MESI) and Life Flight. They also heard from a member of the public who questioned the professionalism of the department staff. Nathan Bailey and Marcelo Gonzalez were sworn in as members of the department after finishing their probation. "This welcomes you to our family," said Chief Dave L...
If the early history of Seeley Lake is intertwined with the lumber industry, the rise of the United States Forest Service is incontrovertibly intertwined with Seeley Lake and in particular with the Big Blackfoot Timber Sale of 1907-1910. Historian and member of the Camp Paxson Preservation Board Gary Williams has been researching that sale. The Seeley Swan Pathfinder will be bringing some of the interesting bits of information he has discovered about logging in the Seeley Lake area and also abou...
BILLINGS, MONTANA - Though the 2020 track season never left the starting line due to COVID-19, Seeley-Swan High School senior Klaire Kovatch and her sophomore brother Klayton did not miss a beat during a statewide race July 19. Not only did they place in multiple events, Klaire now holds the farthest discus throw in the history of the Big Sky State Games. "Breaking the Big Sky State Games record made my first and last track meet of my junior year even more meaningful," now senior Klaire said....
Loving Hearts temporarily closed SEELEY LAKE – Due to the increase of COVID-19 cases in Missoula County, Loving Hearts is temporarily closed for the safety of the volunteers and the community at large. If you need items please call Mission Bible Fellowship 406-677-2110 or Mary 406-670-5526. Donations are not being accepted at this time. Thank you for your understanding. Seeley Lake Elementary Outdoor and Enrichment programs suspended SEELEY LAKE - Due to spiking COVID cases in Missoula County and in an effort to minimize potential community s...
