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SEELEY LAKE - Amy Pearson, writer, teacher, photographer, poet, student of Buddhism and wilderness advocate will be reading from and discussing her recent book of poetry and photographs, "100 Days of Solitude" Saturday, March 17 at 7 p.m. at the Grizzly Claw Trading Company. Pearson will include a power point presentation of her photographs taken from a lookout in the Bob Marshall Wilderness where she spent one summer as a fire lookout. Alpine Artisans Open Book Club sponsors this event. There...
GREAT FALLS - Leon Palmer Bergan, 85, of Great Falls, passed away Saturday, March 10, 2018. Leon was born on Sept. 25, 1932 in Scobey, Mont. to Palmer and Lydia Bergan. He joined the United States Navy and served during the Korean War, he then served for 33 years in civil service. He was a member of the Elks, Eagles, VFW, Moose and Senior Citizens Center. Leon enjoyed fishing, hunting, snowmobiling, float trips, packing into the Bob Marshall Wilderness, pool, cards, camping, getting firewood and...
Conservation managers devote a considerable amount of time and resources to preserving wildlife populations and balancing other land management values. This is understandable given the complexity of gathering information on complex ecological process or responses of wildlife populations or individuals to management practices. Gathering sufficient information on a rare carnivore such as the wolverine can add greater complexity, because this species exists at low densities and predominately occupy remote, inaccessible habitat. Over the past six...
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley Lake Community Council discussed unanswered questions on the proposed 60-lot subdivision near the airport at their Feb. 12 meeting and voted to host a candidate forum ahead of this spring’s primary and local special district elections. The council also heard an update on the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) and received a demonstration of the county’s Property Information System. Developers of the proposed 60-lot subdivision presented and answered questions at the January council meeting. During the meeting,...
Blood Drive in Potomac Feb. 19 POTOMAC – The Blackfoot Home and Community Club are sponsoring an American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Potomac Greenough Community Center, 29827 Potomac Road, Feb. 19 from 3 – 7:15 p.m. The schedule an appointment call Janelle at 244-6156. SSHS and SLE Eighth Graders Announce Seeley-Swan 2018 Career Day! SEELEY LAKE - Business owners and managers interested in reaching out to inform and/or hire students for summer employment/internships are cordially invited to the Seeley-Swan 2018 Career Day Wednesday, March 7 a...
SEELEY LAKE - The 60-home subdivision proposed in Powell County next to the Seeley Lake Airport will continue to be a topic of discussion at Monday’s Community Council meeting, Feb. 12. One of several major issues is the fact that the subdivision would be using Missoula County resources like fire, sheriffs and roads, while paying their taxes to Powell County. Deborah Bell of Missoula County Public Works will present the County’s GIS project, a county software solution which will help the public get easier access to land records, such as sep...
SEELEY LAKE - Duane "Cecil" Schlabach announced his candidacy for House District 92 as a Democrat. He filed Jan. 31, 2018 with Lee Boman as his Treasurer for the campaign. Schlabach decided to run for HD 92 because he's concerned about the future of our great state of Montana. Through his professional and volunteer efforts, he has gained experience in the field of education and public lands. At the same time he also understands the economic challenges we currently face, which was evident in the...
SEELEY LAKE - U.S. Senator Jon Tester’s Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act will receive a hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Feb. 7. Members of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP) reiterated their thanks to Senator Jon Tester for sponsoring the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. Senator Tester introduced the bill last year. “Almost 12 years ago, we started the painstaking work on a timber, recreation, and conservation proposal for managing public lands in our backyard,” says Jim Stone, a ranch...
The winds of Montana's Rocky Mountain Front buffet the empty Dupuyer Elementary School. At one time the grasslands around it teemed with family-run ranches and Dupuyer was the heart of its region. In 1966 there were 63 students. In 2015, only one remained, with a lone teacher to instruct him. It shocked no one when the school shuttered last year. Welcome to Dupuyer. Population 86. John Hayne, a jovial man with thickly calloused hands, graduated from Dupuyer Elementary and is now a member of the...
Missoula County Recruiting For 2018 Election Judges MISSOULA - Missoula County is recruiting 800 civically engaged community members to serve as election judges to support the democratic process for the 2018 election year. It takes a community-wide effort to conduct fair, balanced and organized elections. Election judges are champions of the election process, playing a crucial role in ensuring the strength and integrity of the voting process, providing friendly customer service and in upholding election law. There are several positions...
SEELEY LAKE - The Lolo National Forest is proposing to harvest trees burned by the Rice Ridge Fire. A public meeting will be held Jan. 10 from 5 - 7 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Chamber of Commerce, 2920 MT Highway 83 to provide information and answer questions related to the Rice Ridge Fire Salvage Project. Members of the planning team will be in attendance and Seeley Lake District Ranger Rachel Feigley encourages all those who are interested and/or affected by the project to attend. The deadline for comment is Jan. 22. During the 2017 fire...
MISSOULA - Justin Isaiah Kesterson, 31, of Missoula passed away on Tuesday, Oct. 17. He was born June 27, 1986 in Missoula to Manuel and Robin Kesterson. He grew up in the Swan Valley with his parents and two brothers Joshua and Jared. He attended Salmon Prairie School, was home-schooled some of his grade school years and attended Seeley-Swan High School. He worked at Pyramid Mountain Lumber Company. He went on to earn an Associates Degree of Applied Science in Electronics Technology/Computer...
WASHINGTON – In the wake of the more than 160,000-acre Rice Ridge Fire, U.S. Senator Jon Tester continues to pursue the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. While many of the supporters and those opposed remain unchanged in their opinion of the legislation, all voiced concerns about forest management, policy and funding issues need to be addressed in response to the Rice Ridge Fire. Sen. Tester requested the BCSA be included in a legislative hearing from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources...
SEELEY LAKE - Closures related to fire suppression efforts on the Rice Ridge Fire are still in effect for public lands managed by the Lolo National Forest, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. Local agencies and the incident management team ask people to respect these closures for their own safety and the safety of the firefighters still working on the fire. Even though recent precipitation has tampered fire behavior, multiple pieces of heavy equipment engaged in the repair efforts are utilizing the road...
Morning Update: The Rice Ridge Fire grew more than 20,000 acres yesterday. It is now 155,900 acres and 38% contained. There are currently 731 fire personnel assigned to the fire. It has cost $40.1 million. YESTERDAY: Governor Steve Bullock, Montana National Guard Adjutant General Matthew T. Quinn and the new Chief of the USDA Forest Service, Tony Tooke, met with Incident Commander Greg Poncin and stakeholders at the Incident Command Post yesterday for a briefing on the status of the fire. The...
Morning Update: The Waters of Seeley Lake have been reopened for recreation today. There is a tentative meeting planned for Ovando Friday night but may be postponed due to incoming weather. Fire size remains the same as yesterday because cloud cover did not allow an infrared flight over the fire last night. However, fire growth did occur yesterday around the fire area due to winds gusting to 30 MPH. The reported acreage from yesterday was 155,900, it is 40% contained with 778 fire personnel on...
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: The Powell County Sheriff will lift the Evacuation Orders for Coopers Lake and the Sheppy Zone near Monture Cabin in Powell County at 11:30 am today. Both areas will be downgraded to Evacuation Warnings, allowing people to return to their homes. Upcoming Community Meeting: Ovando: Friday, September 15th, 6 pm at the Ovando Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street. The Rice Ridge Fire acres is still at 155,900 acres due to no IR flight. The containment is 40% with...
Morning Update: Still no IR flight so the acreage remains at 155,900 acres. The fire is now 45% contained and has 608 personnel assigned. The cost is up to $42.3 million. There will be a community meeting in Seeley Lake Monday, Sept. 18 at 6pm at the Mission Bible Fellowship Church, 3158 Highway 83.Tuesday night, Sept. 19, their will be another community meeting at the Ovando Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street at 6pm. YESTERDAY: Precipitation over the past two days decreased from east to...
Rice Ridge and Liberty Fires Update: There will be a community meeting in Seeley Lake tonight, Sept. 18 at 6pm at the Mission Bible Fellowship Church, 3158 Highway 83. There will be a meeting Tuesday, Sept. 19th, 6 pm at the Ovando Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street. The Rice Ridge Fire remains at 160,181 acres and is 61% completed for the 35% of the fire area that is either full suppression or confinement strategy. The Liberty Fire acreage has not been updated. It is 95% completed based on...
Morning Update for the Rice Ridge and Liberty Fire Updates: There will be a community meeting tonight, Sept. 19, at 6 pm at the Ovando Elementary School Gym. The Rice Ridge Fire is currently 160,170 acres, 61% completed* with 377 personnel assigned to the fire. It has cost $45.4 million and threatened 1719 structures. The Liberty Fire is currently 28,689 acres and 98% completed*. There has been one outbuilding lost and the fire has cost $20.3 million. There are currently 167 personnel assigned...
ANNOUNCEMENT: Due to extreme fire conditions, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) lands in western Montana are temporarily closed to all public access until conditions improve. TNC joins private timber companies, Weyerhaeuser and Stimson Lumber Company, in closing their western Montana lands to all public recreation, due to extreme fire danger. RICE RIDGE FIRE MORNING UPDATE: The Rice Ridge Fire grew to more than 109,000 acres and has merged with the 10,000 acre Reef Fire to the north east. The new...
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: Community Meeting tonight, Sept. 7 at 6 pm at the Mission Bible Fellowship Church. There will be a meeting Friday Night, Sept. 8 at 6 pm at the Ovando Elementary School Gym. The Rice Ridge fire only added about 1,000 acres yesterday. It is now up to 120,759 acres, is 5% contained and has 725 fire personnel working the fire. YESTERDAY: The inversion did not lift over the fire area, so no aircraft could be used due to lack of visibility caused by the smoke....
Morning Update: The Rice Ridge Fire remains 122,843 acres because no infrared flight occurred over the fire last night. The fire is 5% contained and there are 801 fire personnel assigned to the fire. The cost is up to $35 million. Currently there are 1,719 structures threatened based on more accurate data from the Missoula and Powell County Sheriffs' offices. There is a RED FLAG WARNING TODAY FROM 2 pm TO 9 pm FOR WINDS 10-12 MPH, GUSTING OVER 20 MPH. YESTERDAY: A spot fire ½ mile from...
Rice Ridge Fire Morning Update: Evacuation Update: From the Missoula County Sheriff – Effective at 8:00 am this morning, the Evacuation Orders for zones 2 and 3 in Seeley Lake have been downgraded to Evacuation Warnings and residents may return home. Zone 5, which includes approximately 6 residences, is the only zone still under Evacuation Order in the Seeley Lake area. The Rice Ridge Fire grew 10,000 acres in the last two days and is now 132,732 acres. It is 8% contained and has 862 p...
Morning Update: Today we honor the more than 400 firefighters and law enforcement officers killed during the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on America. Never Forget. Community Meetings: Seeley Lake – 6 pm tonight (September 11th) at the Mission Bible Fellowship Church, 3158 Highway 83 in Seeley Lake. Ovando – 6 pm Tuesday night (September 12th) at Ovando Elementary School Gym, 108 Birch Street The Rice Ridge Fire added more than 3,000 acres yesterday and is up to 135,355 acres. It is 8%...
