Sorted by date Results 276 - 300 of 1827
From Save Holland Lake An ad-hoc coalition of citizens called Save Holland Lake says nearly 99 percent of public comments to the U.S. Forest Service opposes a massive development proposed by a Utah ski developer on public land at pristine Holland Lake. The Flathead National Forest received just more than 6,500 public comments on the Forest Service and ski developer POWDR's proposal to triple the size of the Holland Lake Lodge in western Montana's rural Seeley-Swan Valley, and about 99 percent...
Open letter from Save Holland Lake to Kurt Steele, Supervisor Flathead National Forest Dear Mr. Steele, Save Holland Lake, an ad-hoc coalition of concerned citizens advocating for the pristine lake, surrounding ecosystem and our public land, respectfully requests that you extend the public comment period for the proposed Holland Lake expansion project beyond October 7, 2022. In your initial scoping document you state, “all activities would occur within the existing 15 acre permitted area.” The language surrounding the “15-acre” Special Use Per...
Wednesday, Oct 12 • Swan Valley Library Book Chat “Caramelo” by Sandra Cisneros, 1 p.m., Swan Valley Community Library Thursday, Oct. 13 • Sparrow’s Vine Annual Banquet, 6 p.m., Mission Bible Fellowship Friday, Oct. 14 • SWCC Holland Lake Field Tour, 10:30am, Holland Lake Picnic Area. For more information call 406-677-0069 • Photography class, 1p.m., Swan Valley Community Library, 6811 Highway 83 Condon, Montana 59826, 406-754-2521 Saturday, Oct. 15 Open Book Club presents Kevin McCafferty, 7 p.m., Seeley Lake Community Foundation, 3...
From Alta Martin DNRC Clearwater Firefighter & Fire Prevention Assistant,DNRC-Southwestern Land Office, Missoula County Fire Protection Association When summer changes to fall and the smoky air starts to clear, we try to leave the anxiety of fire season behind and embrace cooler weather and shorter days. While we begin to leave fire season behind us, it is important to know who spends their summers on the ground protecting our resources, properties, and lives. The Seeley Lake Rural Fire District (RFD) is one of the first lines of defense in an...
Supports Tranel In my years as a wilderness advocate, I’ve come to profoundly appreciate the values we derive from the public lands around us. There are, of course, the products and incomes provided by drilling, mining, logging, and grazing. But more important than such commercial uses are the benefits we all freely enjoy: the opportunity to hunt and fish, the protection of watersheds and stabilization of climate, and the preservation of an untrammeled natural world. But we can’t assume public lands will always be here. The development pre...
Alpine Artisans’ exciting Tour of the Arts returns for its 19th year on Oct. 8 and 9, once again offering a feast for the eyes. Driving this free, self-guided tour takes you through miles of Tamaracks in full color to enjoy the latest work created by local artists in the Seeley-Swan and Blackfoot Valleys., If you’ve been on the Tour of the Arts in prior years, you know that there is always new work to enjoy. New sites this year include Obsession Pottery in Seeley Lake, four artists in residence at the Seeley Lake Community Foundation Bui...
Two Montana teachers had a very good Tuesday. In two special mystery assemblies held at their respective schools on Tuesday, October 8, the unsuspecting teachers were told by State Supt. Linda McCulloch that they had each been selected to receive the 2002 Milkcn Family Foundation National Educator Award. This honor comes with an unrestricted cash award of $25,000. McCulloch, who arrived at each of the two schools to make the announcement in person... The two educators who re-ceived awards are: • Katherine (Kitty) Logan, Principal and t...
Community Firewood Day CONDON – Swan Valley Connections is hosting our annual Community Firewood Day volunteer event! We’ll be splitting, delivering, and stacking wood for a full list of people in need in the Swan Valley community. Volunteers will meet at the Condon Work Center (MM 42.9 MT Hwy 83, Condon, MT 59826) at 9am foramndatory safety meeting. There will be a complimentary volunteer BBQ, sponsored by Mannix Family Grass-finished Beef, following the work day. Please bring your own lunch/snacks, ear and eye protection and gloves. Please we...
SWAN VALLEY - Dozens of residents filled the Swan Valley Community Hall Sept. 20 for the Swan Valley Community Council meeting. While the Holland Lake Lodge expansion proposal was merely a side note on the agenda, it consumed half of the two and a half hour long meeting. Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling and Planning Team Lead Shelli Mavor were present to represent the United States Forest Service (USFS) and answer questions. Flathead National Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele, who is the deciding official on the Lodge expansion issue, was...
As best I remember it, over 40 years ago, me and my cutt’n partner Butch was coming down from Alaska. Turned off in Albany, Oregon headed for the sleepy little cowboy logg’n town called Sisters. Butch had friends there. Took note of the scenery over the Santiam pass, noted in the distance Mt. Jefferson wilderness and the mountain majesty thereabouts. Was a few years since Butch was back and all of a sudden was big real estate developments Butch whistled, “What happened?” Last time he saw it--it was a meadow, horses and cows. As I drove through...
An out-of-state commercial recreation corporation, POWDR Inc., has proposed to expand the Holland Lake Lodge on public land and convert it into a destination resort. The current lodge is a locally run seasonal operation from May 15 to Oct. 15 that occupies 15 acres of public land under USFS permit on the shores of Holland Lake in the Swan Valley. POWDR Corporation calls itself an “adventure lifestyle company.” It is one of the largest ski resort owners in the US and owns 10 massive mountain resorts. It claims, “POWDR has an incredibly uniqu...
In autumn, that mournful season that stifles the lighthearted sounds of summer, larch turn golden and, against the Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine, light up the Seeley-Swan Valley like a votive-filled cathedral in Rome. It’s something to behold as you stand in awe of the magic wand of nature, whose invisible hand has crafted an infrastructure that rapacious people want to market to a public hungry for natural experiences touted by Hollywood. At Holland Lake, we’re seeing a docudrama (like TV’s Yellowstone) play out with the U.S. Forest Servi...
SWAN VALLEY - The Flathead National Forest is planning to conduct fall prescribed fire projects when weather, fuel conditions and air quality become favorable. Smoke will be visible from various places in the Flathead Valley depending on the location of the burn units and weather conditions. Each project follows a prescribed fire burn plan. The prescribed fire projects are located and designed to be controlled to reduce the potential for adverse effects, or to escape as a wildland fire. These projects will follow Montana air quality standards...
SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Community Council hosted a discussion on the poor condition of the Holland Lake boat launch and lack of emergency access at its Sept. 20 meeting. Members of the Swan Valley Emergency Services (SVES), Swan Lake District Ranger Chris Dowling and Holland Lake Lodge owner Christian Wohlfeil were on hand for the discussion. Dowling said he received a letter from SVES regarding the unusable condition of the boat launch at the Holland Lake Campground. SVES cannot safely...
Grizzly and black bears are found throughout our region and this is the time of year that bears are in hyperphagia. This is a time when bears increase their feeding activity driven by the need to fatten up before going into the den for the winter. Once they enter the den bears go without food and water for months. If they do not get enough to eat in the fall, the sows don’t produce cubs and some bears may even die of starvation. We try to remind people this time of year to really pay attention to containing any attractants around their home. K...
OVANDO - Eurasian Lynx research team "LIFE Lynx" members from Slovenia and Croatia visited the Blackfoot and Seeley-Swan Valleys Sept. 11-18. They compared their large carnivore research, investigated community forests and shared their research with area schools through the Blackfoot Challenge Education Committee. The collaboration between LIFE Lynx and the Blackfoot Challenge began in 2015 when Executive Director Seth Wilson went to Slovenia for work on large carnivore projects. Wilson...
In celebration of 36 years of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder, each week we will run parts of articles that appeared in the issue 35 years ago and 20 years ago. The entire issue will be uploaded to our website seeleylake.com for you to enjoy. 35 years ago: October 1, 1987 issue Buckle up: It's the law No more excuses, folks, it's time to buckle up when you get in your car. State legislators voted last spring to make seat belt use mandatory in Montana. Beginning Oct. 1, people violating that law will...
Holland Lake Lodge proposal brown bag lunch and conversation, Oct. 4 SWAN VALLEY - The Swan Valley Community Council is hosting a special meeting Oct. 4 from 12 – 2 p.m. at the Swan Valley Community Hall to discuss the Holland Lake Lodge expansion proposal. This is a local meeting for people unable to drive to the public meeting scheduled for 5:30 – 7:30 p.m. in Seeley Lake. Flathead Forest Supervisor Kurt Steele, Holland Lake Lodge Owner Christian Wolhfeil, Stacey Hutchinson and Raj Basi will be present for the discussion. The meeting is a p...
SWAN VALLEY – Since 1981, husband and wife team Marty and Claudia Kux can be found daily at 6 p.m. recording the weather at their Lindbergh Lake home. Diligence and dedication has earned the couple the distinguished Thomas Jefferson Award, the National Weather Services’ top honor for cooperative weather observers, said Corby Dickerson IV, National Weather Service Observing Program Leader. They join the ranks of only five others in the Missoula forecast area and 13 Montanans that have received this honor since 1960. The Kuxes will be rec...
SWAN VALLEY - Kurt Steele, Flathead National Forest Supervisor, decided to extend the comment period for the Holland Lake Lodge Expansion Project until Oct. 7 and offer an additional public meeting in Seeley Lake Oct. 4. “We had a well-attended public meeting last week and have received a lot of comments to date on this project,” said Steele. “The comments so far have made it clear to me that there is a lot of confusion surrounding the process and potential use of a categorical exclusion. I would like to make it clear that the use of a categ...
SEELEY LAKE – Camp Paxson will be open to the public on Oct. 1st from 12 p.m. - 5 p.m. for Larch Day. The Open House is an opportunity for area residents to visit and learn about the educational programs offered at Camp Paxson. Entrance to the event is free. “Our goal is to introduce the Seeley Lake and Swan Valley community to the outdoor education activities that we plan to offer to third, fourth and fifth graders during the shoulder seasons of spring and fall,” said Helen Mulroney, Camp Paxson Preservation Project board member. Curre...
SEELEY LAKE - Alpine Artisans’ 2 Valleys Stage 2022-23 season opens with the return of the dazzling Canadian drumming group Fubuki Daiko at Seeley-Swan High School Sunday, Oct. 2 at 3 p.m. Single and season tickets are available at the door. This four-person band reinvents traditional Japanese drumming with their eclectic and energetic performances that are part martial arts athleticism, part mediation and all rhythm. Collaborations with a wide range of groups including classical, funk, jazz a...
SWAN VALLEY - Ted Graf left this earth on the morning of Sept. 14 after living a life on his own terms and in his own way for 69 years. Ted was a rugged individualist. He may have softened some in his later years to enter the world of cell phones and commercial flights, but he still cast a unique shadow. Born and raised on the plains of Nebraska, it didn't take him too many years to want to escape the conformity and mundane rigidity of life there. It seemed that Montana - like it was to...
SWAN VALLEY – Enrollment numbers are up at Swan Valley Elementary School for the 2022-23 school year, said Principal Aaron Morgenstern at the Sept. 13 Swan Valley School Board meeting. The School Board also received a resignation letter from Chris Mauldin, kindergarten – second grade teacher. Enrollment is at 33 up four from the end of last year. The kindergarten-second grade class has 15 students. There are 11 in the third – fifth grade and seven in the sixth – eighth grade classrooms. The board accepted Mauldin’s resignation. Mauldin’s...
Developmental and Preschool Screening Clinic Sept. 23 SEELEY LAKE - A free Developmental and Preschool Screening Clinic for children ages 0 to 5 for Seeley Lake and Swan Valley School Districts will be held on Friday, Sept. 23 beginning at 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Elementary School. This free screening will include gross motor, fine motor, language concepts, communication concepts, communication skills, hearing and vision screening. Please call 406-677-2265 to schedule an appointment for your child’s screening or to receive more i...
