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Many unforeseen changes have unfolded in our local communities since the Montana Department of Public Health and Human Services announced the state's first cases of COVID-19 on March 13. Schools, businesses and churches were closed. Working from home, social distancing, teleconferencing and distance learning became a way of life. In today's world, preventative measures to protect the masses from the coronavirus are practiced regularly including hand sanitizing, diagnostic testing and contact...
As we all learn to adjust to the changes that COVID-19 has had on our day-to-day lives, there is one thing that has remained the same: weeds continue to grow! This spring, the weed district has seen a significant increase in calls from landowners and backyard gardeners frustrated by nuisance and noxious weeds getting in the way of their spring projects. And with everyone having to spend a lot more time at home, we wanted to let you know that we will continue to provide you with the information a...
As the world contends with “the invisible war” we should all become aware of the situation so that we may all help to slow and protect each other from the spread of this dangerous disease. Influenza and Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), as well as colds, tuberculosis and other transmittable respiratory illnesses, are spread via droplet transmission and may be a significant threat to fire and emergency and other first responder professionals’ safety. Corona viruses are a group of viruses belonging to the family of Corona viridae that infec...
Are your kids tired of spending hours each day on remote learning on the computer? Are they (and you) wondering what there is to do in the Seeley in the summer that doesn't involve logging in, virtual connections or feeling socially isolated? Are they ready to get outdoors, get dirty and explore our wild backyard with other human children? If your answer is yes, then I am pleased to inform you that the Seeley Lake Elementary 21st Century Summer Adventure Club is BACK! With a few minor...
Right on time, true to the mystery of the migration cycle - the loons show up and without our bidding (but with the help of our floating signs), take over their territories, build nests, fight off intruders, lay eggs and raise chicks. The average number of chicks in Montana (including Glacier National Park) has recently hovered between 40-50 chicks a year. But, our loons outdid themselves last year by raising an unheard of 75 chicks!!! (We didn't believe the reports at first and had to go back...
"Thinking will not overcome fear-but action will." ~ W. Clement Stone Before COVID-19, most of us had no idea what fear the word, "Pandemic" would evoke in our minds and how drastically it would alter our normal routines. The 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic had little relevance for most and a 2020 pandemic seemed as unlikely as a blizzard in August! The Weather Channel did, however, report an "unprecedented August snow event" in Great Falls (8.3 inches) in 1992. Yes! August snowstorms and pandemics...
So here is the best news of all – you don't even have to be athletic by nature to enjoy some of the work ROCKS is doing to promote fun outdoor activities. While a big part of ROCKS efforts are winter-based, with the ski trails and the skating rinks, springtime turns the local focus to enjoying more of the multi-use (hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding) trails above Placid Lake. Living in the pristine natural area of the Seeley Swan, the ROCKS team is working hard to promote free c...
As we grapple with adjusting to a new normal, I find many people seeking outdoor recreational therapy. I expect renewed interest to continue as spring gives way to summer and summer to fall and I can only hope that our lives can continue to take on more normalcy in that time. For those of you already looking forward to the fall hunting seasons, I will give you an update of what I have learned over the winter and spring. I will also give updates on the Blackfoot Clearwater Wildlife Management...
Since Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin in 1928, the scientific community has continued to make strides that were previously unimaginable even the century prior. Today, more than ever, we look to science to solve some of our most pressing issues, ranging from the development of a COVID-19 vaccine to methods that can be used to sequester carbon to reduce some of the worst projections related to climate change. While national polling indicates that over time a significant portion of the...
The past few weeks I have been making a concerted effort to take daily walks on the ranch where I live. Last week the snowy path I wandered gave way to a spring melt off event. By mid-week I sighted my first wildflower blossoms. Yet even before the snow cleared, I had begun to see spotted knapweed rosettes emerging at the base of last year's seed heads as well as scattered seedlings. With temperatures reaching the mid to upper 60's, I started to experience an increase in questions about weed man...
Springtime marks a pretty big occasion in Montana- time to tidy up the landscaping from last year's growth before the new buds bloom. It's time to freshen up the mix fuel, to fire up the chainsaw and trimmer, sharpen the clippers, fill the tire on the wheelbarrow, hand the rake to the teenager and make a run for lawn bags or prepare the burn pile site and go online for a burn permit. For information on burn permits and safe practices, visit mcfpa.org We want to get these chores done to freshen...
Making your bed can be a pain and nobody knows that better than the grizzly bear. Each fall a grizzly moves an incredible one ton of material to make its den. By December, bears in the Northern Rockies are taking full advantage of their cozy winter homes, settled into a long slumber before emerging in March or April. The first bears are already out and about, but before we welcome them back, let's pause to consider the science of their winter sleep. It's commonly referred to as hibernation-but...
How many of you have enjoyed a concert on the banks of the Blackfoot River at the Kettlehouse Amphitheater? Did you know that every time you buy a ticket, a portion of those funds go directly to our efforts to restore the many tributaries-and ultimately trout populations, within the Blackfoot River watershed? Our partnership with the concert promoter tied with this venue--Logjam Presents, and their initiative called the Blackfoot River Fund, allowed us the opportunity to expand our efforts and...
Outdoor burning opened in Missoula County on March 1st, and it’s off to a fair clip. As of March 6th, more than 900 folks have purchased their permits and we’ve recorded more than 260 burn activations. In a typical year, we issue between 4,000 and 4,500 burn permits and record 10,000 to 12,000 burn activations. We wanted to take this opportunity to answer some questions we encounter about Missoula’s outdoor burning program. Do I need a permit to burn my yard waste? What about for my hazard reduction project? Yes! All outdoor burning requi...
The young driver was not hurt. At least not physically. She had only looked down for a second as her check engine light came on and, in that moment, her Jeep hit the elk. Hitting the 600-pound animal at 70 miles per hour, the light – and the animal's life – flickered out. Last year, when two of my co-workers got word of this accident, they printed off a Vehicle-Killed Wildlife Salvage Permit from the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks website, and within 30 minutes from impact, the three of us wer...
Over this past Christmas holiday season, I was reminiscing with a group of four friends. The conversation took a normal course; inquiring about each other's families and the various home projects we were working on. We were all laughing, joking and sharing wisecracks at each other's expense. As the tide of conversation changed, one particular topic was enjoyed more than others. It was the topic of "funny things that happen at work." If you have ever had a friend who works in an Emergency Room,...
There's something about a new year that makes us reflect on where we are and what we want to do in the future. We make resolutions, plans, try to break old habits and begin new traditions. Coupled with the new year, January also brought with it a new decade. With eager anticipation of fresh beginnings, we've opened our minds and are even more accepting of change. For me, 2020 marks significant changes – both personally and professionally. It's my sixth year working in property management and t...
At Missoula Electric Cooperative (MEC), a focus on member education and engagement is increasingly gaining momentum, by way of a recently developed Member Education Program. MEC's General Manager Mark Hayden tasked his Communications Department with creating a program to better educate their membership and further enhance and promote offerings that were already in place. "When our team began structuring the program, our goal was to use the abundance of resources already available at MEC. We...
Imagine trying to hike, bike or ride a snowmobile in your local mountains only to encounter a fence and no trespassing sign every mile or so. That could have been the future for hundreds of thousands of acres in the Blackfoot and Swan Valleys...and beyond. That was also a big reason that The Nature Conservancy took a real leap of faith when it began buying land from Plum Creek Timber more than 20 years ago. Over time, we bought more than half a million acres of this former industrial timber...
Some say that events and people become of historical interest after 50 years have passed. If that is so, the early phases of Double Arrow Ranch will reach this milestone in June of 2022, just over two years from now. Today we know the Ranch as one of the larger residential developments in Western Montana. It's a long-standing part of the Seeley Lake community and a place where some residents go back many years. If we look back at the early days of the Ranch, from 1972 - 1979, we see a lively...
What is a community foundation? Community foundations are organizations that can help manage community-wide discussions and collect and distribute funds for local projects. A community foundation is a tax-exempt public charity created by and for the people in a defined geographic area. It enables people to easily and effectively support the issues they care about-immediately, or through their wills. They serve a vital role as facilitators of good works by bringing together people from across the...
I want to express my gratitude for the many decades of service of retiring Game Warden Bill Koppen and what his career represents. More broadly, I want to acknowledge the many thousands involved in natural resource law enforcement: state and tribal game wardens and officers, US Forest Service Law Enforcement Officers, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service Law Enforcement Rangers, US Fish and Wildlife Service Federal Wildlife Officers, and the Criminal Investigators and Special Agen...
SWAN VALLEY - Many of us will gather with extended family or friends over the Christmas holiday to share gifts and good will. It seems the way we celebrate Christmas is rooted in Christmas past. A review of the yuletide traditions and events of yesteryear reveal a simple lifestyle of the residents of the region. Over 100 years ago in 1907 Joseph J. Waldbillig and Ethel Lynn were about to exchange wedding vows on Christmas Eve at the Lynn home near Ovando when an unexpected turn of events caused...
Before you fire up the snowmobile or get out the ice fishing gear please follow some simple tips and use caution before heading out onto the ice. For new clear ice only • UNDER 4 INCHES THICKNESS - STAY OFF • 4 inch - Ice fishing or other activities on foot • 5 - 7 inches - Snowmobile or ATV • 8 - 12 inches - Car or small pickup • 12 - 15 inches - Medium truck Many factors other than thickness can cause ice to be unsafe. White ice or “snow ice” is only about half as strong as new clear ice. Double the above thickness guidelines when travelin...
To the members of the Seeley Lake community, Have you ever had a dating partner who: • Embarrassed you or put you down? • Controlled who you see, where you go or what you do? • Took your money or refused to give you money for expenses? • Prevented you from working or going to school? • Told you that you were a bad parent, or threatened to take away your kids? • Threatened suicide because of something you've done? • Threatened to hurt or kill you? • Pressured you to have sex when you didn't want...
