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While presidential nominee hopefuls take turns slinging mud at one another and an armed militia declares a war on public lands, the Blackfoot Challenge and partners continue to work below the headlines, finding lasting solutions by working together. As this onslaught of “political theater” grabs the attention of the media, I’m reassured by the alternative approach many are taking, and have been for decades, to solving conflicts. I’m reminded of the 80/20 rule, coined by third-generation Helmville rancher David Mannix and Blackfoot Challen...
Selling a home has become far more complicated than it used to be. Every owner wants the same thing: the best deal with the least amount of hassle! Do yourself and your realtor a favor by being committed to the process of selling your home. Start by doing a drive-by of your home from a buyer’s perspective. As you pull up to your property does it look inviting and well-kept? Most buyers have already formed an opinion of your home before they ever step inside. First impressions are huge and you will give your home an edge over your competition b...
In recent years our local schools, teachers and students, school administrators and volunteers have worked to bring our local environment into the classroom. Or more accurately, to move the classroom outside linking students with the natural resources and remarkable place we call home. Recent examples include the work they are doing in our streams and watersheds, forests, trails and even within the business community via the new Seeley Lake Elementary Outside Learning Center. The students have...
SEELEY LAKE - Winterfest 2016, Jan. 15-31, is well on its way! Every year a number of groups have events in January under the Winterfest headline. The Seeley Lake Area Chamber of Commerce (Chamber) then markets these events along with their own to increase consumption of local goods and services. This year the Chamber joined forces with Alpine Artisans, Inc. (AAI). The artisans bring their expertise to the variety show as well as advertisement and poster design. To begin the planning the...
There is nothing better than sitting down with knowledgeable people and picking their brains. That is exactly what I did this month. It started with a notice from Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation [DNRC] that Pyramid Mountain Lumber, Inc received their prestigious “Montana Forestry Partner Pioneer” award. It recognized Pyramid’s long time commitment to forestry. That led to a walk down memory lane. As I gathered together three men…the laughter started…names were remembered…and the years all rolled together. It culminat...
Many of us are gearing up for productive Christmas and New Year’s festivities. Maybe with friends and family, taking some personal time to travel out of the area to warmer climates; and some of Seeley Lake’s temporary and seasonal residents are planning to come here to enjoy some of our everyday peace, spirit and small town charm. If you are anything like me, than I bet you can close your eyes and see all the great food, treats, candies and pies. Just the thought of home cooked meals and cookies has me salivating while picturing how good the...
Excerpts from “Cabin Fever” © Mildred Chaffin 1989. Reprinted with permission. The Corlett Ranch was a stock ranch before it was bought in the late 1920s by Jan Boissevain and Colonel George F. Weisel. Boissevain dreamed of building it into a combination horse and dude ranch. The Double Arrow Ranch, named after a brand on Boissevain’s favorite horse, was established in 1929 and became the first commercial dude ranch to be located at Seeley Lake. Boissevain was a competent horseman and had even served as a reserve officer in the Dutch Cavalr...
As the 2015 year reaches its twilight, it’s good to reflect on the many projects over the past eleven months. For me, I spend the better part of a year thinking about big game and big game management. Whether by choice or not, big game management has consumed my focus. However, when given the opportunity I try to enjoy the many other wildlife species that make the Blackfoot Watershed their home. We live in a rare place, rare in the riches of wildlife and wild lands that we enjoy but also rare in the people and communities that share this ...
Last month's shooting of a male grizzly bear along Highway 83 north of Seeley Lake is just one example of how catastrophic a season it's been for bears in the Northwest. The drought-stricken region from British Columbia, Canada and throughout the last-remaining grizzly bear strongholds in the northern Rockies brought a plethora of grizzlies and black bears into harm's way as they searched for alternative foods after berries and vegetation dried up earlier than normal. As a result, bears...
SWAN VALLEY - In October, Roger Donald generously donated an original homestead cabin to the Upper Swan Valley Historical Society (USVHS). The cabin, locally known as Grandma Whalen's cabin, will be moved from its current location off Kraft Creek Road to the site of the Swan Valley Historical Museum. Mary Ann McKenzie Whalen and her husband Roderick moved to Missoula from Michigan in 1917. Mr. Whalen was a building contractor with the Northern Pacific. Several of their children were living in...
The recent "Walk in the Woods" hosted by Swan Ecosystem Center provided a tremendous insight into some of our local wood utilization businesses. Visits to Nordique System Log Homes, Swan Valley Montana Firewood, Mountain View Log Homes and Roundwood West Corporation all provided opportunity to see how forest management can sustain the economy of our place as well as the ecosystems and the beneficial services forests provide. Tried and tested methods along with new and innovative uses for wood...
A common conversation point recently amongst residents, landowners and business owners is what will the effect of the installation of Phase 1 of the Seeley Lake Sewer District system have on the economy and values of the benefitted properties. Phase 1 generally consists of the downtown area lying east of Highway 83 and most of the town lots lying between the highway and Tamarack Drive. One obvious benefit to the community of Seeley Lake is that by moving forward with the installation of a sewer...
Standing dead wood has incredible value to living things across western Montana’s forests. As fall stretches on and wood stoves burn more frequently, standing dead wood has high wildlife habitat value in addition to providing heat for homes. Forest snags provide denning, roosting and foraging habitat for hundreds of wildlife species. Often snags receive compounding use by forest vertebrates over time. Tall snags originally provide perching or nesting habitat while broken tops provide denning or resting for mammals. Cavities are continually e...
SEELEY LAKE - A mere five-minute drive from town, a myriad of carefully groomed Nordic ski trails rests peacefully. The trees spread their shady arms and Pyramid Mountain stands majestically above. Soon that peacefulness at the Seeley Creek Nordic Ski Trails will be pierced by the sound of swishing skis over bright white snow and the laughter of children. Every year, Seeley Lake residents and visitors look forward to this easy-access, affordable form of recreation. Last year, a new addition to...
When The Nature Conservancy acquired the 117,152-acre Clearwater Blackfoot Project in January, we knew that it would take some time on the ground to truly assess the condition of the property. We also knew that restoration and determining a long-term strategy for these lands would take a lot of help from everyone who cares about them. What we didn’t anticipate was the tremendous outpouring of support from community members and organizations. As we near the end of our first year on this project, we want to extend our sincerest thanks to the m...
