Community Briefs

Seeley Lake Volunteers Climbing for a Cure

SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake Fire Department volunteers Kristy Pohlman and Shawn Ellinghouse are gearing up for their fourth Scott Firefighter Stairclimb in Seattle, March 6.

Pohlman and Ellinghouse, along with approximately 1,600 other firefighters, will race 788 vertical feet and 1,311 steps to the top of the Columbia Center in downtown Seattle in full bunker gear. This year will be the 25th anniversary stairclimb fundraiser for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS). The LLS is the world’s largest non-profit health organization, which is dedicated to finding a cure and providing patient assistance and education for blood cancer.

The couple’s goal is to raise $3,000 for the Society for Cancer Research and finish the climb in their personal record times. Since 2011 they have raised $7,763 and they hope to put their total efforts this year over $10,000.

“This event is truly the most amazing thing I have ever done! To watch all of these men and women come together with one goal: ‘Climb, Cure, Conquer.’ There are people in our community who have leukemia and lymphoma,” said Pohlman. “This is a way to help them, by funding efforts to find a cure. It is time to conquer cancer, so we don’t have to watch any more loved ones suffer!”

To donate, visit firefighterstairclimb.org and click the donate button in the top right-hand corner. Then search for either Kristy Pohlman or Shawn Ellinghouse. Donations will be accepted until March 30.

Grants Available to Seeley Lake Non-profits

SEELEY LAKE - As part of its mission, the Seeley Lake Community Foundation (SLCF) endeavors to help charitable groups in Seeley Lake fund projects to benefit the community. In this capacity, the SLCF strives to be a community resource and catalyst for innovative approaches to improving the quality of life in Seeley Lake.

The Small Grants Program supports the ever-changing needs of a community that is diverse and growing. Qualifying non-profit and public organizations are afforded the opportunity to receive assistance from the SLCF, provided the specified needs meet the scope and provisions as outlined in the grant application guidelines and process. The final consideration rests with the SLCF in determining the community’s current needs and priorities.

The deadline for the upcoming grant cycle is Jan. 31.

Grants will be awarded in amounts of $100 to $2,500, based on the availability of funds for the year. The grants will be funded from earnings from the SLCF endowment and gifts from individuals and businesses.

Applications that address one or more of the five areas of interest – Education, Arts and Culture, Community/Economic Development, Natural Resources and Conservation and Basic Human Needs – will be considered. Project ideas are provided for each of the five areas of interest but other innovative proposals will be considered, if they meet the objectives for broad-community benefits.

Grant guidelines are available on the SLCF’s website http://www.seeleylakecommunityfoundation.org. For more information contact Anne Beach, Executive Director, 406-677-3506, annebeach@slcfmt.org or

Seeley Lake Community Foundation, PO Box 25, Seeley Lake, MT 58968

Public Meeting Announced for Center Horse Project

SEELEY LAKE – The Lolo National Forest (LNF) is proposing land management activities within a 61,300-acre project area for the Center Horse Landscape Restoration project located about 14 miles north of Ovando, Mont. The Seeley Lake Ranger District will host a public meeting to present project details Tuesday, Jan. 19 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Seeley Lake Community Hall.

 The Center Horse Landscape Restoration Project Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) has been completed and is available on the Lolo National Forest website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/projects/lolo.

There will be a 45-day comment period on this Draft EIS, ending Feb. 16.  Comments should be sent to Tami Paulsen, Missoula Ranger District, 24 Fort Missoula Road, Missoula, MT 59804.

The project objectives include:  1) improve/restore forest composition, spatial arrangement and structure, 2) restore fire adapted ecosystems, 3) improve water quality, restore or enhance fish and wildlife habitat and conserve and improve soil resources and 4) right size the existing transportation network to meet public and administrative needs while at the same time eliminating unneeded roads and trails. 

 The Draft EIS analyzes three alternatives:  No Action (A) and two action alternatives (B) and (C).  Land management activities proposed include:  vegetation management, (e.g., commercial harvest, non-commercial tree cutting, prescribed burning, weed treatment); road treatments (e.g., decommissioning, storage, maintenance and re-routing road segments away from sensitive riparian areas); watershed improvements (e.g., culvert replacements and removals); and soil restoration activities (weed treatments, landing and skid trail rehabilitation and shrub and tree planting). 

 This work likely would be implemented in phases over a five- to ten-year period which is anticipated to begin in 2017. 

The Center Horse project area is part of the Southwest Crown Collaborative (SWCC).  In 2010, the SWCC was one of ten national collaboratives awarded funding through the Collaborative Forest Landscape Restoration Program (CFLRP).  The purpose of the CFLRP is to encourage the collaborative, science-based ecosystem restoration of priority forest landscapes. 

 More information about this project can be found on the LNF website at http://www.fs.usda.gov/lolo or contact Tami Paulsen, Project Leader, at 406-329-3731.

Missoula County Sheriff’s Department

Call Activity 12/28/15 – 01/03/16

12/28, 6:26 a.m., Highway 200, Potomac: Accident - No Injury.

12/28, 2:15 p.m., 1XX Grayling Drive, Seeley Lake: Theft.

12/28, 5:56 p.m., Montana Drive, Seeley Lake: Accident - No Injury.

12/29, 1:05 p.m., Lion Creek Road, Condon: Suspicious Activity.

12/31, 8:59 p.m., Tamarack Drive, Seeley Lake: Obscene and Nuisance Phone Calls.

1/2, 1:02 a.m., 6XX Pine Drive, Seeley Lake: Suspicious Activity.

1/2, 11:37 a.m., Garnet Range Road, Greenough: Accident - Injury.

1/1, 8:44 a.m., Highway 83, Lake Inez; Slide-In No Property Damage.

1/1, 4:53 p.m., Highway 83, Condon: Accident - Injury.

1/3, 10:54 a.m., 145 S.O.S. Road, Seeley Lake: Arson

Seeley Lake Rural Fire District

Call Activity 12/1/15 – 12/31/15

Total Calls in 2015 - 321 versus 262 total calls in 2014

Total Dec. Calls - 21; Medical - 10; Assist Search & Rescue – 1; Non-Injury Accident – 4; Injury Accident – 2; Wildland Fire – 1; Welfare Check – 1; Illegal Burn – 1; Hazard Removal – 1