Please take a moment to email Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks in support of its proposed "no-wake" rules for Echo Lake (and its adjoining Abbott and Peterson Lakes) when it is above flood stage - as it has been the past two summers!
Wakes from motor boats during high water is causing damage to Flathead County's Causeway Road, its public boat launch, and to private property and shoreline around the lake.
No-wake rules during high water will still allow slow motor boating, offer unique quiet time for paddling on these otherwise busy lakes, and help protect private and public property from unnecessary erosion.
Please send a short email in support of the proposed rules to FWP's Martha Abbrescia at mabbrescia@mt.gov by Feb. 22!
Or attend FWP's public hearing in the matter at 7 pm, Feb 19, at the Hampton Inn, 1140 Hwy 2 West, Kalispell.
Click here to read the Flathead Beacon article.
Click here to read FWP's press release.
Click here to access the proposed rules and/or submit a comment via FWP's web site.
Attend a Forward for Climate rally this Sunday, February 17, at noon in Bigfork, Whitefish, Kalispell, or a city near you! We must MOVE FORWARD NOW!
The four-frame photo of the wolverine above was taken in July by Chad Harder, in the late-season Montana snowpack absolutely essential to wolverine raising their young.
Fish and Wildlife Service predicts these already limited habitats will decline by 63% in this century due to climate warming - threatening the wolverine with extinction in the lower 48 states!
But it's not just wildlife that is at risk, a few degrees of climate warming threatens the very existence of human civilization as well!
If you need convincing, take a few minutes to watch this video on "climate warming made simple" by David Roberts.
We cannot afford to dig up the Alberta tar sands and Montana's coal, selling it to China or elsewhere so it can be spewed into an already warming atmosphere that we all share!
The time for a change in our energy sources and consumption is NOW, before it is too late!
Please act this Sunday to move us Forward for Climate.
For more info visit Forward for Climate: 3 Flathead Valley Rallies, or visit 350.org to learn about the main Washington DC rally or search for a same-day rally in your neighborhood!
Sign a letter to President Obama here, urging him to take firm action on climate change!
Kalispell location: Depot Park at the corner of Center Street and Main Whitefish location: Corner of 2nd Street and Spokane Avenue Bigfork location: Harvest Foods roadside along Hwy 35.
A new report by Headwaters Economics finds three economic measures to be positively associated with protected public lands: per capita income, growth in per capita income, and growth in per capita investment income.
The study finds that, on average, counties with national parks, wilderness, and other forms of protected public lands benefit with increased economic performance.
Click here to read Headwaters Economics' release of its report.
Click here to read or download the report.
A Montana District Court has issued an order effectively ending this winter's wolverine trapping season, in anticipation of the imperiled wolverine being listed as "threatened" under the Endangered Species Act.
"This is great news that this year's wolverine trapping season is over," said Swan View Coalition Chair Keith Hammer. "Hopefully, wolverine will soon gain the threatened species protections they need so desperately, including a permanent ban on the intentional killing of wolverines."
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, however, says it will oppose ESA status for wolverine in Montana and, barring that, try to keep its trapping season in spite of federal listing. Click here to read the San Francisco Chronicle article.
Click here to read our press release.
Click here to read the Joint Motion that has now been signed as a Court Order.
Click here for more background on our lawsuit to end the trapping of imperiled wolverine.
Our thanks go out to Western Environmental Law Center and the other plaintiffs in this lawsuit for hanging tough for wolverine - and to all of you that support our work!
(Read Full Article)
Thank you very much for your support of Swan View Coalition's work in 2012!
Your donations and letters helped secure key habitats for fish, wildlife and people - among them:
1. An injunction against the trapping of imperiled wolverine!
2. Stopping three timber sales on the Flathead National Forest that would log key lynx habitats!
3. Removal of Big Creek, a bull trout stronghold, from the list of "impaired" watersheds, largely through the removal of 60 miles of old logging roads!
4. Stopping the felling of hundreds of the Flathead's biggest and best larch trees simply to collect the cones!
5. The removal of breakneck bike ramps on Crane Mountain trails shared with hikers and horseback riders!
If you'd still like to support our work and get a tax-deductible receipt for 2012, you've two days left to hit the Donate Now button on this page or send a check to 3165 Foothill Road, Kalispell, MT 59901!
Again, thank you for contributing to our success in 2012 and we'll see you in 2013!
Flathead National Forest has withdrawn its Griffin Creek logging project in the face of appeals filed by Swan View Coalition and others.
On November 26th, 2012, the Flathead refused to modify the project during a meeting to attempt resolution of the appeals.
Already heavily logged, heavily roaded and riddled with invasive weeds, the majority of the Griffin Creek watershed is already considered by Flathead National Forest to be "functioning at risk."
Swan View Coalition and other appellants argued more logging and road building will simply make matters worse.
They also argued the project is an irresponsible burden on the American taxpayer, building more new roads when the Flathead already receives less than one-sixth of the funds it needs to maintain its existing road system.
The project would build another 12 miles of permanent road, cut logs from 2,300 acres of forest and cut smaller trees on another 2,800 acres.
Click here to read Swan View Coalition's appeal.
Click here to read the Flathead's letter withdrawing the project.
The Flathead National Forest has cancelled its plans to kill up to 270 of its best and biggest larch trees just to collect the seed!
MANY THANKS to those of you that were among the 97% of commenters opposed to killing the big trees when there are so many non-lethal ways to collect larch cones and seed!
Let's hope the Flathead has continued good success with its larch nursery and continues to recognize it need not kill big larch trees to meet its seed collection needs!
Click here to read the Flathead's cancellation letter.
Click here to read our prior alerts in this matter and for background information.
Our Holidays 2012 edition of Swan View's News looks at our accomplishments and the path ahead - as the Flathead National Forest prepares to revise its Forest Plan!
Click here to view or download our Holidays 2012 newsletter!
Below is the table of contents:
Please DONATE NOW to help us raise $14,000 in December to support our work and meet our year-end budget!
Thank You and Happy Holidays!
Montana District Court Judge Jeffrey Sherlock has issued a temporary restraining order stopping Montana's wolverine trapping season!
The order was issued on the eve of the trapping season set to begin December 1, in response to a lawsuit filed by the Western Environmental Law Center on behalf of Swan View Coalition and several other conservation groups.
Judge Sherlock concluded "Balancing the loss of a ‘recreational harvest opportunity' against the possible damage to a potentially endangered species, the Court finds equity lies in favor of issuing a temporary restraining order."
Click here to read WELC's press release.
Click here to read the Missoulian article.
Click here to read the Court Order.
Click here to read more about our lawsuit.
Click here to make a donation!
Twas the eve before trapping season When all through the woods All the creatures declared WELC delivered the goods!
It's been 28 years since a bunch of neighbors banded together to protect the visual and ecological integrity of the Swan Range from clear-cut logging, road-building, and recreation run-amok.
We at Swan View Coalition wish you a Happy Thanksgiving and THANK YOU for your loyal support of our continued work!
May you spend considerable time with friends and family this coming week, enjoy the places you love, and hold in your hearts those who cannot.
Page: ←12345678910111213141516171819→
