The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
The Blackfoot Valley's News Source Since 1980
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The Alliance for Wild Rockies and Native Ecosystems Council filed suit challenging the Willow Creek Vegetation project June 14, 2019. Less than two weeks earlier, on June 3, they had filed a nearly identical lawsuit against the North Bridger Forest Health Project near Bozeman. The two case were consolidated Aug. 20, 2019. In the lawsuit, AWR and NEC argued the Willow Creek project didn’t qualify for a Categorical Exclusion under HRFA and claimed the project violated the Endangered Species Act because it didn’t analyze the eff...
Blackfoot Pathways: Sculpture in the Wild Artistic Director Kevin O'Dwyer, with the Blackfoot Pathways Sculpture in the Wild board, announced last week they will be postponing all 2020 summer and fall events in the park. The decision stemmed from concerns for the safety of the artists, board member and the public due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and from the resulting inability to deliver a full and comprehensive program. The postponement of their events includes the...
After six years of work, the Helena–Lewis and Clark National Forest released the draft record of decision and final Environmental Impact Statement for their 2020 Forest Plan Thursday, May 21. The updated plan will replace the two current Forest Plans adopted in 1986 for the then-separate Lewis & Clark and Helena National Forests. They were consolidated in 2015 and the new plan addresses land management across 2.9 million acres of National Forest arrayed in an extended 'L' from the Continental Divide near East Glacier south to...
The old Mike Horse Creek Road is closed while the last of the remediation work in the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex is completed during the next two months, but it will remain a public county road for access to public land once work is done. The road remains intact from Highway 200 to Shaue Gulch, but the river crossing to the intersection with Meadow Creek Road was removed as part of the clean up. Four-wheel drive vehicles should be able to cross the river using a hardened...
Heavy spring rains and runoff had the nascent Blackfoot River churning through its new channel near the Upper Blackfoot Mining Complex Water Treatment Plant Thursday, May 21. Just upstream, the river formed at the confluence of Bear Trap and Anaconda Creeks. Downstream, water filled the reconstructed side channels and wetlands as the last of the major work to restore the headwaters of the Blackfoot River got underway, with excavators moving woody debris and compost along the...
Lincoln Skatepark construction wrapped up Memorial Day weekend, apart from some remaining dirt work, paint, landscaping and signage. The park won't be open for use until after park rules signs are posted, said project coordinator Karyn Good, who will consult with the county to determine that date. The grand opening is not scheduled yet, either, but Good is planning for the event this summer. "Jeff Ament will be attending the event, so I'll work with him to come up with a date...
Helena Ranger District: All campgrounds will be open for Memorial Day weekend May 22. All cabins will be open by May 29 to renters except Miller Cabin which will remain closed. Jefferson Divide: All campgrounds will be open for Memorial Day, however, no water at this time, all are pending water samples. Kings Hill and Crystal Lake are the only two campgrounds that will not be open for Memorial weekend due to snow/access. All cabins will be open on May 23 to renters, except Monument Peak which opens June 1. All roads higher... Full story
Butte, Mont. – May 21, 2020 – Today NorthWestern Energy announced another $100,000 in aid to assist the communities we serve working to recover from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, bringing our aid to the crisis recovery efforts to $400,000. This is in addition to NorthWestern Energy’s annual charitable donations, economic development, local sponsorships and employee match programs, which were more than $2 million in 2019. “The response to the COVID-19 pandemic is being defined by our support for one another... Full story
A man was attacked by a female grizzly bear on Sunday morning near the Sun River. The attack left the man with non-life-threatening injuries. The man was part of a group who were floating and camping on the Sun River, west of Augusta. The group was packing up their campsite when the attack occurred at about 8:30 a.m. After stepping into some brush, the man found himself between the female grizzly and her 2-year-old cub. The group was able to call 911, and the man was carried out by helicopter and taken to a hospital. Montana...
HELENA, Mont. (May 19, 2020) – The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest reminds the public to be alert and check the weather, road and trail conditions before going out to the forest. Forecasters are predicting a stormy week with heavy rains this combined with warmer weather at higher elevations has primed remaining snowpack for melt and release. Anyone planning on recreating on area waterways should maintain awareness and use an abundance of caution when in or near the wate...
The Lincoln Valley Chamber of Commerce met last week to discuss upcoming summer activities. Rummage Days is still in the works and scheduled for the third week in June. At this point the board is also moving forward with plans for the 4th of July Parade as well as the annual fireworks show, although it is uncertain if these events will be able to be held, due to restrictions related to COVID-19 and the phased reopening of the state. Trails Day plans are also continuing. The ev...
With the smell of spring in the air, we hope this finds our Lincoln community well. In these strange and challenging times, we at Lewis and Clark County want to assure you we continue working hard to serve our community and want to take this opportunity to provide you with some updates. Roads, Bridges & Signs The Lewis and Clark County Road and Bridge Department successfully made it through another Lincoln winter. Starting with one plow truck early in the season, a second w...
The Lincoln Community Garden has had a rough start to their gardening season. The week before they were scheduled to open the greenhouse and begin planting, a hydrant was accidentally turned on and the tank holding the water pump and pressure tank filled with approximately six feet of water. The water pump and electrical was damaged, and the garden now needs a new pump. An electrician has volunteered to donate his time and materials to fix the electrical, and there are a...
Governor Steve Bullock today announced the state will move to Phase Two of the Reopening the Big Sky plan and will lift the 14-day out-of-state travel quarantine beginning June 1 as Montana continues to have the lowest number of positive COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations per capita. “Montana has been an example for the rest of the nation in our response to this global pandemic. I have no doubt that we can continue to be that example, but only if Montanans, businesses, and vi... Full story
The annual Lincoln Bike Rally, hosted by the Tenacious Dames Riding Club, has been canceled for ths year, but is scheduled to return next summer, from July 9 -11, 2021. The decision was not an easy one, according to Tina Bundtrock, Tenacious Dames State Event Coordinator. "Just generally, we know this was a tough call. We knew it was just another hit financially for the town, and that made us not feel good," said Bundtrock. "We were on the phone for three hours, and this was... Full story
Many recreationists look forward to May 15 every year as the opening day of many of Montana's Wildlife Management Areas that are closed between Dec. 1 and May 15 to minimize disturbance to wintering big game. This year is no different, with the exception of the need for people to follow protocols for social distancing due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the more popular spots -- the Beartooth WMA, between Great Falls and Helena -- has curtailed overnight camping and will be...
The Lincoln Airport received $20,000 in funding through the CARES Act to support operations and maintenance. The Lincoln Airport had a series of projects lined up to use Federal Aviation Administration grant funds through the Airport Improvement Program, which funds projects at 90 percent and requires a 10 percent match in local funds. "About $140,000 in local match money is required for these projects," said Conway. "$20,000 will come from the CARES Act allocated to the...
Each spring, FWP receives calls from people who have picked up deer fawns, baby birds or other newly born wildlife. It's important to remember that Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks no longer accepts, holds or rehabilitates moose, deer, elk and most other animals. Diseases (such as Chronic Wasting Disease) are a concern when moving moose, deer and elk, and rehabilitating fawns and calves is often unsuccessful because the animals become quickly habituated to people. If you see...
HELENA, Mont. – The Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest will not require a Personal Use Mushroom Permit for the 2020 season which runs May 15, 2020 through September 30, 2020. Under this free use program an individual is allowed to harvest up to 5 gallons of mushrooms for the season provided they follow all terms and conditions in our 2020 Mushroom Guide. Reminders for enjoying the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest: · Beware of falling snags and stump holes in burned a...
Hunters can now check the results of the 2020 moose, bighorn sheep, bison and mountain goat license drawings to see if they were successful. To view drawing results online go to MyFWP and click on "Lookup Draw Results, Register for Lists" tab, or login to your MyFWP account. To sign up for an account go to fwp.mt.gov/myfwp. Applicants can also call the FWP licensing office at 406-444-2950. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks' deadline to apply for elk B, deer B and antelope license drawings is June 1....
The April meals match program developed by Becky Garland from Action Realty brought in an estimated $6,000 to support local food banks, senior meals and families. Over the course of four Thursdays, Garland offered to pay $1 for each take-out order from the three local restaurants serving meals during closures, which included the Montanan, the Pit Stop and the Wheel Inn. The total number of tickets served came to 307. “It’s hard for me to split it up, so I’m going to donate $307 to the food bank and $307 to senior meals,” said...
The 2020 Voter Survey on Public lands, a bi-annual University of Montana survey of opinions and attitudes toward the importance of public lands, included a question about the Lincoln Prosperity Proposal (formerly the Lincoln Valley Public Lands Proposal) that showed it had an unexpected level of statewide support. The survey shows nearly 72 percent of respondents generally support the Lincoln-area legislative proposal. Twenty-three percent were generally opposed to it. "We...
Construction of the Lincoln Skatepark began at Hooper Park last week after the project unexpectedly received $150,00 in funding. The funding – a $100,000 donation from Pearl Jam bassist Jeff Ament’s Montana Pool Service Foundation and a $50,000 donation from the Montana Skatepark Association – came as a welcome surprise to the Lincoln Skatepark Committee, a group of Lincoln school students who have been committed to the creation of the facility since 2018. “It came to my atte...
Lincoln election judge Bonnie Shown reminded area residents they will have to mail in their ballots for the upcoming June 2 primary election. Shown, speaking briefly at the May 1 Lincoln Government Day listening session, said residents who receive absentee ballots often drop them off at the Community Hall polling place, but she said they won't be able to do that this year, since there will be no local polling this year due to COVID-19 related restrictions. "We won't be here,"...
Many Lincoln businesses have been closed for longer than a month, and those closures have wide-reaching impacts. Restaurants and bars have been some of the hardest hit, with the first closure order from Lewis and Clark Public Health for dine-in businesses going into effect Mar 17. Governor Steve Bullock then mandated the closures continue from Mar 20-27 and extended them twice, first to Apr 10, then to Apr 24. On Apr 22, Bullock announced that dine-in establishments would be allowed to begin reopening with restrictions on... Full story
