Joint NFLA/NFPA press release: Small Community Loses Grizzly Family

For Immediate Release: September 8, 2021
Contact:
Richard Hildner, NFLA President, richardhildner@icloud.com or
Flannery Coats, NFPA President, flannery.e.coats@gmail.com

Small Community Loses Grizzly Family

Monica with three cubs, June 8, 2020 – W. K. Walker

Polebridge, Montana [September 8, 2021] – Bear #418, known to locals as Monica, was euthanized Saturday, September 4^th along with her three female yearlings, after receiving a multitude of food rewards over the past week. Due to several incidents involving improper food and garbage storage within an eight-mile radius of the Polebridge townsite the bears were ultimately deemed food-conditioned. Monica had been a resident female grizzly bear in the North Fork Valley for 17 years.

In response, two local non-profits, the North Fork Landowners Association (nflandowners.org) and the North Fork Preservation Association (gravel.org), will be working together, along with agency partners, to help improve food and garbage storage in the area as well as to make financial aid resources from conservation organizations such as Defenders of Wildlife and Vital Ground more readily available to residents and business owners in the North Fork.

The North Fork community deeply grieves the loss of Monica and her cubs and in the coming months will explore new avenues to further educate and assist residents and visitors in how to live and recreate in bear country in a manner safe for both bears and humans.

Reminder: First NFLA meeting of 2021-2022 season, Sep 12

The North Fork Landowners Association hosts its first meeting of the 2021-2022 season on September 12, 2021. We begin with a North Fork history presentation by Lois Walker and Arne Boveng at 7pm followed by the general membership meeting at 8pm.

Here’s your opportunity to meet our new officers, learn what they are planning for next season and how you can be an active part of our community. On the agenda is a report from our new president, Richard Hildner, regarding North Fork Road conditions and Glacier View Drive. We will also discuss the time for NFLA meetings each month (no changes may be made to the regularly scheduled date of the meeting).

Bring a snack to share, and join us for an interesting presentation by the History Committee at 7pm followed by our Membership meeting at 8pm.

Please note that COVID-19 precautions at Sondreson Hall are governed by the current CDC recommendations for meetings in public venues in areas of the country of “substantial or high transmission” for the Delta variant of the COVID-19 virus. Seating will be socially distanced (six feet spacing), although family members may wish to sit closer together. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available to those who need them.

View current meeting agenda.

Saga of Monica and her cubs ends tragically

Here’s the latest from Tim Manley on the tragic saga of Monica and her three cubs. It was posted to Facebook in the early morning hours of September 6th. Scroll to the end of this post for a photo gallery . . .

Update on the grizzly bears… well, it was a difficult week. One that I would rather not repeat. I have read some of the comments and I understand everyone’s concerns and feelings. I think it is important to put a few things into context so everyone knows what transpired.

I am not going to mention names or locations but I think most people have heard about some of the locations where these incidents occurred. We tried to prevent further conflicts from occurring, but as you will see, this family group of bears were very food-conditioned and the property damage was extensive and knowing what they were going to do next was difficult to predict.

Continue reading Saga of Monica and her cubs ends tragically

September-December Wildland Fire Potential Outlook

September 2021 Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook

Here is the Wildland Fire Potential Outlook for September, October, November. As you all are aware, we turned a corner in mid-August in the North Fork with the moisture we received. A big change that significantly slowed the fire season for us. And the good news is that we are forecast to continue to be a “normal” fire season through September, October and November. Plus, with a La Nina forecast for Montana this winter, you all need to be tuning up your snowblowers and getting your firewood laid in.

While that is good news for Northwest Montana, Oregon and Washington will continue to be busy through September, Northern California gets no relief until December. Grim.

See the full report (PDF format) for further details.

Hay Creek Fire status update

East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 - USFS — East side of Hay Creek Fire showing a mix of burned and unburned areas on August 12, 2021 – USFS

A brief fire update…

According to District Fire Management Officer Andy Huntsberger, there’s nothing going on with the Hay Creek Fire — not even any smoke. If you saw a helicopter buzzing around yesterday, it was picking up a radio communications repeater from Numa Peak that was used during firefighting efforts.

Latest update on Monica and her three cubs

Tim Manley just posted an update to Facebook about Monica and her three cubs…

Just an update about this family group of grizzly bears.

I have been up the [North Fork] 3 times in the last 3 days and I will be up there again today.

In the past 5 days the female with 3 yearlings have gotten into two garbage cans two nights in a row. Those cans were replaced with working bear resistant Kodiak cans. The bears got into a trash trailer the next night and that has been replaced with a totally enclosed trailer. The next night they got into a pickup topper that had more than a camp stove. It had food and garbage in the truck. Last night they returned and tried to get into a different car with no garbage or food in it. They also went to another property and pushed on a trailer and were chased off by the landowner. They have been very persistent and not easy to get them to leave.

I am in the process of talking to landowners about a safe place to trap for this family group.

I am also reminding people to secure food and garbage in a way that these bears and others can’t get to it. Not in vehicles because unfortunately , this family group knows to check out cars.

Please notify me of any bear activity so I know where these and other bears are causing conflicts. Thanks.

My phone number is 250-1265 and email is Tim.manley@mt.gov

Fire restrictions lifted across NW Montana

Yay! All fire restrictions are lifted as of Wednesday, August 25th, 2021 at 12:01AM . . .

Revised Hay Creek Fire Closure

The areas closed to the public due to the Hay Creek Fire are much reduced. Only the Hay creek drainage west of the Spruce Creek Road intersection remains closed. Everything else is reopening.

Hay Creek Fire - Road, Trail and Area Closures, August 23, 2021 — Hay Creek Fire – Road, Trail and Area Closures, August 23, 2021

PDF version: https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Revised-Hay-Creek-Fire-Closure.pdf

Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 20

INCIDENT UPDATE

The evacuation warning for the Hay Creek Fire was lifted by the Flathead Country Sheriff on August 18, 2021. The current Type 3 incident management team will transition to a local Type 4 incident command from the Flathead National Forest on Saturday, August 21 at 0700. Hungry Horse-Glacier View Fire Management will maintain resources on the Hay Creek Fire for the foreseeable future. Crews will continue to cleanup and rehab the fire area.

The last public meeting was held on August 19. There are no more public meetings currently planned.

Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger District is currently evaluating rental cabins reopening and the future size and scope of area, road, and trail closures. For current information, please visit InciWeb: https://inciweb.nwcg.gov/incident/article/7712/62192/.

Stage 2 Fire Restrictions are in effect with campfires prohibited. Know Before You Go- Visit www.mtfireinfo.org for additional Montana fire restrictions.

EVACUATIONS AND CLOSURES

As of August 18, 2021 the evacuation warnings have been lifted. Road, trail, and area closures are in place. See details at https://go.usa.gov/xFjcA and Current Fire Information – Glacier National Park.

WEATHER AND AIR QUALITY

Continue reading Hay Creek Fire – Update for August 20

Hay Creek Fire – Public Information Map for August 20

Here’s the latest Hay Creek Fire Public Information Map showing fire extent, closures and current evacuation zone boundaries . . .

Unless there’s a significant change in the fire’s status, this map will be updated much less often — if at all — as the Hay Creek Fire winds down. By August 21, Hay Creek Fire operations will be transferred to a local Type 4 team based out of the Hungry-Horse-Glacier View District. From that point, information on the fire will be coming directly from the Flathead National Forest.

PDF version: https://nflandowners.org/nflawp/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Hay-Creek-Fire-Public-Info-Map-for-August-20-2021.pdf