Page 31 - Flathead Beacon // 8.20.14

FLATHEADBEACON.COM NEWS AUGUST 20, 2014 | 31 Off the Blogs
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2014 BEAR FAIR AT POLEBRIDGE ON AUG. 23
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks and the Montana Outdoor Legacy Foun- dation will be hosting the 2014 Bear Fair On Saturday, Aug. 23. The event will be held at the Northern Lights Saloon in Polebridge and will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event will feature presenta- tions by various wildlife biologists; bear spray demonstrations, electric fencing tutorials, bear-proof storage and various educational booths.
Free lunch will also be provided. In the past this event has drawn crowds of over 200 people.
“This family friendly event is a great opportunity to learn about Montana’s bears and how to live in bear country re- sponsibly,” Tim Manley, bear biologist from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, said.
Access to the outdoors brings its challenges in dealing with mega fauna. We want to help people enjoy and live near public lands in a safe and smart fashion. Education is key. Jane Ratzlaff of Montana’s Outdoor Legacy said the organization is happy to help sponsor this wonderful event aimed at helping people coexist with our mega fauna.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR DRAGON BOAT FESTIVAL
Excitement is building for the third annual Montana Dragon Boat Festival at the Flathead Lake Lodge, Sept. 13 – 14, and there are more than 200 volunteer positions to fill. Festival volunteers who commit to a minimum of four hours will receive a VIP parking pass, lunch and a T-shirt. There will be a volunteer ori- entation Thursday, Sept. 4, 6 p.m. at the Kalispell Chamber.
Here’s an outline of the volunteer positions available (some times are ap- proximate):
FRIDAY, SEPT. 12
Event Set-Up – 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or 12:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Welcome Reception Team Check-in – 5 to 8 p.m.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 13
Team Loading – 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or noon to 5 p.m.
Team Marshaling - Saturday 7:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or noon to 5 p.m.
Score Runner – 7:30 a.m. to noon or noon to 5 p.m.
Information Booth – 7 a.m. to noon or noon to 5 p.m.
Spectator Surveys – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteer Support – 7:30 a.m. to noon or
noon to 5 p.m.
VIP Host – 7:30 a.m. to noon or noon to
5 p.m.
Ticket Takers at the Dragon Bash – 5:45 to 9 p.m. (includes dinner & free en- try to Bash)
SUNDAY, SEPT. 14
Team Loading – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Team Marshaling – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Score Runner – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Information Booth – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Spectator Surveys – 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Volunteer Support – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
VIP Host – 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Event Break-down – 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Volunteers can sign up at http://mon-
tana.racedragonboats.com/about/ volunteer/.
MOUNTAIN EXPOSURE
YELLOWSTONE REGION HAS HIGH EARTHQUAKE PROBABILITY
A new U.S. Geological Survey report indicates a slightly greater earthquake hazard in the Greater Yellowstone re- gion of Wyoming, Montana and Idaho than previously thought, a geophysicist says.
“The new maps show how Yellow- stone has had a relative increase in the hazard,” University of Utah geophysicist Bob Smith said. “It’s not a lot — it’s like 5 to 10 percent of peak acceleration.”
The USGS map of seismic hazards also shows that the region is as seis- mically hazardous as anywhere in the United States.
“It’s an area of well-above-normal earthquake hazard,” Smith said. “And now with all the population going in — all the new roads and dams — also high risk.”
A seasonal Moose resident, Smith was an advisory review member for the USGS report.
The nationwide USGS hazard maps and adjoining documents were last up- dated in 2006, he told the Jackson Hole News & Guide.
The federal document has more real- world implications than most scientific studies because it is used to determine building codes and dictates how robust- ly buildings must be constructed.
In a sense, the USGS seismic hazard maps are predictions of the likelihood for earthquakes.
“They are forecast maps,” Smith said, “because these are calculations of ground motions in certain time periods ahead of right now — they are essentially forms of forecastablity.”
The Teton Fault in northwest Wyo- ming has the highest seismic hazard in the Greater Yellowstone area, Smith said.
The last major seismic event in the Yellowstone region was the 1959 Hebgen Lake Quake in Montana.
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