Don’t Give a Hoot
July is a guide’s bread and butter, but the hoot owl may end it
Lincoln County Commissioners Lobby Montana to Loosen Cap on Mining Waste at U.S.-Canada Border
The rulemaking petition is the latest effort to undo safeguards protecting Lake Koocanusa from a mining contaminant called selenium, which is leaching out of B.C. coal mines and into the international watershed
Property Near Bigfork Becomes Permanent Wildlife Refuge
A new conservation easement with the Flathead Land Trust will protect 40 acres northeast of Bigfork, connecting a corridor from Swan Hill to the Swan River
Yellowstone Delisting Proposal Backed by Montana Reps Clears Key Congressional Hurdle
Reps. Ryan Zinke and Troy Downing are co-sponsoring the Grizzly Bear State Management Act of 2025, which Wyoming’s congresswoman has championed
Grizzy Bear Deaths, Conflicts Continue to Rise in Northwest Montana
A spate of recent bear encounters underscore the state agency’s new messaging approach when reporting encounters between humans and grizzly bears, including online tools to promote awareness
For the Birds
I’ve been watching birds, a lot of them
Somewhere Over the Rainbow (Peak)
A climb in the North Fork region of Glacier National Park that encompasses all the elements
FWP Investigates Illegal Introduction of Brown Trout in Flathead River
After an angler hooked a brown trout upstream of Pressentine Bridge last month, officials are trying to determine how the nonnative species ended up in a river system, as well as the extent of its invasion
What Could the End of the Roadless Rule Mean for Montana’s National Forests?
Critics of the decades-old policy restricting road construction and timber harvests in inventoried roadless areas say its repeal removes obstacles for local forest managers. But conservation advocates and former forest planners say the rule’s dissolution is more complicated.
Only the Good Die Young
The magnitude of the Texas disaster is hard to comprehend
FWP Approves Next Phase of Project to Conserve Timber Forests in Northwest Montana
The agency completed its review of an easement on 53,000 acres of private timberland in Flathead and Lincoln counties, preserving public access and timber production. The project now requires approval by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Agency Grants Special Use Permit to New Owners of Holland Lake Lodge
The U.S. Forest Service announced that it had approved a special use authorization for Holland Lake Lodge in May. The permit was formally granted to Holland Peak, LLC on July 1. The owners are tentatively planning to reopen the lodge in 2026.
Glacier Park On Pace for Another Record-breaking Summer
After clocking its second-busiest year on record in 2024, Glacier National Park has already surpassed the monthly visitation record in May; meanwhile, restrictions have forced daily closures in the popular Many Glacier Valley
Big, Beautiful Victory
This wasn’t the first and won’t be the last run at selling off public lands
Raft Guides Share the Stewardship Load at Flathead River Access Sites
A new stewardship program between the Flathead National Forest and a trio of river outfitters helps distribute the work of maintaining river access sites
