| Flathead Valley
Trout Unlimited - Conservation News |
|
09/05/2010 -
Still years away from development, the fight
heats up over Pebble Mine. The combination
of geology and salmon has fishermen, miners,
politicians and Native groups debating a basic
question: Can Alaska’s largest fishery coexist
with what could be its biggest mine?
Fairbanks News-Miner |
|
09/05/2010 -
Biologists fear time running out
for lamprey in Columbia River. Dams and
diversions in the Columbia River Basin system,
degraded stream habitat, chemical poisoning,
poorer water quality, competition from
non-native fish species, disease and predators
are among reasons biologists cite for the plunge
of Pacific lamprey... Tacoma News-Tribune |
|
09/05/2010 -
The Modified Fish Fight. The FDA has
scheduled meetings for September 19 to 21 to
hear advice about whether the agency should
approve GM (genetically modified) salmon...
The Atlantic |
|
09/04/2010 -
Two Men in a Museum. “I take it you’re a
fisherman,” he said, glad nonetheless of the
momentary company. He tried to keep any trace of
condescension out of his voice... Fly Rod &
Reel |
|
09/03/2010 -
Where Dams Once Stood, Prospectors Spur Anger.
Resentment now flows as freely as the river.
Environmentalists and some riverside homeowners
see the gold dredgers as noisy invaders
rearranging the riverbed without care for the
insects, fish and people who live in and along
the Rogue... New York Times |
|
09/03/2010 -
Lake Michigan Ecosystem May Crash: 'Doughnut' of
Phytoplankton Disappearing. Under such
conditions, however, it is predictable that
populations of zooplankton will decline, and
following them, the alewives, chubs, Atlantic
salmon, muskies, smelt, walleyes, perch and the
rest of the hundred or so species of fish that
inhabit the southern part of Lake Michigan...
ScienceDaily |
|
09/03/2010 -
Clams befouling Tahoe invade Adirondack lake in
NY. The invasive Asian clam, Corbicula
fluminea, is known as the "golden clam" in the
aquarium trade and the "good luck clam" in its
native southeast Asia. But in Lake George,
scientists call it an unwelcome invader that
could cause ecological and economic harm...
Associated Press |
|
09/03/2010 -
Lake Trout Not Recovering In Lake Michigan.
A recent study by the Great Lakes Science Center
in Ann Arbor shows virtually no lake trout are
breeding in northern Lake Michigan..
Interlochen Public Radio |
|
09/03/2010 -
Fight against mine could be a bloody affair.
Ramping up
pressure on the federal government, native
leaders on Thursday expressed fierce opposition
to a proposed copper-gold mine in the British
Columbia Interior and warned of violent
consequences if the project is approved...
Globe & Mail |
|
09/03/2010 -
The Stonefly: So much more than just a bug.
"Stewardship is an essential thread bringing the
traditions of wine-making and fly-fishing
together... Durango Herald |
|
09/03/2010 -
Gene-Altered Salmon Won’t Harm Other Fish, FDA
Says. The genetically modified Atlantic
salmon, known as AquAdvantage, are unlikely to
escape into the ocean or reproduce with
conventional fish... Business Week |
|
09/02/2010 -
Anglers disagree over proposed new fishing regs.
Mark Aagenes of Trout Unlimited said a growing
number of walleyes in the Missouri between
Holter and Black Eagle dams are threatening a
part of the Missouri River that is critical
water for trout... Great Falls Tribune |
|
09/02/2010 -
Wyoming fights for the cutthroats. Killing
some brook trout on the west slope of the
Bighorn Mountains is necessary to improve the
Yellowstone cutthroat population... Billings
Gazette |
|
09/02/2010 -
Regional river managers discuss future Columbia
water issues in Missoula. The treaty runs
through at least 2024. And if no one wants to
tinker with it, it could last indefinitely. But
any possible changes have to be on the table by
2014, to give everyone 10 years to work on
them... Missoulian |
|
09/02/2010 -
Ochenski: Video exposes state's "poison and
plant" program. Restoring habitat, not
poisoning pristine waterways so they can be
replanted with monocultures, should be our
highest priority... Missoula Independent |
|
09/02/2010 -
Warmer weekend weather should increase hopper
activity. Warmer temperatures are expected
for the upcoming Labor Day weekend, so anglers
can expect one last rush of activity as
sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts get out for
one more adventurous weekend... Helena
Independent Record |
|
09/02/2010 -
War of the wells. Alberta's coal bed methane
potential doesn't stop at the Canadian border,
while Halliburton is eyeing the Shields Valley,
east of Bozeman, and ConocoPhillips has leases
within sight of my backyard... Missoula
Independent |
|
09/02/2010 -
Waterfowl hunters urged to not spread mussels.
[Beth] Bear said that as boating season winds
down and hunting season begins, waterfowl
hunters — especially those who use boats, canoes
or kayaks — should also be aware of the
potential for the spread of mussels...
Billings Gazette |
|
09/02/2010 -
A Steady, Steep Decline for The
Lowly, Uncharismatic Eel.
The freshwater eel, which
spawns in the middle of the ocean, was once
abundant in much of the world. But the
proliferation of dams, coastal development, and
overfishing have drastically reduced eel
populations... Yale Environment 360 |
|
09/02/2010 -
Mining Near Bryce Canyon: Who
Benefits? When Alton Coal starts digging
and hauling coal in Southern Utah, it will
either bring jobs to people who need them or
ammunition for the environmentalists against it.
Or, possibly, both... New West |
|
09/01/2010 -
Spread Creek Dam removal to improve trout
habitat. “The biggest benefit is, when it
comes down to long-term survivability of Snake
River cutthroat, you’re connecting 50 miles of
habitat,” he [Ron Gipson, FWP] said. “You’re
getting that genetic exchange that hasn’t been
there since the dam was constructed.”...
Jackson Hole News & Guide |
|
09/01/2010 -
Wyoming seeks buyers for abandoned
coal-bed methane wells. Under a sealed competitive bid process, the
state is now offering oil and gas lease rights
on 24 state parcels in Sheridan County. Each
parcel includes one to 16 coal-bed methane
wells, and each lease was either defaulted on or
was canceled by the state for various reasons...
Billings Gazette |
|
08/31/2010 -
EPA releases results of Wyoming water well
testing. The affected well owners were
advised not to drink the water at the
recommendation of the U.S. Department of Health
and Human Services' Agency for Toxic Substances
and Disease Registry, and told to use alternate
sources of water for drinking and cooking,
agency officials said... CNN |
|
08/31/2010 -
Grasshoppers take bite out of alfalfa. Some
farmers have lost entire fields of new alfalfa
seedlings, said Lincoln County University of
Idaho Extension Educator Christi Falen...
Twin Falls Times-News |
|
08/31/2010 -
Grizzlies Only Scratch the Surface
of What It Will Mean to Lose the Whitebark Pine.
The twisted, threatened symbol of high
elevation connects an entire ecosystem. As one
biologist puts it, "We don’t know what’s going
to happen without whitebark.”... New West |
|
08/31/2010 -
Study: Horseshoe Crab Decline
Connected to Climate Change. With predicted
climate change in the future, their numbers may
continue to decline... Environmental News
Network |
|
08/31/2010 -
School
bus-sized boulder damages Madison Dam. PPL
Montana employees are working to contain damage
to the Madison Dam near Ennis caused when a
school bus-sized boulder dislodged and smashed
into the western crest of the dam early Monday
morning... Bozeman Daily Chronicle |
|
08/31/2010 -
EDITORIAL: Much is at stake in how dry we'll be.
The New York-based environmental group Natural
Resources Defense Council recently released a
study that warns the combination of increased
demand for water and climate change will have
profound effects in the United States in the
years to come — and nowhere more than in
Idaho... Twin Falls Times-News |
|
08/30/2010 -
Heaps of Fossils From Evolutionary ‘Big Bang’
Discovered. Scientists have discovered a
group of astonishing fossils high in the
Canadian Rockies, just 40 kilometers from the
famous
Burgess Shale location... Wired Science |
|
08/30/2010 -
National parks feel the effects of human,
environmental threats. But beyond climate
change, and beyond mining and drilling projects
on the fringes of other national parks, one of
the most pressing dangers to these precious
places is the people who most adore them...
MSNBC |
|
08/30/2010 -
Grand Teton to remove Spread Creek diversion
dam. Park Superintendent Mary Gibson Scott
says the park will work with Trout Unlimited to
remove the Spread Creek dam. The dam is a
diversion structure on a stream that flows from
the Bridger-Teton National Forest into the
eastern boundary of the park... Billings
Gazette |
|
08/30/2010 -
Public will have access documents detailing
chemicals used in Wyoming drilling operations.
Despite vigorous opposition from industry, it
appears state regulators and the general public
will have broad access to documents detailing
chemicals used in oil and gas drilling,
hydraulic fracturing and other drilling
operations... Casper Star Tribune |
|
08/30/2010 -
Elevated levels of toxins found in Athabasca
River. Finding refutes long-standing claims
that water quality hasn’t been affected by oil
sands development. Globe & Mail |
|
08/29/2010 -
FWP Proposes Reducing Lake Koocanusa Bull
Trout Limit. Those fishing for lake trout on
Flathead Lake, however, may be pleased to learn
FWP proposes increasing the daily limit from 50
fish to 100 fish under 30 inches, leaving the
30-36 inch limit in place... Flathead Beacon |
|
08/29/2010 -
A mind-boggling Alaska mine. "I can't
imagine a worse location for a mine of this
type, unless it were in my kitchen," former
Alaska Gov. Jay Hammond, who lived nearby at
Lake Clark, said shortly before his death...
Seattle PI |
|
08/29/2010 -
Spread of 'didymo' algae perplexes California
scientists. So-called "nuisance blooms" of
didymo, like that in the Bear River, are being
reported with increasing frequency around the
world. Experts don't know why, but suspect
everything from climate change to a genetic
mutation in the algae itself... Sacramento
Bee |
|
08/27/2010 -
Missouri River will be dyed for study. The
Missouri River will be dyed red for a water-flow
study Monday and Wednesday near Toston and Three
Forks... Billings Gazette |
|
08/27/2010 -
Water Release Tweaks And Weather; Cooler
Deschutes Compared To Columbia Brings In
Steelhead. Longer,
cooler nights and a lowering of Round
Butte-Pelton water release temperatures have
served to make the mouth of central
Oregon's
Deschutes
River
an inviting place for spawning steelhead to pause
and rest before continuing their spawning
journey there or further up the Columbia-Snake
river system... Columbia Basin Bulletin |
|
08/27/2010 -
Corps Completes Cougar Dam Fish Collection
Facility To Aid McKenzie River Salmon, Bull
Trout. The U.S.
Army Corps of Engineers has completed a fish
collection and sorting facility on the
South
Fork McKenzie
River just below Cougar Dam to
support the recovery of endangered salmon and
bull trout populations in the
Willamette
River basin... Columbia Basin Bulletin |
|
08/26/2010 -
Sturgeon scientists gathering in Montana.
More than 120 sturgeon and paddlefish scientists
and enthusiasts from throughout North America
will gather Aug. 31-Sept. 2 in Bozeman and at
Chico Hot Springs... Great Falls Tribune |
|
08/26/2010 -
Study of coal ash sites finds extensive water
contamination. A study released on Thursday
finds that 39 sites in 21 states where
coal-fired power plants dump their coal ash are
contaminating water with toxic metals such as
arsenic and other pollutants, and that the
problem is more extensive than previously
estimated... McClatchy News |
|
08/26/2010 -
Water rights negotiation continue. The three
parties involved in the negotiations for a
federal reserved water rights compact on the
Flathead Indian Reservation met last Wednesday
at KwaTaqNuk Resort for their August negotiation
session... Char Koosta News |
|
08/26/2010 -
Contract to remove Elwha dams goes to Montana
firm. The National Park Service has signed a
$27 million contract with a Bozeman, Mont.,
company to take out the two dams on the Elwha
River in the largest dam-removal project in U.S.
history... Seattle Times |
|
08/26/2010 -
Smallmouth bass in Montana. Smallmouth bass
are primarily a stream fish but are also doing
well in reservoirs like Fort Peck and Tongue
River where specimens over 5 pounds have been
taken... Examiner.com |
|
08/26/2010 -
Why Climate Change Denial Has Nothing to Do With
Science and Everything to Do With Politics.
Judging by its recent antics in the Senate and
by primary campaigns all over the country, the
Republican party appears to be heading towards a
unanimous rejection of the science...
AlterNet |
|
08/26/2010 -
Missouri running mossy, Yellowstone fishing hot.
Those living on the upper Yellowstone River
don’t have to travel far this weekend to chase
their fishing fix. On the famed blue-ribbon
water, anglers are taking trout from Gardiner to
Big Timber... Helena Independent Record |
|
08/26/2010 -
Whitefish River dams.
A second phase of cleanup to remove
petroleum-contaminated sediment from the
Whitefish River began recently... Daily
Inter Lake |
|
08/25/2010 -
Wyoming Supreme Court upholds public river
access. The Wyoming Supreme Court says the
public can continue to hunt and fish on a
blue-ribbon stretch of the North Platte River
west of Casper... Billings Gazette |
|
08/25/2010 -
Utah, Anglers still plying the stream-access
waters. A lawsuit is close to being filed
and a new group has emerged with the promise to
“promote and assist in all aspects of securing
public access to Utah’s public waters and stream
beds.”... Salt Lake Tribune |
|
08/25/2010 -
Salmon catch still cooking on Columbia. The
king and hatchery coho salmon fishery at the
Lower Columbia River mouth from Buoy 10 to the
Astoria-Megler Bridge has been giving up some
pretty good action, especially on the late
afternoon flood tide... Seattle Times |
|
08/25/2010 -
Milfoil weed discovered near Toston. The
discovery distresses fisheries biologists and
weed specialists, who said that while nonnative
Eurasian watermilfoil — more commonly called
milfoil — was found in 2007 in the lower Clark
Fork River, this has more widespread
implications... Helena Independent Record |
|
08/25/2010 -
B.C. sockeye salmon returns best in nearly a
century. Fishery officials estimated Tuesday
that more than 25 million sockeye salmon will
return to the Fraser River this year, the
largest number since 1913. Last year’s return
was 1.7 million — the lowest in more than 50
years... Vancouver Sun |
|
08/24/2010 -
Pikeminnow reward program ahead of last year's
pace. So far this season, 115,878 pikeminnow
have been caught, with more than $650,000 in
payoffs to anglers... OregonLive |
|
08/23/2010 -
Crews help cleanse Ninemile creeks of mining
waste. In the days before active mine
restoration rules, the miners posted less than
$2,000 in bonds against the damage they did. It
has now cost more than $500,000 to reclaim St.
Louis Creek, and will take another $200,000 to
reconnect Mattie V Creek to the Ninemile...
Missoulian |
|
08/23/2010 -
On Our Radar: Coal Plant Construction. More
than 30 new coal-fired power plants have been
built since 2008 or are under construction,
representing the coal power industry’s largest
expansion in decades. “Building a coal-fired
power plant today is betting that we are not
going to put a serious financial cost on
emitting carbon dioxide,” an energy policy
expert says... New York Times |
|
08/22/2010 -
Remembering Buffalo Soldiers' bravery during
Fires of 1910. On Sunday, the soldiers'
textured story was told by a group of Buffalo
Soldier re-enactors - which included at least
one descendant of the original Buffalo Soldiers
- during an emotional and inspiring event at
Fort Missoula to commemorate the 100-year
anniversary of the great 1910 fires of Idaho and
Montana... Missoulian |
|
08/22/2010 -
Hopper patterns popular with anglers.
The Year of the
Grasshopper is under way. Early projections
called for a bumper crop of grasshoppers
throughout the West this year, and after a slow
start, a number of fishermen have reported the
expected hopper boom to be in full swing...
Denver Post |
|
08/22/2010 -
Kansas waterways at risk as invasive carp
spread. For now, the Arkansas River is free
of the dreaded fish. But a few Asian carp have
been found in the Verdigris and Neosho rivers of
south-central Kansas... McClatchy News |
|
08/22/2010 -
Make sustainable seafood choices. Right now,
you can walk into a store and buy wild sockeye
salmon. But depending on where it came from --
B.C., Alaska or Russia -- it might be from a
fishery on the verge of collapse. So how does a
consumer know what's green and what isn't when
it comes to seafood?... Victoria
Times-Colonist |
|
08/21/2010 -
1910's 'red terror' brought with it heroism and
tragedy. The story of the Big Blowup of Aug.
20-21, 1910, is the story of wildland
firefighting in America: heroic, deadly,
enduring... Missoulian |
|
08/21/2010 -
Talking Trout: The weekend fishing report.
If you're headed out for an evening of fishing
on one of our local rivers, bring a diverse fly
box and leave behind your preconceived
notions... Missoulian |
|
08/21/2010 -
FDA Close to Approving 'Frankenfish' Salmon.
The FDA is in the results phase of a 14 year
proposal study which, if approved, could make
genetically engineered salmon legally fit for
human consumption within a year... Gather |
|
08/21/2010 -
Fires of 1910 left indelible scars on Idaho,
Montana. The fire incinerated all that it
encountered — towns, trees and lives. From
scientists, we know the likely power of the
blowup: runs of more than 50,000 acres,
firebrands thrown 10 miles from the flame front,
turbulence of up to 80 mph, burns — where the
fire entered a natural crucible — equivalent to
a Hiroshima-type bomb exploding every two
minutes. Three million acres of land burned in
two days... Billings Gazette |
|
08/20/2010 -
Swan Lake netting effort that aims to help bull
trout set to start. According to Wade
Fredenberg of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service, lake trout have severely diminished
native fish runs by out-competing the locals. In
addition, he said, lake trout often make a meal
of small bull trout... Missoulian |
|
08/20/2010 -
Mont. Homebuilders Win Battle in Long-Running
Well War. Montana regulators acknowledged
this week that homebuilders are using
permit-exempt wells to bypass laws intended to
protect water supplies in arid areas, but they
nonetheless rejected a bid to close what critics
call a loophole to undermine ranchers' water
rights... New York Times |
|
08/20/2010 -
Agriculture Dept. Funds Northwest Projects To
Improve Fish Habitat, Water Quality. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack last week
announced the selection of Collaborative Forest
Landscape Restoration projects in nine states,
including million-dollar projects in the
Northwest... Columbia Basin Bulletin |
|
08/20/2010 -
Groups appeal Tin Cup Dam project. Two
wilderness advocacy groups have filed an appeal
seeking to force the Forest Service to redo its
environmental analysis on proposed
reconstruction of the Tin Cup Dam south of
Darby... Ravalli Republic |
|
08/20/2010 -
South American fish caught in Casper's Yesness
Pond. An angler recently reported catching a
12-inch Oscar fish in the pond, Game and Fish
officials said in a press release. An Oscar is a
species of fish native to the warm waters of
Peru, Colombia and Brazil and is a popular
aquarium fish... Casper Star Tribune |
|
08/20/2010 -
Great fire wiped out wild towns of Taft,
Grand Forks. Both Taft and Grand Forks made
desultory attempts to rebuild, but by 1911, the
forest rangers managed to shut down the last
tent saloon in Grand Forks... Spokesman
Review |
|
08/19/2010 -
Rivers, lakes are full. Reservoirs will have
ample water going into winter, and with few
exceptions, rivers and streams are running at or
above average for this late in the season...
Billings Gazette |
|
08/19/2010 -
River expert praises Yellowstone. ‘This is a
treasure,’ author says during Billings
symposium.. Billings Gazette |
|
08/19/2010 -
Is Catch and Release "Playing With Your Food?"
Whether you keep a fish or release it... the
angler's actions should always be done with
respect for the fish foremost in mind...
Field & Stream |
|
08/19/2010 -
Proposed 2011 Fishing Regulation Changes.
Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited encourages all
anglers to stay involved by submitting comments
on these proposed changes... Flathead Beacon |
|
08/19/2010 -
Slowing Urban Sprawl, Adding Forests Curb Floods
and Help Rivers. Controlling urban growth
and increasing forested land are the most
effective ways to decrease future water runoff
and flooding, according to a Purdue University
study... ScienceDaily |
|
08/19/2010 -
Montana Says it Will Reconsider Rural
Water Rules. The Department of Natural
Resources and Conservation ruled Wednesday to
repeal the exemption in coming months. A
tentative replacement would limit the number of
well exemptions allowed for a single project or
subdivision to 12... Flathead Beacon |
|
08/19/2010 -
Planners
recommend extraction limits in N. Fork. The
Flathead County Planning Board last week
recommended limiting the size of extractive
industries in the North Fork, but took pains to
disassociate itself from a much-publicized
memorandum of understanding between Gov. Brian
Schweitzer and British Columbia Premier Gordon
Campbell... Daily Inter Lake |
|
08/19/2010 -
Fishing report. Hoppers and terrestrials
have been working on area streams. On the
Missouri, the caddis hatch has lingered...
Great Falls Tribune |
|
08/19/2010 -
Experiencing the big Mo. Fortunately, the
Missouri River offers more options for fish-able
water than perhaps anywhere else in the state...
Helena Independent Record |
|
08/19/2010 -
Find your favorite fishing spot. Smorgasbord
may be a Swedish word but it seems fitting for
the fishing action occurring across Montana
right now — anglers have a buffet table of
options... Helena Independent Record |
|
08/18/2010 -
Columbia River steelhead fishery slows in lower
river, but still very good above Bonneville Dam.
The Columbia River A-steelhead run is tracking
about 375,000 to 400,000 right now compared to
the original preseason forecast of 337,500. The
larger-size and later returning B-steelhead
forecast is about 90,000... Seattle Times |
|
08/18/2010 -
John Berry's Fly-Fishing for Trout: How
fly-fishing has changed over the years. The
most obvious change to me is that there are a
lot more of us. There are more people
fly-fishing now than when I first started...
Baxter Bulletin |
|
08/18/2010 -
Volunteers pair love of fly fishing with service
to Yellowstone. The anglers had a task: Keep
an eye out for brook trout, or "brookies," a
non-native species introduced Yellowstone's
ecosystem decades ago by park managers who
wanted to keep the lakes and rivers stocked with
an ample supply of trout for sport fishermen...
Bozeman Daily Chronicle |
|
08/18/2010 -
Slamming carp for trout.
"What seems
improbable today — fishing for trout downtown —
someday could become a normal thing," said Todd
Fehr, president of the Denver Chapter of Trout
Unlimited... Denver Post |
|
08/18/2010 -
Yukon River chum salmon run falters. With
the Yukon River’s fall chum salmon run still
floundering and water still too high for
fishing, villagers along the river have turned
their attention to more meaningful tasks...
Fairbanks News Miner |
|
08/17/2010 -
Herring: How to Dynamite a Creek. I was
fascinated when my friend Bruce Farling of Trout
Unlimited sent me this old DuPont ad that
celebrates the virtues of straightening creeks
with dynamite... Field & Stream |
|
08/17/2010 -
Yellowstone River symposium to bring
international experts to Billings. A
Yellowstone River symposium Thursday and Friday
in Billings will bring together local, regional
and international experts to discuss the river
and its future... Billings Gazette |
|
08/17/2010 -
Coal may be king for decades. Utilities
across the country are building dozens of
old-style coal plants that will cement the
industry’s standing as the largest industrial
source of climate-changing gases for years to
come... Billings Gazette |
|
08/17/2010 -
9th Circuit: Mud from logging roads is
pollution. A federal appeals court has
decided that mud washing off logging roads is
pollution and ordered the Environmental
Protection Agency to write regulations to reduce
the amount that reaches salmon streams...
Missoulian |
|
08/17/2010 -
Stalking Bass in Trout Country. Unlike the
best-known bass strongholds of the South,
Montana isn’t typically thought of as a premiere
largemouth destination. Bass?... Flathead
Beacon |
|
08/17/2010 -
We Waste How Much Water On Coal?! Between
800 and 3,000 gallons of water are used to
extract, process and dispose each ton of coal...
AlterNet |
|
08/16/2010 -
Will the Tester Bill End Montana’s Wilderness
War? Tester’s bill is not only the first to
be introduced in more than a decade (and the
first with a legitimate chance of passage in
more than twice that time), it also takes a
wholly new approach... New West |
|
08/16/2010 -
Levels Plummet in Crucial Reservoir. Water
levels in Lake Mead, the Colorado River
reservoir, fell sharply again this summer and
are nearing an elevation that would set off the
first-ever official water shortage on the
river... New York Times |
|
08/16/2010 -
USFS Commerates 1910 Fire. This website is
designed to assist you in locating information
on both the Fires of 1910 and the Commemoration
events of 2010 that are occurring in Northern
Idaho and Western Montana... USFS |
|
08/16/2010 -
FWP proposes conserving river frontage.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing a
plan to conserve 1,600 acres of farm and ranch
land between Cascade and Ulm, including 10 miles
of Missouri River frontage that's teeming with
wildlife from white-tailed deer to sandhill
cranes... Great Falls Tribune |
|
08/16/2010 -
Human Activity Eclipses Brazos River's Native
Carbon Cycle. A new study by geochemists at
Rice University finds that damming and other
human activity has completely obscured the
natural carbon dioxide cycle in Texas' longest
river, the Brazos... ScienceDaily |
|
08/15/2010 -
Fly Fishers Serving as Transports for Noxious
Little Invaders. For fly fishers who pride
themselves on a conservationist ethic, it hurts
to discover that they may be trampling on that
ethic every time they wade into a trout
stream... New York Times |
|
08/15/2010 -
Irrigation dam has sinkhole, needs repairs.
Bitterroot National Forest officials plan an
environmental analysis on repairing a sinkhole
discovered June 30 in the Canyon Lake Dam on
Canyon Creek about 8 miles west of Hamilton..
KFBB TV |
|
08/15/2010 -
BAKKEN PLAY: BOOM OR BURDEN? “We think we’ll
issue 2,000 drilling permits this year,” said
Lynn Helms, director of the North Dakota Oil and
Gas Commission, while Montana is on track to
issue 300 oil drilling permits this year...
Billings Gazette |
|
08/15/2010 -
Hookless trout flies are the next big thing.
As part of an online forum at The New York
Times, a number of people are proposing that fly
fishermen use flies that are not attached to a
hook... Cumberland Times-News |
|
08/15/2010 -
NOAA takes fresh look at Columbia hatchery plan.
The agency overseeing Columbia Basin salmon and
steelhead fishery management is exploring
alternatives to guide future federal hatchery
operations and reduce the impact of human-raised
fish on natural fish populations... Tacoma
News Tribune |
|
08/14/2010 -
So far, 2010 is the world's hottest year on
record, NOAA data show. On Friday, the
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
released data showing that, from January to
July, the average global temperature was 58.1
degrees. That was 1.22 degrees over the average
from the 20th century, and the highest since
1880, when reliable records begin...
Washington Post |
|
08/14/2010 -
PPL Asks US Supreme Court to Hear Dams Case.
PPL Montana is asking the U.S. Supreme Court to
stop the state of Montana from seizing ownership
of riverbeds and forcing rent payments, arguing
other states may copy the move... Flathead
Beacon |
|
08/14/2010 -
Genetically engineered salmon under FDA
consideration. The Food and Drug
Administration has yet to approve what would be
the nation's first commercial genetically
modified food animal... Los Angeles Times |
|
08/13/2010 -
Feds recommend lifting block on oil leases in
Montana, Dakotas. The government had agreed
in March to re-examine its leasing program. That
came after environmentalists filed a lawsuit
seeking reductions in greenhouse gases released
by companies during drilling... Billings
Gazette |
|
08/13/2010 -
Fall chum run looks dismal for Yukon River.
As if things weren’t bad enough for Yukon River
salmon fishermen, the fall chum run, which many
fishermen were counting on to make up for a lack
of kings this year, is either very late or very
poor... Fairbanks News-Miner |
|
08/12/2010 -
Ugly, invasive fish spreads into Utah's Green
River. An invasive species of fish now lurks
in Utah waters and threatens to wipe out native
species in prize-fishing waters. State fishery
managers need help to keep it from taking
over... KSL TV |
|
08/12/2010 -
Hopper action picking up on Missouri River.
Fishermen could do without all the afternoon
thundershowers we’ve had moving through the area
in recent days, but overall things are picking
up for river anglers... Helena Independent
Record |
|
08/12/2010 -
Wyoming Game and Fish stocks alpine lakes with
flying fish. For one week each year in late
summer, Game and Fish officials fly more than
100,000 fish into roughly 65 alpine lakes,
giving sportsmen an opportunity to catch a prize
in the backcountry... Billings Gazette |
|
08/11/2010 -
North Fork protection near complete.
A deal to
permanently protect the North Fork of the
Flathead could come soon, Montana Sen. Jon
Tester said last week... Hungry Horse News |
|
08/11/2010 -
New Owners, Familiar Cast at Whitefish Fly Shop.
Lakestream employs between 12 and 14 workers –
part- and full-time – in the summer, along with
16 primary guides. In the offseason, the number
of employees dips to three... Flathead
Beacon |
|
08/11/2010 -
FWP Seeks Comment on Possible Changes to
Floating the Smith. Montana Fish, Wildlife &
Parks is looking for input on proposed changes
to the system for a highly coveted permit to
float the Smith River in central Montana...
New West |
|
08/11/2010 -
Sockeye swim into Redfish Lake near
Stanley. Sockeye salmon swam up Redfish Lake
Creek Wednesday for the first time past a
barrier erected in 1991 to capture the last of
the species for captive breeding... Bellingham
Herald |
|
08/11/2010 -
Officials,
advocates urge cautious optimism regarding
sockeye. "Probably 80
percent of the returning fish are hatchery fish
that play only a temporary role in the recovery
of wild populations," said Greg Stahl, spokesman
for the Boise-based conservation group Idaho
Rivers United... Idaho Mountain Express |
|
08/10/2010 -
Dry B.C. summer puts fish stocks in jeopardy,
government warns.
British Columbia’s dry summer is creating
alarmingly low river levels throughout the
province, a problem that could endanger fish
populations in some regions, the provincial
government warned Tuesday... Globe & Mail |
|
08/10/2010 -
EPA to hold groundwater contamination meeting in
Wyoming. Homeowners in the Pavillion area
will hear more about groundwater contamination
in their neighborhood during a public meeting
Aug. 31... Billings Gazette |
|
08/09/2010 -
Fly
fishing conclave centers on West Yellowstone.
Federation of Fly Fishers is holding its
national Fly Fishing Fair and Conclave in West
Yellowstone.The event is about education,
inspiration and recreation for persons
interested in the sport of fly fishing...
Cody Enterprise |
|
08/09/2010 -
Bitterroot Valley water supply looking better
than earlier predictions. As the Bitterroot
Valley officially enters the dog days of summer,
the local irrigation and fisheries water supply
is a far cry from the hand-wringing predictions
some agencies faced a few months ago...
Missoulian |
|
08/09/2010 -
Accusations of Flawed Climate Science are
Rejected by the EPA. EPA found there is no
evidence to support the claims made by the
petitioners, and felt the claims were not
sufficient to alter the conclusions of the
December 2009 Endangerment Finding...
Environmental News Network |
|
08/09/2010 -
FWP probing fish kill on Madison tributary.
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is evaluating
an accidental fish kill in the lower seven miles
of Cherry Creek, a tributary of the Madison
River southwest of Bozeman... Helena
Independent Record |
|
08/09/2010 -
Stream reopens to boaters at Sluice Boxes. A
dangerous logjam blocking Belt Creek within
Sluice Boxes State Park since May 18 has been
cleared and the seven-mile stretch of waters
through the state park has been reopened to
floating... Helena Independent Record |
|
08/09/2010 -
Hydroelectric Dams Threaten Tribal Groups
Worldwide, Report Says. Numerous giant
hydroelectric dam projects being planned or
already under construction in remote regions
worldwide will devastate tribal people by
driving them off their lands or destroying
hunting and fishing grounds, according to a new
report... Yale Environment 360 |
|
08/08/2010 -
All sprays not equal in bear confrontations.
A 2006 study found that only 2 percent of those
using bear spray in a bear attack were injured,
compared to 50 percent of those who depended on
a firearm to defend themselves... Billings
Gazette |
|
08/07/2010 -
Review of Ketchum Release - fly fishing hook
removal tool. The Ketchum Release tool is a
fly hook removing tool. This tool makes the
healthy release of the fish much easier...
Examiner.com |
|
08/07/2010 -
Trico hatch a delight. Trico is short for
tricorythodes, a mayfly that according to
TroutNut.com
has gained a near cult following because of
“their widespread, reliable, heavy hatches
(that) draw impressive rises of ultra-selective
trout which demand the most of a technical
dry-fly angler’s skills.”... Missoulian |
|
08/06/2010 -
Comments
sought on proposed changes to 2011 fishing regs.
On Flathead Lake, to protect the bull trout
population, the lake trout limit would be raised
to 100 daily in possession, with no change to
the slot limit... Talking Trout Blog |
|
08/06/2010 -
Milltown Dam cleanup area remains closed to
river users, agency reminds. River users are
reminded that the Clark Fork and Blackfoot
Rivers remain closed to recreation above and
below the Milltown Dam cleanup project area...
Missoulian |
|
08/06/2010 -
NOAA Fisheries Releases For Comment Draft EIS
For Guiding Columbia Basin Hatcheries. NOAA
Fisheries today (Friday) released a draft
environmental impact statement that will help
the agency guide federal hatchery operations in
the Columbia River basin and
determine how best to distribute federal
Mitchell Act funds... Columbia Basin
Bulletin |
|
08/06/2010 -
July Steelhead Catch Just Short Of Record;
Counts Over Bonneville Dam Remain Strong. Based on
the in-season projection through July 31, last
month's steelhead catch in the lower
Columbia River fell just short of
last year's record July harvest...
Columbia Basin Bulletin |
|
08/06/2010 -
Mining ban on North Fork federal lands clears
Senate committee. A measure that would ban
federal-land mining along Glacier National
Park's western edge has passed a major Senate
hurdle, and has been expanded to provide
water-quality protections for nearby
communities... Missoulian |
|
08/06/2010 -
Wolves back on endangered list. A federal
court judge in Missoula has put gray wolves back
on the list of animals covered under the
Endangered Species Act, stopping wolf hunts in
Montana and Idaho... Helena Independent
Record |
|
08/05/2010 -
New Dams on the Boise Leave Many Divided.
The Corps of Engineers and the Idaho Water
Resource Board are surveying six potential dam
sites along the Boise River from upper Mores
Creek to the Upper North Fork... New West |
|
08/05/2010 -
Fishing report. Hopper action is pretty
good. The better days are hot, windy and dry.
The next three to four weeks should be a lot
more consistent... Helena Independent |
|
08/05/2010 -
Blackfoot Access Agreement. The future of a
34-year-old public access agreement between
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and
Blackfoot River property owners has remained
uncertain for most of the year... Missoula
Independent |
|
08/05/2010 -
Stimson sues over Bonner mill cleanup. The
Oregon-based company filed a lawsuit against the
property's former owner July 26 in Missoula
District Court seeking to recoup costs of
excavating a contaminated cooling pond and berm
that extends from the mill into the Blackfoot
River... Missoula Independent |
|
08/05/2010 -
Fish camp open to young anglers. Swan
Ecosystem Center will hold its eighth annual
Fish Camp from 10 a.m. Aug. 12 to 1 p.m. Aug.
13. Campers will receive fishing instruction,
learn fishing ethics and regulations, practice
catch-and-release techniques and fish
identification, along with much more...
Daily Inter Lake |
|
08/04/2010 -
A province ablaze. Large chunks of British
Columbia are ready to go up in smoke with 50 new
wildfires expected to break out daily as long as
hot, dry weather persists... Globe & Mail |
| |
