News you can use
News you can use
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9:45 a.m. Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services Coordinator Amanda Frickel said this morning that a full attack continues on the Eagle Creek Fire in the Bear Paw Mountains. Frickel said the fire, first detected on Mount Baldy Wednesday afternoon on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation, was estimated this morning at 8,200 acres. She said containment is estimated at 60 percent off the reservation and 30 percent on Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation. Frickel said about 150 personnel... Full story
The fire in the Bear Paw Mountains that was reported at 2,000 acres this morning -- but growing rapidly -- was listed at 8,500 acres this afternoon, with Hill County Disaster and Emergency Services reporting at 2 p.m. that it was 45 percent contained but Rocky Boy's Indian Reservation reporting at about 1 p.m. zero percent containment on the reservation side. A post about 1 p.m. on the Chippewa Creek Tribe Facebook page said the fire, which started on the reservation on Mount... Full story
Amanda Eggert Montana Free Press Montana livestock-producer groups and two Republican elected officeholders continued their pressure campaign to halt bison grazing on federal lands late last week, asking the Bureau of Land Management to reconsider its recent approval of grazing leases in north-central Montana. In three separate appeals, the Montana Stockgrowers Association, Gov. Greg Gianforte and Attorney General Austin Knudsen asked the BLM to reverse its July 28 decision...
RIVERTON, Wyo. - Barbara Ann Ryan of Riverton, 86, otherwise known as "Sweet Bobbie Ann," passed away at the Help for Health Hospice Home Friday, August 12, 2022, with her family by her side. A memorial service will be held October 3, 2022, in Riverton at a location to be determined. Barbara Ann Bateman was born on May 31, 1936, in Rawlins, Wyoming, to Robert L. and Mary Catherine (Bickel) Bateman, joining siblings Jack and Mary Lou. The family moved often throughout Wyoming... Full story
Montana Department of Environmental Quality has calculated a potential fine, more than $500,000, for a group requesting permission to do mining exploration at a site that already has cost millions in restoration. The fine has been proposed for alleged mining exploration without a permit. A consent order drafted by Montana Department of Environmental Quality states that Blue Arc LLC, Luke Ployhar, Legacy Mining LLC and Owen Voigt will pay the fine, $516,567, for conducting...
BILLINGS — A Shepherd man lost his hunting privileges for 16 years and will pay fines and restitution exceeding $6,000 after pleading guilty to 16 state and federal charges of poaching mule deer and leaving some parts at a federal recreation area. Brayden Reed, 19, pleaded guilty in Yellowstone County Justice Court to four counts of unlawful possession of deer, two counts of wasting game, three counts of hunting during a closed season, two counts of unlawful use of equipment, two counts of hunting without a license and one c...
The president of Fort Belknap Indian Community's tribal council said the council is pleased about U.S. Bureau of Land Management announcing it plans to withdraw more land just south of Fort Belknap Indian Reservation from mining, but it is still looking for answers on some new mining claims filed in an area that had been banned from mining. Fort Belknap Indian Community Council President Jeffrey "Jeff" Stiffarm said in replies to questions from Havre Daily News that if mining...
Editor's note: Watch for more on this story in upcoming editions of Havre Daily News. The federal government is proposing pulling more land in The Little Rocky Mountains out of bounds for new mining, putting the portion proposed for withdrawal back to about what it was from 2000 to 2020. The Bureau of Land Management is proposing a withdrawal of more than 900 acres at the Zortman-Landusky Mine reclamation area, the bureau said in a press release, in addition to the lands...
Recently, I canceled a trip to fish for steelhead in Washington because that state closed the Hoh River over historically low returns. This is nothing new to any angler who has followed the trajectory of sea-run fish throughout the Northwest. A deadly cocktail of irresponsible development, climate change, and dams have decimated salmon and steelhead in the lower 48. Fortunately, Montana anglers who dream of taking a trip to chase these species have a critical ally in a Republican member of Congress. Idaho’s Mike Simpson l...
from U.S. Bureau of Reclamation The Bureau of Reclamation is scheduled to host a public meeting at the Chester Community/Senior Center at 618 E. Adams Ave., Chester, April 7 from 6 - 8 p.m. to discuss recreation at Tiber Reservoir Discussion topics will include camping, fishing, boating safety and more. There will be presentations about land and recreation, state of the fisheries, aquatic invasive species, noxious weed management, and marina updates. “The public is encouraged to attend this public meeting,” Reclamation Natura...
By Matthew Brown Associated Press BILLINGS — U.S. officials announced Wednesday approval of a conservation group’s proposal to expand bison grazing on prairies in north-central Montana as part of a vast nature reserve over objections from some ranchers and elected officials. The decision allows the American Prairie group to graze bison on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property and to remove about 30 miles of fences so the animals can roam more freely. The Bozeman-based group already has more than 800 bison on a mix of pub...
The Hill County Fire Council had their biannual meeting Wednesday, where Bureau of Land Management Lewistown Duty Officer Don Pyrah presented a new system for filing initial reports on fires, and County Fire Warden Amanda Frickel suggested some areas of operational improvement and a few new procedures. Pyrah said the new online reporting system is built so fire departments can submit initial reports for fires easily from a phone, a streamlined new system he said will be faster and create more accurate data to pull information...
“The first rule of intelligent tinkering is to save all the pieces,” advised wildlife biologist Aldo Leopold. In ecology, that means saving diverse niches, all the habitat types necessary for native species to thrive. That is appropriate for our public lands. But some public land users are taking the best, the highest-grade resources for private uses. When the best is gone, they go after the next-best, and then the next-best. This is the high grading downward spiral. Grazing, for example, had so damaged public lands in the...
Cold and snow are back in the area - apparently briefly - but what that means in the long term, both for weather and for drought conditions, is unknown. After temperatures in the 40s and even to the 60s in the past few weeks, with virtually no snow, the white stuff is again on the ground in this region and temperatures are back below zero with a wind chill advisory in effect for much of the state west of the divide and bitter wind chills expected through Wednesday. But that...
Wallace "Wally" Edward Elliot of Chinook, Montana, age 85, passed away February 16, 2022. He was born on October 15, 1936, in Renville, Minnesota, to John and Pearl Elliot. He graduated from Morton High School, Class of 1954, in Morton, Minnesota. At the beginning of his college career, Wally was drafted into the U.S. Army in August of 1961, and proudly served his country in North Korea for two years in the 6th Howitzer Battalion 80th Artillery. He was considered an expert... Full story
From U.S. Bureau of Reclamation The James Kipp Recreation Area will temporarily close for the 2022 winter season, starting Jan. 18, according to Bureau of Land Management officials at the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Day-use areas, including the boat ramp, fish-cleaning station and restroom facilities, will be inaccessible throughout the winter closure. The James Kipp Recreation Area is scheduled to reopen April 1. "The river surface is now frozen over,"...
Leaders of the Fort Belknap Indian Community said they are glad to have the opportunity to talk about a proposed new mine exploration in the Little Rocky Mountains because it will give its members a chance to show their opposition to the proposal. "The tribe's 100 percent opposed," Fort Belknap Indian Community Council President Jeff Stiffarm said. "We're going to fight this tooth and nail," he added. "I'm glad our people at least will have the chance to speak." Montana Depart...
From U.S. Bureau of Land Management International Bat Week is just around the corner, and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument team will celebrate by showcasing the 15 different bat species that call Montana home. People can stop by the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center in Fort Benton Oct. 25-29, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., to learn about these special animals, take part in crafts and activities, and attend a short program about bats. Bats play a unique role in our...
From Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Grizzly bears have the potential to be found anywhere in the western two-thirds of Montana, west of Billings, and their distribution is denser and more widespread than in previous years. Some areas with dense concentrations of grizzly bears are very accessible to hunters, especially during the archery season. People should keep these precautions in mind when hunting in grizzly country: • Carry and know how to use bear spray. Keep it within easy reach and be prepared to use it i...
The Pine Grove Fire in the Little Rocky Mountains is 98 percent contained and demobilization of resources deployed to fight the fire is under way, an update on the InciWeb Pine Grove Fire page said this morning. The fire, which was detected Aug. 16, has burned 16,004 acres, burned at least one structure — where the fire started — and led to the evacuation of the communities of Zortman and Pine Grove. The evacuations were lifted after rain and cooler weather helped fireghters’ efforts to contain the blaze, the the post this...
Firefighters continue today to fight the Pine Grove Fire in the Little Rocky Mountains, gaining some headway with cooler weather and rain in the last week, with an update this morning saying the fire is 58 percent contained, with the increase mainly on the fire’s southeast edge. The update said crews today will confirm on the fire’s perimeter information provided Sunday in an infrared flight which showed heat only in the interior of the fires area. Agency authorities this morning also will discuss the need for evacuation war...
The 20th Anniversary celebration for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument will take place on Saturday, Aug. 28, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Missouri Breaks Interpretive Center, with a list of special speakers. As part of the celebration, no admission fee will be charged to tour the Interpretive Center on this day. People can bring the whole family out to tour the new interpretive exhibits, attend special programs featuring guest speakers, visit booths...
Firefighters have gained at least a temporary respite in efforts to contain the Pine Grove Fire in the Little Rocky Mountains, although the incident command warns that could change very quickly. Rain, cooler temperatures, lower wind and higher humidity has allowed firefighters to slow the spread of the fire, and people evacuated from Zortman and the Pine Grove community have been allowed to return home, though they and other communities still are on alert. The update on the...
The Pine Grove Fire in the Little Rocky Mountains, which has led to the evacuation of Zortman and the Pine Grove area on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, is being run as a Type 3 incident with a state fire management team in command and updates being posted on the InciWeb website. Firefighters are dealing with the fire in cooler, more humid weather than when the fire was first discovered, and National Weather Service reports about a half-inch of rain fell in the region Wednesday afernoon, significantly more than was predicted...
A fire that started in southwestern Blaine County Tuesday has been contained to 12 acres, said Chinook Volunteer Fire Department Chief Kraig Hansen, who also serves as the Blaine County fire warden. The Black Coulee fire grew from a hot spot created by a lightning strike that occurred sometime during the storm that blew through the area Sunday, he said. Blaine County and Bureau of Land Management responded with crews, trucks and equipment including a helicopter, he added. The fire is 100 percent contained, but being...
