Latest news with #MontanaDepartmentofNaturalResourcesandConservation
Yahoo
25-04-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Area fire crews battle wild fire near Happy's Inn
Apr. 25—State and local crews battled a wild fire Wednesday night and Thursday near Happy's Inn. The West Camp Fire was called in at about 7 p.m. Wednesday and burned about 13 acres in small, brushy timber and grass between West Camp Road and Klabo Drive. Kelly May, Fire Management Officer for the Libby District of Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, said the fire was human caused. He also urged care when burning slash piles. "Make sure, when burning slash piles, you monitor it until the fire is dead out and have supplies ready to extinguish the fire, such as a water hose, rakes and shovels." The fire did threaten a number of residences, but fire officials said none were damaged. No injuries were reported either. Dry conditions led Kootenai National Forest officials to raise the fire danger to moderate. "Until we get full green-up, there is a lot of dead grass that's ready to burn," May said. Thursday morning, firefighters from the Fisher River Valley Fire Rescue and Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, monitored what was left of the fire. Ground conditions are relatively dry at lower to mid elevations. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, most of Lincoln County is rated as abnormally dry. Overnight temperatures in the 20s helped in keeping the fire from spreading more widely. The National Weather Service is calling for daytime high temperatures in the mid 60s to low 70s with relative humidity from 32 to 40% and light winds out of the northeast in south Lincoln County. There is a 30% chance of rain in the forecast for Sunday.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
State puts plot of land in North Kalispell up for lease
Mar. 28—The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is putting a 25-acre tract of State Trust Land up for lease in North Kalispell. The Moraine Parcel is wedged between Stillwater Road and the U.S. 93 Bypass, north of Four Mile Drive. Because it is located on School Trust Land, the lease fees paid for use of the land will go toward funding Montana K-12 schools. The property is valued at $2.8 million, with a minimum lease rate of $140,000 annually. The state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation released a request for proposal on the property, which will remain open for 90 days. All responses must be submitted by June 24. The parcel exists within the named Section 36 plot of land, which the department received at statehood to generate revenue for Montana's public schools. "And so, the city of Kalispell has really just grown around it," said Kari Nielsen, a land use planner for the state agency. Since 2005, the department has been leasing off sections of the property, which became the Spring Prairie Planned Unit Development. The Spring Prairie shopping center, Glacier High School and the Kidsport Complex all sit on the land easement. When the property was once designated for agricultural uses, it only generated around $5,000 a year for public schools, according to Nielsen. But since the land began being leased off for commercial use, the property generates close to $1 million annually. Gov. Greg Gianforte's office announced last year that State Trust Land revenue generated $92 million for public schools in 2024. The newest parcel up for grabs and one of the last still vacant on the Spring Prairie development is zoned R-4, residential, which allows for single-family housing, duplexes and townhouses. Nielsen says that the planned unit development on the property should provide some flexibility on what can be developed. "The property is located in an area experiencing a high level of growth with multiple parcels transitioning from large agriculture and low-density residential parcels to higher density and mixed-use developments," read the request for proposal. The recently built Stillwater Apartments sit across the street from the property, with the Bloomstone subdivision and Starling Community development also nearby. Any subdivision proposal for the property must still go before Kalispell City Council for review. Reporter Jack Underhill can be reached at 758-4407 and junderhill@
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Proposed timber sale on Spencer Mountain, Beaver Lakes draws ire of local recreationists
Feb. 16—The conservation group that helped create the Whitefish Trail says a proposed timber sale could damage or close some of the trail network's most beloved areas. The Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation announced plans last month to harvest 3 million board feet of timber from state trust lands near Whitefish. The project will contribute to the department's mandated yield and fund public schools across the state. The affected area includes 3,500 acres in the Beaver Lakes and Spencer Mountain areas, both of which the city of Whitefish and Whitefish Legacy Partners help manage for recreation under cooperative agreements with the state. If approved, the forest work would begin in the fall. "We are concerned this proposal will leave a shocking scar on the landscape that will be visible from Highway 93 west of Whitefish and will negatively impact our favorite community recreation areas," reads a public statement from Whitefish Legacy Partners. The organization played a leading role in the purchase of the Beaver Lakes recreation easement in 2014 and the procurement of an ongoing recreational-use license for Spencer Mountain. Under both agreements, the state retains ownership of the land and manages forest resources while the city of Whitefish, Whitefish Legacy Partners and Flathead Area Mountain Bikers develop and maintain trails and other recreational amenities. In a statement posted to its website, Whitefish Legacy Partners claimed that the proposed sale infringes on the goodwill of these agreements. The organization expressed concerns that the harvest will temporarily bar recreational use of the Beaver Lakes and Spencer Mountain areas, damage existing trails and interfere with maintenance activities planned for the summer season. Whitefish Legacy Partners was unable to respond to questions before the Inter Lake's press deadline. Flathead Area Mountain Bikers echoed these concerns in a Facebook post, emphasizing that the proposed plan failed to properly recognize Spencer Mountain as a community recreation site. "Spencer Mountain's unique trail system contributes significantly to the diversity of recreation on state trust lands, and it deserves formal recognition within this project," reads the post. Kalispell Unit manager Dave Poukish said that the department valued its partnership with local organizations, while also maintaining the necessity of the harvest. He said forest health in the area had declined following several Douglas-fir bark beetle outbreaks, and that the timber sale would provide an opportunity to address these concerns. "Coexisting is very important to us, but we also want to do the right thing for the resource," said Poukish. The proposed forest management plan is not finalized, and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation is accepting written comments and suggestions through Feb. 14. Comments should be addressed to Alex Golden at Reporter Hailey Smalley can be reached at hsmalley@ or at (406) 758-4433.
