Outdoor news
Hungry Horse Dam
The Bureau of Reclamation’s Hungry Horse Dam Visitor Center, at the north end of the dam’s crest, will open for the summer season beginning Memorial Day weekend, May 25-27, from 7:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Starting May 29, the center will be open Wednesday through Sunday with the same hours. Parking is not permitted on top of the dam but only in designated areas. For additional information, call 387-5241.
Wolf comments
The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is seeking public comment on proposed changes for the 2013-2014 wolf hunting and trapping seasons. For the upcoming seasons, archery only hunting would run from Sept. 7 through Sept. 14. The general hunting season would run from Sept. 15 through March 31, 2014. The trapping season would run Dec. 15 through Feb. 28, 2014, and those new to wolf trapping would have to complete an education course to participate. The overall bag limit for the upcoming seasons would be five wolves per person in any combination of wolves taken by hunting or trapping. For more information, visit online at http://fwp.mt.gov and click “Hunting.” Comments can be mailed to FWP Wildlife Bureau, Attn: Public Comment, P.O. Box 200701, Helena MT 59620-0701. Deadline is June 24.
Bob brew
The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will host a launch party for the first ever Benefit Brew by Desert Mountain Brewing & Draughthaus, 729 Nucleus Avenue, Columbia Falls, on Friday, May 17, from 5-8 p.m. A new brew, Chinese Wall Wheat, will be on tap, with 50 percent of sales benefiting wilderness stewardship in The Bob.
Naturalist course
The Glacier Institute will host a Montana Master Naturalist Certification Course from July 6-11 in Glacier National Park with experienced naturalists Brian Williams, from the Montana Natural History Center, and Greg Peters, from the University of Montana’s Biology and Botany Department. The course will take place at the Glacier Institute Field Camp Cost is $675, including lodging, meals, education, transportation and certification. For more information, call 406-755-1211 or visit online at www.glacierinstitute.org.
Bison Range
The Red Sleep Mountain Drive at the National Bison Range in Moiese opened for the summer season on May 11. Wildlife viewing is best early in the morning or in the evening. Visitors will need to start the Red Sleep tour no later than 6 p.m. to finish the loop before the main gate closes at dusk. The main goat opens at 6:30 a.m. The visitor center is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit online at www.fws.gov/refuge/national_bison_range.
Forest Plan breakfast
The public is invited to spend breakfast with Flathead National Forest planning staff officer Rob Carlin and interim forest plan revision team leader Joe Krueger at the Perkins Restaurant in Evergreen on Friday, May 17, at 7 a.m. and learn about the multi-year Forest Plan revision and provide feedback. A new rule governing Forest Plan revision was released in 2012. The process will take at least three years and will shape how the Flathead Forest is managed in the future. For more information, contact Wade Muehlhof at ewmuehlhof@fs.fed.us or 758-5252.
Outdoor youth
The Montana Conservation Corps is looking for teens 15-17 years old to participate in their Youth Service Expedition program this summer. Two sessions of outdoor adventure and volunteer service will take place in the National Bison Range, southeastern Montana and the Rocky Mountain Front. Deadline to apply is June 7 and July 12 for the two sessions. For more information, visit online at www.mtcorps.org.