Wilderness groups to host picnic in Kalispell May 16

The Montana Wilderness Association and the Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation will host a picnic to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act at Lawrence Park, in Kalispell, on Friday, May 16, from 5 to 7:30 p.m.

MWA’s trail program, CDT Montana, focuses on maintaining and completing the Continental Divide Trail between Glacier and Yellowstone national parks. Nearly 1,000 miles of the northern section of the trail need attention and volunteers to help get more done. About 20 CDT Montana volunteer projects are planned from June to September.

MWA also has partnered with Warrior Hike to host six veteran soldiers on a 3,100-mile hike along the Great Divide from Mexico to Canada.

The Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation hosts hundreds of volunteers each summer for trail work in the 1.5 million acre wilderness. Over the past 15 years, volunteers have cleared and maintained more than 4,476 miles of trail. The group is also looking for volunteer packers with stock for both projects and educational purposes.

For more information, visit online at http://wildmontana.org and www.bmwf.org.