Outdoor news
Fishing access
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks has completed a draft environmental assessment for the acquisition of 4.26 acres between the Whitefish River and the Pine Grove Pond Fishing Access Site to provide additional access to 750 feet of shoreline along the Whitefish River. FWP also proposes to accept the donation of 0.33 acres of land adjacent to the existing parking area and to construct a parking area to provide additional parking and to reduce vehicle congestion along the access road. The draft EA is available at FWP headquarters, 490 North Meridian, in Kalispell; at Flathead County Libraries; and online at http://fwp.mt.gov under Public Notices. Deadline is Oct. 17. For more information, call Tony Powell at 406-751-5423 or e-mail tpowell@mt.gov.
Avy class
The fourth annual Northern Rockies Avalanche Safety Workshop will take place at Grouse Mountain Lodge in Whitefish on Saturday, Oct. 25, from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The workshop is a one-day gathering of avalanche professionals and winter backcountry enthusiasts. Pre-register at www.avalanchesafetyworkshop.com. Cost is $20 at the door, $25 online, or mail a check to NRASW, P.O. Box 4203, Whitefish MT 59937. Anyone mailing a check must register online.
Hunting films
Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and Kimber will present an evening of heart-stopping hunting films from the Hunting Film Tour at Casey’s Pub and Grill in Whitefish on Wednesday, Oct. 22, with doors opening at 6 p.m. There will be $3,000 in top-shelf raffle items. Tickets cost $12 in advance and $15 at the door available at Sportsman & Ski Haus in Kalispell and Whitefish, Casey’s and online at http://huntingfilmtour.com.
Forest Week
Montana residents will have opportunities to celebrate their connections to the state’s forests during Montana Forest Products Week on Oct. 17-24. The Kalispell Chamber of Commerce will conduct timber tours to showcase forest management, processing facilities and niche markets for Montana wood products. A schedule of events and information about Montana’s forest products sector is available online at http://dnrc.mt.gov/Forestry/Assistance/Biomass/ForProdWeek/default.asp or on the Montana Forest Products Week Facebook page.
Road closure
The Flathead National Forest will temporarily close Forest Road 546, Emery Creek Road, on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir to install two new culverts. For safety reasons, the road will be closed about four miles up the road before it crosses Royal Creek until about Oct. 15. The culverts will replace smaller existing culverts where Remington Creek and Royal Creek cross under the road. Replacing the culverts is expected to reduce the risk of the current structures failing while also aiding in the passage of westslope cutthroat trout. For more information, contact the Hungry Horse/Glacier View Ranger District at 406-387-3800.
Trout Unlimited
Darwon Stoneman, owner of Glacier Raft Company, and Bill Hart, a long-time fishing guide, will be the featured speakers at the Flathead Valley Trout Unlimited Chapter meeting at the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 1 offices on Meridian Road in Kalispell on Tuesday, Oct. 21, at 7 p.m. They will share their experiences fishing for tarpon, permit and bonefish on trips to Cuba. For more information, call Larry Timchak at 250-7473.
Geocaching
Flathead Valley Community College and students in the Natural Resources Conservation and Management program will offer their second annual Geocache Adventure on the FVCC campus on Saturday, Oct. 18, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Geocaching is an outdoor recreational scavenger hunt using global positioning system (GPS) coordinates. The course will be designed for families and children ages 12-and-under with 10 caches hidden around the immediate campus. For more information, contact Relyea at 756-3946 or crelyea@fvcc.edu. More information on geocaching can be found online at www.geocaching.com.