Bigfork Community Briefs

Town Pump matching up to $3,000 For Bigfork Food Bank

Town Pump Charitable Foundation is matching $1,000,000 in contributions during its 20th annual fundraising campaign for food banks across Montana, including Bigfork Food Bank. Over 100 food banks are participating in the statewide “Be A Friend in Deed, Helping Those in Need” campaign this year. The campaign has raised over $40 million for Montana food banks in 19 years, including about $8 million in matching grants from the Town Pump Charitable Foundation. Organizers of the campaign, which runs through Nov. 30, hope to raise $5 million for the food banks this year. Locally, the Foundation is matching up to $3,000 for Bigfork Food Bank, an increase of $500 over last year. All funds raised locally stay in the community. The money is frequently used to purchase perishable food items such as milk, bread, fruit and vegetables. Also, the funds are becoming more crucial in helping many food bank organizations simply stay open through payment of rent, utilities, and space for storage, refrigeration and freezing. As of the third quarter in 2021, the Bigfork Food Bank served 134 households and 297 household and family members, including 71 children, 164 adults, and 62 seniors. The food bank distributed 49,330 pounds of food in that time. Donations can be made at local Town Pumps or by mail to Bigfork Food Bank, P.O. Box 850, Bigfork, MT 59911.

Montana FWP Seeking Public Comment About Management of Flathead Lake Islands

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is proposing a plan to improve management of public recreation on its Flathead Lake Island properties, including Bird, Cedar, Douglas and Goose islands. Recreational use of the islands continues to grow along with impacts to wildlife habitat. FWP is seeking to address issues of human waste, garbage, vandalism and more. In 2020, a wildfire with an unknown cause occurred on Bird Island. Over time, FWP enforcement staff have observed campfires that were not properly extinguished, and staff have documented and cleaned up numerous fire rings and associated burn-pile debris. The most frequently observed impact is associated with the lack of restroom facilities on the islands. FWP is seeking public input on a variety of proposals that seek to balance recreational opportunities and habitat conservation on the four islands. FWP proposals include campsites being offered on a first come, first served basis, having camping not be permitted on the smaller Douglas and Goose islands to conserve wildlife habitat and to conform with existing WHPA management, install and maintain centrally located composting toilets on both Bird and Cedar Islands, construct a minimal trail system to connect campsites and the composting toilet on Cedar Island, and install appropriate signage and informational kiosks on all four islands to inform recreationists of the islands' history and regulations. Public comments will be accepted through 5 p.m., Nov. 22, 2021. Written comments can be mailed to: Flathead Lake Islands Proposed Recreation Management, cc: Coltrane; Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; 490 N. Meridian Road; Kalispell, MT 59901, or sent by e-mail to JColtrane@mt.gov. Comments can also be submitted online at https://fwp.mt.gov/news/public-notices. A virtual public information meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m., Nov. 3, 2021. The meeting will be streamed online through Zoom at https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/regions/region1.