Judge upholds ban on motorized travel in Badger-Two Medicine roadless area

Motorbikes, ATV interests rebuffed for large roadless area between Glacier N.P. and Bob Marshall Wildlerness-

Judge upholds ban on motorized travel in Badger-Two Med. By Karl Puckett.  Great Falls  Tribune Staff Writer.

I’ve only been there twice, and just into it a little way.  My impression is that it isn’t quite as rugged as the country to the north (Glacier N.P.) and the Great Bear and Bob Marshall Wildernesses to the south. It is very much full of wildlife.

The oil and gas industry has lusted after it for a long time. It has religious significance to the Blackfeet Nation (an issue in this failed lawsuit).

Greater Yellowstone Coalition proposes protections for Absaroka-Beartooth Front

Plan might copy relatively successful effort to conserve Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front-

Given the very scenic nature of much of the A-B Front, in a way it is surprising this proposal didn’t emerge earlier. Personally, I think it is a great idea.

Story in the Billings Gazette on plans to conserve the Absaroka/Beartooth Front.

Beartooth Front. Toward the two forks of the Rosebud River. copyright Ralph Maughan

 

Montana Rocky Mountain Front grizzlies are emerging

There is a difference though. Now they are waking up and going well out onto the plains-

We discussed this a lot last fall, with grizzly bears pushing eastward out of the Rockies well onto the plains of north central Montana.  One almost made it to the Missouri River (shades of Lewis and Clark!).

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is holding local meetings on co-existing on this long settled, but sparsely populated part of Montana. So far there doesn’t seem to the crazy talk we have become used to on some of this big animal issues.

Grizzlies out along the Front. Great Falls Tribune.

Meetings scheduled on Front about coexistence with grizzly bears. By Eve Byron. Helena Independent Record as printed in the Billings Gazette.

Grizzlies On the Move, Back to the Wide-Open Prairie

As many as 70 to 80 grizzlies may inhabit the high plains east of the Rocky Mountain Front-

There is more about grizzlies moving east of the Rocky Mountains in Montana, out on the high plains. The article below appeared in New West.

Grizzlies On the Move, Back to the Wide-Open Prairie. By Jason D.B. Kauffman

On the Rocky Mountain Front, Montana. Copyright Ralph Maughan

Four Montana wolves taken on the Rocky Mountain Front

Fifty out of 75 tags are now filled in Montana wolf hunt-

Four wolves taken along the Front. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff Writer. The article provides some detailed information, but in short three of the four wolves were shot on private land southwest of Augusta, MT in the Bean Lake area. The 4th wolf was shot in Lime Gulch, west of Augusta.

Rocky Mountain Front, wildlife, and other projects get funded in Montana in Interior Appropriations Bill

Bill includes funding to reimburse for wolf kills, but may also contain money for proactive measures-

From what I’ve read, this sounds pretty good to me for wildlife and outdoors in Montana. Great Falls Tribune.

Bird hunter kills sow grizzly north of Choteau

Unfortunately she had three cubs-

Choteau (show toe). This took place on the plains on the Rocky Mountain Front. Despite the mention of Teton County, it is Teton County, Montana not Teton County, Wyoming or Idaho. This pheasant hunter was from Alaska.

Story: Bird hunter kills sow grizzly north of Choteau. Choteau Arcantha.

The grizzly cubs won’t likely make it.

Rancher fined for killing grizzly; reward now up to $6,000 in Dupuyer, Montana area shooting

The Dupuyer case is the one of the giant grizzly bear (posted earlier)-

Rancher fined for killing grizzly; reward now up to $6,000 in Dupuyer area shooting. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff Writer

Great News! More oil, gas leases retired along the Rocky Mountain Front

In 2006, Congress banned leasing federal lands on the Front, but many leases had already been given-

The effort to protect Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front from natural gas development has been and continues to be pretty successful. These oil, gas leases along the Front were the work of two NGOs, The Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front and Trout Unlimited.

The leases were bought from Donald Curry of Curry & Thornton of Ft. Worth, Texas.

This is very important grizzly bear habitat and deer, elk and moose spring, fall and winter range.

Leases Retired. By Karl Puckett. Great Falls Tribune Staff Writer

More on this. Added July 8, 2009. New lease arrangement advances preservation of Front. Great Falls Tribune.

Oil and gas leases on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front pulled from auction

Oil and gas leases on Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front pulled from auction. AP

A tremendous effort has been made by conservationists, the state, even oil companies to keep drilling off of Montana’s Rocky Mountain Front. So it only makes sense for the Montana Lands Department not to auction the small acreage of state land, especially because it is in very sensitive wildlife country.

Unfortunately, they only deferred the plan to auction.

New Rocky Mountain Front travel plan emphasizes solitude rather than ATVs

The Lewis and Clark National Forest issued a new travel plan governing the lower two-thirds of the Rocky Mountain Front for the next 20 years.

It came after a full environmental impact statement and receipt of 46,000 comments. It looks like good news for wildlife.

Story originally from the Missoulian and reprinted in the Billings Gazette. By Perry Backus.