Articles written by Joann Wallenburn
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Handbell Choir resumes practices
SEELEY LAKE - The Seeley-Swan Mountain Bells handbell choir will begin practices for the new season on Monday, Sept. 12, from 3 – 5 p.m. at the Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church north of Seeley Lake. Newcomers are welcome. Never rung a handbell...
What's up on the AIS (Aquatic Invasive Species) front?
No news is good news and there’s been very little news lately about AIS issues in Montana. That’s a good thing, but it’s not because nothing is happening. Some of what has been happening behind the scenes that you might be interested to know ar...
A vote for positive change is needed
There are two pairs of candidates running for the two open seats on the Fire Board. Connie Clark and Gary Lewis are the incumbents. Kristy Pohlman and Alyssa McLean promise to bring positive change to the Fire Board. Do we even need change on the...
Looking back at 2018 and the battle against AIS
Let's take a look at what happened across Montana in 2018 in the battle against Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS). More than 100,000 watercraft were inspected at 35 watercraft inspection stations across...
Clearwater Chain-of-Lakes: The Only…, The Biggest…, The Last…,
West of the Mississippi…? In Montana…? In the last year, I have heard the phrase Clearwater Chain-of-Lakes many times by local residents. I’d never heard it used prior to last year. The phrase is always followed by some superlative like “the...
Invasive Mussels in Montana - What's the Latest?
I thought I'd write an info-piece about what happened in 2017 and what's happening in 2018 regarding the invasive mussels in Tiber and Canyon Ferry (maybe!) and what we're doing locally to Protect...
Double Arrow Ranch Observes Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
SEELEY LAKE - The Double Arrow Ranch Fire Safety Committee organized a community clean-up day in observance of the National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day May 5th. The committee was awarded a...
Wallenburn Responds to Spence's Questions
SEELEY LAKE - Mr. Spence hit the nail on the head. There is a lot of false information regarding the sewer and his article in the April 26th Letters to the Editor is a prime example. His first question is “How is that [Placid Lake algae bloom]...
Sewer Board Incumbents Most Knowledgeable, Best Choice for District
SEELEY LAKE - We chose to move to Seeley Lake for the beauty of the mountains, the lakes and streams, the critters, the snow…The small town. Back then, the sewer, “to be or not to be,” was a topic of discussion – and it still is 16 years...
Vote For Trustees that Will Support Our Fire Volunteers
SEELEY LAKE - As we all know, Seeley Lake is a small, rural, unincorporated community. For fire and medical emergencies, we are served by a volunteer fire department. Our property taxes pay to outfit the department with equipment and gear, pay for...
The AIS Gold Standard
At a recent two-day training session for watercraft inspection and decontamination in Kalispell, Whitefish Lake Institute gave a short presentation on the plan to protect Whitefish Lake. It has to be the Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Gold Standard i...
Inspect Before Launch
It's hard to find anyone who is unaware of the invasive mussel problem in Montana. The positive finding of invasive mussels in Tiber Reservoir is resulting in significant effects on recreational...
Missing Puzzle Piece
As the state of Montana gears up for the influx of boats and watercraft that might carry invasive mussels, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is working quickly to update measures that help prevent the spread of these species. FWP has proposed new...
Invasive Mussel Update
Hard to believe that despite all the snow coming down, spring run-off and ice-off are right around the corner. We received some good news this week on the mussel front. The grant application submitted jointly by Swan Valley Connections, Clearwater...
Anything New on the Mussel Front?
As of 6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24… Last Friday, Feb. 17 I learned that the Clearwater Junction boat check station was going to be moved north up Highway 83. On Monday the 20th, it was likely going to be eliminated altogether. As of Tuesday the 21st, it...
Invasive Mussel Update
Since the November announcement of invasive mussels found in Tiber Reservoir, the state's response team has been working hard to assess the situation and develop plans for the upcoming recreation seas...
Invasive Mussels Found in Montana
The Clearwater Resource Council received notice that the larval form of the invasive mussels commonly known as zebra or quagga mussels have been positively identified in water samples from the Tiber Reservoir, east of the divide. Water samples from C...
Water Suite
I recently attended the 2016 Watershed Symposium in Billings. The theme of the program was Improving Conservation through Partnership. In many cases, partnerships were between local non-profit...
Too Many Choices
The deadline for this article is four hours away and I still can't decide which of many topics to write about. We live in a wonderfully diverse place which is only adding to my decision problems. I...