Opinion / A Place For All
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How will you live your one wild and precious life?
As I further advance into elder years, I have more appreciation for this poem by Mary Oliver. "The Summer Day" Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear? Who made the grasshopper?...
Double Arrow Ranch: Preserving the legacy of the valley
SEELEY LAKE - Those of us who have chosen the Seeley Lake area as a place to visit or live have many reasons: the beauty of our mountains, solitude whenever we desire and neighbors who share our friendship and values. Part of what makes our area...
Risk and recreation on wildlands - Offering a broader perspective
For several years there has been an active dialogue regarding risks associated with recreation in wildlands and concern for the safety of people who choose to do so. Much of this discussion has been...
Elderberries: In the wild and in your landscape
This time of year, native elderberries really stand out in Missoula County with their fragrant delicate flowers in full bloom. You might have seen them along roadsides, trails or maybe in your own...
New invasive grass invades Montana
Noxious weeds have destructive impacts on Montana's landscape including displacing native plant species, increasing soil erosion and decreasing wildlife habitat and recreational opportunities....
Bob Marshall's epic trip of 1928: The final two days
A legendary advocate for wild country, 27-year-old Bob Marshall hiked an astounding 288 miles in eight days during the summer of 1928. Much of his arduous backcountry trip took place in the...
Requests from the Chief's desk
As summer is approaching the seasonal population influx around Seeley Lake begins. The campgrounds and outdoor activities will become much more active as the community wakes up. This increase in movement begins an increase in our highway traffic....
Our corner of the world
In New Delhi, India, the summer air is heavy with humidity while the stifling heat serves to wring every last bit of magic out of a gin and tonic, long on gin, but short-changed with precious ice....
The local real estate summer selling season beginning strong
2019 SALES START ON PACE WITH 2018 RECORD YEAR The market continues to be strong and very consistent in sales and upward value trends in Seeley Lake and Condon. The local market is maintaining a great...
Keeping bears and people safe
Each spring, there's a subset of grizzly bears that act like teenagers cut loose from home for the first time. With mother bears turning their attention to mating or younger cubs, the two- or...
Loon migration and Montana's common loons
Prior to John James Audubon's birth in 1785, not much was known about bird migration. Some people believed birds went underground in winter, hibernating like bears. Some thought waterfowl spent the...
A branch above the rest
With spring weather teasing us occasionally, I can't help but think what a difference a year makes! Missoula Electric Cooperative's (MEC's) 2019 winter maintenance season, which runs from November to...
Ventenata - An annual pain in the grass
A new annual invasive grass is on the horizon, literally. Just down the highway from the town of Seeley Lake, Ventenata dubia is taking hold along our roadways. Though Ventenata is newly arriving in...
The importance of collaboration on the North Fork
The North Fork Blackfoot River is an iconic Montana River. Flowing through the heart of the Blackfoot Watershed, the North Fork is a stronghold for native bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout owin...
Fire Adapted Community? Everyone's invited!
In recent years, agencies and homeowners alike have raised the question "How can a fire adapted community benefit me?" It's not until we start asking around to other communities in the northwest do...
Take the opportunity to tent it
I know how you're feeling...Spring is here! Mountain Bluebirds have returned. Robins are prominently flying around town. A few early-season bugs splattered on my windshield on a recent drive. The...
Ridge-top to ridge-top conservation through education
Over the last few months, watershed students young and old experienced a variety of Blackfoot Challenge program work first-hand. In the following paragraphs we'll guide you through their journey, each...
Double Arrow Ranch - Common areas and a possible trade with Missoula County
One attraction to the many homeowners who have purchased lots on the Double Arrow Ranch is the extent and variety of the common areas. These are lands owned by DARLOA, the homeowners association, and are available to all residents for their...
Seeley Lake wood stoves and winter air quality
SEELEY LAKE - Recent cold snaps have been instructive about the role weather plays in Seeley Lake's winter air quality. Since the wood stove change out program of 2012-2014, Seeley Lake winter air...
Montana's vital conservation fund reauthorized
In late February, the U.S. House of Representatives moved to save the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), approving a sweeping package of public lands bills that includes a measure to permanently reauthorize the program for the first time in...
ROCKS is building Hill-16 Trails
SEELEY LAKE - Seeley Lake ROCKS is thrilled to be building non-motorized, multi-use recreation trails near Placid Lake State Park in the Hill-16 recreation area. We cleared more than two miles of old...
Changes to look for in the 2019 Real Estate Market – What you need to know
We've been experiencing an active residential market in Seeley Lake this winter with five homes currently under contract. Not bad for the dead of winter in Seeley Lake! Experts agree that the market...
Securing a native trout stronghold in the North Fork Blackfoot River
The North Fork Blackfoot River is one of the most important spawning and rearing streams for migratory bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout in the Blackfoot River watershed. Private landowners,...
The cost of caregiving
Your chances of stepping into the role as "caregiver" for a family member, are greater than you might think. According to the National Alliance for Caregiving and AARP, it is estimated that over 44...
Pockets of Wild
I didn't write this as an expert on land management and wildlife issues, or as a representative of any organization. I did write it as someone with strong concerns about where society as it relates to...
