Dogs on Big Mountain must be on leashes
The Flathead National Forest recently issued a leash order for Big Mountain Resort, including all National Forest lands, roads and trails on Big Mountain.
Dogs are welcome on trails and roads, but must be on a leash within the ski area boundary. This is in effect year-round.
The only exception is on the Big Creek/Canyon Creek Road (Forest Road 316), running through the back side of Big Mountain, where dogs are allowed off a leash.
The leash order is designed to address the problem of too many dogs running loose on the Danny On Trail and ski slopes.
Dogs are not allowed on the chair lift or gondolas. If you hike up with your dog, you will not be allowed to ride the lift down with your dog.
For questions regarding this closure, contact Recreation Resource Assistant Becky Smith-Powell or District Ranger Lisa Krueger at the Tally Lake Ranger District at 863-5400.
Dogs are also required to be on a leash in the Jewel Basin Hiking Area and at all developed recreation sites - such as campgrounds, picnic areas and river access sites - on Flathead National Forest.
State grants available for special wildlife projects
Grant proposals are now being accepted for projects to resolve human/wildlife conflicts in urban and suburban settings.
Proposals are due in Helena by June 15. A maximum of $65,000 in project funding will be awarded in July.
The state's "Living With Wildlife" program promotes the successful coexistence of people and wildlife. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks encourages communities to team up with local organizations and state agencies to seek solutions to prevent or reduce human/wildlife conflicts and to share project costs.
Grant applications are available by writing to: "Living With Wildlife," Attn: Joe Weigand, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, 1420 E. Sixth Ave., P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.
Electronic copies of the grant application are available by e-mail from: joweigand@mt.gov.
Free river-safety course to be offered on June 11
Wild River Adventures will offer a free three-hour river safety seminar June 11.
The course will cover rafting, canoeing and river safety. The seminar is from 9 a.m. to noon at the company's office in West Glacier.
The class is designed for recreational rafters, canoeists, jet boaters, kayakers, and rescue personnel who want to be better prepared for river activities.
Bob Jordan, owner and outfitter of Wild River Adventures, and Mike Johnston, a certified Swiftwater Rescue instructor who conducts clinics throughout the state, will teach the class. The class is a primer on basic principles of river safety and rescue, how to read water, proper equipment and boat rigging.
Students will evaluate video footage of actual river rescues and learn about river features, common hazards, self-rescue, communications, and river rescue basics.
Wild River Adventures also will offer a whitewater rafting clinic on the Middle Fork of the Flathead from 2-5 p.m. Students will be able to apply techniques with hands-on instruction.
There will be a $50 charge for the afternoon clinic.
For those wanting to get certified, a Whitewater Rescue Technician and Wilderness First Aid class will be offered
from June 11-13. The class focuses on recognizing and avoiding river hazards, self rescue, and hands-on rescue. Students will practice self-rescue in rapids, how to deal with hazards and obstacles such as entrapments on log jams, wrapped boats, boat flips and recoveries, shore-based and boat-based rescue techniques, quick rescue methods, medical considerations in river rescue, and much more.
"We want them to know how to stay out of trouble, how to self-rescue if they get in trouble, and to give them some practical knowledge and skills, a new set of tools to work with, if they need to rescue someone else," Jordan said.
"We want them to leave the class better prepared for their personal river trips and with a higher level of awareness on accident prevention and response."
To register for the classes, call Wild River Adventures at 387-9453 or e-mail wildriver@riverwild.com