Glacier National Park Conservancy has committed to funding year 8 of a 10 year long trail project, in partnership with Glacier National Park and the Montana Conservation Corps, to increase accessibility on the 2.5 mile Swiftcurrent Nature Trail in Many Glacier.

Events are held on the fourth Wednesday of each month in February, March and April from 7-8:15 p.m., in the Arts and Technology Building's large community room at Flathead Valley Community College. Events are free of charge.

On Feb. 22, John Fraley begins the series sharing tales from his new book “My Wilderness Life.”

Whether or not to pave the lower end of the North Fork Road has been debated for decades. Critics have long argued that paving would put even more people in the primitive North Fork, which is one of the most intact ecosystems in North America. It holds a host of endangered fish and animal species including grizzly bears, lynx and bull trout.

But others argue that the dust from the gravel road is even worse for the environment as it coats the vegetation and in the water, though detrimental side-effects have never been quantified.

Even so, we must plan for more recreational infrastructure as we experience more tourists every year. I think that will include even more campsites, trails and a realistic River Plan.

Each summer selected artists hike into a remote backcountry cabin 5-15 miles from the trailhead in the Flathead National Forest for 7-14 days to create work in a beautiful, remote setting, which is then shared in a public presentation or workshop with the community.

Every person involved had the same goal in mind – to improve management on the 219 miles of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act-designated system, which includes the North, Middle, and South forks of the Flathead River.

“We know that there’s only so many people you can cram into a place before there’s a bad effect, so this is one more piece of evidence we can point to when we work on management policies in the future,” Waller said. “The take home message for us is that our presence on the landscape has profound effects on these species and we need to take that seriously.”

Indeed, agency officials are engaged in a constant juggling act to balance priorities like recreation, wildlife, timber, fire, resource conservation, and education. As commodity production of timber and other resources declines, outdoor recreation is making sharp gains, and it’s become a prominent pillar in the U.S. Forest Service’s bottom line, forcing land managers to reconcile historic uses with the surge in demand for new ones. Meanwhile, as the suite of recreational uses becomes more diverse, agency officials are expanding the parameters of what they consider permissible activities.

The plan builds on public input gathered in 2022 and proposes a variety of new recreational amenities at the 106-acre park on the north shore near Somers. While most of the park would remain undeveloped in its natural state, the options include common features, such as restrooms, administrative buildings, and park host sites, that provide for public safety, operational efficiency, and site stewardship.

Amy Grisak will be presenting on the history of fire lookouts in northwest Montana on Jan. 15 at 2 p.m. at the Northwest Montana History Museum

The Glacier National Park Volunteer’s Association is holding a three-part winter speaker series in January, February and March.

Speakers will each discuss different topics as they relate to Glacier National Park including wildlife photography, ecology, conservation, history and construction. All presentations are free and open to the public.

Across three different distances, and two different disciplines, more than 80 competitors channeled their inner Viking warrior, kicking, gliding and skating their way through the 40th annual Glacier Glide.

The last year saw an expansion of user paths across the Flathead Valley, from the opening of the Parkline Trail through downtown Kalispell to the addition of new single track in the surrounding hills. 2023 is shaping up to be an even bigger year for trail expansion as groups around the valley plan to break ground once the snow melts.

Tourism remained strong in the Flathead Valley this year following a bounce back from Covid but industry leaders remain nervous that a possible economic recession could trigger a slowdown in 2023.

It looks like Glacier National Park will see about 2.9 million visitors in 2022, which is down about 5.5 % over the 2021 and still one of the busiest years ever.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking input on a proposed donation that would add four acres of forested shoreline property to a public fishing access site on Lake Five near West Glacier in Flathead County.

The Flathead Valley has a host of locations where people can pop on their skinny skis, even during the week when time is limited. Here’s a guide to the top spots to hit the trails and remember: Always thank your groomers!

The Bigfork Outdoor Recreation Alliance invites you to complete a short survey to help identify outdoor recreation priorities, issues, and policies for the Bigfork area. Your input is very important!

Outdoor recreation accounted for 4.4% of Montana’s gross domestic product (GDP) last year, up .1% from 2020 and the second highest percentage of any state, behind only Hawaii at 4.8%.