Free fishing offered for Father’s Day weekend

Live porcupine program at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park

Montana State Parks will host an interpretive program on porcupines at First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park on Saturday, at 1 p.m.

Join presenter Sam Lavin and his guest Sasha, a live porcupine. Sam is a volunteer with the Montana Wild Education Center and Wildlife Center in Helena. Learn about the habits, biology, quills, diet and myths of this creature that lives in the park. The program will be held at the park’s visitor center.

For more information contact Clark Carlson-Thompson, First Peoples Buffalo Jump State Park Ranger, 406-866-2217 or ccarlson-thompson@mt.gov .

Free fishing offered for Father’s Day weekend

Whether you cast a fly or bait a hook everyone can fish for free Saturday and Sunday in celebration of Montana’s Father’s Day weekend, June 20-21.

“I encourage Montanans to take advantage of this free fishing weekend, and maybe even show off their secret fishing spot to a child or grandchild,” Gov. Steve Bullock said.

The state’s “fish for free” weekend was established in 2011 as the state’s Father’s Day gift to dads everywhere. No fishing license is required June 20-21.

Greasewood Bottom closed to prevent eagles nest abandonment

Due to the presence of nesting bald eagles, Greasewood Bottom Campsite on the Missouri River is temporarily closed to the public to prevent disturbance and nest abandonment.

The primitive campsite, located at River Mile 109.6 in the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, is a common stop for floaters.

River users are encouraged to enjoy viewing as they float past.

For information on eagle nesting, contact the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument Wildlife Biologist Jody Peters at jpeters@blm.gov or 406-262-2832.

Lewistown Kids’ Fishing Day is Saturday

Lewistown’s annual kids fishing day is Saturday at the Frog Ponds.

The 10 a.m. to noon free event will feature demonstrations on water safety, casting and fish identification. Everyone is welcome, however, the activities are geared for children ages 3-12.

Prizes, purchased at local businesses, will be available, including fishing poles, nets, tackle boxes, hats and more.

Those who attend are encouraged to bring their own fishing tackle, and no one is required to have a fishing license on Saturday at the town’s Frog Ponds.

Community wildfire education meeting to be held in Fergus County

A Community Wildfire Education Meeting will be held at the Forest Grove School in Forest Grove on Tuesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

The meeting is intended to give residents information on how to protect their homes from wildfire and also what to do if there is a wildfire within the local area.

For more information, contact BLM Central Montana District Fire Mitigation and Education Specialist Karly DeMars at 406-538-1991.

Audubon’s Arod Lake field trip is Saturday, June 27

Upper Missouri Breaks Audubon will lead a field trip to Arod Lake east of Bynum on June 27.

Arod Lake is 20 acres in size and is an important bird area. It is a major pelican “nursery” as well as a nursery for gulls, water birds, shorebirds, cranes and burrowing owls.

Dave Shea will lead the trip.

The group will meet in Great Falls in the Big Bear parking lot at 7:30 a.m. or in Choteau at the visitor center/museum parking lot at 8:30 a.m.

Participants should register in advance by contacting Beth Hill at grizhill@gmail.com.

Glacier Artist-in-Residence presents brown bag luncheon

The Crown of the Continent Research Learning Center at Glacier National Park is hosting a brown-bag luncheon presentation by sculptor and Glacier National Park Artist-in-Residence K. Gretchen Greene.

The free presentation is Monday from noon to 1 p.m. at the park’s community building in West Glacier.

Greene will present a portfolio of large abstract sculptures in steel and bronze, describe her process from hiking trail to welding booth, and offer a preview of what future works inspired by Glacier may look like. Greene is a Boston area sculptor and designer known for her innovative work in steel and bronze.

The artist-in-residence program at Glacier National Park offers professional artists an opportunity to pursue their artistic discipline while being surrounded by the park’s inspiring landscape.

Hunting dog field test held June 27

The Versatile Hunting Dog Federation will hold tests north of Great Falls on Saturday, June 27.

The public is welcome to participate or watch.

The Versatile Hunting Dog Federation promotes ethical hunting practices and conservation of game animals by enhancing the quality and ability of hunting dogs.

To reach the testing site, take Highway 87 north toward Fort Benton. Just past mile marker 12, there will be a field entrance on the east side of the highway. The group will gather near the old white school house.

For more information, contact Kurt Kraft at kurt@windwalkeroutdoors.com or 406-460-1414.

Sporting Dog Club holds snake break clinic

The Golden Triangle Sporting Dog Club will hold a snake break clinic for dogs at 9 a.m. June 27 near Great Falls.

The clinic uses a humane way to teach dogs to avoid snakes.

The cost is $40 per dog. To register, visit Golden Triangle Sporting Dog Club’s Facebook page or call Wayne at 727-2334 or 454-1050.

Montana State Parks and Recreation board meeting to be held in Dillion

The Montana State Parks and Recreation Board will meet on Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at USFS Dillion Ranger District Conference Room in Dillion.

The board will take action on proposed Montana State Parks Lands Policy, concurrence for the Recreation Trails Program grants, and approval of capital projects.

The public may attend. Public comments for items not on the agenda are scheduled for 11 a.m.

Youth Range Camp applications available

Applications are now available for the 2015 Montana Youth Range Camp. This year’s camp will be held the week of July 27-31 at Frank Brattin Middle School in Colstrip, and is open to all youth ages 12 -18.

Students will attend outdoor classes covering four major subjects: water and riparian areas; soils and geology; rangeland monitoring; and wildlife and livestock grazing management. Students also receive instruction in plant identification and anatomy, and work in teams to solve a natural resource or range management problem, presenting their solutions to a panel of judges at the end of the week.

Cost for the camp is $175 and includes meals, lodging and all scheduled activities. Registration is due by July 3.

For more information, contact Scott Kaiser, DNRC Program Specialist at 406-232-6359, or Bobbi Vannattan with the Rosebud Conservation District at 406-346-7333, ext. 101. For more information, including an application form, visit the DNRC Web site at http://dnrc.mt.gov/divisions/cardd/camps/montana-youth-range-camp.

FWP “Kids to Fish” program allows youths to borrow fishing gear

A popular Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Region 6 program that allows children and their families to check out free fishing rods and tackle is in full swing again this year.

Forty-nine different location across Montana’s Hi-Line offer fishing rods and reels and basic tackle, such as hooks, bobbers and sinkers. The gear is free for youth to borrow.

For more information, contact Marc Kloker at 406-228-3704.

Fish and Wildlife Commission seeks comment on exotic species classification

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission is seeking public comment on the proposed classification of two exotic species as either controlled or prohibited in the state.

The Pacific white shrimp, a 9-inch long saltwater prawn caught and farmed for food, is being proposed to be added to the controlled species list. Additionally, the African soft-furred, or natal, rat, newly popular in the pet trade, is being proposed to be added to the prohibited species list.

The commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed classifications on Wednesday at 6 p.m., at FWP headquarters in Helena, 1420 E. 6th Ave.

Public comment must be made by July 2 and can also be emailed to: fwpexotics@mt.gov or, mailed to: Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks; Fisheries Division–Exotics; P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701.

Kids’ Fishing Day was a success

Northcentral Montana’s annual kid’s fishing day in Great Falls was again a success, with about 1,300 people attending the three-hour event.

The final head count for Saturday’s event was about 650 youngsters and 650 adults.

Children who attended received either a free rod and reel combo or tackle box.

CAN TRIM STARTING HERE

Apply by July 15 for Marias River WMA Deer Hunt

Deer hunters who want to hunt the Marias River Wildlife Management Area, southwest of Shelby in Hunting District 406, have from until July 15 to submit their application.

New this year, applicants can put in for specific archery periods or general rifle season periods. There are three archery periods each lasting two weeks, from Sept. 5 through Oct. 18. The three general season periods run one week each, from Oct. 24 through Nov. 15.

All drawing applications must be submitted electronically either on the FWP web page, fwp.mt.gov/hunting/hunterAccess/marias.html or at any FWP regional or area office.

Hunt roster registration now open

Hunters interested in participating in “game-damage” hunts on private land or possible management seasons this year can register online now through July 15.

The roster is used by FWP to efficiently respond to landowners in the prevention or reduction of damage primarily caused by deer, elk and antelope.

A final roster listing hunters in the order they would be contacted for a hunt will be randomly generated from all online registrations and posted by Aug. 1. on the FWP website.

The hunts, if they occur, can take place between Aug. 15 and Feb. 15.

Register at fwp.mt.gov.

Aquatic invasive species inspections continue at Fort Peck Reservoir

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is continuing to conduct Aquatic Invasive Species inspections on Fort Peck Reservoir and other waters across northeastern Montana.

AIS roving inspection stations will move around to various locations around the region. In addition, the border-check station at Culbertson is up and running at the Department of Transportation weigh station.

All watercraft, including boats, canoes, kayaks, and jet skis, are required to stop at the inspection stations as directed by the designated signs. Tickets can be issued for watercraft that do not stop.

Also, inspection stations will be randomly set up at water-access points across region. The focus of these efforts are to assist boaters with self inspection procedures and educate them about the importance of cleaning watercraft, checking live wells, and to ensure that any watercraft moving to another water body is completely clean and dry of AIS.

The recreating public is asked to help prevent the movement of all AIS by ensuring that watercraft and trailers are clean and dry when they leave the reservoir and other areas. If you have any questions, please call the Region 6 Headquarters in Glasgow at 406-228-3700.

Glacier’s Camas Road listed in National Register

The Camas Creek Cutoff Road has been listed as a place of statewide historic significance in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Camas Road is a two-lane, asphalt-paved road located mostly within Glacier National Park. The road begins at an intersection with Going-to-the-Sun Road and spans about 11.7 miles to the North Fork Road, just outside Glacier National Park. Camas Road is a well-preserved example of mid-20th century roadway engineering.

The Camas Road was constructed between 1960 and 1967 under the Mission 66 program and cost approximately $2.5 million.

Montana elk habitat, wolf management get boost from RMEF grants

Grant funding provided by the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation will improve 22,065 acres of wildlife habitat across 18 Montana counties.

The 2015 grants total $386,080 and directly impact Beaverhead, Broadwater, Carbon, Deer Lodge, Jefferson, Flathead, Lewis and Clark, Lincoln, Madison, Missoula, Petroleum, Powder River, Powell, Rosebud, Sanders, Stillwater, Sweetgrass and Teton counties. There are also several projects of statewide and regional benefit.

“Prescribed burning, meadow restoration and noxious weed treatments are just a few of the many projects funded by these grants that will enhance habitat for elk and other wildlife,” said David Allen, RMEF president and CEO. “In addition, wolves continue to remain well above minimum objectives and this funding will help managers better determine how many wolves are on the landscape and where they’re located so they can be better managed.”

Summer bus service will connect Whitefish to Glacier

The Big Mountain Commercial Association, the not-for-profit organization that runs the SNOW (Shuttle Network of Whitefish) bus in winter, has announced that it will operate a summer bus service from Whitefish to the Apgar Visitor Center in Glacier National Park, and from Whitefish to Whitefish Mountain Resort July 1 through Sept. 7.

The service will run from Whitefish to Glacier four times per day, and from Whitefish to Whitefish Mountain Resort four times per day. Schedules are available online at www.bigmtncommercial.org.

Montana State Parks Recreational Trails Program receives national award

Montana State Parks’ Recreational Trails Program has received national recognition from the Coalition for Recreational Trails as Outstanding State Trails Program for 2015.

The Coalition for Recreational Trails selects winners of the Tom Petri Annual Achievement Awards in recognition of outstanding Recreational Trails Programs and projects throughout the country.

Montana State Parks RTP annually awards federal grants through a competitive application process. Projects can range from construction and maintenance of trails and development of trailside and trailhead facilities to ethics education, interpretive programs, and weed control.