Banff Mountain Film Festival brings 44 new Friends

The last weekend in January was a good one for lovers of good film and Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Against the backdrop of the Banff Mountain Film Festival at the Panida Theater in Sandpoint and then at the Kroc Center in Coeur d’ Alene, FSPW signed up over 40 new Friends. In its five years of existence, FSPW has had a table at the Banff Mountain Film Festival every year.

Michael Boge of Mountain Fever — who has been bringing the Film Festival to Sandpoint and Coeur d’Alene for over a decade — has consistently given FSPW permission to have a table in the lobby during these shows. FSPW tables and displays at BMFF over the years have brought in literally hundreds of Friends.

“The Film Festival has always been a good spot for us,” says Phil Hough, FSPW executive director. “It’s the event that keeps on giving.”

Volunteers Jacob Styer, Linsey Larson, Jim and Sandii Mellen, and Susan Compton signed on 33 new Friends over three nights in Sandpoint, January 28-30. Todd Dunfield and David Lindsay signed up 11 during the single night in Coeur d’ Alene, January 31. On top of that, a quanity of “swag” items were sold, including a good number of our new $5 T-shirt. The tables were also a good spot for “old” Friends to stop by and get caught up on what’s going on with our effort.

Linsey Larson and Jacob Styer at the FSPW table at the Panida during the Banff Mountain Film Festival
Linsey Larson and Jacob Styer at the Panida FSPW table during the Banff Mountain Film Festival (Jim Mellen photo)

If you are looking for a volunteer opportunity for FSPW, tables at events like this and our booths at county fairs and local festivals are a very important part of the outreach portion of the Friends mission to obtain congressional wilderness designation for the Scotchman Peaks roadless area straddling the Idaho/Montana border. It’s fun, it’s easy and its good opportunity to meet new friends and make new Friends.

Look for the FSPW table March 16 at the next Banff Center show to come to the Panida, Radical Reels, again brought to Sandpoint by Mountain Fever. Bring a friend and turn them into a Friend.

Share this Page
Categories: Blog
About The Author:

Sandy Compton has been program coordinator for Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness since 2009. He is also a storyteller and author of both fiction and non-fiction books, and the publisher at bluecreekpress.com.

In addition to his other duties, he runs the FSPW All Star Trail Team (www.scotchmanpeaks.org/trails), which works on Forest Service trails in the Scotchman Peaks. He is a trail surveyor as well, and a C-Certified Crosscut Bucker/Feller and USFS National Saw Policy OHLEC instructor.

Sandy grew up on a small farm/woodlot at the south end of the proposed wilderness and lives there still. He is also board member of the National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance and a planning team member for the Northern Rockies Wilderness Skills Institute.

Read More Posts by »

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.