Recently the Wilderness Society announced that Brad Smith, our very own map maker, will receive the 2010 “Murie Award.”
Presented annually, the Murie award recognizes a “front-line federal or state land management employee—or any young environmentalists, early in their careers, especially those who are innovative and have taken risks to promote the principles of natural resource [...]
Roughly 60 miles south of Canada, the 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks roadless area spans the Idaho-Montana border. Since the 1970s, when the U.S. Forest Service carried out extensive evaluations of lands suitable for wilderness, this rugged, scenic and biologically diverse portion of the Cabinet Mountains has been managed for its wilderness potential. The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness believe now is the time to preserve the Scotchmans, one of the last, and largest, wild areas in our region.
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Way to Go Brad!
February 22nd, 2010
Do wildlife turn out for wildlife films?
February 18th, 2010
Some days, thinking of things to blog about is like fishing for paddlefish. All you can do is throw a big hook out and drag it back and see what you catch. Once in a while you end up writing about an old tire.
And then, some days, a fish jumps right into your lap. Thank [...]
Convergence
February 16th, 2010
There’s a powerful convergence of holidays and celebrations going on this week. Sunday was both Valentine’s Day as well as the Chinese New Year (in comes the Year of the Tiger, this time). Monday was President’s day; and the Carnival Season kicks off with Mardi Gras Tuesday, although I have heard of people already celebrating [...]
Banff Mountain Film Festival brings 44 new Friends
February 11th, 2010
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 [...]
Wilderness and the Urban Interface
February 8th, 2010
This weekend I was reflecting on Wilderness and a recent visit to Tucson. While it may seem odd to put those two things together, Wilderness and a major metropolitan area, it is precisely what Congress has done.
You see, the Pusch Ridge Wilderness area is to be found in Tuscon’s backyard, literally. The Pontatoc Trail begins [...]
New banners from Bonner Awards help us tell our story.
February 4th, 2010
Part of the job of advocating for Scotchman Peaks is getting folks’ attention; a crucial part of the FSPW mission to preserve the 88,000 acres of roadless area as wilderness. With that in mind, three new banners have been designed and printed to be displayed in booths and tables at events FSPW attends as a [...]
Idaho Business Women of the Year
February 3rd, 2010
On Tuesday the Idaho Business Review announced their list of honorees for the 2010 Idaho Business Women of the Year. We are proud to announce that Carol Jenkins, Vice-Chair/Idaho and Grant Writer for the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness was among the individuals selected for this honor!
The 50 women selected will be honored in a [...]
Congratulations on Chamber Choice Awards
February 2nd, 2010
On Friday night the Greater Sandpoint Area Chamber of Commerce held their Second annual “Chamber Choice Awards”. We’d like to congratulate to all of the Winners and Nominees! You can read a full recap of the evening’s nominees and winners at this link: http://sandpointchamber.org/chamberchoice.html
The Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness are proud to have been nominated [...]
Star Peak: a “new” name for an old mountain — and a great hike
January 28th, 2010
First, and at the risk of turning this into a product review, let me first say that the Lightning Ascent snowshoes from Mountain Safety Research are a bit pricy, but boy, do they work well. Last Sunday, mine got their first workout as I accompanied Susan Drumheller, Brad Smith, Bev Newsham and Cabell Hodges on [...]
Wilderness Workshop
January 25th, 2010
Recently, 35 active volunteers including our board and staff came together to attend a Wilderness Workshop. Our primary goal was to increase our ability to work with effectiveness and enthusiasm both individually as well as a group.
The half day session was intense but enjoyable. A Wilderness Workshop can take many forms and formats. For the [...]
American Hiking Society will hike to the Hill
January 21st, 2010
The American Hiking Society (AHS), which is hosting a hike in Washington, D.C. in February (http://bit.ly/6rUFvf), is a group that shares many of our sensibilities as Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness.
Besides having a killer logo (I wish I had designed it), I admire this group because they are, again, like FSPW, moderate in their approach, [...]
Congressman Rehberg Gets an Earfull
January 18th, 2010
This last Saturday, January 16th, Congressman Denny Rehberg held a “listening session” to hear public comments on Senator Tester’s “Forest Jobs and Recreation Act” which would establish over 670,000 acres of Wilderness in Montana. Over 200 people showed up at the Libby High School, and the Congressmen head from both impassioned supporters of the bill [...]
Congressman Rehberg Listening Session Sat
January 15th, 2010
This Saturday, January 16th, Congressman Denny Rehberg will be holding a public meeting to take comments on Senator Tester’s “Forest Jobs and Recreation Act” which would establish over 670,000 acres of Wilderness in Montana. This “listening session” will take place at 3pm to 4:30pm in the Ponderosa Room at the City Hall in Libby MT.
This [...]
Good news for bull trout is good news for land dwellers, too.
January 14th, 2010
By Sandy Compton
The news today about the expansion of bull trout habitat (http://bit.ly/6jWqUj) is good news for fish and good news for humans, too. A government agency which under the Bush Administration had been reluctant, at best, to enforce laws it is supposed to is signaling a new era has begun within its ranks. Thursday, [...]
Happy Anniversary!
January 14th, 2010
Five years ago today, on January 14th, 2005, a group of concerned citizens from Idaho and Montana gathered together in a centrally located living room, crowding couches and spilling onto pillows around the floor to chart the course of what became the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. Happy 5th Year Anniversary!!
Working with a passion and [...]
Audience Supports Scotchmans Wilderness at Thompson Falls Chamber Meeting
January 3rd, 2010
A room full of hands signaled support for the Scotchman wilderness, after a presentation to the Thompson Falls Chamber of Commerce on December 18th. No one signaled opposition to the project. Two people abstained and commented they wanted to learn more about the proposal.
Presenter Doug Ferrell reported the group asked a lot of questions and [...]
A new year and new promises for the future of wilderness
December 31st, 2009
” . . . (wilderness) has been a place where lost souls go to rekindle their dying embers, where families can go to strengthen and re-forge bonds that may have loosened over troubled times, and where friends go to create life-long laughs and memories . . . ” Kaylie Cox, Thompson Falls 8th Grader.
New Year’s Resolutions
December 29th, 2009
We are making a list and checking it twice…..no, wait a minute, that was last week. This week, we’re making a list and we’re gonna stick to it! A New Year is fast approaching and we have set our sights on some goals and some resolutions to make those goals happen:
The Friends of Scotchman Peaks [...]
Scotchmans Essay Contest: Does Wilderness Have Value?
December 27th, 2009
The question “Does Wilderness Have Value?” was explored by students from four Sanders County schools, who submitted essays for a contest sponsored by the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness. The contest is open to middle and high school students in Sanders County Montana.
We’d like to thank all of the students who particpated! The high quality [...]
2010 Winter Hike Schedule is a brain freezer.
December 23rd, 2009
Want an ice-cream headache? Call Jim or Sandii Mellen.
The Mellens, that dynamic duo of outdoor enthusiasm, will lead four of our 11 winter hikes this year, a testament to their dedication to winter fun and our Scotchman Peaks efforts, as well as their individual fitness. Mr. and Mrs. Metabolism will take hikers into the quiet [...]
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New Montana Wilderness Legislation
By now most everyone has heard about the legislation recently introduced by Senator Jon Tester (D-Montana), which includes almost 700,000 acres of wilderness. This message to the Friends of Scotchman Peaks will attempt to answer some common questions and provide links to more …
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