Do you ever look up from Lake Pend Oreille at the towering turrets of the Scotchman Peaks and wondering why they aren’t yet designated as wilderness? We sure do! Well, wilderness takes time and community support, lots of support. Come join the Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness for our annual “State of Scotchmans” event…………….
Read the [...]
Spanning the Idaho/Montana border, the Scotchmans are one of the last, and largest, wild areas in our region. We conduct education, outreach and stewardship activities to preserve the rugged, scenic and biologically diverse 88,000 acre Scotchman Peaks Roadless Area. We believe the Scotchman Peaks deserve congressional designation as Wilderness for the benefit and enjoyment of current and future generations.
Scotchman Peaks In The News
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Annual State Of The Scotchmans
June 1st, 2007
North Idaho Wilderness Advocate Awarded
May 25th, 2007
May 24, 2007
For Immediate Release
Contacts:
Rick Johnson, (208) 345-6942 ext. 19
Phil Hough, (208) 255-2780
Wilderness advocate Phil Hough, of Sagle, Idaho, was awarded the Idaho Conservation League’s highest award for environmental activism on May 19, 2007 during the organization’s Wild Idaho Conference in Stanley, Idaho.
Hough received the Keith and Pat Axline Award for Environmental Activism for his [...]
Great Old Broads Coming To Scotchmans!
May 10th, 2007
Great Old Broads for Wilderness [GOB], a hard-working, tenacious national wilderness advocate organization, will visit the Scotchman Peaks area to help promote its designation as a Congressionally established permanent Wilderness Area. Headquartered at the Clark Fork Field Campus, all activities are open to the public including hikes in the Scotchman area, excellent speakers about wilderness [...]
2006 Annual Report Released
February 11th, 2007
“A real page turner – I couldn’t put it down!” – New Belgian Times
“A classic! One of the best Annual Reports ever written!” – Tokyo Daily Standard
Read the Friends Of Scotchman Peaks 2006 Annual Report (660kb pdf file)
Spokesman Review Guest Opinion
November 8th, 2006
(Reprinted from the Spokesman Review)
Scotchman Peaks Another Good Save
Doug Scott , Author of “Enduring Wilderness”
Campaign for America’s Wilderness
November 8, 2006
There are now 300 million of us, each striving for a share in the American dream. For me, a central part of that dream is the idea of wilderness – the idea that we can still have, [...]
Scotchmans on the front page of the Daily Bee
May 12th, 2006
Jim Mellen’s recap and Rod’s photo of their recent snowboarding trip to the top of Scotchman Peak were in full color on the front page of Today’s Daily Bee, with a nice lead in to the presentation at the chamber this afternoon. Click Here to view the article (note that this is a .jpg file that will open [...]
Idaho Native Plant Society Supports the Scotchmans
May 12th, 2006
Kinnikinnick Chapter Of The Idaho Native Plant Society
www.nativeplantsociety.org
President
Phil Hough
(208) 255-2780
Vice-President
Rae Charlton
(208) 255-7666
Secretary
Annette Fraser-Runnalls
(208) 263-9234
Treasurer
Marilyn George
(208) 263-9470
Arboretum Manager
Sylvia M. Chatburn
(208) 263-2175
Founder
Lois Wythe
(208) 263-8038
Board Members
Ken Haag
(208) 255-4413
Molly O’Reilly
(208) 255-7336
Nancy Rodgers
(208) 265-2541
Ann Wimberley
(208) 264-5379
Resolution Supporting the Proposed Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area
The Kinnikinnick chapter of the Idaho Native Plant Society recognizes the need to protect [...]
Kootenai Forest Plan Decision Announced
May 11th, 2006
Your Help Is Needed
The Kootenai National Forest, in their forest revision draft map, has eliminated ALL recommended wilderness, replacing it with a “wildlands” category. We need letters NOW to the regional forester Gail Kimbell expressing our disappointment over this outrageous decision and urging her to return wilderness to the Kootenai forest! Your letter does [...]
Lake Pend Oreille Cruises: Benefit for Scotchman Peaks
May 10th, 2006
Lake Pend Oreille Cruises
427 Fry Creek Road
Sagle, ID 83860
Phone 208-255-5253
Fax 208-265-9217
Email info@lakependoreillecruises.com
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact Information: Linda Mitchell, 208-255-5253
Cruise to Benefit Friends of Scotchman Peaks Wilderness
Lake Pend Oreille Cruises is offering their first Clark Fork Delta Cruise of the 2006 season on Sunday, May 21st, from 1 to 4 pm. Cost of the [...]
River Journal Article – Walking Into Heaven
April 29th, 2006
Walking into Heaven by Trish Gannon
Publisher
The River Journal, April 26, 2006
It’s time to protect the Scotchmans
Once the weather warms, as it’s finally doing here in Idaho’s panhandle, I like to sit on my front porch in the morning with a cup of coffee and watch the sun make its way over the top of Antelope [...]
Sandpoint City Council Endorses the Scotchmans
April 24th, 2006
No: 06-23
Date: April 19, 2006
RESOLUTION
OF THE CITY COUNCIL
CITY OF SANDPOINT
TITLE: CITY OF SANDPOINT SUPPORT OF SCOTCHMAN PEAKS WILDERNESS
WHEREAS: Scotchman Peaks are located above Lake Pend Oreille and the Clark Fork River in the Cabinet Mountains, straddling the Idaho/Montana border, with the highest point in Bonner County at 7,009 feet; and,
WHEREAS: The [...]
The Spokesman Review – March 15, 2006
March 18th, 2006
(Reprinted from The Spokesman-Review, March 15, 2006)
Wilderness proposal gets county support
James Hagengruber
Staff writer
March 15, 2006
Momentum appears to be building for North Idaho’s first federally designated wilderness area in the Scotchman Peaks east of Sandpoint.
Buried in a letter sent to the Idaho governor earlier this year was an unprecedented two-sentence statement from the Bonner County commission expressing [...]
The Daily Bee – March 16, 2006
March 18th, 2006
Re-printed from the Daily Bee, March 16, 2006
County backs Scotchman’s wilderness designation
By KEITH KINNAIRD
News editor
Group hopes to secure additional political support
SANDPOINT — Bonner County commissioners are throwing their support behind an effort to designate the Scotchman Peak area as wilderness, adding an important voice to the growing chorus of people calling for the area to [...]
Bonner County Commissioners Endorsement
February 1st, 2006
The Sanders County Ledger published the following editorial in support of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness Area:
Governor Dirk Kempthorne
State Capitol Building
PO Box 83720
Boise, Idaho 83720
The Bonner County Commissioners, after holding two public hearings and receiving written testimony concerning the proposed designations for current inventoried roadless areas in the Panhandle National Forest in Bonner County, have decided [...]
The Sanders County Ledger – January 12, 2006
January 16th, 2006
Scotchman Peaks Offers Grand Wilderness Addition - (no byline)
(Please note: this is a scanned copy of the Sanders County Ledger article that will open in a new window).
Kootenai Forest Plans Released
November 1st, 2005
In September 2005, Forest Supervisor Bob Castaneda made the arbitrary decision to not recommend wilderness for roadless lands in the Kootenai Forest. In so doing, he significantly reduced the possibility that these lands will ever garner official protection for their outstanding wilderness character. The Montana Wilderness Association has created an Action Center web [...]
Kootenai Forest Plan
September 15th, 2005
Dear Friend of Scotchman Peaks for Wilderness,
We believe that Kootenai Forest Supervisor Bob Castaneda acted irresponsibly and improperly [...]
The Spokesman Review – September 11, 2005
September 14th, 2005
Reprinted from The Spokesman-Review, September 11, 2005
ROADLESS AREAS UNDER SIEGE
Conservationists adopt choice local areas
With Lake Pend Oreille sprawling in the background to the south, a group of hikers takes a break on top of 7,009-foot Scotchman Peak, the highest point in Bonner County.
CONTACT
Scotchman Friends
More information about the Friends of the Scotchman Peaks Wilderness is available from [...]
Facing The New Forest Plan
September 4th, 2005
The draft forest plans for both the Idaho Panhandle and Kootenai National Forests were released in May. Here is a very brief review of how these draft plans impact the Scotchman Peaks area. Click here for a printable version(.pdf) of this Plan (will open in a new window).
The Idaho Panhandle National Forest [...]
Upcoming Guided Hikes
Additional Pages
Extras & Goodies
Scotchmans on Film
Check out the trailers for two soon-to-be-released documentary films by Wildman Pictures about the Scotchman Peaks!
En Plein Air captures the experiences of artists during a 5 day trek through the mountains. Grass Routes tells the story of the Friends of Scotchman Peaks' efforts to achieve official wilderness designation for this scenic wild area. Don't miss them!
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Wilderness Organizations:
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- Wilderness.net
- The Wilderness Society
- Idaho Conservation League
- Montana Wilderness Association
- Campaign for America's Wilderness
- Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation
- Selway-Bitterroot Frank Church Foundation
- National Wilderness Stewardship Alliance
- Yaak Valley Forest Council
Our Thanks To:
- Mountain Meadows
- Merriweather Inn
- Sandpoint Chamber of Commerce
- Eichardts
- Outdoor Experience
- Pend d'Oreille Winery
- Common Knowledge Organic Cafe & Bookstore
- Keokee Publishing
- River Journal
- Only In Clark Fork
- The StoryTelling Company
- The Cinnabar Foundation
- St. Croix Printing
- Blue Creek Press
- Woodland RV Park
- Kally Thurman's Outskirts Galley
- Greasy Fingers Bikes n Repair
- Endow-Bio, Inc