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Bear Creek Council Newsletter - December 2008
Bear Creek Council Newsletter
December 2008
Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 16th, 6 - 9:00 p.m.
Gardiner Community Center
Join us to celebrate the season, enjoy interesting conversation, have a delicious meal with friends and raise money for our work.
President’s Message – Carolyn Duckworth
Another banner month for us! Right after the November newsletter
was distributed, we found out we had won a grant from NorthWestern
Energy for our school solar project. HUGE thanks to Bill Berg, Mike
Tercek, Phil Davidson, Aubree Durfey, and others for their
persistence in acquiring funding for this great project. You’ll hear
more about it at the holiday party and in the coming months. And
stay tuned for more good work from the Greening Committee; they
met December 9 to rev up for the coming year. I think their energy
level could power the rest of our buzzing town.
Bear Creek Council members enjoyed a bit of celebrity at the
Northern Plains Resource Council’s annual meeting. In our affiliate
report, I announced our solar grant to great cheers and applause from
the 100+ people at the business meeting. We also received huzzahs
for our successful growth policy campaign. The next day, our affiliate
put on easily the most entertaining workshop about energy efficiency
in your home. Bill, Rebecca, and Orion had people laughing and
thinking all at once. Later, Bill won at least one, maybe two (I lost
count), cash raffles.
So now we approach our traditional fun time—the holiday party. We
have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. Please join us for this
annual funraiser, bring a potluck dish (remember, we feed our
guests!), a silent auction item (or two), and your friends who might
want to join us in our fun, and important, work.
Here’s to you!
WE ARE NOT ALONE - Carolyn’s notes from the Northern Plains board meeting
Bear Creek Council is one of ten community groups officially affiliated with Northern Plains Resource Council. That number includes the new Helena affiliate Sleeping Giant Resource Council. In addition to affiliates, Northern Plains organizes its work in task forces. We share interests with most of these groups, and here are some highlights gleaned from the board meeting held December 6:
Bull Mountain Land Alliance, north of Billings, is facing a fast-tracked coal mine that threatens their water quality and quality of life. The mine is asking for state and local tax breaks because of their new construction.
Carbon County Resource Council (includes Red Lodge): They are active in local food, greening their towns (looking into wind energy within Red Lodge), discussing local school priorities and energy efficiency.
Cottonwood Resource Council (includes Big Timber): Their huge area includes the Stillwater mine and wildcat oil and gas leasing on the east side of the Crazies—exploration that is spilling over into northern Park County.
Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council (Billings): They are supporting two bills before the 2009 Montana Legislature that eliminate or reduce fees associated with producing local foods and nursery plants. The former is one that could directly affect us in Gardiner by making local food more available and affordable.
Tongue River Railroad Task Force: This is one of the oldest and most intractable issues in the West. The TRR group continually, persistently turn out in force for comment on BLM proposals, river quality threats, and the myriad other issues that comprise this 30-year fight. Most recently, they demonstrated that public outcry and comment can have an effect when the FWP suspended approval of an easement to route the still-mythical Tongue River Railroad over the fish hatchery in Miles City that, among other things, plays a role in protecting the rare paddlefish. Northern Plains ranchers along the Tongue River also work with the Northern Cheyenne on a number of issues. They collaborated on efforts to have several battlefields near Lame Deer recognized as National Historic Sites. Recently, when national officials were in Lame Deer to celebrate this designation, Steve Brady of the Cheyenne acknowledged the partnership with Northern Plains, and the importance of slow,
patient building of allies.
WE WORK TOGETHER
Bear Creek Council and other affiliates and task forces of Northern Plains work together on many issues, especially during the legislative sessions. Northern Plains, in return, helps us with our membership development, fund raising, and planning activities and campaigns. When you join Bear Creek Council, you also join this state-wide force for common sense and sustainability. That’s why you will sometimes receive an email from Northern Plains, why you always should receive the quarterly publication, Plains Truth, and
generally four times a year you will receive a letter asking for your help in funding specific campaigns.
Your support of Northern Plains directly helps Bear Creek Council and ultimately the quality of life you enjoy here in Gardiner and Park County.
BISON
No new news since November. The final IBMP meetings will be held the week of our holiday party, so we will update you via email and in the January newsletter about the outcomes. We remain cautiously optimistic for the buffalo.
PLANNING
Ah, a campaign may seem to end but it goes on for quite a while after election day. Our ballot issue committee, Park County, Our Future, will dissolve this month when we file the final state-required paperwork. But we will be discussing Bear Creek Council’s role in county planning issues in the weeks to come and will present some ideas at the January meeting. At that meeting, we’ll also discuss some interesting propositions we’ve received to expand Bear Creek Council into more of a county-wide group.
HARVESTING CLEAN ENERGY
At the December board meeting for Northern Plains, we heard about an upcoming conference—Harvesting Clean Energy—that will be held in Billings in late January. Check out the website, it already has a detailed schedule: http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org
A few examples:
• Training and Educating the New Clean Energy Workforce For local communities to benefit from clean energy development, strategies must include local education and training opportunities for rural residents. Innovative partnerships and new technologies are changing workforce development.
• Making it Work in the Northwest: Key Barriers and Solutions—Building Energy Self-Reliance For farmers and communities, energy efficiency and renewable energy can cut costs, keep energy dollars in the local economy, and reduce vulnerability to rising energy costs. This panel will outline solutions and opportunities to speed adoption of energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy.
• Community Self-Reliance—Strategies for Local Governments and Tribes to Reduce Energy Waste and Produce More Clean Energy The power of many is always greater than the power of one. Learn how communities including tribes and rural cities have invested in renewable energy to meet their energy needs.
GRIZZLY IN GARDINER UPDATE
Thanks to fast work by Bill Berg, Beth Taylor, Betty DeWeese, and other Bear Creek
Council members, the Gardiner community heard and saw a lot about bears at the
annual Library Bazaar, held November 4. They worked with Kerry Gunther, NPS, and
the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks to set up a booth with dramatic images, maps,
bear-proofing gear, and handouts. It was one of the busiest booths at the bazaar.
Congratulations to the Fuhrmann-Johnson family for winning the bear-resistant
garbage container!
DOGSLEDDING UPDATE
On November 13, the Gardiner community turned out for a public hearing about proposed
dogsledding; more than a dozen Bear Creek Council members were there, and others submitted their comments. The FS decision is excerpted below and will be available in full on our website soon. When you see Joe Regula, Shauna Baron, and Stephanie Cochrane, thank them for steering this issue into a public meeting and to a satisfactory compromise. If you should encounter the dogsledding operation this winter, please be sure to contact Dessa Dale of the FS to let her know what you observed—good or bad. Dessa can be reached at 848-7375, x 24 or dessadale@fs.fed.us
From the December 1 letter allowing the dogsledding operation:
The permittee is Yellowstone Dogsled Adventure of Emigrant; they also own River Source.
Areas where the operation is allowed:
• All National Forest System lands in the Tom Miner area to include Tom Miner Road #63,
Sunlight Basin Rd # 1702, and Divide Creek Road #3255
• National Forest System roads in the Crevice/Palmer Mountain #3232 and Bald Mount
#6945 in the Jardine area
• All National Forest System lands and roads in the Cooke City Area excluding the Irma
Mine Rd #1172 (Republic Creek drainage).
We will deny use on the Bear Creek Road and all other National Forest areas in Jardine, except what is listed above. The decision is based on potential conflicts with existing uses, including skiing, snowmobiling and our interest in maintaining accessible, non-commercial winter opportunities in some portion of the District.
Requirements:
• Staging Areas will be cleaned up following each trip.
• Trail clean up within a week following each trip.
• Post signs (Caution - Dogsled in Area) on Crevice Road (top and bottom) when in
commercial use.
• Provide proof of vaccination for all dogs to be used on NFS lands (distemper/parvo).
• No staging on Hwy 212 in the Cooke City Area.
• Staging may occur adjacent to Cooke City Waste Compactor - Transfer Station but vehicle access to the facility must be maintained at all times. Permittee will coordinate locationwith Site manager and Forest Service.
• Staging area parking will be limited to no more than 3 vehicles at one time.
• Snowmobile packing of trails on NFS lands, outside designated wilderness and wilderness study areas, is permitted.
• Total use will be evaluated annually (for all commercial dog sled use) to determine if there needs to be an upper limit of use or a pool of available commercial dogsled service days established
December 2008
Holiday Party
Tuesday, December 16th, 6 - 9:00 p.m.
Gardiner Community Center
Join us to celebrate the season, enjoy interesting conversation, have a delicious meal with friends and raise money for our work.
President’s Message – Carolyn Duckworth
Another banner month for us! Right after the November newsletter
was distributed, we found out we had won a grant from NorthWestern
Energy for our school solar project. HUGE thanks to Bill Berg, Mike
Tercek, Phil Davidson, Aubree Durfey, and others for their
persistence in acquiring funding for this great project. You’ll hear
more about it at the holiday party and in the coming months. And
stay tuned for more good work from the Greening Committee; they
met December 9 to rev up for the coming year. I think their energy
level could power the rest of our buzzing town.
Bear Creek Council members enjoyed a bit of celebrity at the
Northern Plains Resource Council’s annual meeting. In our affiliate
report, I announced our solar grant to great cheers and applause from
the 100+ people at the business meeting. We also received huzzahs
for our successful growth policy campaign. The next day, our affiliate
put on easily the most entertaining workshop about energy efficiency
in your home. Bill, Rebecca, and Orion had people laughing and
thinking all at once. Later, Bill won at least one, maybe two (I lost
count), cash raffles.
So now we approach our traditional fun time—the holiday party. We
have a lot to celebrate and be thankful for. Please join us for this
annual funraiser, bring a potluck dish (remember, we feed our
guests!), a silent auction item (or two), and your friends who might
want to join us in our fun, and important, work.
Here’s to you!
WE ARE NOT ALONE - Carolyn’s notes from the Northern Plains board meeting
Bear Creek Council is one of ten community groups officially affiliated with Northern Plains Resource Council. That number includes the new Helena affiliate Sleeping Giant Resource Council. In addition to affiliates, Northern Plains organizes its work in task forces. We share interests with most of these groups, and here are some highlights gleaned from the board meeting held December 6:
Bull Mountain Land Alliance, north of Billings, is facing a fast-tracked coal mine that threatens their water quality and quality of life. The mine is asking for state and local tax breaks because of their new construction.
Carbon County Resource Council (includes Red Lodge): They are active in local food, greening their towns (looking into wind energy within Red Lodge), discussing local school priorities and energy efficiency.
Cottonwood Resource Council (includes Big Timber): Their huge area includes the Stillwater mine and wildcat oil and gas leasing on the east side of the Crazies—exploration that is spilling over into northern Park County.
Yellowstone Valley Citizens Council (Billings): They are supporting two bills before the 2009 Montana Legislature that eliminate or reduce fees associated with producing local foods and nursery plants. The former is one that could directly affect us in Gardiner by making local food more available and affordable.
Tongue River Railroad Task Force: This is one of the oldest and most intractable issues in the West. The TRR group continually, persistently turn out in force for comment on BLM proposals, river quality threats, and the myriad other issues that comprise this 30-year fight. Most recently, they demonstrated that public outcry and comment can have an effect when the FWP suspended approval of an easement to route the still-mythical Tongue River Railroad over the fish hatchery in Miles City that, among other things, plays a role in protecting the rare paddlefish. Northern Plains ranchers along the Tongue River also work with the Northern Cheyenne on a number of issues. They collaborated on efforts to have several battlefields near Lame Deer recognized as National Historic Sites. Recently, when national officials were in Lame Deer to celebrate this designation, Steve Brady of the Cheyenne acknowledged the partnership with Northern Plains, and the importance of slow,
patient building of allies.
WE WORK TOGETHER
Bear Creek Council and other affiliates and task forces of Northern Plains work together on many issues, especially during the legislative sessions. Northern Plains, in return, helps us with our membership development, fund raising, and planning activities and campaigns. When you join Bear Creek Council, you also join this state-wide force for common sense and sustainability. That’s why you will sometimes receive an email from Northern Plains, why you always should receive the quarterly publication, Plains Truth, and
generally four times a year you will receive a letter asking for your help in funding specific campaigns.
Your support of Northern Plains directly helps Bear Creek Council and ultimately the quality of life you enjoy here in Gardiner and Park County.
BISON
No new news since November. The final IBMP meetings will be held the week of our holiday party, so we will update you via email and in the January newsletter about the outcomes. We remain cautiously optimistic for the buffalo.
PLANNING
Ah, a campaign may seem to end but it goes on for quite a while after election day. Our ballot issue committee, Park County, Our Future, will dissolve this month when we file the final state-required paperwork. But we will be discussing Bear Creek Council’s role in county planning issues in the weeks to come and will present some ideas at the January meeting. At that meeting, we’ll also discuss some interesting propositions we’ve received to expand Bear Creek Council into more of a county-wide group.
HARVESTING CLEAN ENERGY
At the December board meeting for Northern Plains, we heard about an upcoming conference—Harvesting Clean Energy—that will be held in Billings in late January. Check out the website, it already has a detailed schedule: http://www.harvestcleanenergy.org
A few examples:
• Training and Educating the New Clean Energy Workforce For local communities to benefit from clean energy development, strategies must include local education and training opportunities for rural residents. Innovative partnerships and new technologies are changing workforce development.
• Making it Work in the Northwest: Key Barriers and Solutions—Building Energy Self-Reliance For farmers and communities, energy efficiency and renewable energy can cut costs, keep energy dollars in the local economy, and reduce vulnerability to rising energy costs. This panel will outline solutions and opportunities to speed adoption of energy efficiency technologies and renewable energy.
• Community Self-Reliance—Strategies for Local Governments and Tribes to Reduce Energy Waste and Produce More Clean Energy The power of many is always greater than the power of one. Learn how communities including tribes and rural cities have invested in renewable energy to meet their energy needs.
GRIZZLY IN GARDINER UPDATE
Thanks to fast work by Bill Berg, Beth Taylor, Betty DeWeese, and other Bear Creek
Council members, the Gardiner community heard and saw a lot about bears at the
annual Library Bazaar, held November 4. They worked with Kerry Gunther, NPS, and
the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks to set up a booth with dramatic images, maps,
bear-proofing gear, and handouts. It was one of the busiest booths at the bazaar.
Congratulations to the Fuhrmann-Johnson family for winning the bear-resistant
garbage container!
DOGSLEDDING UPDATE
On November 13, the Gardiner community turned out for a public hearing about proposed
dogsledding; more than a dozen Bear Creek Council members were there, and others submitted their comments. The FS decision is excerpted below and will be available in full on our website soon. When you see Joe Regula, Shauna Baron, and Stephanie Cochrane, thank them for steering this issue into a public meeting and to a satisfactory compromise. If you should encounter the dogsledding operation this winter, please be sure to contact Dessa Dale of the FS to let her know what you observed—good or bad. Dessa can be reached at 848-7375, x 24 or dessadale@fs.fed.us
From the December 1 letter allowing the dogsledding operation:
The permittee is Yellowstone Dogsled Adventure of Emigrant; they also own River Source.
Areas where the operation is allowed:
• All National Forest System lands in the Tom Miner area to include Tom Miner Road #63,
Sunlight Basin Rd # 1702, and Divide Creek Road #3255
• National Forest System roads in the Crevice/Palmer Mountain #3232 and Bald Mount
#6945 in the Jardine area
• All National Forest System lands and roads in the Cooke City Area excluding the Irma
Mine Rd #1172 (Republic Creek drainage).
We will deny use on the Bear Creek Road and all other National Forest areas in Jardine, except what is listed above. The decision is based on potential conflicts with existing uses, including skiing, snowmobiling and our interest in maintaining accessible, non-commercial winter opportunities in some portion of the District.
Requirements:
• Staging Areas will be cleaned up following each trip.
• Trail clean up within a week following each trip.
• Post signs (Caution - Dogsled in Area) on Crevice Road (top and bottom) when in
commercial use.
• Provide proof of vaccination for all dogs to be used on NFS lands (distemper/parvo).
• No staging on Hwy 212 in the Cooke City Area.
• Staging may occur adjacent to Cooke City Waste Compactor - Transfer Station but vehicle access to the facility must be maintained at all times. Permittee will coordinate locationwith Site manager and Forest Service.
• Staging area parking will be limited to no more than 3 vehicles at one time.
• Snowmobile packing of trails on NFS lands, outside designated wilderness and wilderness study areas, is permitted.
• Total use will be evaluated annually (for all commercial dog sled use) to determine if there needs to be an upper limit of use or a pool of available commercial dogsled service days established
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