Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex 2014 HIGHLIGHTED ARTICLES Raising Babies in the Bob 4 Celebrate! Celebrate! Partnering for the 6 It’s the 50th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act! Future of Fire Lookouts Letter From BMWC Lead Ranger—Deb Mucklow Native Trout Restoration 7 on the NF of the Black- You’re Invited to the annual public meeting for the Bob Marshall Wilderness Com- foot plex Saturday March 29, 2014, at the Choteau Library meeting room, starting time 10 am. The library is on Main Street and to best access the conference room, park directly south One Story, One Memory, 8 or One Place at a time of Rex’s Grocery Store and enter at the back of the library from Main Street. We’ll have signs posted so all will be able to find us! Some of you recognize this as the “LAC” (Limits of Ac- th Elk for the Future? 11 ceptable Change) meeting or task force. This year we are focusing on the “50 Anniversary Celebration of the Wilderness Act”. Back to Basics: Bridging 16 This annual meeting is for all interested par- the Traditional Skills Gap ties to talk about the Bob Marshall, Scape- goat and Great Bear Wilderness areas. As Inside Story 6 wilderness stewards and managers, we need Annual BMWC to hear what do you think is working, what is Public Meeting not and areas of concern you may have. Agenda Please give me a call (406-387-3851) or • 50th anniversary wilder- email ([email protected]) to let me know ness activities and how what topics you’d like for us to present. As to get involved much as we think we have a good under- standing – your direct input is really needed! • Project information Lunch will be on your own. Forest Service and scoping actions and Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Manag- ers will be present and all of us are looking • Forest Plan Revision forward to catching up and listening! update We’ll also have an update from the Bob Mar- • The 2013 wildfire shall Wilderness Foundation. I’ve been asked season: effects on access to not have the Jeopardy games, so I’m turning it around and asking you all for your partici- and trail conditions pation and engagement. With this in mind, I have a favor to ask; each of you needs to come • Winter snow surveys prepared to share a history tidbit about the Bob Marshall, Great Bear or Scapegoat Wilder- updates ness and a story that has contributed to why the wilderness is so important or valued by you individually. • BMWF opportunities for 2014 Getting philosophical, I think maybe as a society we need wilderness even more today than we did 50 years ago. I also worry at times that the next or current generations don’t have this • Monitoring updates same passion. Each year I get the privilege of being in this position, I work with our younger from LAC data workforce and partners and I’m reminded that they value this experience as much as I do. I also get to be with peers and those that have lots more experience than I do and they also • Wildlife and fish up- keep me grounded. We may not all express it the same, but dates (Continued on next page) Page 1, Volume 24, 2014 (Celebrate!, continued from previous page) as the stories are shared I believe we’ll hear a common theme and shared value of wilderness – the naturalness and the wildness. In keeping with Celebrating the 50th Anniversary – all are invited to the Spotted Bear Ranger Station on Saturday August 2, 2014. We are hosting a Celebration of the People; those that have ties to the wilderness directly or indirectly. We wouldn’t have the special places and stewardship we experience today if not for all of the people that have contribut- ed. We’re seeking out current, past, retired and future wilderness enthusiasts to come to Spotted Bear and celebrate with us. Maybe you had a Forest Service connection: family trips, working as a guide or an outfitter or participating in youth or partner trips such as Back Country Horseman. There will be oral interviews and living history captured, presentations, lunch, pictures, pack strings, more stories and visits and just overall fun. We’re in the planning stage and welcome ideas to make this very special. I’d like to close with a special Thank You to all the partners, volunteers, outfitters, employees and individuals that con- tinue to bring their own passion for wilderness and management into each experience- both work projects and in visiting the Bob Marshall, Great Bear and Scapegoat Wilderness areas. Your help in clearing down fall, trail rocking, brushing, campsite clean up, respecting other wilderness users, weed inventory, weed eradication, other special projects, including phone line and airstrip maintenance- they all make a difference! Thanks for the continued caring. I appreciate that we get to work hard and that we get to work with such dedicated individuals and enjoy the wilderness. I’m looking forward to seeing you in 2014! Please contact me or any of the District Rangers in the complex if we can help on an issue. Hope to see you at the annual public meeting March 29 in Choteau, Montana! Deb Mucklow, Lead BMWC Ranger 2014 Interactive Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex Maps now available on smartphones and tablets! By Ivy Baker, Video & GIS Specialist, USFS As of January 2014, there is new way to digitally interact with the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex (BMWC) Maps using your smartphone or tablet. Simply download the free Avenza PDF Maps App from iTunes or Google Play. With the Avenza PDF Maps App installed on your device, you can utilize digital maps in the following ways: View your location on the map using the built in GPS device on your phone or tablet Record GPS tracks as you move Find locations on the maps Add your own placemarks to the maps Both the North and South halves of the BMWC Map (as well as other Forest and BLM maps) are available for purchase from the map store on the Avenza PDF Maps App. While the BMWC Managers find this technology intriguing, they encourage you to remem- ber that navigation with smartphones or tablets only lasts as long as your batteries hold a charge. Please exercise caution in relying on these devices as your sole method of naviga- tion. Another important consideration is use of mobile devices for backcountry navigation lies in somewhat of a grey area in terms of wilderness ethics. While some wilderness recrea- tionists enjoy exploring with this kind of technology in the backcountry, other wilderness users may find it offensive. Be respectful and considerate of the Wilderness and other users! Page 2, Volume 24, 2014 Wilderness 50 Activities & Events “Visions of the Wild” Artist-Wilderness-Connection, art exhibit at the Hockaday Museum of Art, Kalispell -- The exhibition will feature art created from the experiences of thirty-three artists that participated in the Artist-Wilderness-Connection program over the last ten years. This exhibit offers a unique opportunity to view wilderness through the eyes of a diverse and talented group of Montana artists. Program hosted by the Hockaday Museum of Art, Flathead National Forest, Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation and Swan Ecosystem Center. Contact: Teresa Wenum, 406/758-5218 July 24, 2014 — September 13, 2014 Artist reception & program – August 7 Wilderness Fisheries Work Project Pack in native genetically pure Westslope cutthroat trout to Lena Lake in the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Engage area youth to participate in this special project. Event is part of the ongoing Westslope Cutthroat Trout Conservation project led by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Region 1. Contact: Pat Van Eimeren, 406/387-3863 End of July, 2014 “Go Wild” -- 50th Anniversary Community Celebration Join us for a fun family event with informational booths, displays, music, food, hands-on activities. Event hosted by many different community partners. Contact: Teresa Wenum, 406/758-5218 Saturday, September 20, 10am to 3pm at the Flathead County Fairgrounds “50 Miles for 50 Years” Special Bob Marshall Wilderness Foundation trails project(s) with crew leaders giving evening ‘campfire talks’ on the Wilderness Act. Contact: Carol Treadwell, 406/387-3847 Summer/Fall 2014 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Wilderness Act at Seeley Lake The Montana Wilderness Association and the Seeley Lake Ranger District will be hosting a 50th anniversary celebration of the Wilderness Act. There will be numerous activities planned for the weekend. Contact: Lee Bowman, Friday, September 5th through Sunday, September 7th at Seeley Lake. Celebrating 50 Years of American Wilderness Bob Marshall (1964) –– Mission Mountains (1975) -- Great Bear (1978) Page 3, Volume 24, 2014 Raising Babies in the Bob By Guy Zoellner, Lead Wilderness Ranger, Spotted Bear Ranger District We’ve heard it too many times to count now: “I thought they were prayer flags…”, “What do you need so many towels for?”, “Who’s the Buddhist around here?” Every time our answer falls on a surprised face: “they’re dia- pers, clean diapers hanging out to dry.” The expression that folks react with is priceless. Huge grins, heads on a swivel looking for the diaper-wearer and stories of their own kids. Interactions such as these make the diaper washing, lack of daycare and distance to groceries seem that much more benign. In fact, these conversations are a boost to the wonderful experience of raising children in a backcountry setting. My wife and I get the exceptional opportunity of raising our children in the middle of the Bob Marshall Wilder- ness.