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Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
’ ! l a c o L t a t s e B ‘The *NO INITIATION FEE. WITH YEAR AGREEMENT. SPECIAL STARTS 10/1/2019 99 Marcus St. Hamilton, MT 406-363-0300 ww.ihacmt.com
Volume XXXV, Number 19
Covering the Bitterroot Valley – “Where Montana Begins!”
Wednesday, November 27, 2019
Living with Grizzly Bears Steve Brown accepts position as Stevensville District Ranger in the Bitterroot By Michael Howell
By Michael Howell
People in the Bitterroot valley have been living with bears for a long time. Over the years the population has grown more “bear aware”, especially on the West side of the valley along the forest front, learning how not to tempt them into our yards and how to protect our pets. But the need to be bear aware is taking on a new level of seriousness these days as a new kind of bear is moving into the neighborhood, the grizzly bear. The fact that Bitterrooters are already living with grizzlies can no longer be denied. Just last year, several golfers shared the Whitetail Golf Course, north of Stevensville, with a grizzly bear for over a week. They knew that
Grizzly bear, Ursus arctos horribilis.
A young grizzly bear trapped at the Whitetail Golf Course near Stevensville last year. Randy Hodgson photo.
a bear was around from the signs but when it began to disturb the fairway grounds, the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) was called in. It was only after they had succeeded in trapping the bear that it was discovered to be a grizzly. The grizzly bears are trending southward from the CabinetYaak and Selkirk Grizzly Bear Recovery Areas. The grizzly bear killed in the Bitterroot in 2007 has been determined to be from the Selkirk area. The most recent grizzly known to visit the Bitterroot this summer, Bear 927, wandered down from the Cabinet area. Pushed towards extinction in the lower 48 states, the grizzly was listed as threatened in the U.S. under the Endangered See GRIZZLIES, page 14
The Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor’s Office recently announced that Steve Brown has accepted the Ranger position for the Stevensville Ranger District. Brown has been serving as the interim Ranger at Stevensville for the past several months. “I believe folks in the Bitterroot Valley will really enjoy working with Steve,” said Matt Anderson, Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor. “He has a natural leadership style. He’s a great listener, has a solid work ethic, and has demonstrated an ability to get work done at a landscape level. Steve’s been working at a regional level most of his career, and this position will allow him to bring that larger perspective to Stevensville, a place he’s called home for the last 20 years.” In an interview Brown said his family was from New England, but that he grew up in Boise, Idaho. He said he was one of the first in his family to get a college degree. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Resource Conservation
and a Master’s Degree in Forestry from the University of Montana. His Master’s Thesis involved using satellite imagery to map fire severity in the Skalkaho area. After school, however, he changed horses, you might say, and decided to become an outfitter in the Ruby valley.
said.
“That didn’t work out,” he
His wife wanted to move to Missoula. Without a job, he looked at ads for work in the area and saw the Forest Service was kicking off a project to create a geo-database See RANGER, page 3
Steve Brown, Stevensville District Ranger
Eastside Hwy roadwork plannned
The Montana Department of Transportation is beginning to work on the Stevensville Safety Improvement Project. The project involves a stretch of the Eastside Highway (Highway 269) from North Birch Creek Road north 5.9 miles to its intersection with Pine Hollow Road. This project is designed to enhance roadside safety along one of the most dangerous highway sections in the state. Between 2003 and 2017, there were more than 400 collisions along this stretch of high-
way, including six fatalities and 20 serious injuries. The work plan currently includes widening the existing roadway by adding four-foot shoulders on both sides of the highway and flattening the roadside slopes. Additionally, a new flashing light will be placed at the intersection with Bell Crossing Road and Willoughby Lane which will be realigned to better facilitate safe travel at the intersection. Utility upgrades, sections of
guardrail, and bridge replacements will occur throughout the project. Upon completion, the roadway will also be sealed and have new pavement markings and signs. A design team from the Department of Transportation has been visiting with members of the public at sessions at Morning Star Caffeine & Cuisine. The next session will be Thursday, December 5 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. The public is invited to stop in and give input and ask questions.
Ravalli Electric Co-op now in operation at new facility
Ravalli Electric Co-op (REC) has officially relocated to its brand-new facility located at the intersection of Hwy 93 and Bell Crossing. REC employees began the move on November 18 and will be passing on their old facility to the Corvallis School District which acquired the property in 2018. During a strategic planning session in 2016, Ravalli Electric’s board of directors decided the need for a new facility had become a reality. After a year of research and planning, construction of the facility began last June. The new building consists of a 20,000 square-foot office space and a 30,000 squarefoot warehouse space, which replaces the co-op’s two former
separate buildings. The building will help improve efficiencies, improve workflow for inside and outside functions, combine workforces, and provide enough room to accommodate all 33 REC employees as they merge into one location. “Although it is bittersweet closing our old office that had served us well for many years, we look forward to providing better resources to our membership and employees with our new headquarters for years to come,” stated REC Manager Mark Grotbo. With a larger warehouse and fleet storage area line crews and service fleet, REC will be able to better respond to outages as well as regular maintenance work. The new location also provides better
access to both ends of the valley and REC’s service territory. “It has been an exciting journey watching this project progress from an idea to reality,” said Melissa Greenwood, Manager of Communications. “This building is a commitment to our members and the community and was built to serve many generations of co-op members.” The new facility will not have an impact on rates, with costs spread out over several years. An official grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony will be held at the co-op on December 19 at 1 p.m. followed by guided tours of the new facility from 2 to 4 p.m.
Bigger and better. Ravalli Electric Cooperative’s new facility on Bell Crossing West, just off Hwy 93 between Victor and Stevensville. Photo courtesy of REC.