Superior Ranger District Prescribed Burning Spring 2012

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Alberton, Cedar Creek, Deep Creek, Drury Peak, Eddy Creek, Mayo Gulch, Mineral County, Montana, prescribed burns, Second Creek, St. Regis, Superior, Superior Ranger District, Wolf Creek

The Superior Ranger District has numerous prescribed burns planned for the spring of 2012. The burn units range in size from single harvest units to large wildlife burns. Some, but not all, of the scheduled burns will be implemented this year. The exact timing and execution of individual burns is dependent on factors such as weather, fuel moisture, staffing, airshed restrictions, and budget.

Burning is planned throughout the District, in the following areas:

• Second Creek – 430 acres in 2 units, 1 mile east of Lozeau
• Mayo Gulch – 385 acres, ½ mile north of St. Regis
• Wolf Creek – 400 acres in 2 units, 4 miles northwest of St. Regis
• Eddy Creek  – 200 acres, 3 miles east of Lozeau
• Deep Creek – 250 acres, 4 miles east of Lozeau
• Drury Peak – Multiple units up to 2000 acres, 8 miles north of St. Regis
• Olson Peak – 245 acres, 7 miles north of St. Regis
• Donlan Peninsula – 160 acres, east of Donlan Flats, across the river
• DeBaugan – 36 acres, ½ mile north of Haugan
• Little Joe Creek – 325 acres, 5 miles southwest of St. Regis
• Cedar Creek – Up to 500 acres in 2 units, 8 miles southwest of Superior
• Sloway Gulch – 140 acres, 4 miles southeast of St. Regis, just north of I-90
• CC Divide – 20 acres, near Knox Pass
• Pardee Creek – 60 acres, 5 miles north of Superior
• Blazing Saddles – 20 acres, just north of I-90 at Sloway Campground

Prescribed fire is an effective tool for a variety of natural resource management purposes. It is used after timber harvest to treat slash created by logging activities, and to prepare sites for planting or natural regeneration. Prescribed fire is also used to reduce hazardous natural fuels, to increase forage for big game, and to maintain fire-dependent forest communities.

Smoke will be visible during burning and often for several days afterwards. We understand that smoky conditions can be unpleasant, and we will do our best to minimize smoke effects and impacts on the public. All burns must comply with air quality regulations, guided and monitored by the Montana/Idaho State Airshed Group. Burns will occur when air dispersion and weather forecasts are favorable.

For more information on the burning program please contact the Superior Ranger District at 822-4233.

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Mineral Community Hospital Announces Ribbon Cutting for New St. Regis Clinic

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Mineral Community Hospital, Mineral County, Montana, St. Regis, The Rural Economic Development

Superior, February 17, 2012:  Mineral Community Hospital (MCH) today announced a ribbon cutting ceremony for its new clinic in St. Regis, Montana on Monday, February 27, 2012 from 11:00 a.m. to noon. The ceremony will include a tour of the facility followed by cake and punch and is open to the public. The clinic is also offering free blood pressure testing and diabetes screenings, including blood glucose and A1c tests until 2:00 that day.
The clinic was constructed by local contractor Reed Mountain Construction who used many local vendors and craftsmen on the project.

Starting March 5, 2012, the new clinic will be open:
Mondays :       8:30 am to Noon, 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Wednesdays:     8:30 am to Noon, 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm
Thursdays:      8:30 am to Noon, Women’s Health
Fridays:                1:00 pm to 4:30 pm

The clinic is located on 341 Highway 135 in St. Regis, MT. Appointments are available by calling 822-4278.

The construction of the clinic was made possible through financial support from the St. Regis Resort District and from the Human Resource Council, a generous donation of the land by Grant Lincoln, and a zero-interest loan from Blackfoot Telecommunications through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

“The Rural Economic Development program we administer through our partner cooperatives like Blackfoot Telecommunications provides direct investment in necessary community infrastructure,” said Matthew Jones, Montana State Director for USDA Rural Development. “Investing in our rural medical facilities brings better services to our sparsely populated areas, and that’s what we at USDA Rural Development seek to provide: Investment in our rural Montana communities. We’re proud to be a part of this great project.”

Mineral Community Hospital is a Critical Access Hospital (CAH) and Level-IV Trauma Center located in Superior, Montana. They provide a full range of healthcare services to residents of Mineral, Sanders and Missoula Counties, as well as to residents from eastern Idaho. For more information, you can visit their website at www.MineralCommunityHospital.org.

Photos from Superior, Montana

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bluebirds, bottle tree, Mineral County, Montana, St. Regis, summer, Superior

Panorama of the sun setting toward St. Regis last summer.

The world famous Pine Street bottle-tree

Last year's bluebirds

Mark Hebert named executive director of Corporation for Public Community Newspapers

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Alberton, Clark Fork Chronicle, De Borgia, Drexel, Haugan, Lozeau, Mineral County, Montana, Nine Mile, River Bend, Saltese, St. Regis, Superior, Tarkio, The Corporation for Public Community Newspapers

The headline says it all…I’m writing my own press release.

Hello Mineral County, it’s me, Mark, your favorite hack journalist. Last week John Q. Murray announced that he was stepping down as interim executive director of the Corporation for Public Community Newspapers and I was chosen as the new president.

Before John’s announcement  of resignation it was also announced that I would be relaunching the Clark Fork Chronicle and taking over as the president of the non profit.

What that means to news coverage in Mineral County as of today? Absolutely nothing.

Nada.

Squadouche.

Zip and zero.

What that means for the future of reporting news in Mineral County remains to be seen.

In an email to members of the corporation, John stated that The Corporation for Public Community Newspapers (CPNC) was successfully established, received its non-profit status from the IRS, and ran the online version of the Clark Fork Chronicle during 2010 and 2011. John, who now lives in Honolulu, is focusing his time on new ventures as well as being a dedicated husband to his wife and an awesome father to his children. I wish him all the luck in the world, as should you.

The newspaper stopped printing about four years ago, the week after the Superior Bobcats football team won the Class C state championship. Since then, the Chronicle had been exclusively on the web, posting op/ed pieces as well as press releases from various Montana agencies and politicians.

What this blog is intended to do is let the folks in Mineral County know that I am still around, typos and all. I have very little time to dedicate to this project as a try to earn a living with one full-time job and various other side gigs. I have a real passion to bring the people of Mineral County better news reporting than is offered around these parts.

Other news agencies in Min Co.  bring out-of-state reporters in once a year, teach them about the area, get them comfortable reporting and then watch them leave when their contract is up. You can’t blame those people for leaving, everyone wants to earn a decent wage.

It has been four years since the print edition of the Clark Fork Chronicle stopped hitting newsstands. I’ve remained living in Superior and each time I leave the house on errands, without fail, someone asks me when when the Chronicle will return. The problems that ended the CFC’s run then remain today. People want the newspaper, but few want to support it through advertising or other contributions, so it seems.

In 2007, the Missoula Independent wrote a story about what John was trying to accomplish with the CPNC (read the story here .) It makes sense to me, but I’m not sure how to reach those goals. I no nothing about membership drives, selling ads or how a non-profit works.

What I do now is that reporting on St. Regis sixth grade basketball or Superior Town Council meeting are important to me and fun to write. I believe in this community, love it in fact. I want to bring you, the people of Mineral County, the news you miss reading, but I can’t do it for free…not for long anyway.

If you want to help support the CFC and the non profit, that would be great. Let’s figure out how you can do so. Thanks for reading this and I look forward to hearing from you.