Idaho Woman Ordered To Pay Over $5000 In Restitution For Improperly Storing Food In Campsite At Grand Teton National Park

Acting United States Attorney Bob Murray announced earlier this week that BELINDA J. ARVIDSON, 50, of Idaho was ordered to pay $5,826.99 in restitution for improper food storage, a misdemeanor offense, in Grand Teton National Park. The sentence was handed down by United States Magistrate Judge Mark L. Carman in Mammoth Hot Springs, Wyoming, on July 20, 2021. Arvisdon will also serve four years of unsupervised release.

While camping in Grand Teton National Park, Arvidson failed to properly store garbage and beverages resulting in a grizzly bear receiving a food reward when it found the unattended garbage and drink at the campsite. Individuals camping in the area took photos and videos of the grizzly bear while it was in Arvidson’s campsite rummaging through the trash and other food items. The campground contained multiple warning signs about bears and proper food storage as well as bear boxes in which food and other items could be stored.

Due to the bear receiving a food reward, upon locating the bear, it was tranquilized, collared, and relocated by boat to another area of the park. It could pose a danger to humans if the bear were to have another similar incident, and euthanizing the bear may become necessary. The amount of restitution to be paid by Arvisdon covers the National Park Service’s costs for this operation, including the cost of a GPS collar now necessary to track the bear’s movement

Grand Teton National Park Superintendent Chip Jenkins said, “Irresponsible behaviors have consequences, and many times it is the wildlife that pays the ultimate price. We all have responsibilities to preserve and protect the incredible wild animals of Grand Teton National Park and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem.”


Jeff
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Stage II Fire Restrictions To Go Into Effect Across Northwest Montana

Interagency fire managers agreed to implement Stage II Fire Restrictions that will go into effect at 12:01am Monday, July 26, 2021 across the Flathead National Forest, Glacier National Park, Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks sites, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation Kalispell, Stillwater, and Swan Units, and Flathead County.

The intent of Fire Restrictions is to reduce fire risk and prevent wildfires during periods of high to extreme danger by decreasing potential sources of ignition. Each year, 70 to 80% of wildfires are human-caused and this summer the trend has continued. Northwest Montana is currently experiencing drought conditions including extremely dry forest fuels and weather forecasts of high temperatures accompanied by wind, low humidity, and minimal precipitation. Fires continue to burn across Montana and the West where firefighting resources are in high demand.

Stage II Fire Restrictions prohibit building, maintaining, attending, or using a fire, campfire, or wood stove fire.

Also, please keep wildfire prevention in mind when visiting your public lands. Never park in tall, dry grass. The heat from your undercarriage and exhaust pipe can cause accidental ignition. When traveling to and from your public lands with any type of trailer ensure your chains are properly connected. Dragging chains can easily spark a wildfire.

Know Before You Go! Visit www.MTFireInfo.org for fire restriction information across Montana.


Jeff
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Updated Food Storage Restrictions for Flathead National Forest

The Flathead National Forest has updated the existing food storage restrictions for all Flathead National Forest lands outside of the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and reminds the public to be bear aware. The updated order can be found on the Flathead National Forest website. The intent of food storage restrictions is to reduce the likelihood of a bear getting into unsecured food and garbage. Bears can become food conditioned if they receive a food reward. Food conditioned bears can lead to an increase in conflicts between humans and bears, which compromises the safety of both.

The order requires all attractants to be stored in an acceptable manner when unattended. Attractants can include, but are not limited to;

* Human Food
* Garbage
* Pet Food
* Livestock Feed

Acceptable methods of food storage include;

* Secured in a hard-sided recreational vehicle, vehicle trunk, trailer cab, or dwelling
* Suspended at least 10 feet up and four feet out from an upright support
* Stored in an approved bear-resistant container
* Stored within an approved and operating electric fence

As always, there is inherent risk to recreating in bear country and it is vital that everyone does their part to be Bear Aware and Recreate Responsibly. It is often said, “a fed bear is a dead bear.” Please don’t be responsible for a bear becoming conditioned by receiving human food rewards. For more information on approved bear-resistant containers please visit the Flathead National Forest website.


Jeff
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Partnership Improving Sections of Teton Crest Trail - Paintbrush Divide

Grand Teton National Park in partnership with the Grand Teton National Park Foundation are working to improve sections of the Teton Crest Trail. There will be intermittent 30-minute closures on a section of the trail near the summit of Paintbrush Divide between July 22-27 and August 5-10. Visitors planning on hiking over Paintbrush Divide during these dates should expect delays in both directions.

The Teton Crest Trail is a 45-mile long trail through the high country of the Teton Range. Sections of the trail were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps dating back to 1934, and despite constant use, much of the trail has remained largely untouched by park maintenance crews since then.

Paintbrush Divide is the highest point along the Teton Crest Trail at 10,700 feet/3,261 meters in elevation. The eastern slope is a scree slope and over time, water flow from melting snow and yearly visitor use has eroded and shifted the trail. The trail damage now poses safety hazards to hikers.

During construction, loose materials such as rocks and gravel may be moved downhill and cause a safety hazard to hikers below. For safety purposes, the trail will have intermittent closures during construction activities. Closures will allow uninterrupted work to be performed and time to clear the trail of any newly created hazards.

Work on Hurricane Pass, another highly impacted section of the Teton Crest Trail, began last summer and will continue this summer. There will be no delays at Hurricane Pass.

The Grand Teton National Park Foundation has committed to help enhance and sustain the park’s spectacular trails. The Foundation’s support enables the National Park Service to assess, plan, and execute specialized trail initiatives. The recent completion of restoration projects at Jenny Lake, including the backcountry trails leading to Hidden Falls and Inspiration Point, and the current Snake River Gateways project are other successful examples of how the Foundation and the park work in partnership to enhance the visitor experience and protect park resources.


Jeff
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Dust Abatement Activities on Moose-Wilson Road Next Week

The unpaved section of the Moose-Wilson Road in Grand Teton National Park will be temporarily closed for seasonal dust abatement beginning 4 a.m. Tuesday, July 27 and will reopen by 8 a.m. Thursday, July 29. This routine dust abatement application happens several times during the summer on the approximately one-mile of unpaved section of the seven-mile road.

During the dust abatement application July 27-29, motorists and bicyclists should plan to use an alternate route as this temporary closure will prevent making a ‘through trip’ on the Moose-Wilson Road between the Granite Canyon Entrance Station and the Teton Park Road at Moose, Wyoming.

For those wishing to reach the Laurance S. Rockefeller Preserve parking area or Death Canyon Trailhead, access will be possible by traveling south from the Teton Park Road Junction near the Craig Thomas Discovery and Visitor Center.

Electronic signs will be placed on Wyoming Highway 390 to alert park visitors and local residents of the scheduled road closure. For travelers heading south to Teton Village from the Moose area, signs will also be placed near the junction of the Teton Park Road.

The product used for dust abatement is a slurry of magnesium chloride, the same product that is used to treat dirt roads in and around Jackson Hole. This product coats the road surface, but it can also adhere to the undercarriage of vehicles. Motorists who drive the unpaved portion of the Moose-Wilson Road after it reopens on Thursday may want to rinse off their vehicles to eliminate any residue.

Roadwork schedules may change, or be delayed, due to weather conditions, equipment malfunction, or other extenuating circumstances.


Jeff
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