Outdoor news
RAC projects
The Flathead National Forest-Flathead County Resource Advisory Committee (RAC) is currently requesting project proposals from the public. About $284,000 will be available for projects that could include forest thinning, tree planting and forest health activities; road improvements and dust abatement; noxious weed control activities; trail improvements; recreation and maintenance projects; and enhancement of wildlife and fish habitat. About half of the funding will be granted to road, trail and watershed projects. For forms and more information, call Craig Kendall at 758-6485 or Louise Larimore at 758-5251, e-mail llarimore@fs.fed.us or visit online at https://fsplaces.fs.fed.us/fsfiles/unit/wo/secure_rural_schools.nsf/RAC/Flathead+County. Deadline is Aug. 27.
Park talks
Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park will host the ninth annual Waterton-Glacier Science and History Day on Thursday, July 26, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Falls Theatre in Waterton Lakes National Park. The event, which alternates between Glacier and Waterton Lakes national parks, is free of charge. Topics are presented in a non-technical manner and this year include harlequin ducks, hair snares for grizzly bears, native plant gardens, alpine stream insects, learning from the Sofa Mountain Fire, wolverines and ice patch archaeology. A detailed agenda is available at visitor centers in Glacier Park and online at www.nps.gov/glac/naturescience/ccrlc-sciencehistoryday.htm. For more information, call 888-5827.
Murray Bay closed
The Flathead National Forest closed the Murray Bay Campground and Riverside Boat Launch Site on the east side of the Hungry Horse Reservoir starting Tuesday, July 24. The sites will remain closed for renovation during the 2012 season and will reopen in 2013. More than a dozen other recreation sites on the Hungry Horse Reservoir will remain open this summer. For more information, visit online at www.fs.usda.gov/recmain/flathead/recreation or call 387-3800.
CASA ride
Voices for CASA of Flathead County is seeking bicycle riders to experience a 40- or 70-mile ride on Saturday, July 28, from Meadow Lake Resort south through the Flathead Valley and along the foothills of the Swan Range. The goal of the ride is to have fun while raising money and awareness for the Court Appointed Special Advocates program for abused and neglected children who have been removed from their homes and whose future rests with the court system. The ride costs $50 for 40 miles and $60 for 70 miles. All proceeds benefit the local CASA of Flathead County. For more information, visit onlne at www.casaride.wordpress.com or www.flatheadcasa.org.
Paddle race
The “Epic Shore to Shore Race” on Flathead Lake, a non-motorized boating event to benefit First Descents, will take place Saturday, Aug. 4, with 24-mile, 9.5-mile and 4.5-mile races for teams or solo paddlers. Beginning on the south end of Flathead Lake, the racers will crisscross bays and inlets along the west shore of the lake. First Descents is a non-profit organization offering young adults with cancer a free outdoor adventure experience designed to empower them to climb, paddle and surf beyond their diagnosis, defy their cancer, reclaim their lives and connect with others doing the same. To register for the race, visit online at www.epicshoretoshore.com. For more information on First Descents, visit online at http://firstdescents.org.