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07/11/2026

THIS WEEKEND & MONDAY
🚣 Bay Day: Sunday, July 12 at 1PM — bring your kayak or paddleboard and float the bay we're fighting to protect

đź“Ť Monday's meeting: Flathead Conservation District, 133 Interstate Ln, Kalispell
⚠️ Heads up: it's a very small meeting room — if you decide to attend be prepared to stand, and let's make sure community members who need to sit get a seat first
💻 Join by Zoom: flatheadcd.org/fcd-meetings → Join 310 Permit Meeting
✉️ Can't attend? Written comments can be sent to [email protected] — must speak to 310 permit law (see below)

Make your comments count‼️
- The Board isn't a general planning body — they're reviewing a Section 310 streambed permit, decided on six legal criteria: mostly erosion, sedimentation, and streambed/bank health
- Stick to that scope and your comment carries real weight

âś… Speaks to the permit:
- Erosion/sedimentation impacts
- Water quality and fisheries impacts
- Marina and dock configuration
- Whether the application is even complete

❌ Won't move the board:
- Traffic, parking, zoning, or other business/design details not tied to erosion or water quality — real issues, but they belong to the county, not this hearing
- Twenty people naming twenty specific gaps builds a record. Twenty people saying "I don't want this" doesn't.

Where we stand: we oppose this application. Monday, the board can only table or act on what's in front of it — so the immediate ask is procedural.

The immediate ask: the board should not act until Cougar Ridge's technical reports are filed and Fish & Wildlife has completed its inspection. Anything less isn't a complete application, and an incomplete application isn't one the board can lawfully approve. AND when the rest of the application is submitted, the public must be given sufficient time to review it before it goes before the board.

310 Law: Stream Permitting – Flathead Conservation District https://share.google/6liH9hrC4d2wzBMYP

06/09/2026

America loves its small towns. It photographs them, vacations in them, makes Hallmark movies about them — Hallmark made one about Bigfork, “Christmas in Montana.” Reader’s Digest named it one of America’s best Christmas destinations. Travel + Leisure wrote about it. Thousands come for the ...

06/02/2026

The future of Bigfork Bay!

Bigfork is changing — and right now, the public still has a voice in how. A proposed approximately 100-slip marina in Bigfork Bay is currently paused for additional review, with more public meetings expected in mid-July. This is the time to stay informed and show up.

* Approx. 100-slip floating marina with approximately 210 pilings
* Developer (Cougar Ridge Development LLC) also operates an 86-slip marina in Polson
* Private year-round slips with only 7 slips designated for public use
* 10 additional slips reserved for reciprocal use by owners at other lake marinas
* No boat rentals, no jet skis, no boat ramp
* Seasonal operation tied to lake levels, estimated June through October
* Pump-out station will be added and small community area near the public dock planned
* Developer could not answer questions about piling depth when asked at the May 21 public meeting
* No construction standards exist for marinas — only docks
* Dredging is prohibited; developer offered a verbal promise it would never occur

WHERE THINGS STAND NOW:
* Application paused by the Flathead Conservation District pending geotechnical and hydraulic impact studies
* Deadline for those submissions is July 6, 2026
* A Conservation District meeting is expected mid-July
* Project to still go before Planning & Zoning

Follow for updates on meeting dates and public comment opportunities.

06/02/2026

Update:
Because of all of you, we have decided to replace the cop car!
No pressure at all, but here is a link for those interested in donating: https://www.echolakecafe.com/donate-copcar

***Original Post***

Many of you have noticed the old police car parked near Echo Lake Cafe over the last year and a half.

What many people don't know is why it was there.

On December 1, 2024, a fatal drunk driving accident occurred directly in front of our restaurant. Like so many in our community, we were deeply affected by what happened. That evening, after leaving the scene, sitting at home trying to process the tragedy, we kept asking ourselves the same question: "Could anything have prevented it?"

The only answer we could come up with was that perhaps a visible police presence might have encouraged the drunk driver to slow down and think twice before making dangerous decisions.

A week later, we purchased a retired police car and parked it along the highway. Whether it made a difference or not, we felt it was a small way to encourage safer driving as well as pay tribute to Wyatt, Teressa, her daughter and all their friends and family.

For over a year, it sat there without incident.

June 2, 2026 that changed.

The vehicle was extensively vandalized. Every tire was slashed, every window was broken, the headlights, taillights and mirrors were smashed, the doors were heavily damaged and carved into, hateful words were carved into the hood, and much more. If it could be broken, it was.

Through audio and video provided we believe those responsible are a group of teenage boys. One most likely lives down Echo Lake Rd as they came and went from there multiple times. Parents, please asks your kids if they have heard anything. While the footage will be helpful, the fastest way to finding out who is responsible is if someone comes forward with information.

Thank you all for the kind words and encouragement.

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Bigfork, MT
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