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THE LOCAL NEWS OF THE MADISON VALLEY, RUBY VALLEY AND SURROUNDING AREAS Montana’s Oldest Publishing Weekly Newspaper. Established 1873 75¢ | Volume 143, Issue 40 www.madisoniannews.com July 30, 2015 The question of access Group discusses lack of access around Ruby Reservoir at interagency meeting Abigail Dennis side,” Pruitt said. “Basically, ship around the Ruby Reservoir BLM land, not any private land. The Madisonian there’s no access (to the Ruby and the BLM-managed Ruby “There are some other ac- [email protected] Reservoir) without trespassing.” Reservoir Campground, which cess points from (BLM land), Pruitt attended an interagen- is partially on private land. but they are kind of steep or “One of the places I’ve cy meeting on July 23, at the “The latrine, main boat willowed in,” she said. “We always liked to fish is the Ennis National Fish Hatchery. launch and several of the are very sensitive to people’s Photo courtesy Bureau Ruby Reservoir,” said Tom The meeting happens quarterly, main campsites are located on private property rights.” of Land Management Pruitt, Alder resident. “Access and serves as an opportunity private property,” said BLM Pruitt said the issue is has never been a problem.” for Bureau of Land Manage- public affairs specialist David greater than the fact that the The land highlighted in yellow is BLM land Pruitt said five years ago, ment, Montana Fish, Wildlife Abrams. “The campground campground is partially on pri- located around the the west side of the reservoir and Parks, Forest Service and at Ruby Reservoir is par- vate land – he said the big issue Ruby Reservoir. was bought up and closed other interested parties to tially on private property.” is that access around the whole off, followed by the land at meet with the Madison County BLM assistant field manager reservoir is “deteriorating.” the south end of the lake. commissioners to discuss what Pat Fosse said one solution to the “There’s not access as it is,” “Now, this year, there are is happening in the area. campground issue would be to he said. “What would be nice ‘no trespassing’ sings and ‘for One of the topics touched move the BLM toilets and build sale’ signs all over the east on was the issue of land owner- a road that only cuts through Turn to RESERVOIR on pg. 2 New cell tower in the PAVING RUBY CREEK works for Sheridan Expect delays heading toward campground along Madison River Caitlin Avey/The Madisonian Sheridan’s lagoon site will potentially be the home of a cell tower. The lagoon was chosen because of its drier elevation and fiber optics already in place. Abigail Dennis Alan Ringlein, project manager The Madisonian with A.M. Welles. “(Then) we [email protected] are closing the campground and day use area to redo the park- Construction on Ruby ing lot and put in a new boat Creek Road is underway, and ramp at the day use area. (We the Bureau of Land Man- will) re-gravel and reshape the agement says visitors using roads in the campground.” the road should anticipate The day use area and the up to 15 minute delays. campground will be closed from “The road will remain open Sept. 8 to Oct. 16, Ringlein said. throughout the paving project, Joe Dilschneider, Ennis fly which runs through Sept. 8,” ac- shop owner and outfitter, said cording to a BLM press release. he thinks there could be some The road runs parallel to “mild impact” on the fish- the highway and starts near ing due to the construction. McAtee Bridge. It runs a little “I think there is a mild over three miles to the Ruby impact in concentrating (fish- Creek day use area and camp- ing) pressure elsewhere,” ground, which will undergo Dilschneider said. “The a renovation later this fall. more access points (to the “Right after labor day, the road should be paved,” said Turn to RUBY on pg. 2 Town council signs conditional approval for lease agreement with Commnet SHARING NEWS Caitlin Avey posal comes from the company tower is less intrusive to the port services for Commnet, they The Madisonian Commnet, a communications town and because it is under pay for the construction and Diverse groups gather [email protected] and roaming carrier. 100 feet, there are no special operation of the tower, while Commnet proposed the zoning laws to deal with. The service providers such as Veri- at Madison County The Sheridan town coun- construction of a “lite” tower tower would operate under a zon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint inter agency meeting cil held a special meeting on (less than 100 feet) to be con- 4G LTE service, but Ray says pay a fee to allow their custom- Tuesday, July 21 to discuss structed at Sheridan’s lagoon 3G phones will work too. ers to roam off of the tower. Abigail Dennis Another reason Waltee a lease agreement for a pro- site. According to Commnet’s According to Mark Hansen, Turn to CELL on pg. 2 The Madisonian is considering the road clo- posed cell tower. The pro- representative Bill Ray, the lite vice president of network sup- [email protected] sure is to eliminate roads that loop certain areas and al- Four times a year, repre- low hunters to surround and sentatives from the Bureau of shoot elk in a free-for-all. DON’T MISS THE BUS Land Management, Montana “It will give the animals Fish, Wildlife and Parks, For- a way to escape,” he said. est Service, Department of “And because of maintenance Madison County Transportation Committee approves bus routes for upcoming school year Natural Resources and Con- needs. Every mile of road is servation and conservation a mile we have to maintain, Abigail Dennis the mills needed to cover the Virginia City for their annual addresses in the near future. districts meet with Madison spray weeds on and more.” The Madisonian county’s 50 percent and the meeting – representatives from Ennis Superintendent Jon County government officials If the closure on the Black- [email protected] commissioners set the levy.” each Madison County school Wrzesinski informed the com- for an interagency meeting. tail WMA works, Waltee said In a rural area like Madison district and Whitehall were in mittee there are no changes On July 23, around 15 people he might consider implement- Representatives from all County, bus routes are not al- attendance. Though White- to the Ennis bus routes for from those various groups ing some road closures on the Madison County schools meet ways the most practical solution; hall is not located in Madison the 2015-16 school year. met at the Ennis National Fish Robb-Ledford WMA in the annually to discuss bus routes sometimes families are offered County, they run bus routes Next, Harrison Super- Hatchery to discuss issues future. Both WMAs are located and independent travel sti- stipends for independent travel. through it to pick up students. intendent Fred Hofman ranging from conservation to on the southwest side of the pends to get students to school Students who live in areas Birkeland opened the said his routes are also logging to county planning. Gravelly Mountain Range. – every public school district that meet a number of require- meeting explaining that she the same as last year. Here is a list of highlights: is required to offer students ments – condition of roads and is in the process of digitiz- “Last year we got rid of a Madison Conservation District transportation to school. In distance – to be considered ing each district’s bus routes, route,” Hofman said. “We had FWP Ethan Kunard from the all, the total amount of miles isolated can receive a daily rate so amendments will be easy one out to Cardwell and only FWP biologist Dean Waltee Madison Conservation District buses drove in Madison County for transportation to the closest to make in the future. one kid. Now that’s an indi- is currently working on a pro- told the group about a restoration was 1,175.9 miles per day. bus stop or the school, if there “We need to verify all ad- vidual transportation contract.” posal to close some roads in the project in the works on Norwe- “The funding (for bus routes) is not a bus route nearby. If a dresses so we can make this The same was true in Blacktail Wildlife Management gian Creek, outside of Harrison. is 50 percent state funding and home is not considered isolated, accurate,” Birkeland said. Sheridan – Superintendent Mike Area to motorized vehicles. “They’re willow waffle 50 percent levied county taxes,” the stipend for independent She has already worked Wetherbee said there are no “With vehicle manage- structures,” Kunard said. according to Pam Birkeland, travel is based on mileage to with Ennis and Sheridan to changes to routes in his dis- ment, I think we can hold “We’re putting them in to try Madison County Superinten- the nearest bus stop or school. make sure their routes are cor- trict. In Twin Bridges, however, game on (the WMA) during to get the water slowed down dent of Schools. “Based on On Wednesday, July 22, the rectly identified, and said she Superintendent Chad Johnson hunting season,” Waltee said. Madison County Transporta- will meet with Twin Bridges “Instead of displacing them to the total of all of the county Turn to BUS on pg. 2 Turn to MEETING on pg. 2 districts’ needs, I calculate tion Committee gathered in and Harrison to get accurate the surrounding private land.” TABLE OF CONTENTS THE VISA PREPAID CARD is a Columns--------------------B3 safe and convenient alternative to Local News-----------------A3 Comics/Games----------- B4 carrying cash.