A Historic Agreement for the Kootenai from the President and Executive Director
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
WINTER 2016 k c i r d n e H m i K A HISTORIC AGREEMENT FOR THE KOOTENAI FROM THE PRESIDENT AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR THE ANTIDOTE TO THE ANTI-PUBLIC LANDS MOVEMENT: FINDING COMMON GROUND AND WORKING TOGETHER Montana Wilderness Association works with communities to protect Montana’s wilderness heritage, quiet beauty, and outdoor traditions, now and for future generations. It’s been hard to miss the headlines lately about armed extremists and radical politicians trying to dismantle our national public lands legacy and take those lands away from the American people. Lee Boman, OFFICERS COUNCIL MEMBERS But those pushing this agenda never anticipated how much MWA President Lee Boman, Seeley Lake Yve Bardwell, Choteau Allison Linville, Missoula Bernard Rose, Billings Americans, Westerners in particular, value public lands. In January, President Barb Harris, Helena Addrien Marx, Seeley Lake Greg Schatz, Columbia Falls Colorado College released its annual bipartisan Conservation in Mark Hanson, Missoula Steve Holland, Bozeman Charlie O’Leary, Butte Patti Steinmuller, Bozeman President Elect Gerry Jennings, Great Falls Rick Potts, Missoula Alan Weltzien, Dillon the West Poll showing that voters in seven Mountain West states Wayne Gardella, Helena Len Kopec, Augusta Debo Powers, Polebridge Jo Ann Wright, Great Falls overwhelmingly oppose efforts to weaken and seize public lands. Treasurer John Larson, Kalispell It also showed that Westerners strongly support people working together to find common-ground solutions to public land challenges. HELENA OFFICE 80 S. Warren, Helena, MT 59601 • 406-443-7350 • [email protected] Brian Sybert, Ext. 104 Denny Lester, Ext. 105 Carl Deitchman, Ext. 104 Ted Brewer, Ext. 109 The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP) and Executive Director Creative Services and Finance Director Communications Manager the Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition (KFSC) are two [email protected] Technology Manager [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] homegrown examples that demonstrate the power of people John Gatchell, Ext. 106 Amanda Hagerty, Ext. 108 Kelsee Dalton , Ext. 111 putting their differences aside to craft solutions that meet a Federal Lands Policy Director Laura Parr, Ext. 110 Special Projects Coordinator Development Coordinator diversity of needs—including a commitment to protect more [email protected] Business Manager [email protected] [email protected] than 260,000 acres of wilderness. Montana Wilderness Association [email protected] Brian Sybert, MWA Cedron Jones, Ext.112 Molly Severtson, Ext. 103 James Sutcliffe , Ext. 101 is proud to join timber mill owners, snowmobilers, outfitters, GIS Mapping Specialist Donor Relations Manager Development Assistant Executive Director [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] mountain bikers, and fellow wilderness advocates in advancing these two community-driven conservation efforts. FIELD OFFICES CHAPTERS In addition to promoting outdoor recreation and providing opportunities for forest Billings Field Office Great Falls Field Office Kassia Randzio Eastern Wildlands Chapter restoration, the BCSP has proposed designating 83,000 acres of wilderness and taking other Charlie Smillie Mark Good Community Engagement Manager 2822 3rd Avenue N, Suite 204 steps to protect essential habitat for grizzly bears, bull trout, elk, and other key species. Eastern MT Field Director Central MT Field Director 406-830-6035 Billings, MT 59101 2822 3rd Avenue N. Suite 204 1400 1st Ave. N. [email protected] [email protected] Billings, MT 59101 Great Falls, MT 59401 Similarly, the KFSC in northwestern Montana has overcome 30 years of intense local Whitefish Field Office Flathead-Kootenai Chapter 406-690-3725 406-453-9434 conflict over management of the Kootenai National Forest and unified around an [email protected] [email protected] Amy Robinson 750 2nd St. W, Suite A Northwest MT Field Director Whitefish, MT 59937 agreement that includes more than 180,000 acres of wilderness designation—doubling the Bozeman Field Office Libby Field Office 750 2nd St. W, Suite A [email protected] Whitefish, MT 59937 size of the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness and keeping the Scotchman Peaks and Yaak Valley 105 West Main St., Suite 2B Ashley South Island Range Chapter Bozeman, MT 59715 108 East 4th St. Suite 205 406-284-1747 roadless areas forever wild. [email protected] 1400 1st Ave. N. 406-404-1000 Libby, MT 59923 Great Falls, MT 59401 406-291-2708 CDT Program [email protected] MWA now looks forward to working with both coalitions to engage Montana’s John Todd [email protected] Shannon Freix congressional delegation and advance the legislative initiatives in each of the proposals. Conservation Director CDT Program Manager Madison-Gallatin Chapter [email protected] Missoula Field Office 105 West Main St., Suite 2B 118 W. Broadway, Suite 1 912 2nd Ave W. Kalispell, MT 59901 Bozeman, MT 59715 Sally Cathey Missoula, MT 59802 [email protected] While lasting conservation victories never come easily, working with a diversity of public Southwest MT 406-499-2309 land users to find common-ground solutions is the perfect antidote to the divisive and Field Director Gabe Furshong [email protected] Shining Mountains Chapter [email protected] Deputy Director 118 W. Broadway, Suite 1 destructive anti-public lands movement. These community-driven solutions not only result 406-461-6897 Meg Killen CDT Field Crew Leader Missoula, MT 59802 in the protection of wild places, they also nourish our nation’s democracy and further our Choteau Field Office [email protected] [email protected] Casey Perkins 406-250-3439 public lands legacy. Rocky Mountain Front Zack Porter [email protected] Wild Divide Chapter Western MT Field Director Field Director Sonny Mazzulo 80 S. Warren P.O. Box 37 406-823-0695 Helena, MT 59601 [email protected] CDT Field Coordinator Choteau, MT 59422 301-651-5818 [email protected] 406-466-2600 [email protected] [email protected] HISTORIC AGREEMENT 4 FOR THE KOOTENAI On the cover: In northwestern Montana, MONTANA locals agree to 180,000 acres of new Montana Wilderness Association is a proud member of Montana Shares and sends a huge thanks to wilderness, including doubling the size everyone who contributes to MWA through workplace giving. Montana Shares provides MWA with a WINTER 2016 reliable and consistent source of income from participants in workplace giving campaigns. of Cabinet Mountains Wilderness. Montana Shares, PO Box 883, Helena, MT 59624 800-823-2625 [email protected] www.montanashares.org HOMEGROWN UPDATES FROM Wild Montana is a publication of the Montana Wilderness Association. Excerpts may be reprinted with permission. PROPOSAL THE FIELD Design and layout: Real World Design. Wild Montana is printed on recycled paper. Meet the Montanans behind The latest from MWA’s the Blackfoot Clearwater on-the-ground work around Stewardship Project. the state. www.wildmontana.org www.facebook.com/wildmontana 8 12 2 WILD MONTANA COVER STORY by Amy Robinson The Wild Kootenai: Kootenai Forest Stakeholders Coalition agrees to a balanced plan for public lands, including 180,000 acres of new wilderness for northwestern Montana. HE 2.2 MILLION-ACRE KOOTENAI NATIONAL FOREST is a special place: strikingly beautiful, biologically rich, and a little bit mysterious. This is Kootenai Country, home to clear rivers, big trees, and wild weather dropping up to 100 inches of rain every year. For me, there is a level of solitude and an element of discovery that sets this forest apart from many other places in the state. t e b Libby, Troy, Noxon, and other communities in the Kootenai have long relied s i N f on the mining and timber industry operating on surrounding public lands. f e J Traditionally, the area was known as the timber basket of Montana. But, like other places around the Northwest, most of the mills have since closed, and many jobs have evaporated. This agreement is a huge step forward in securing With the land and communities in need of new solutions, the Kootenai and improving habitat for n Forest Stakeholder Coalition was formed in 2006 with the goal of providing a a struggling grizzly bears in m r unified voice in the forest planning process. e the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem. m m i continued T e n a J 4 WILD MONTANA WINTER 2016 5 The agreement shows that the citizens of Lincoln and Sanders Counties are acknowledging Composed of business owners, local a range of common values... Grizzly Peak and Roderick, will be • Yaak elected officials, industry representatives, and looking ahead to a diverse protected. It means that low-elevation snowmobilers, and conservationists, local economy. lands in the Cabinet Mountains the coalition began working to find Wilderness, vital for big game, will common ground to provide jobs in the be secured. It means that gaps of front country while protecting the There was an anxious excitement in protected lands between the Kootenai solitude of the backcountry. Montana the room the evening of the final vote. and the Lolo National Forest will Troy • Cabinet be bridged. Mountains Wilderness Association has been part Many around the table had been Wilderness of the coalition since the beginning, working on the agreement far longer • Libby Proposed making sure that wilderness becomes than I had. As MWA’s representative It also means that the majestic Wilderness part of the solution for the Kootenai. and a relative newcomer to the Scotchman Peaks—where wolverines, Proposed coalition, I felt honored to be part mountain goats, and grizzlies live—are non-motorized areas AFTER SEVEN YEARS OF of the occasion. now closer to permanent protection. PAINSTAKING WORK, the Kootenai I’m excited to be part of this huge step Coalition voted in December for a final Tim Dougherty from Idaho Forest forward in securing and improving package of recommendations. The final Group summed it up very succinctly habitat for struggling grizzly bears in Noxon • agreement establishes guidelines for in the meeting when he said, “this the Cabinet-Yaak ecosystem.