Don't "unlock" the public lands of Montanans

Excellent opinion article by congressional candidate John Heenan.

http://mtstandard.com/opinion/colum...cle_72bd872b-ca6a-52e0-8e64-c386f680ba3e.html

How unlocked is it if you can only get in wearing a hardhat?

Andrew McKean’s thoughts on Gianforte’s bill.

“Should we lift the WSA designation from Bitter Creek? Maybe so. Let’s have a discussion about it. But that discussion is precisely what Gianforte’s bill denies us. There have been zero opportunities for local input into the decision. I see that the Valley County Commission has gone on record in support of removing the WSA designation, but when did the commission solicit their constituents’ views on the topic? As a public-land user and advocate, I never heard about a discussion, and neither did the two dozen other sportsmen I know who hunt Bitter Creek.”

http://www.glasgowcourier.com/story/2018/03/21/opinion/the-local-value-of-wilderness/6036.html

Actually the whole question of the MWSA land has been publicly vetted for almost 50 years. From 1979 to 1986, when the BLM and the Forest Services were studying the lands in question, there were public comment periods as per law. Since then there have been multiple law suites and public Land Commisioner meetings all over the state, the latest that I know of was in February of the this year in Lewistown. Also, to make the claim that Gianforte denied public comment is really confusing to me since;

1. Both Gianforte and Daines introduced bills to their respective chambers of Congress so why aren't we hearing the same kind of complaints about Daines.
2. Bills must be forwarded to their committees before public comments can be made, neither Gianforte nor Daines control when the period for public comments occurs.

I'm also a bit confused why you people are so upset about these bills. The bills are an attempt to force Congress to take action on the recommendations that the BLM and the Forest Service made 40 years ago, do any of you even know what those recommendations were? I'll bet that only a few of you may have some idea of what was recommended but I suspect that the vast majority of those who are complaining don't have a clue about what the study actually says but most of you will jump to the conclusion that it's a plan to clear cut the forests and kill the animals so that oil companies can get rich. My guess is that most of you don't know that if these bills pass then some WMAs will become larger immediately and that most of the remainder of the land will simply be opened to motor vehicle use while still being managed by the BLM and the Forest Service, they will remain public lands but they wont be in limbo waiting for the Federal Government to decide how we can use our public lands.

rammac Can you share a link to the recommendations?

One thing I notice is a sharp difference in opinion on WSAs from native Montanans/long term residents and relatively new residents.

Carry on.

Rammac, not likely. Hunt Talk members are some of the most informed hunters I’ve ever been around. I myself have read every WSA Recommendation in the state of Montana. Most of them can be purchased in booklets like this for about $7 off Amazon. In the case of Bitter Creek, the recommendation was made in 1984. My parents were halfway through high school. There are at least 2 generations left out of the public scoping process for these areas. We’re just asking for a seat st the table. That’s not too much to ask.

Schaaf said:

My parents were halfway through high school. There are at least 2 generations left out of the public scoping process for these areas. We’re just asking for a seat st the table. That’s not too much to ask.

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It's a whole different world now from when these recommendations were made. This is exactly right!

rammac wont be back...hit and run type, in particular when the facts are presented.

rammac

...there have been multiple law suites(sic) and public Land Commisioner(sic) meetings all over the state, the latest that I know of was in February of the this year in Lewistown.

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Does anyone know what "public Land Commissioner" meetings are and under what county, state or federal authority? Who are the "public Land Commissioners" who met in Lewistown?