BigHornRam
Well-known member
GREENOUGH - Ever hear of the Blackfoot Valley Wars?
Presumably not. For that you can probably thank Land Lindbergh.
This is a valley that lends itself to passion and, thus, possessiveness. But through all the struggles of private vs. public, of ranchers, loggers and miners vs. those who use the streams and mountains to play in, it has never boiled over into ugliness or violence.
“If you look at a map of this particular valley and most of western Montana, you can just see how intermingled the various ownerships are - federal ground, state ground, what's now Plum Creek and a lot of private ownerships large and small,” Lindbergh said Tuesday.
“It just gets real obvious there are going to be conflicts along the way, particularly in the area of public recreation. We have a long history up here of trying to work things out.”
For decades Lindbergh has been at the vanguard of that conflict resolution, first as owner of one of the valley's largest ranches and, for more than 20 years, a riverside dweller and ardent conservationist.
“Just by sheer force of his personality, integrity and love for the Blackfoot, Land has been the key guy who has brought these old-time crotchety, hard-core multigenerational ranchers together with people like me and with organizations like Trout Unlimited so we could work together to preserve the place,” said Bruce Farling, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited.
“And there's no doubt about it: There are more protections with more cooperation in the Blackfoot than in any valley in the state - by far.”
Farling and his group formally recognized that role Tuesday night at Lubrecht Experimental Forest when the 71-year-old Lindbergh, a son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, was presented a 2008 Montana Neighbor Award at the annual gathering of the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Lindbergh is among six individuals and families in Montana to receive the annual award from an informal coalition led by the Helena-based Artemis Common Ground. The others are John Kountz of Whitehall, Bill Milton of Roundup, the McCrae family's Rocker 6 Cattle Co. of Forsyth, the Dana Ranch near Cascade and the Maynard Smith family of Glen.
Montana Neighbor Awards are given to landowners who “go the extra mile to protect open space, wildlife and fish, and whose collaborative efforts enhance Montana's sense of community,” explained a news release.
Awards are based on cooperation, land stewardship and conservation ethic, neighborly land access and community leadership. The Nature Conservancy of Montana, Montana Trout Unlimited, the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana Association of Land Trusts, the governor's office and Winnett rancher Chris King all have input in the awards.
Farling said Lindbergh “epitomizes the expression good neighbor.” He worked to establish walk-in and later block management agreements for hunting areas in the Blackfoot. He helped hammer through the laws providing for the establishment of conservation easements in Montana.
Lindbergh, who in 1965 teamed with his brother Jon to buy the ranch now occupied by Paws Up Resort, was co-founder of the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited as a vehicle to bring conservationists and landowners together.
“From that has spawned literally hundreds of restoration projects, millions of dollars in conservation easements, conservation projects and fishery rehabilitation,” Farling said.
Lindbergh and Farling helped establish the Blackfoot Challenge, a nationally acclaimed watershed group made up of volunteers that Lindbergh described at its inception as a “loosey-goosey, nonmembership, non-dues-paying, informal let's-do-it group.”
He called the progress and cooperation over the years “mindboggling,” but said the challenges are far from over. New landowners are moving into the valley, often living here for only short periods each year.
“It takes some folks a while to relate to the issues we've been dealing with for years,” Lindbergh said. “And it takes us old-timers a little while to realize they have their own priorities and their own concerns and ideas that we could maybe learn some things from. I think that's what we try to do.”
The proper sharing of the Blackfoot River continues to be an issue. It flows just beyond Lindbergh's doorstep, near the setting of some of Norman Maclean's most famous fly-fishing scenes in “A River Runs Through It.”
His hand in subsequent chapters of the river's story is apparent, but Lindbergh deflects much of the credit. He points to those who are already answering the call to carry on the work.
“It just tickles me to see the next generation come in and take a lot of this on,” he said. “Some of them weren't even born when we first started all this, and what we started with was just a seed.”
“It's great,” Lindbergh added, “when locals step up, knowing that change is coming, and they try to get some kind of handle on it and try to direct it to meet the local needs.
“That to me is all part of community. There's quite a lot of community spirit up here, and it includes people that don't necessarily live right here.”
Presumably not. For that you can probably thank Land Lindbergh.
This is a valley that lends itself to passion and, thus, possessiveness. But through all the struggles of private vs. public, of ranchers, loggers and miners vs. those who use the streams and mountains to play in, it has never boiled over into ugliness or violence.
“If you look at a map of this particular valley and most of western Montana, you can just see how intermingled the various ownerships are - federal ground, state ground, what's now Plum Creek and a lot of private ownerships large and small,” Lindbergh said Tuesday.
“It just gets real obvious there are going to be conflicts along the way, particularly in the area of public recreation. We have a long history up here of trying to work things out.”
For decades Lindbergh has been at the vanguard of that conflict resolution, first as owner of one of the valley's largest ranches and, for more than 20 years, a riverside dweller and ardent conservationist.
“Just by sheer force of his personality, integrity and love for the Blackfoot, Land has been the key guy who has brought these old-time crotchety, hard-core multigenerational ranchers together with people like me and with organizations like Trout Unlimited so we could work together to preserve the place,” said Bruce Farling, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited.
“And there's no doubt about it: There are more protections with more cooperation in the Blackfoot than in any valley in the state - by far.”
Farling and his group formally recognized that role Tuesday night at Lubrecht Experimental Forest when the 71-year-old Lindbergh, a son of famed aviator Charles Lindbergh, was presented a 2008 Montana Neighbor Award at the annual gathering of the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited.
Lindbergh is among six individuals and families in Montana to receive the annual award from an informal coalition led by the Helena-based Artemis Common Ground. The others are John Kountz of Whitehall, Bill Milton of Roundup, the McCrae family's Rocker 6 Cattle Co. of Forsyth, the Dana Ranch near Cascade and the Maynard Smith family of Glen.
Montana Neighbor Awards are given to landowners who “go the extra mile to protect open space, wildlife and fish, and whose collaborative efforts enhance Montana's sense of community,” explained a news release.
Awards are based on cooperation, land stewardship and conservation ethic, neighborly land access and community leadership. The Nature Conservancy of Montana, Montana Trout Unlimited, the state Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Montana Association of Land Trusts, the governor's office and Winnett rancher Chris King all have input in the awards.
Farling said Lindbergh “epitomizes the expression good neighbor.” He worked to establish walk-in and later block management agreements for hunting areas in the Blackfoot. He helped hammer through the laws providing for the establishment of conservation easements in Montana.
Lindbergh, who in 1965 teamed with his brother Jon to buy the ranch now occupied by Paws Up Resort, was co-founder of the Big Blackfoot Chapter of Trout Unlimited as a vehicle to bring conservationists and landowners together.
“From that has spawned literally hundreds of restoration projects, millions of dollars in conservation easements, conservation projects and fishery rehabilitation,” Farling said.
Lindbergh and Farling helped establish the Blackfoot Challenge, a nationally acclaimed watershed group made up of volunteers that Lindbergh described at its inception as a “loosey-goosey, nonmembership, non-dues-paying, informal let's-do-it group.”
He called the progress and cooperation over the years “mindboggling,” but said the challenges are far from over. New landowners are moving into the valley, often living here for only short periods each year.
“It takes some folks a while to relate to the issues we've been dealing with for years,” Lindbergh said. “And it takes us old-timers a little while to realize they have their own priorities and their own concerns and ideas that we could maybe learn some things from. I think that's what we try to do.”
The proper sharing of the Blackfoot River continues to be an issue. It flows just beyond Lindbergh's doorstep, near the setting of some of Norman Maclean's most famous fly-fishing scenes in “A River Runs Through It.”
His hand in subsequent chapters of the river's story is apparent, but Lindbergh deflects much of the credit. He points to those who are already answering the call to carry on the work.
“It just tickles me to see the next generation come in and take a lot of this on,” he said. “Some of them weren't even born when we first started all this, and what we started with was just a seed.”
“It's great,” Lindbergh added, “when locals step up, knowing that change is coming, and they try to get some kind of handle on it and try to direct it to meet the local needs.
“That to me is all part of community. There's quite a lot of community spirit up here, and it includes people that don't necessarily live right here.”
