Last meeting was packed, heated

Bitterroot Forest Switches Format for Next Travel Meeting

By Courtney Lowery, 1-14-08

The Bitterroot National Forest’s second public meeting on its Travel Management Plan—which governs motorized use on the Forest—is scheduled for tomorrow, January 15th and this time, it will have a more open-house like format, said forest spokeswoman Nan Christianson.

The meeting Tuesday comes on the heels of a rather contentious first meeting in Darby last week that sparked an investigation into an alleged threat directed at a conservationist at the meeting. (Click here for the full story on last week’s meeting.) Forest officials canceled a meeting scheduled for the following day, citing space concerns. The first meeting brought out more than 200 people.

This second meeting will be at the Bitterroot River Inn and will run from 3:00 to 9:00 p.m.—allowing people to stop by anytime throughout the afternoon and evening. Forest Service staff will be on hand to explain the proposed travel plan (which you can read more about here) and to answer questions.

There will be no formal presentations by Forest Service employees and no verbal public comment will be taken. Instead, comment forms will be available for people to weigh in.

Forest Supervisor Dave Bull has also extended the comment period on the plan for the second time, to February 29th to “ensure interested parties have a chance to understand the Proposed Action and to provide meaningful comments,” according to a release from the Forest Service. The plan was first released for review in late September,

“We recognize the importance of travel management to Forest users and I appreciate that so many people attended Wednesday’s meeting in Darby. However, I expect people to be respectful of other participants and I will not tolerate unruly or threatening behavior at our meetings,” Supervisor Bull said in a press release.  “As individuals and as a community, we lose immeasurably if we cannot hold civil discussions in which we thoughtfully listen to and express diverse opinions.”

A third meeting is planned for north end of the Bitterroot Valley, but time and place have not been finalized.

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