Guest Column

Locked Out: Land Use Policies Need Common Sense Approach

By Montana Rep. Llew Jones , Guest Writer, 2-16-10

In an increasingly complicated world, there is often a tendency among politicians, media and interest groups to over-simplify complex issues; first of all so we can understand them, and secondly as a way of persuading the public toward one point of view. This is what is happening on the debate about land use in Montana, and it is not constructive or helpful.

Montana has approximately 17 million acres managed as National Forest with 3.5 million acres of current wilderness designation and an additional 6.4 million acres that are roadless. Some interest groups in Montana and in Washington, D.C. are pushing the federal government to take a “wilderness first, people last” approach to public land use here. They would like to see millions more acres of public land in Montana restricted to anyone who cannot access “wilderness” areas on foot-- and this after more than half of public land has already been closed off to any motorized vehicles. Considering that many of us are neither young enough nor wealthy enough to spend days hiking into back country, this approach will have the effect of restricting access to wilderness areas to only a very few.

As a member of the Montana legislature, I hear many different opinions about how our public lands should be managed. While there is merit to every argument, I think we have lost sight of a simple fact: it is possible to enact responsible land use policy that balances the need to protect sensitive ecological areas with human needs such as recreation, ranching and economic development.

I don’t believe we should shutter a majority of our public lands so that they can only be enjoyed by a few backpackers. On the other hand, I don’t believe that we should open all of our public lands to development of subdivisions. A majority of Montanans should have access to at least one-half of public lands, and reverse the trend that is locking many average Montanans out of state and federal lands. 

That is why I worked with community leaders from across an eight-county region to form the Coalition for Common Sense to advocate policies that strike a reasonable balance between wilderness protection and public use of our lands. 

Nearly 300 people attended our first meeting in Conrad last month. The attendees came from all walks of life and from all political persuasions. They ranged in age from 18 to 84, with representation from mountain bikers, horse back riders, snowmobilers,

ATV’ers, motorbike riders, hunters, ranchers, and hikers. All had seen their access to Montana yet again reduced.  These “last best people of Montana” were all in some way being denied access to the last best place. 

We heard from a long-time resident of the Rocky Mountain Front who, along with his neighbors, has helped to care for areas that may soon be inaccessible to them. Almost everyone who came to our meeting in Conrad has helped take care of the public lands they recreate on, from clearing trails to cleaning trash. These folks are long-time but unnoticed stewards of the land.

I heard recently from a retired Korean War veteran who is no longer able to get to his favorite place in the woods because it is 15 miles from a trailhead, on a trail that is now only accessible by foot.

In Montana, we have a long tradition of working together to balance the disparate interests of people who do not always agree. Now more than ever we need to ensure that the demands of one group do not override the needs of everyone else.

It is important to look beyond the sound bites and recognize that, through a common sense approach, public lands can be cared for and can continue to be enjoyed by all Montanans. People and wilderness can co-exist, and have for generations. 

Rather than locking out most Montanans, let’s work to make public lands accessible and protected, so we can all enjoy the wilderness experience. 

Llew Jones, president of the Coalition for Common Sense, is a member of the Montana Legislature, representing North Central Montana. He is the owner of Pure Bliss Cycle Sales in Conrad a partner in several other local businesses.

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