For more than 30 years, I have had the joy of exploring open lands near my home in Whitefish.

Many of the areas I used to access are no longer open to public use, but several parcels of state land in Beaver Lake, Haskill Basin, and Spencer Mountain, for example, still provide walking, biking, skiing and snowshoeing opportunities close to home.

They also provide critical wildlife habitat and watershed protection, and all of the values inherent in working forests.

Our local politicians recognize the importance of protecting these areas from development, but during the legislative session, they couldn't agree on the best way to do it.

I commend Rep. Mike Jopek and Sen. Dan Weinberg for going the extra mile to achieve a working solution, and I urge all of our Flathead legislators to put partisan politics aside and work together in the next session.

Sen. Weinberg's bill would have allowed conservation easements on the 13,000 acres of state land currently jeopardized by the growing threat of development.

While I understand there may be other ways to solve the problem, it is critical to create a timely solution now before it is too late. The Flathead legislators can and must be leaders in the state on this issue.

Kerrie Byrne

Whitefish