Task force was bitterly divided

Thanks to the Pilot for what was the most comprehensive coverage of the Flathead County task force on both the roadless issue and forest planning.

I'd like to add a couple observations, colored a bit by the fact that I'm an officer of Montanans for Multiple Use and felt obligated to attend several of the sessions.

I expected the task force to be bitterly divided over the fate of the Flathead National Forest. It was, right from the start, when the very first motion made, by Vic Workman, freshly appointed to the Montana Fish and Game Commission by Gov. Brian Schweitzer, was to declare that Flathead County didn't want any roads built in any so-called "roadless areas" — precisely the tack taken by Schweitzer.

But the question put forth by the Bush administration proposal isn't about building roads but rather a request for state governors to "petition the Secretary of Agriculture to promulgate regulations establishing management requirements for all or any portion of National Forest System inventoried roadless areas within that state or territory."

Ironically, during the round of introductions, Workman stated he didn't have an agenda. So he borrowed the governor's agenda, to derail the task force from the intent of the administration proposal.

Later on, there was quibbling over the language that wound up on the primary election ballot. Flathead County commissioner Joe Brenneman may call that "sabotage," but in a free society isn't voting the way citizens express their real opinions?

With that in mind, Flathead voters may wonder why the primary ballot language was so blurry, notwithstanding the typographical error printed on the ballot. I attended the session where the final language was fought over.

During that meeting, Edwin Fields, of the Montana Wilderness Association, made the comment that "words have meaning."

Yes, Ed, they sure do. Maybe that's why when the environmentalists on the task force could not prevent a question going to the county ballot, they did everything they could to render the ballot language into meaninglessness. It was a semantic slaughterfest.

As a writer, I was impressed. As an American citizen, I was heartbroken. The people of Flathead County deserved a more honest effort to present them with an easily-understood "roadless" ballot question that honestly described the issue.

While my hat is off to the enviros for their debating skills and political cleverness, I thank God that Edwin and his cohorts weren't around to help write the Constitution.

Dave Skinner lives in Whitefish and works for The Hydra Project.