Why shoot an albino bear?
To the editor,
This is a terrible reflection on hunting [killing of albino bear]. These youngsters may be great kids but they really messed up. There is no pleasure or sport in illegal hunting or taking already disadvantaged animals as all albinos are.
To make matters worse, the animal appears to be a juvenile (size). With the sport of hunting under attack everywhere, it's up to us to police ourselves and show we are good stewards of our resources. The young men failed miserably. Being from Mississippi doesn't prevent me from an opinion on this incident. I have hunted all over our great land and it is always better to leave no trail where you go. Killing animals for reasons other than sport is just killing.
Doug Denehie
Ocean Springs, Miss.
Closures cause alarm
To the editor,
With approximately 80 percent of our land in Montana's Flathead County and with ever more limited access to these, supposedly, Public Lands, our citizens have cause for alarm over the threat of additional closures and restrictions of the Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act, HR 1975. Apparently the reality and ramifications of turning 23 million acres in 5 northwestern states into wilderness lacks comprehension or understanding as exemplified by the rationale shown in this bill under Title VI, Section 2. The Findings presented, in support more wilderness, are extremely misleading, if not absolutely untrue. At the close of this comment letter I have provided clarification and correction for a few of these stated findings.
The NREPA bill constitutes a threat to our economy, and to the health and welfare of not only our citizens but also to the forests themselves which provide the watersheds, the timber, wildlife, landscapes and recreation opportunities that we treasure for ourselves, for visitors and tourists. All elements are essential and cannot be achieved or maintained by closing off ever more of these lands to "wildlands" as they existed prior to pioneer times and early settlement. Actually the forests are more extensive now with more abundant wildlife than existed when the West and Northwest were discovered.
Unfortunately changing policies of the U.S. Forest Service over the past decade has destroyed the original purpose of federally managed forest for the multiple use and enjoyment of the public. Contrary to the popular beliefs of uninformed people in other parts of the country, close-down of these lands and exclusion of human access has proven detrimental to the forests themselves. They have become overgrown with insufficient water and nutrients leading to bug infestation, dead, down and dying timber and limited wildlife. Less browse areas for animals drives both the carnivores and their prey out of the forests into lowlands. Fuel laden forests burn in horrendous wildfires consuming not only the timber but the wildlife, producing air and water pollution, soil erosion, mud slides, and loss of watersheds.
Passage of HR 1975 would permanently place 23 million additional acres under the accidental and often destructive action and behavior of Mother Nature. Humans are blessed with the technology and capability to productively and profitably utilize and protect the natural resources that Mother Nature provides for us. We actually need more and better management by trained forest specialists and technologists who will protect and preserve the health and growth of the timber.
Profitability is an essential part of the equation. Lack of revenues from our forests in combination with management by neglect has placed tremendous financial burden on taxpayers for fire-fighting, forest restoration and social services at federal expense to compensate for loss of incomes. Flathead County which had historically maintained prosperous communities now is dependent upon a construction industry for incoming people bring their money with them, social services such as health care, education and agency services largely now being provided or subsidized through government funding.
The tourist industry largely touted by NREPA supporters, cannot begin to replace the previous timber industry which had financed not only the human populations and their needs, but also the care and maintenance of the forests. Those who proclaim untouched, so-called wild and scenic wilderness or "wildlands," are not in touch with economic reality that a well managed environment, free of fire, is far more attractive to residents and visitors alike.
I urge Montanans to carefully analyze this entire bill and urge our elected officials to oppose it.
Clarice Ryan
Bigfork
Harder to trust people
To the editor,
I am becoming more and more aware that we, the people of Montana, can no longer trust one another. Many times I have taken my car for repairs, oil changes and regular maintenance to the body shops in Columbia Falls. I have left my car with personal items overnight at the auto body shops and never, ever, have items been stolen.
I am becoming more and more wary of people moving here and working here who cannot be trusted. When confronted with the fact that items were stolen from my car, the mechanic shrugged as if to say, "Prove that I took the items." I hate to see this happen to me or to anyone, but I can do something: warn people that this happened to me and it can happen just as easily to you.
Mary L. Adams
Columbia Falls
Deficit should be equalized
To the editor,
It's time the American people take the country as their own. All the unions, textile, automotive, steel workers, teamsters, long shoremen and all the other unions, it is time to quit playing politics and take the country back.
Secure the working class jobs in this country. We should manufacture stuff in our own country rather than shipping them out. We should ban all shipments coming from other countries until the trade deficit is equalized.
James Williams
Kalispell
Need for shopping, restaurants here
To the editor,
I could not resist making a comment after reading the article in the Daily Inter Lake about the "city improvements" that many want done in Columbia Falls. These improvements are all well and good, but they don't provide shopping resources for the residents.
I have lived in Columbia Falls over 45 years and the town continually does not have the needed shopping and restaurants that Kalispell or even Whitefish provide. We have a few restaurants but absolutely no shopping. I have to drive to Kalispell for everything I need. The shops in our town are geared for tourists.
Where are the sensible businesses needed for our residents? There are claims that the young people are moving back here, but they will go to Kalispell to do their shopping and taking their families out to dinner. It's time to "not" look at benches and pretty sidewalks in front of antique stores, but places of business a family can provide for themselves without driving to Kalispell.
Teresa Babcock
Columbia Falls
Sportsmanship impressive
To the editor,
I attended the playoff game Saturday between the Columbia Falls Wildcats and the Hamilton Broncs. As a visitor you never know for sure what kind of reception you will receive and I want you to know I came away from that game completely impressed with the sportsmanship demonstrated by your team, your hometown crowd and your cheerleaders.
Late in the game with the Wildcats down 24-0, the Wildcat cheerleaders walked around the field on the track to greet the Hamilton cheerleaders and present them with a gift. What an impressive gesture of ultimate sportsmanship.
I want to thank the cheerleaders for being such a class act. Congratulations to the Wildcats and their coaching staff for a successful season. I'm sure you all will be back in the hunt in the 2008 playoffs.
David King
Hamilton
Waterton-Glacier faces clear and present danger
Sometimes there is a moment in the history of a province — a pure, perfect moment — to do something extraordinary, like building a world-renowned children's hospital or hosting a green Olympic games.
Those moments define us. They uplift us. And they change us.
Part of governing this lovely province is recognizing and seizing those moments — elevating the stature of British Columbians, inside and outside our borders.
Today, there is a "moment" lingering in the corner of our province, tucked deep into the Rocky Mountains. It is called the Flathead Valley and this wild place hosts the densest concentration of grizzly bears in the interior of North America.
But the growls of those grizzly bears seem tame in comparison to the international roars over proposed mining and energy activity near this special place. These international roars from powerful politicians and quiet conservationists are not without merit. The proposed industrial development could devastate something quite special.
British Columbia's Flathead Valley is strategically located. It sits like a puzzle piece beside a large, renowned park that straddles the Alberta/Montana border. Waterton-Glacier International Peace Park is a World Heritage Site and United Nations Biosphere Reserve. It is precious. And 75 years ago, Alberta and Montana had a "moment" when they joined these lands together to create the world's first peace park.
B.C. decided not to include our Flathead Valley in that "moment." Even today, quite shamefully, it remains largely unprotected. And it is not overstating to say that this specific valley, in this specific location, can't be more crucial for the continued functioning of one of the world's great protected areas.
Thus, the roars. Mining and industrial activity pose a clear and present danger to this strategic valley and the river that runs through it. The Flathead River forms its headwaters in our strategic Flathead Valley before wending its way through the American side of the peace park. Any pollution entering these headwaters or tributaries risks tainted water running through huge tracts of this United Nations protected area. Without question, this river must be protected at all costs.
Because of this obvious sensitivity, the nearby open pit mine and coal bed methane projects proposed in B.C. are both riddled with environmental problems. They are also riddled with political problems, as polluting a World Heritage Site and International Biosphere Reserve would cause immediate, overwhelming and justified condemnation from the international community. To make matters worse, Canada and B.C. currently insist that these proposals should not be subject to the highest level of review under Canadian law or involve the participation of American scientists. That secrecy leads to suspicion and hard, lingering doubts over the integrity of future findings. But as the difficult rhetoric increases between our countries, B.C. remains cleverly poised to find a far-reaching solution — a solution that could involve a great "moment" for the province.
B.C.'s deft diplomacy must start by abandoning these inherently risky coal and coal bed methane projects near the Flathead River. Then the land use planning for the area must change, as industrial desires and those of the strident hunting community currently override any and all thoughts of conservation. It's not impossible to have mining in the region — there is lots of coal — but it must be extracted in balance with conservation and local interests. The time has come to bring important conservation to the Flathead Valley and economic diversity to the dangerously resource-dependent economies of the Kootenays.
The question of how much conservation is needed in the area sits squarely with our provincial government as this current international debate rages around them. Their decision over the Flathead Valley, made in the quiet offices of our provincial legislature, could signal one of the great "moments" of this province's history, on this, the 75th anniversary of our neighbours' cherished Waterton-Glacier Peace Park.
Our Flathead Valley, whether convenient or not, is forever part of this stunning peace park that hosts one of the last intact, natural carnivore-prey relationships in North America. All the natural beasts still exist in this rugged, snowy place. This park, coined the "Crown of the Continent" in this month's National Geographic magazine, also supports the most varied collection of vascular plants in Canada. And yet, climate change is taking its toll, melting the American glaciers and fundamentally altering this park's ecosystems.
The United Nations can't protect Waterton-Glacier from these profound changes, but British Columbia can help mitigate the damage. The beasts in this biosphere need to move north and south and they need the remote Flathead Valley for the migration through this uneven Rocky Mountain corridor. It is exactly the "moment" to fully protect the Flathead Valley, with a diplomatic flourish, and formally fasten B.C.'s jewel onto this Crown of the Continent.
Full, federal park status will not hurt B.C.'s industrial interests, as there is currently no coal or coal bed methane production in the valley itself. An addition to this renowned park will attract jobs and tourism to the Kootenays. And it would highlight B.C.'s newfound, much-touted commitment to climate change.
Chloe O'Loughlin is the executive director of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, B.C. chapter.
Mining at headwaters of Glacier, Flathead Lake a mistake
As the treasurer of Montana Trout Unlimited, I write to express our organization's serious concern regarding potential coal bed methane extraction and open pit coal mining at the headwaters of Glacier National Park and Flathead Lake.
Montana TU is a grassroots organization comprised of nearly 3,400 sportsmen and sportswomen who love to fish for native trout in our state's clean, cold mountain waters. Recent years have been hard on our dwindling native fish. It is incumbent upon all Montanans to take proactive steps to ensure future generations have the same opportunities to enjoy our state's legacy of great trout fishing.
Recent studies by Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks verify that significant numbers of native trout in the Flathead River basin cross the border into Canada. Westslope cutthroat trout that live most of their lives in the United States spawn in British Columbia. As a result, industrial coal field development in the Canadian Flathead has the potential to significantly harm Flathead River trout populations.
We have known this for years. Nearly 20 years ago, an international panel of scientists was assembled to review the first open-pit coal mine proposed for the Canadian Flathead. They found that impacts to native fisheries posed a great risk to Montana. They recommended the mine not be approved. Unfortunately, this hasn't stopped energy companies — with the support of British Columbia elected officials — from proposing new energy extraction.
A new proposal from British Petroleum is massive and potentially disastrous. BP wants to extract coal bed methane (CBM) from the roadless Canadian headwaters of the North Fork of the Flathead. The size of the operation could exceed 50,000 acres and involve construction of hundreds of miles of sediment-bleeding roads. Additionally, water quality will be threatened by the disposal of millions of gallons of toxic groundwater, the result of pumping that releases methane from underground coal seams.
Water quality in spawning habitats for native fish that reside in Montana will be threatened by the CBM discharges. British Columbia officials say the toxic water could be reinjected into the ground. But no one knows if this is even possible in the wet, mountainous Flathead country. If British Columbia's track record in the neighboring Elk River holds true, BP will be allowed to discharge the water directly into small tributaries that are key habitats for native trout. For details, see for yourself at the Flathead Basin Commission Web site at www.flatheadbasincommision.org.
BP's proposal for CBM at the headwaters of the Flathead River system is bad for Montana. Gov. Schweitzer and Montana's Congressional delegation must sit down with the elected leaders of British Columbia and develop a long-term plan for the Flathead River system that does not involve CBM or open-pit coal mining. If we fail and development occurs, fishing the Flathead will never be same.
Dan Short is a resident of Kalispell.
Weinberg, Daniell support SCHIP
Children's healthcare. No investment pays greater dividends than ensuring that American children have access to health insurance. Eighty percent of Americans understand this truth, and support the bipartisan efforts of Sen. Max Baucus and Congress to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to an additional 3.3 million American children. Unfortunately, the president has vetoed this legislation denouncing it as a profligate expenditure of public funds. Never mind that the SCHIP expansion is completely funded with an increase in the tobacco tax. Never mind that it is a program designed for working class families who cannot afford healthcare for their children. Never mind that SCHIP reauthorization is supported by a coalition of doctors, hospitals, families and businesses who understand that SCHIP is a successful program that works — and is making a real difference in the lives of 6.6 million American children right now.
While the debate rages in Washington, D.C., we would like to take an opportunity to remind the voters of Flathead County that not only is SCHIP important to our local community, SCHIP is a federal-state partnership that deserves the full support of elected officials at every level of our democracy. No Montana County has more children enrolled in SCHIP than Flathead County. As of Oct. 1, 1,767 children in Flathead County relied on SCHIP for their healthcare coverage. These children go to our schools. Their parents have jobs and contribute to our community. And their caregivers are among the four out of 10 Americans who do not receive employer provided healthcare coverage for their families. Last session the Montana Legislature passed Senate Bill 22, to expand SCHIP eligibility in our state from 150 percent to 175 percent of the federal poverty level. This means a family of three with an annual income of $30,000 will now be eligible for SCHIP in Montana. SB 22 passed with bipartisan support, and is an important step in expanding access to healthcare for our children. Despite the broad support of SB 22 from Democrats and Republicans from across Montana, the only the Republican Legislator from Flathead County to support SB 22 was Rep. Bill Jones. This is not right. It is time for the Republican state legislators from Flathead County to remove their extremist ideological blinders and join mainstream Montana in supporting commonsense polices like expanding healthcare for our children.
SCHIP is too important to Montana families; for this reason we stand firmly behind Sen. Max Baucus, Sen. Jon Tester and Congressman Rehberg in opposing the president's veto of this legislation. And we urge the members of Montana Legislature from Flathead County who failed to support SB 22 in the last legislative session to use the president's veto as an opportunity to demonstrate a change of heart and do the right thing for our children.
Denny Rehberg is a Congressman in the U.S. House and Suzanne Daniell is a doctor in Whitefish.