Letter: Commissioners should protect public access

Today I am taking some time to address a pressing issue that is of paramount importance and is near and dear to my heart.

As a Montana native and someone who was raised in Bigfork, the privatization of public land is something that seems to be an abomination to our town. After signing the petition to protect Holt Drive access to Flathead Lake I felt compelled to also write a personal e-mail to each commissioner to show how committed myself and the entire town of Bigfork are to keeping this land open to the public.

As publicly elected officials I feel that it is your duty to stand up for the vast majority of the community and keep this access open to any and all people who enjoy and have enjoyed it for years (decades even). The idea that another area of our beloved lake might be privatized and enjoyed by a select few people breaks my heart and goes against everything that our community stands for.

In a small town we must rally together for the betterment of all, not just the few who have the monetary assets to monopolize a lake that has been open to the public for longer than most people have been alive.

I urge you to please continue to work hard for the community and keep this access open to everyone who lives and loves Bigfork 365 days per year.

I can personally say that I will be working hard to sign any piece of legislation that keeps this access open and will be promoting the petition to anyone who will listen.

Avery Vogel