News from the Interlocal
The crowd at the Winter Interlocal was a bit smaller than usual – I counted 51. I blame the low turnout on the days and days with below-zero nights. Polebridge actually had an official -41F on one chilly morning.
Anyway, it is my opinion that this was one of the better Interlocals in years. It seemed to me that the agencies gave us more information in a straight-forward manner and there was less side-stepping than usual.
The Forest Service was a good example. The Forest Plan is slowly moving forward. The Forest Service has published their preferred alternative and the multi-month protest period has ended. Now, there will be a period to see if all or some of the 74 objections can be resolved. I was surprised that some were up to 300 pages long.
I really hope this plan is adopted. Not only has the Forest Service team of Joe Krueger done a great job, but so has the general public, especially the Whitefish Range Project.
Both the Forest Service and the Whitefish Range Project looked at all interests and made an honest attempt to address all of the needs and wants of the special interests – after all, these are public lands and everyone’s interests should be considered. As a result, the plan as currently proposed has something for everyone. There is no way to give anyone everything they want, but I believe no one was ignored and all groups got part of what they want or need.
The 74 objectors are mainly folks who want to get everything they want and don’t mind completely ignoring other legitimate users. They should not be allowed to sabotage this effort – the best plan for the Flathead in 30 years.
I am also pleased that the USFS is acting quickly to resolve the dangerous conditions at the Polebridge launch site. Last spring, the main river channel moved west and made it very difficult and dangerous to land above the bridge. The launch site was also narrowed, making the launching of boats more difficult.
All of this will be resolved by moving the launch and landing site south of the bridge. Parking, camping and the toilet will remain west of the road, where they have been located. There will be no camping or parking on the east side of the road.
On March 6, the USFS will host the first of what will probably be a series of meetings to address the river management. This will no doubt take more time that I think it should, but it is a sorely needed first step that I hope will bring positive improvements. Starting immediately will be a series of cameras to get a handle on river use. Hopefully, the end result will be better launch facilities and parking at the border and something done to manage Sondreson Meadows.
Next week – Park plans, county efforts and a look at cell towers.
Larry Wilson’s North Fork Views appears weekly in the Hungry Horse News.