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GREAT LTEs!!
Protect the Breaks
When thinking of the Missouri River Breaks National Monument I am reminded of the words of historian Bud Moore:
"the trail is a place where we can recapture the spirit of Ancient and Historic Peoples. It's several treads wind across a variety of once natural ecosystems. And
each of us can go there and see for better or for worse
the effects on the land of the more
recent occupation and human use.We can learn
from that and apply those lessons in future stewardship.
... There is life in the trail so
let's hang onto that life,
hold close to nature and
walk softly as we rediscover and protect its spirit. That
way what remains of the trail can always whisper where we have been and who we are and what we might become."
Moore was referring to the
Lolo part of the Lewis and Clark trail, but his words also apply to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. The BLM needs to know that American people feel the spirit of the trail
there. Let the Bureau know that we continue to value and care about this historic and cultural treasure.
Stephenie Ambrose Tubbs (11/2/05)
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HOME / News and Views / Great Falls Tribune - 10/20/05
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Great Falls Tribune - 10/30/05 Participate in managing Breaks Democracy may not always be the best way to manage land, but it's the best way to manage a nation and its possessions. For what seems like the 10th time (it's actually only about the third or fourth), the Bureau of Land Management is hitting the road with its proposed plans for managing a significant piece of federal property. BLM's proposals for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument include things that will aggravate and things that will please just about everyone - usually a sure sign of democratic compromise at work. A BLM road trip between Thanksgiving and Christmas also is a step in the democratic process. Eleven meetings are planned around the region (see RMP page) so that the public can learn about, discuss and comment upon the "draft management plan" Further, citizens have 90 days (until Jan. 26, 2006) to submit comments on the proposed plan (see right), regardless of whether they attended one of the meetings. It is, after all, land owned by all Americans. Public involvement in Breaks planning started years before the monument was designated by President Bill Clinton in the 11th hour of his presidency almost five years ago. The Central Montana Resource Advisory Council developed recommended management parameters, including the guiding philosophy that existing uses would be allowed to continue. When then-Secretary of the Interior Bruce Babbit recommended monument designation to Clinton, the recommendation incorporated that philosophy. However, how that would be carried out was a point of debate, and the "Draft Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement" released last week does lay out more clearly - and limit - what is acceptable behavior for visitors to the area. For example, the Draft RMP/EIS would:
Some critics of the monument say that designation was a fait accompli before any public discussion took place. Now management of the monument is once again on the table. The region today is much richer for the slow-flowing, wildlife-rich glory of the monument. Ensuring that for tomorrow is dependent on how the monumnent is managed. Whether you were for or against the monument, don't miss this opportunity to be heard on managing an important part of our northcentral Montana heritage.
Go to News and Views Archive for years 2000 through 2003. FRIENDS OF THE
MISSOURI BREAKS MONUMENT Copyright © 2001-2005 - Friends of the Missouri Breaks Monument  |
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