Lewistown News-Argus - August 11, 2001
Winifred city council votes in opposition of monument
by Jacques Rutten, Lewistown News-Argus Outdoors Editor

The town of Winifred is opposed to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, and they made their position official on Tuesday with a resolution passed unanimously by the city council.

"We passed it because some people with land in that area, including myself, feel it was done illegally and we want the boundaries reduced to the size of the Wild and Scenic River," said Tom Econom, clerk of the city council.

In addition to opposing the monument, the resolution also "affirms its full and abiding support for the private property rights of landowners in the Monument area."

The council, which includes mayor Neil Rich, Jeff Ehlert, Curtis Brooks, Terry Econom and Steve Ehlert, passed the resolution by a 5-0 vote. Their decision came on the heels of a public hearing last Thursday in Winifred with Gov. Judy Martz' monument task force that drew more than 350 people. The vast majority of those who attended were opposed to the 495,451-acre monument, particularly the inclusion of 81,715 acres of private land.

The task force will meet in Fort Benton Aug. 14 to finalize its recommendations to the governor. Martz has said she will present them to Interior Secretary Gale Norton and then begin working with Montana's congressional delegation and the Bush administration to implement the recommendations.

The Winifred City Council's action came a month after the Lewistown City Commission passed a resolution by a 5-0 vote (with two members abstaining) supporting the monument.

"This is completely opposite of what the Lewistown City Commission did," said Econom.

Specifically, Winifred City Council Resolution Number One calls for:

. The immediate removal of all private property from the monument (subject to landowner concurrence).

. The continuation and codifying in law the traditional multiple use practices in the monument area, such as grazing leases, natural gas development and local access.

. The reduction of monument boundaries to comply with the provisions of the Antiquities Act of 1906.

The resolution also states: "The council condemns the notion that traditional agricultural and other land use practices in the monument area can be supplanted by policies promoting land preservation and tourism. Such policies will adversely impact the economic underpinning of the Winifred community, erode the local tax base and place an overwhelming demand on the local emergency services equipment and volunteers."

The resolution was passed, approved and became effective on Aug. 7.