Letter from Glenn Monahan to Secretary Gale Norton, April 25, 2001

U.S. Department of the Interior
Secretary Gale Norton
1849 C Street
Washington, D.C. 20240

Dear Secretary Norton:

I am writing to you about the new Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, in Montana. There have been rumors circulating that the Bush administration is considering reducing the boundaries of the monument; there have also been press stories concerning a letter which you sent to various government officials in Montana, asking for their input.

I would like to go on record as a Central Montana business person opposing any changes to the new monument boundaries.

Here in Montana we had a thorough public input process, and we had a Resource Advisory Council that spent thousands of hours planning for the future of this area. It's time we accept all of the hard work that has gone into this new monument, and move forward. Significantly, the entire Montana Congressional delegation, including Democratic Senator Baucus, worked hard to insure that the management of the monument will not interfere with present uses, particularly livestock grazing, as well as private property rights.

I consider the monument to have great potential for Montana's economy, which at the present time is in exceedingly poor condition. Almost all of our traditional industries, including mining, farming and ranching, and forest products, are in serious decline, with little optimism for recovery to previous levels.

The one industry in Montana that is presently experiencing strong, consistent growth is tourism and recreation. Data compiled by the Montana Department of Commerce reports that tourism has grown to the point where it provides as many jobs as agriculture, and a payroll equal to that of our forest products industry. At its current growth rate, tourism will shortly become our state's largest industry by all measures. We are experiencing a steadily increasing demand for the high-quality outdoor experience that Montana offers, and this new national monument is truly a gift from the Federal government for Montana's economy.

As the owner, along with my wife Nancy, of a family-operated business that provides guide services on the Upper Missouri River, my experience leads me to conclude that a healthy, intact monument is a win-win situation for all; it will benefit our tourism industry and - as promised - it will not interfere with present uses. I consider it unfortunate that, despite the aforementioned promises, there is a small vocal minority who oppose the monument because of their distrust of the government and a perceived - but unbased - fear that this monument will somehow threaten their lifestyles; the result is a dialog based on emotion rather than logic.

Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks are examples of how showcasing an area with a Federal designation that recognizes the area's uniqueness can have a massive positive impact on the local economy. I'm not suggesting that the Missouri Breaks will ever approach the attendance figures for these two National Parks, nor would I consider that to be desirable, but the inescapable conclusion is that this monument will greatly benefit Montana's economy.

The Missouri Breaks is an area of special beauty, and it contains scores of sites that figure prominently in our nation's history. In short it is a national treasure, easily equivalent to places like Independence Hall and Gettysburgh Battlefield.

I strongly urge you to abandon any plans you may be considering to alter the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument. Please feel free to contact me if I can be of any assistance to you in this matter.

Sincerely,

Glenn Monahan, Owner
Upper Missouri River Guides