Letter from Craig Roberts, Central Montana Resource Advisory Council Chairman, to Gale Norton - May 3, 2001

The Honorable Gale Norton
Secretary of the Interior
1849 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20240

Re: Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument (UMRBNM)

Dear Secretary Norton,

The Central Montana BLM-Resource Advisory Council (RAC) respectfully provides this clarification responding to recent statements implying that the RAC's public process was flawed because local input was not solicited prior to the designation of the UMRBNM.

The issue here is not debate over the monument designation itself, indeed our RAC members are as divided as other Montanans are over this issue. The issue is public involvement prior to the proclamation.

In August of 1999, Secretary of Interior Babbitt requested the Central Montana RAC report to him how Montanans felt about protecting the Upper Missouri River Breaks. Taking very seriously our commitment to the RAC process, the 15 dedicated volunteers from central Montana conducted official BLM-sponsored public meetings in Great Falls, Lewistown and Havre. All of these meetings were well attended by local residents, county government and other elected officials and the RAC listened to hours of testimony presented by these citizens. In addition, over 500 other letters of public input from around the state regarding management of this area were received by the RAC members. Extensive coverage by statewide newspapers, TV and radio stations provided avenues for public comment. RAC members also attended other meetings held in nearby communities in an effort to gather as much public input as possible.

The RAC made every effort to fulfill Secretary Babbitt's request by reporting how most Montanans felt about protecting the Upper Missouri River Breaks. Based upon hours of reading letters and listening to public testimony, RAC members felt they had a good understanding of conflicting views over a designation decree but recognized common agreement on many other management policy issues. By full consensus agreement, the RAC listed those common areas they felt represented majority agreement of most Montanans in their report to the Secretary dated December 30, 1999. The major points of that common agreement are as follows:

1. The BLM will remain the managing agency
2. Hunting and fishing will be recognized as historic and traditional uses
3. Purchase of conservation easements from willing sellers would be encouraged
4. Livestock grazing would continue in accordance with existing BLM standards and guidelines
5. Riparian cottonwood bottoms would be cooperatively restored
6. Additional management funds would be necessary
7. People management for protection of the area would be necessary
8. A policy for preserving the wildness and special character of the area is necessary

The RAC also recognized that there was no agreement among Montanans on whether or not a National Monument Designation was the desirable way to provide protection for the Upper Missouri River Breaks. Because this was such a polarized and divisive issue, splitting local Montanans about equally, we chose not to make a recommendation to Secretary Babbitt regarding designation of any type.

The Central Montana BLM-RAC sincerely believes we have fulfilled our commitment to the Secretary of Interior and the people of Montana in seeking extensive public comment on this issue prior to the Monument proclamation by President Clinton. The Monument designation may not be acceptable to all Montanans but we feel the public comment process that we conducted was fair and extensive.

Thank you for your consideration of this information.

Sincerely,
Craig Roberts, RAC Chairperson

cc: Governor Judy Martz, Senator Max Baucus, Senator Conrad Burns, Congressman Dennis Rehberg, BLM State Director Matt Millenbach