Letters to the Editor

Yellow Bay thanks

The Yellow Bay Community Club and the Yellow Bay Women's Auxiliary would like to thank all the local businesses for their continued support of the annual Flathead Cherry Blossom Festival with their donation of items used for raffles and door prizes. This year's event was the best ever due to their contributions, the Old Time Fiddlers and all the hard work put in by the Women's Auxiliary. Thank you, too, to the entire community for your support as well by joining us. The clouds separated to give us a beautiful day of sunshine and the cherry blossoms were in full bloom, making it a wonderful day for all.

Maureen Gleason, President

Yellow Bay Women's Auxiliary

Lakers apprciate support

The Flathead Lakers wish to thank our legislators for their support for SB 343, the Aquatic Invasive Species Act. We were very pleased that this bill passed the legislature with the support of every Flathead Basin legislator and was signed into law by Governor Schweitzer.

Zebra and quagga mussels have devastated water bodies in the Great Lakes states and more recently spread to Lake Mead and other southwest reservoirs. It is virtually impossible to eradicate the exotic mussels once they become established. They cost utilities, municipalities and other water users millions of dollars to control. They can decimate native aquatic plants, animals and fisheries.

The new legislation gives the state and the Flathead Basin partners who are developing a local prevention plan new opportunities to combat this threat. The Flathead Lakers previously posted warning signs at all Flathead Lake public boat launches. Specific education and prevention actions in the plan will begin this summer.

Our special thanks to Senator Verdell Jackson for sponsoring the bill and to Representative Janna Taylor for carrying the bill in the House.

Zebra mussels and other invasive aquatic species pose a huge threat to Flathead waters and, if accidentally introduced, would greatly impact boaters, anglers, marinas, irrigators, cities and electricity users. Please help spread the word that any boat entering Flathead or Montana waters that has been used elsewhere must be thoroughly cleaned to protect our priceless waters and our economy from this menace.

Larry Ashcraft, President

Flathead Lakers

A worthwhile service

I wonder how many of you folks have attended a military memorial service? Both too many, and not nearly enough, I would guess. Last Friday it was a privilege and an honor to attend memorial services for two of my friends. Hundreds gathered to share their sadness and joy. It was a wonderful and uplifting experience to see so many people whose lives were touched by these men, come and say good-bye. I knew, when I saw the bagpipes, the tears would flow. Something about hearing "Amazing Grace" on the pipes is overwhelming. At the end of the indoor services,we were asked to stand outside for an Honor Guard salute to one of the men, who was a veteran. I know he was very passionate about these memorial services. To watch the flag be un-folded, snapped to full display, then re-folded and presented to his widow, all to "Taps" brings my heart into my throat instantly! I don't know how others feel about war and sacrifice, but if you could attend just one of these services it would be good for you. Respectfully,

Sid Butterfield

Bigfork

Say no to NREPA

The Northern Rockies Ecosystem Protection Act (NREPA) was again considered by a congressional committee on May 5. It was a bad idea, and it failed to pass from the committee. Unbelievably, this bill (HR 980) is now being brought before the entire Congress. NREPA would place over 11 percent of our state under 'Wilderness designation", which means around 6 million acres would no longer be open to management of the forest resource. Western forests must be managed to control the widespread deterioration of forest health and the steady accumulation of dead trees and debris that would otherwise fuel future wildfires.

Since designated Wilderness cannot be mechanically managed, wildfire is the only management tool available. For that reason, a Wilderness must be configured in such a way that it is most able to accept and contain wildfire within its border, or the Wilderness must be large enough to accommodate wildfire — larger than most of Montana's existing inventoried roadless areas (IRAs). Wilderness management by wildfire is too hazardous to be located near areas of habitation or valuable managed forests and watersheds. Additionally, forest management by wildfire flies in the face of our nation's efforts to control air pollution and its' possible effect on global warming.

Even though Montana has ample large Wilderness with high quality wilderness values, NREPA would have included most of Montana's Inventoried Roadless Areas regardless that they may be of low wilderness value or be of an inappropriate small size.

Wilderness designation must be on an area-by-area basis. Each area must be carefully considered, be popularly supported by local residents, and must pass the USFS Wilderness evaluation criteria proscribed under F.S.H. 1909.12 chapter 70, amendment No., 1909.12-2007-1. A blanket designation like NREPA is bad policy.

This bill would have taken away the ability for Montanans to decide what is best for each IRA within our state. It would have resulted in an unnecessary and egregious interference and violation of our right to decide how to best manage our public resources for a wide variety of forest uses and values.

Roger and Marion Lund

Paradise, MT