Blackfeet keeping an eye on boats

Local boaters have no doubt noted that there is no longer a boat inspection station near Coram.

For the past two years boaters travelling west on U.S. Highway 2 have been required to stop there in an attempt to prevent the spread of invasive aquatic species, specifically zebra mussels and Eurasian milfoil.

The absence of this station does not mean the threat no longer exists or conservation authorities have given up the fight.

"We moved that inspection station to U.S. Highway 2 between East Glacier and Browning," said Caryn Miske, director of the Flathead Basin Commission, which coordinates the station.

"We identified the eastside spot as a more optimal location," said Miske.  "There's greater visibility and we've seen higher compliance rates (boaters stopping) than Coram."

The new site is operated in partnership with the Blackfeet Tribe which is supplying not only staffers at the site, but also an enforcement presence.

When I pulled my boat through the inspection station in early June, a worker told me there was "up to a $5,000 fine for not stopping or fishing on the reservation without a properly inspected boat."

While the max fine might be an aberration, the Tribe is taking inspection seriously.  They have established an inspection station near Chewing Blackbones on the road to Duck Lake.

Duck Lake's nationwide popularity has heightened fears that invasive species in that lake could be transported to the Flathead Valley.

Some anglers have expressed concern that the U.S. Highway 2 site's 8 a.m.- 8 p.m. hours are too restrictive.

Another concern is that the site stops boaters travelling both eastward and westward.

On the day I stopped, a herd of bison directly across from the inspection station was adding to the mayhem by drawing attention from photographers parked on the side of the road.

Inspections are good for seven days and there are special provisions for reservation residents.

Boaters going to the reservation from the east must travel to either of the inspection stations.

"I know we have some really unhappy campers on the eastside of the reservation," said Miske. "But despite a few bumps, the program is designed to do what it's designed to do."

Miske hopes, with increased funding, an inspection station can be established on the eastside of the reservation, along with longer hours at other stations.