Sanders, Mineral county folk join rally for public lands
Carrying a hand-made sign reading, “Our children and our wildlife need public land,” Candice Stewart of Noxon shared a connection with Gov. Steve Bullock during a rally last Saturday at the state capitol. (Photo courtesy of Mindy Ferrell)
Sanders County signs brought attention to area supporters of keeping federal land ownership rather than transferring it to state ownership at a rally at the state capitol rotunda in Helena last Friday. (Photo courtesy of Daisy Carlsmith)
Residents of Sanders County and other Montana counties filled the state capitol rotunda last Saturday during a public lands rally. (Photo courtesy of Daisy Carlsmith)
Among nearly 2,000 people who assembled in Montana’s capitol rotunda Saturday in Helena were at least a couple dozen from Sanders and Mineral counties, making their voices heard in support of federally-owned public lands in the state.
“It was exhilarating,” said Noxon resident Candice Stewart, who had never participated in a rally or march before. “It’s such a good cause. It crosses over those political and racial boundaries between people. It felt peaceful, with everyone there on the same page.”
“It is inspiring to see a big and energized crowd speak up loudly in support of the great public lands in our state,” said Doug Ferrell of Trout Creek, another rally attendee. He noted a broad coalition of event sponsors with bipartisan membership.
Federal lands make up a large percentage of Sanders County. Some, including State Sen. Jennifer Fielder of Thompson Falls, assert the lands would be better managed for revenue by the State of Montana, and advocate ownership transfer. “…It is time to bring land management decisions closer to home — where they belong. By working, speaking, and acting together, Montanans can achieve what we all want — abundant recreation, safe, vibrant communities, and healthy air, water, and wildlife,” Fielder wrote in a response to the rally on her Facebook page. She also expressed concern that there might be “possible hostilities” at what she called a “protest” organized by “liars,” and was granted a request for security guards, a threat that did not materialize.
Opponents to the land transfer maintain that the state, which owns about 6 million acres, already has difficulty funding agencies. They say responsibly managing 27 million more acres, much of it steep ground, for timber and range production, fire protection, wildlife and fisheries habitat, trails and roads would not be financially viable — a concern that both U.S Senate candidates Jon Tester and Matt Rosendale endorsed during the 2018 campaign. For this reason, they predict that such a transfer would eventually lead to selling them into private hands. Even though Fielder introduced a bill prohibiting such sales if these lands were acquired, others point out that such a law could be overturned in the future.
Either way, based on the broad coalition area rally attendees reported seeing at the event, it is evident that many might agree with Fielder on one point: “…Nobody cares more for our State than the people who live right here in it. Nobody.”