Resource policy sent back to committee

Flathead County commissioners postponed the adoption of a proposed Natural Resource Policy on Thursday, preferring to send it back to committee for further refinement.

Commissioners Joe Brenneman and Bob Watne approved the move following a 40-minute public hearing. Commissioner Gary Hall, who helped craft the policy, was not in attendance due to a scheduling conflict.

About 15 people were at the hearing. Several spoke for or against the document, which addresses a variety of resource-related issues. Most felt it was a good start, but there was disagreement about its overall tone as well as the specific wording of various sections.

"I think having a natural resources plan is a wonderful idea," Rachel Potter said. "But in general, I think this plan calls for outdated, discredited management practices … that would lead to the degradation of natural resources in the valley."

For example, she said the definition of wetlands used in the document would exclude many wetland areas in the Flathead.

"That happens throughout the plan," Potter said. "There are decent parts mixed in with outdated practices. This plan needs considerably more than some minor tweaking before you approve it."

Fred Hodgeboom, a member of the Natural Resources Committee that developed the policy, said the document is simply intended to provide information that helps the commissioners take a more active and effective role in managing state and federal lands here.

What it doesn't do, he said, is support or recommend some kind of all-out assault on the environment.

"This is an advisory document," Hodgeboom said. "It doesn't require the county to do anything. I don't think any of us on the committee feel it's perfect [but] it provides a good foundation. It's a beginning."

Given that several speakers, including some of the proponents, said the policy needed further revision, Brenneman made a motion to send it back to the Natural Resources Committee for further work. No deadline was set for completing that process.

All of the speakers supported the idea of having a natural resources policy, although there was some question whether it was really necessary for the county to gain "cooperative agency status," which would give it a more formal role in the land-use planning and management process regarding state and federal lands here.

Rob Carlin, the lead planner on the Flathead National Forest, said a natural resources plan actually is not required for the county to have that status. But he added that developing a plan is probably beneficial for the county to organize and be more effective in its involvement with the agency.

The county has always had the ability to comment on any Forest Service project, he said, but cooperative agency status can position the county to provide the Flathead forest with particular expertise, such as economic information.

The county made a formal request last month for cooperative agency status in revising of the Flathead forest's long-range management plan. That revision process is under way.