Gravel pit stirs up controversy

Gravel pits around Flathead County have a way of stirring up more than just dust.

Now there's another gravel proposal generating controversy. This one - a proposal for a major expansion of a gravel pit near West Glacier - has the usual concerns of noise, truck traffic, dust and other environmental issues, but it also has some unique elements:

A gravel operation that was resurrected and expanded recently without proper permits.

Lax state oversight.

A suspicious paper trail relating to whether the gravel mine was even operating for a period of almost a decade.

Doubts about whether the gravel pit conforms to current zoning.

A location in a rural residential neighborhood right next to Glacier National Park.

The planning office and most West Glacier-area residents oppose the gravel-pit expansion; the planning board recommended limited approval with a host of conditions.

Now it's up to the commissioners, who are scheduled to vote on the issue Tuesday morning. We urge them to proceed very cautiously since this particular gravel pit seems to have stirred a hornet's nest of controversy.

The state is rightly pursuing habitat conservation easements in the Swan Valley, for the benefit of public access, traditional uses and working forests.

Bud Moore, the legendary Montana forester, has set a leadership tone with a recent easement on 80 acres of his property near Condon, known as Coyote Forest. That easement will help leverage Forest Legacy funding for the state to pursue additional easements and land purchases in the Swan Valley, an area known for its hodge-podge checkerboard ownerships.

The state's efforts are focused on more than 10,000 acres of Plum Creek land that would otherwise be steadily sold off to private parties with a tendency for gates, no trespassing signs and trophy homes. Without the efforts of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks; Bud Moore; and many other parties, the nature of the Swan Valley would surely change over time.

And it would not be to the benefit of hunters, anglers, loggers and others who are accustomed to the rural nature of the Swan.

Despite fringe opposition offering shaky arguments about the evils of conservation easements (lost tax revenue and private property), they usually come up short in showing any actual harm in the easements that have transpired in Northwest Montana. In virtually all of the easements we are aware of, traditional uses such as timber harvesting are maintained, while limitations are placed on subdivision and development. And with easements involving the state and Plum Creek, there is the priceless benefit of public access for perpetuity.