Mill loses forceful forest advocate

Inter Lake editorial

In the ongoing debates over forest management in Northwest Montana, one voice has always sounded clearly: the voice of Ron Buentemeier.

That voice may be a little more muted now that Buentemeier is retiring at the end of the year from F.H. Stoltze Land & Lumber Co. That's where he worked his way up from forester to general manager during a 43-year career at the mill near Columbia Falls.

Over the years, Buentemeier has effectively been a one-man force in the forest debate. His always-well-researched viewpoints have been heard at venues ranging from planning board meetings to national forest hearings.

It may be hard for the wood-products industry to find another spokesman with such an encyclopedic knowledge and the willingness to share that knowledge and perspective.

And although he's retiring, we expect we haven't heard the last words from Buentemeier on the topic of forest management.

How important is water quality?

It's important enough that more than 200 people turned out last week for a Polson conference on large lakes.

Speakers looked at lessons from other lakes that could be applied to Flathead or Whitefish lakes. Participants also discussed how to maintain the water quality that is such a critical element in the quality of life in Northwest Montana.

The "Lessons of the Lakes" gathering came at an opportune time - a time when Whitefish and Flathead County are wrestling with proposals designed to preserve water quality.

There are no easy answers to the balancing act between land use and waterways, but this conference at least provided some starting points.

Flathead Valley students, along with many people across the country, have been wearing red ribbons all week long to symbolize the fight against alcohol and drug abuse.

Businesses, schools and individuals are all doing their part to get the word out. And it is working. There is hardly anyone around who does not know what the red ribbon stands for.

But as we conclude the week-long campaign of special programs, business specials and ribbon-wearing, let's not lose sight of the fact that substance abuse is a year-round problem.

Talk to your kids, work with the police and drink responsibly yourself. This problem won't ever go away entirely, but every young person who gets the message is a success story we can all be proud of.