Letters to the editor Sept. 2

Survival pack

Like the official Forest Service report in March 2005, recent media interest in the Tunnel Creek air crash of September 2004 continues to ignore the inability of the three survivors huddled under the trees to start a warming fire.  

This may not have been sufficient to save the life of Ken Good but likely would have been spotted or smelled by the undersheriff and the crew that arrived at the burnt wreckage the following afternoon, by which time the morning rain had washed away the survivors’ tell-tale footprints in the snow around the wreck.

A fire-starting windproof lighter and several pieces of inner tube in a pants pocket would have remedied the survival packs that burned in this crash and are commonly carried off by the spooked horse that just threw you.  

Folks, these take up little pocket space, weigh virtually nothing and may save your life in the backcountry.

— Andy Palchak, Kalispell

Public Lands Rule

A University of Montana public lands poll of Montana voters recently found that seven in 10 Montanans from both sides of the aisle support the Public Lands Rule. What is this popular policy, and what does it do?

The Public Lands Rule is a policy recently finalized by the Bureau of Land Management, under the leadership of Montana’s own Tracy Stone-Manning. While conservation and habitat restoration have always been part of the BLM’s Multiple Use Mandate, they have historically been given less consideration in the agency’s decision-making. Lesser consideration for conservation has historically allowed industry to develop lands of critical habitat value, putting wildlife and our recreation economy at risk.

The 2024 Public Lands Rule helps solve this problem by making conservation an equally important factor in the BLM’s decision making. Now, when the BLM considers land use proposals, conservation can compete with industry in a way that better guarantees public access to land, cultural lands protection, and preserving habitat.

In Montana, our outdoor recreation industry employs 30,000 people and generates $2.4 billion annually. As Montana changes, keeping our public lands wild and accessible is clearly a popular policy. The Public Lands Rule is a good way to keep Montana the Last Best Place.

— Dakota Whitman, Whitefish

League of their own

It’s time to say thanks to the Glacier Twins A team for another great season. These 13, well coached, scrappy, dedicated and hustling young men rotated around the diamonds handling all the position and battery duties, and despite not having a left handed arm or swing amongst themselves, won their divisional championship, state championship and were regional tournament participants. 

This year, the Twins were, as always with American Legion baseball, simply fun to watch because of their love of the game.

— Mark Voelker and Kathy Grant