Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

Nothing is Impossible with 'Good Montana People'

Last Wednesday, Jan. 20, I attended Representative Ryan Zinke’s visit at the Malta High School. The subject of the meeting was BLM’s proposed approval of the American Prairie Reserve’s application to run bison yearlong on the former Holzey Ranch in southern Phillips County. There was a big Phillips County crowd plus several Valley County ranchers and a group from Fergus County to voice their concerns. Congressman Zinke was asked to intercede to force BLM to a fairer decision.

BLM has issued a proposed decision to allow APR to remove all interior management fences and graze some 385 bison yearlong. Representative Zinke listened to concerns and issues raised including: BLM Malta Field Office is giving preferential treatment to APR since cattle ranchers are required to rotate their livestock through pastures and limited to a set season of use, Ted Turner bison ranches have put management fences back in to protect the streams and wetlands, APR cannot be trusted to keep their herd brucellosis free, a brucellosis outbreak would decimate the cattle industry, ranchers do not have the money and time to continue a constant fight, BLM has used APR’s data to set the stocking rate, neighboring ranchers say it is much higher than the former owners ever ran, the decision has big implications and should be elevated to an EIS level, not a low-level EA, (in my opinion, the EIS should address APR’s stated plan of 3 million acres), and APR’s goal to have wild free-roaming bison refuge is unlawful under BLM’s Taylor Grazing Act.

Congressman Zinke stated that APR’s claim of a tourism bonanza is not going to happen, as he said, “Have you been to the CMR?” His point being if this landscape was going to draw huge crowds it would be happening now. As he said if you want solitude the CMR is a place to find it.

Some comments I heard on the side included that APR is planning to have grizzly bears and wolves and that there will be no way to keep bison bulls out of cattle herds during breeding season. There is feeling that the Feds want brucellosis to infect cattle to speed the takeover, that this is all a part of UN Agenda 21, now Agenda 2030, a plan to create a “Yukon to the Yucatan” wild land, depopulated of us humans.

I know a lot of folks here in Glasgow figure this is a losing battle, that APR’s plan to take over our region is unstoppable. If you check out APR’s website, it looks like the money is rolling in; as slick as the presentation is. A huge worry is that President Obama will designate most of the BLM in Valley and Phillips County as a National Monument before the end of his term. Rep. Zinke said he expects the CMR to be designated a monument.

Though it was not mentioned at this meeting, Montana government seems to be lined up on the side of APR, as well. Fish, Wildlife & Parks continues to pursue a wild bison herd, every state bill coming from eastern Montana to put the brakes on has been vetoed by the current and former Montana governors.

So, it is obviously an uphill battle. The prices being paid by APR are far beyond what ranchers can pay. Seems the only thing that stands in the way of APR plans is the willing seller aspect of their plan. One speaker at the meeting exhorted other landowners to “make a covenant with ourselves to not let it happen.”

I know a lot of the Phillips County folks and could see that everyone is obviously tiring of the fight. But it was heartening to meet several of them after the meeting and find that they could still laugh and joke with each other. I left with the feeling that nothing is impossible for these good Montana people.

John Fahlgren is a former BLM employee and a cattle producer in Valley County.

 

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