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What draws more than 12 million guests to Montana each year? Why has Missoula County grown in population by almost 50 percent since 1990? Why has the outdoor recreation industry grown to be our state’s largest industry? Why is Missoula County so appealing to residents and guests? My guess it is not the traffic on Reserve Street that appeals to folks. All indications are it is our open and wild spaces that generate the Montana magic that draws people to Missoula County. Our open and wild spaces require attention and appreciation if they are t...
From the Introduction to 100 Classic Hikes MONTANA, by Douglas Lorain: "If you mention Montana to an avid hiker living almost anywhere else in the United States, the reaction is usually a big smile, a wistful sigh, long stories about a much-treasured vacation to this glorious state, and a comment like, "Now that's God's country." Those of us fortunate enough to live here completely understand this reaction because we can personally attest that it's all absolutely true. The state is glorious,...
Montana’s booming outdoor recreation industry is dependent on having ample wild and wonderful places. We cannot manufacture new wild places. Now is not the time to shrink our public lands, now is the time to protect our public lands. One important step we can take towards ensuring we’ll have sufficient wild places 50 years from now is to see that the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) becomes law. The BCSA was born and raised by Montanans. For more than a decade local ranchers, loggers, sportsmen, snowmobilers and business owners have...
The first Europeans that arrived in Montana were not interested in mountain biking or sight seeing. They came to make money, fast. The determination to make money as quickly as possible without considering long-term consequences triggered a series of boom and bust cycles. Except for agriculture, boom and bust cycles characterized the Montana economy from about 1850 to 1950. We had a gold boom and bust, a silver boom and bust and the one we are reminded of most frequently today, the copper boom...
Most Montanans have their favorite outdoor places. It might be a trout stream, a view from a mountaintop or a mountain bike loop. Wherever your favorite places are, chances are they are on Montana’s public lands. Management of our public lands is a hot topic. Some radicals want to control public lands unlawfully using guns. The American Land Council led by their new CEO, Montana state Sen. Jennifer Fielder, wants to take control of our public lands through legislation. Both efforts ignore the fact that the majority of Montanans treasure p...
