Sorted by date Results 161 - 185 of 1188
Dear Editor, An asphalt plant?! And a gravel pit?! On 21 acres?! That’s an area bigger than 26 football fields, or more than 300 tennis courts or over 3100 parking spaces! However the reader, you, can best envision the enormity of such a horrific industry smack in the middle of a peaceful, wild area that is adjacent to an already designated special open space, this is a proposal that needs to be denied. This application to build such a noisy, dusty, smelly, disruptive industry directly across from the Blackfoot Clearwater Game Range (which is a...
Dear Editor, On January 6 of this year, LHC, Inc. a paving contractor from Kalispell, submitted an application to Montana DNRC to mine crush and remove roughly 110,000 cubic yards of stone, sand and gravel from their Land Trust, Section 20, Township 15N, Range 14W. The application also requests to include a permit to locate an asphalt production plant on site. The area is roughly 21 acres and is proposed to be used to build our new roads on Highway 83 expansion this summer and next, as well as other highway projects. DNRC sent out a press...
Dear Editor, Flathead National Forest (FNF) rejected POWDR’s Master Development Plan (MDP) for Holland Lake Lodge, creating a temporary calm after residents of Condon overwhelmingly rejected POWDR’s MDP proposal. The FNF did not consult the Condon community or Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes (CSKT) prior to MDP submission. On September 14th, during the public comment period, FNF Supervisor Kurt Steele wrote on the USFS website that he will consider what “is in the best interest of the American People”. Having grown up in Condon and now...
Dear Editor, The summer of 2022 in Western Montana was one for the record books! You might even call it the perfect storm. Here in Seeley we had record numbers of visitors coming to our area to recreate, our campgrounds were full, we saw an influx of new people moving into the area, we had unusually cold then warm weather which caused a poor berry crop throughout Western Montana including Seeley, and FWP personnel responded to over 1000 black bear conflict calls in region 2. Sadly, this is the norm for the Seeley lake area. Over the last 10...
Dear Editor, Regarding the pending preliminary decree of the Flathead Compact, Mr. Chris Tweeten, lawyer and 1985 Montana governor appointee to the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission (RWRCC) was caught on tape in 2012 at a public meeting stating, “We agreed to do this extraordinary thing, frankly, with respect to agreeing to subject or to remove non-Indian rights on the reservation from the jurisdiction and control of the state and place that somewhere else at the tribe’s request.” Who gave the RWRCC authority to subject non-I...
Dear Editor, Something’s amok at Holland Lake Lodge (HLL). HLL, Inc. and POWDR Corporation claim the resort’s cabins are “generally dilapidated” and POWDR further described the infrastructure as “failing.” The Flathead NF justified the project, in part, by claiming the lodge and associated buildings were in a state of disrepair, some to the point some of needing to be demolished. Yet, HLL marketing for 2023 claims “six charming lakeside cabins” and refers to them as “rustic.” Are the cabins dilapidated or charming and rustic – worth $395...
Dear Editor, Elbow Lake leaseholders were surprised this week to receive from the DNRC a proposal for gravel pit testing in the vicinity. Surprised because (a) the proposal does not state the ultimate reason to conduct the test; (b) the comment period is short – ending on December 19; (c) the applicant is the very company (LHC) that applied for a gravel pit permit in 2017, in the same location. They faced significant opposition then – including in the pages of the Pathfinder – and ultimately chose to remove gravel from an existing pit elsew...
SWAN VALLEY - The rollout of a proposal by one of North America’s biggest ski developers to triple the size of Holland Lake Lodge and bring industrial tourism and commercial recreation to the rural, wildlife-rich Swan Valley in western Montana was a complete and utter disaster. After two months of vehement public opposition, the expansion proposal by POWDR, the Utah-based ski developer that promotes “soulful” experiences through high-impact recreation, fell to earth in flames – like the 1937 Hindenburg dirigible disaster in New Jersey. The air...
Support for Bill Burt If you feel everything is going along just fine in the Justice of the Peace field in Missoula County, then you should vote for the status quo in the upcoming election. But, if you feel common-sense, compassion, integrity, and fairness should be applied to a much greater extent than it is now, you should consider voting for Bill Burt for Justice of the Peace in Department #1. He has all the traits and background that would enable him to utilize the current jail diversion program without endangering our communities by...
Housing project falls short The Trinity Housing project on Mullan next to the Missoula County Detention Center has not lived up to its promises and expectations. This was supposed to be a collaboration between the city, the county and HomeWord. HomeWord brought in Blue Line Developers for their expertise. Missoula County Commissioners agreed to gift almost 5 acres of county taxpayer owned land adjacent to the Missoula County Detention Center to make this project affordable. The land was purchased with taxpayer funded bonds to build the...
Be a hero to dogs young and old October means pumpkin spice lattes, fall temperatures and leaves turning color, but it’s also a chance to be a hero to a dog in need. For thousands of years, dogs have been our best friends, our protectors and often our personal heroes, improving and even saving lives. That is why each October for more than 40 years, American Humane has encouraged animal lovers to repay the favor by adopting a dog from a local shelter or rescue group during its annual Adopt-a-Dog Month®. While adopting a puppy or younger dog is...
Open letter from Save Holland Lake to Kurt Steele, Supervisor Flathead National Forest Dear Mr. Steele, Save Holland Lake, an ad-hoc coalition of concerned citizens advocating for the pristine lake, surrounding ecosystem and our public land, respectfully requests that you extend the public comment period for the proposed Holland Lake expansion project beyond October 7, 2022. In your initial scoping document you state, “all activities would occur within the existing 15 acre permitted area.” The language surrounding the “15-acre” Special Use Per...
As best I remember it, over 40 years ago, me and my cutt’n partner Butch was coming down from Alaska. Turned off in Albany, Oregon headed for the sleepy little cowboy logg’n town called Sisters. Butch had friends there. Took note of the scenery over the Santiam pass, noted in the distance Mt. Jefferson wilderness and the mountain majesty thereabouts. Was a few years since Butch was back and all of a sudden was big real estate developments Butch whistled, “What happened?” Last time he saw it--it was a meadow, horses and cows. As I drove through...
Montanans’ constitutional right to privacy and a clean and healthful environment will be threatened this legislative session. Many of us living in House District 92 fiercely value our privacy and depend on the integrity of our environment. The Blackfoot River and its tributaries flow through this District, we know the importance of clean, cold, complex and connected waters. On my family’s ranch, four generations have benefited from and worked to protect a state of mind – freedom, opportunity, responsibility – that is Montana. Gary Stein u...
An out-of-state commercial recreation corporation, POWDR Inc., has proposed to expand the Holland Lake Lodge on public land and convert it into a destination resort. The current lodge is a locally run seasonal operation from May 15 to Oct. 15 that occupies 15 acres of public land under USFS permit on the shores of Holland Lake in the Swan Valley. POWDR Corporation calls itself an “adventure lifestyle company.” It is one of the largest ski resort owners in the US and owns 10 massive mountain resorts. It claims, “POWDR has an incredibly uniqu...
In autumn, that mournful season that stifles the lighthearted sounds of summer, larch turn golden and, against the Douglas fir and Ponderosa pine, light up the Seeley-Swan Valley like a votive-filled cathedral in Rome. It’s something to behold as you stand in awe of the magic wand of nature, whose invisible hand has crafted an infrastructure that rapacious people want to market to a public hungry for natural experiences touted by Hollywood. At Holland Lake, we’re seeing a docudrama (like TV’s Yellowstone) play out with the U.S. Forest Servi...
All elections are important, right? This one seems particularly so - ballots will be mailed Oct. 14. Election Day is Nov. 8. Sometimes we ignore midterm elections - everyone is busy. However, if we don’t pay attention, our Montana State Constitution could be overturned by extremists. The right to privacy is something we all hold dear. We love our public lands. Let’s make sure we don’t turn Montana into a one-party monopoly and a rich-man’s playground. I urge you to vote for Gary Stein to represent YOU, the citizens of HD92. He has served...
In the Sept. 8, 2022 issue of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder there was an ad run by Senator Blasdel and Representative Galt of the Montana State Legislature. It was asking for the opposition to national Senate Bill 2992. I went looking for the bill and it looks to me like it is trying to protect your privacy and my privacy from large Internet companies. The first sentence says, “To provide that certain discriminatory conduct by covered platforms shall be unlawful…” Blasdel and Galt suggest SB2992 breaks up successful companies; I do not read it th...
During my law enforcement career, I served in many capacities. The last seven years were spent as an administrator serving as Patrol and Administrative Captain. It was during these years that the Jail Diversion Master Plan (JDMP) was developed, something that we at the Sheriff’s Office are proud to have been part of. Jail diversion was created out of necessity. It was something wanted by the public, needed for overcrowding issues and became essential when COVID was at its peak. The purpose of jail diversion is to provide alternatives to i...
Right now, as I am writing this piece, Aug. 3 at 10 a.m., the Missoula County Sheriff’s Office is engaged in a standoff just north of the Wye with at least two people that were discovered committing a residential burglary. These two men are well known to local law enforcement, the courts, prosecutor’s office and are regulars at the Missoula jail (aka Career Criminals). Most people will probably never hear about this incident because it is just commonplace anymore. What is also not unusual about this is that one of the people involved in the...
Thank you to some community members, Kind hearts are the gardeners Kind thoughts are the roots Kind words are the blossoms Kind deeds are the fruits Kirpal Singh A belated Thank You to all who gave me support through your words and unexpected gift card. But most of all, you noticed and appreciated the bit of beauty I planted down town. Through hail, heat, human and deer, I vow to plant it without fear. With gratitude, Ginger Williams...
I must respond to the letter from Don Larson re: two recent Supreme Court decisions printed in the July 7 issue of the Seeley Swan Pathfinder. Both decisions were exactly the same, they merely defined what was in the Constitution, therefore in the purview of the FEDERAL government, and what was not in the Constitution, therefore left to the jurisdiction of the people (STATES). Roe -- simply put, did not “trash” (as Mr. Larson states) the right of abortion. It only stated it is not a constitutional right contained in the Constitution, but a stat...
The primarily male U.S. Supreme Court has recently determined American women cannot decide for themselves what to do with their bodies. It trashed their reproductive rights while fiercely defending (primarily male) rights to carry an AR 15. Let’s bring this discussion down to the local level. I would very much like to know where my legislative representatives Representative Mike Hopkins and Senator Shannon O’Brien, stand on reproductive rights and gun control? What legislative actions will they initiate, defend or oppose at the Montana Leg...
Dear Seeley Lake, I know you all like to celebrate the freedom you have with fireworks. Have you gone around your neighborhood and asked if anyone is a combat veteran and checked to see if fireworks negatively affect them? If you truly do value your freedom, these are the people to thank. The funny thing is, a lot of us have a Pavlovian response to the sounds fireworks produce and it’s one of the worst things to experience. It’s a little misdirected to purchase novelty explosive devices to set off if you are thankful for freedom. Buy a she...
I am writing in response to the Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Church Leaderships’ letter to the editor from the June 23 issue of the Pathfinder which purports to be a theological response to Pastor Jim Johnson’s “Biblical perspective.” The leadership claims it “dutifully” albeit “reluctantly” was stepping into the Biblical debate. It appears to this reader, however, that the leadership actually jumped at the opportunity to attack Pastor Johnson’s Biblical position without citing any Biblical precedent in support of their position. Rather,...
