Missoula County Delay in Lifting Stage 2 Restriction Result of Bad Timing

MISSOULA – While all fire restrictions on federal, state and tribal lands were lifted Wednesday, Sept. 20, it was still illegal to operate internal combustion engines after 2 p.m., use charcoal or have a campfire on private land and open space lands in Missoula County until Tuesday, Sept. 26. The delay had nothing to do with the threat of wildfire but rather the inability of the Missoula County Commissioners to approve the decision without a public meeting.

The public notification requirements and requirements of open meeting law necessitate the decision to rescind fire restrictions be made at a regular public meeting of the commission. The commissioners were all at the Montana Association of Counties Conference during the week of Monday, Sept. 18. While they communicated their intent to lift restrictions, the resolution was not signed and official until their next administrative meeting, Sept. 26.

Having restrictions still in place for private property put projects requiring the use of equipment out another week. They have been on hold since July 27 when Stage 2 restrictions went in place.

“It certainly was not their intent to criminalize the actions of anyone just trying to get a project done,” wrote Anne Hughes, Missoula County Communications & Project Director, in an email. “Having said that, Adriane [Beck] is working with Matt Jennings in the County Attorney’s Office to reword and rework the resolution language for next year in the hope that this type of delay in rescinding restrictions won’t continue.”

Missoula County Office of Emergency Management Director Adriane Beck explained that because each jurisdiction can only apply restrictions on lands within their jurisdictions, there is a Missoula area restrictions and closures group that includes all the land managers (DNRC, USFS, Fish Wildlife and Parks, BLM, CSKT in addition to Powell, Granite, Ravalli, Lake, Sanders, Mineral and Missoula Counties).

“This group works collaboratively to implement restrictions cooperatively across the Missoula Restrictions area,” wrote Beck in an email. “It was just unfortunate timing that Missoula County could not go with the group in removing restrictions from lands under the county jurisdiction.”