Caring for our natural resources

With summer’s end drawing near and fall weather rolling in it is a good time to reflect on this past season. A quick reminder however that Placid Lake State Park and the Salmon Lake State Park day use area are still open and will remain open until the end of November (weather permitting). There is still plenty of time to get in some camping, fishing, boating and kayaking.

For the most part, both Montana residents and non-residents treat our local state parks with great respect and for that we are very grateful. We do have a variety of minor issues every year in regard to our park rules and regulations. Please remember that these rules and regulations are in place to preserve and protect the resources and provide for a safe outdoor experience for all.

The following are a few of our rules and regulations to keep in mind when enjoying Montana State Parks. Most other agencies have very similar rules and regulations and I’m sure would appreciate your compliance as well. For those of you that do abide by these, we thank you! And remember, we all have young people in our lives that we influence, so let’s remember to instill these things in them as the past generations instilled them in us.

1. Food and attractant storage – food, food storage equipment, food preparation equipment, garbage and other wildlife attractants must be secured in a hard-sided vehicle or camper, secured in a designated storage locker or secured in an Inter-agency Grizzly Bear Committee (IGBC) approved bear resistant container, device or system, at night or when attractants are not immediately attended.

This rule has been in place for about five years now, yet people continue to fail in its compliance. We did have a grizzly bear in both Placid Lake State Park and Salmon Lake State Park this summer who tipped over a couple of our bear resistant dumpsters but failed to get into them. These food and attractant storage principles should be followed by everyone, even at private residences. The grizzly I mentioned was a sub-adult male that frequented the greater Seeley area. He ended up having to be euthanized as a result of being habituated to garbage and livestock feed.

2. Dogs must be on leash at all times/Dogs cannot be on designated swim beaches

This rule is probably violated more than any other. It seems that most everyone has a dog or two or three now days. For some, dogs are considered family members. However, take into consideration that not everyone loves dogs and in fact some are even terrified of them. We do our best to minimize all dog-related conflicts every year but sometimes dogfights still occur.

You can help by always keeping your dog on leash. I’ve heard these words more times than I can count, “my dog would never hurt anything”. Which might be true, but if another dog is off leash and attacks your dog off leash, there is no way for you to have control of your dog.

An even greater concern is dogs attacking people. And it does happen. I know of two camp hosts from other campgrounds that were bitten this year and I don’t know that many camp hosts.

Lastly, dogs cannot be on designated swim beaches. This is actually a health department regulation. The reason for this of course is that we don’t want dogs doing their business where people are trying to swim. Swim beaches are typically delineated with swim buoys.

3. No wake within 200 feet of the shoreline/No recreating from or near boat docks or ramps

Most people are familiar with no wake buoys. However, not everyone is aware that it is actually a law that there is a 200-foot no wake zone around the entire perimeter of lakes. Please keep this in mind to allow others to enjoy recreating on lakes, whether they are kayaking, fishing, swimming, etc.

Likewise, people should be considerate of boaters and not recreate on or near boat docks or ramps. These areas are often congested and it can be difficult for boaters to see all that is going on while they are loading/unloading their vessels. Every year throughout the U.S., there are numerous incidents of adults and children being struck by a boat, or worse, severely cut from a moving propeller of a motorboat.

4. Put campfires dead out

Last but certainly not least, it is very important to put your campfires dead out. Your campfire is only dead out when it is cold to the touch and there are no hot embers.

There is a saying, “Drown, Stir, Feel.” This means you should drown your campfire with water. Then you should stir it to mix in the water and put out all the embers. Lastly, you should feel your campfire to ensure that it is cold to the touch. If it is still hot, repeat this process until it becomes cold. Every year campfires start wildfires and cost people their lives, their homes and millions in taxpayer dollars.

Please keep these simple yet effective rules and regulations in mind when enjoying our natural resources. A little care goes a long way. Thank you for following these rules and regulations and taking the time to read this article.