Swan Valley Community Council
The Swan Valley Council Board members voted unanimously to “cease and desist” with any further discussion of a garbage container site in the Swan Valley at their July 19 meeting. In addition to the container discussion, the nearly 40 people in attendance heard remarks from House District 92 Democratic Candidate Gary Stein. Representatives from the DNRC at Goat Creek, the Swan Valley Volunteer Fire Department and Swan Valley Connections discussed their response to fire in the valley and what residents can do to aid in the efforts to respond to it.
Co-Chair Marcia Tapp made a motion to forever stop discussing the idea of locating a garbage container site in the Swan Valley.
Council member Dan Saari who objected to the word “forever”, asked if this makes it permanent and if there would be no options in the future to install a container if there was need.
Tapp answered that those who want one could bring it up with the Commissioners. She said that it has to have community support.
“This proposal has torn this community apart,” Tapp said. “We are a community of good close citizens who care about where they live. We will keep it pristine and take care of the animals [ourselves].”
Tapp listed reasons for abandoning the idea of the site:
• Most of the people who responded to the proposal either at the meetings, to the County website or by speaking up on social media, are against it.
• There is not a good location. It will scar the landscape.
• The taxpayers will be paying for its maintenance forever and taxes probably will be raised.
• Residents have access to containers at both ends of the valley.
An attendee asked if the Missoula County Commissioners would be notified of the decision. Tapp responded that they would be informed by letter and the Commissioners had said they would go along with the Council’s ’s decision.
Council member Grace Siloti questioned if the motion meant the proposal is dismissed not tabled. Tapp responded it is dismissed because otherwise the discussion would go on and on for years.
Siloti recommended that the community work together to assure that residents have bear-proof garbage containers.
Council member Jesse Arno suggested a small site for which the community would be responsible.
A resident asked if there was any data or any statistics to back up a need for a site. Since the Council had no information about existing data, Tapp agreed with those present that a sub committee of interested residents could study it further.
Democratic candidate for House District 92 Gary Stein said that he was impressed with the way the residents of the Swan Valley came together to solve their problems. He called it “active participatory democracy” in action.
Stein has lived in Montana since 1980, since moving from Long Island, New York. He said he believes in taking care of the youngest and oldest of communities. He doesn’t like to see one party with all the power in the legislature, he thinks it needs to be balanced. He said he would be proud to represent the Swan Valley residents.
Stein said that most of the representatives just work for those who elected them. He will work for those who voted against him and those who don’t agree with him.
“We don’t disagree as much as you think we do,” Stein said.
In other business, representatives from United State Forest Service Swan Lake Ranger District, Montana Department of Natural Resources and the Swan Valley Volunteer Fire Department discussed how all the agencies, local, state and federal, work together during wildfire season.
DNRC employees are expanding their hours and days of operation in preparation for the fire season as the weather gets hotter and drier in the Swan Valley.
The DNRC representatives said to call 911 as soon as a fire is even suspected so the responders can suppress it while it is still small. The 911 calls go to dispatch in Missoula and then to Kalispell so there is a lag in response. Residents were encouraged to send a photo of the suspected fire. Additional information to include that is helpful for responders:
• Your location as you are looking at the fire
• The fire’s activity, what it looks like such as trees torching, black smoke and which direction it is moving
• Your contact information so the responders can call back for more information
Swan Valley Volunteer Fire Department Fire Chief Randy Williams said the volunteers and DNRC respond to calls from dispatch and work together to get a wildfire under control. DNRC then monitors the fire for 48 hours using heat detection instruments and touch to make sure that it is dead out.
DNRC representatives said that prescribed burns in the area are done to improve the health and resilience of the forests and keep wildfires as small as possible. Prescribed fires after logging promotes new growth helps the environment. DNRC is under the same restrictions as residents as well as other legal requirements. They have to call the County to get approval to ignite a prescribed burn when conditions are right to maintain air quality. They also must follow a burn prescription to ensure the fire stays within the prescribed parameters.
When a prescribed burn is in progress, there will be signs in the area to alert residents and visitors. Residents can also follow the Swan Valley Connections and DNRC office at Goat Creek’s Facebook pages for notifications.
Jack White at DNRC can come out to a resident’s property and provide a FireWise assessment as to how to make the homes and others structures more resistant to fire. Please call 406-754-2301 to set up an appointment.
The Swan Valley Community Council regularly meets monthly on the third Tuesday at 6 p.m. The agenda is posted on the Swan Valley Community Facebook page, at the Community Hall and Library prior to the meeting. The August meeting date and time was not set by the board.
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