UM report summarizes rec issues in the Blackfoot valley
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) The University of Montana has compiled a report on what locals think about recreation issues in the Blackfoot River Valley, but it’s up to the Blackfoot Challenge and others to come up with some actions.
On Thursday, representatives of the University of Montana Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management Program gave an hourlong overview of a report titled “Balancing Conservation and Recreation in the Blackfoot Watershed” to the Blackfoot Challenge and interested community members. The report will be published within the next few weeks and summarizes conceptual ideas related to recreation produced over the past six months of community meetings.
“Without all of your input, we wouldn’t be presenting today on all of your ideas,” said Jennifer Thomsen, UM Parks, Tourism, and Recreation Management Program associate professor. “The goals of this overarching project was to engage communities and stakeholders within the Blackfoot watershed to get their input on recreation-related issues and concerns as well as develop a vision statement particular to recreation at the watershed level. And then identify some options and considerations for action that the Blackfoot Challenge or communities can take in the coming years.”
Thomsen’s colleague, Jake Rayapati, reviewed the general ideas and concerns that came out of six meetings held in communities from Bonner to Lincoln. The concerns are familiar to many who’ve experienced the recent growth in use on Montana’s rivers. They include impacts to fisheries, natural resources and wildlife; reduced personal enjoyment of the river; increasingly poor behavior and etiquette; and the need for better infrastructure and enforcement.
Several commenters noted that use of the river and recreational areas had increased due to more people moving in as a result of the pandemic, social media publicity and the “Yellowstone” effect from fans of the television show.
Taking the comments from the six community meetings, a visioning workshop came up with a draft vision statement that could ensure any actions chosen would apply across the Blackfoot valley “from ridgetop to ridgetop.” The draft vision is “to sustain a clean, connected and biodiverse Blackfoot Watershed, protect and steward natural resources and strengthen our rural community through adaptive recreation planning, management and education.”
After that, a final workshop developed some priorities for action. For example, under the category of enforcement, fishing regulations might be changed to create seasonal closures or stricter rules for triggering hoot-owl restrictions. Permits might be required for rafters and out-of-state visitors or limits might be placed on the number of commercial users. Under the category of funding for improvements and enforcement, a tourism tax might be created or funds might be reallocated from the Montana bed tax.
The report makes no recommendations on actions to take. That’s up to the Blackfoot Challenge or other communities.
“This is the start of a much longer process,” said Marley Held-Wilson, Blackfoot Challenge recreation coordinator. “A big thing for us is creating a set of strategic recommendations or a strategic plan. Our hope is that it is supported by the communities and the recreation managers from the state, local and federal agencies.”
Bill Lombardi of Seeley Lake, concerned about all the personnel and budget cuts at the federal level, asked how that might affect future actions and whether the actions would have any teeth. He encouraged reaching out to Missoula and Powell county departments for resources.
Seth Wilson, Blackfoot Challenge executive director, acknowledged the current challenges with funding at the federal level and said the organization would need to lean more on state, county and private funding.
Amanda Cooley, Powell County planning director, said the federal situation was also problematic for Powell County, because she was still waiting for more than $6 million in federal recreation funding to come through. But that’s where the report could provide some fodder.
“We collaboratively have been working really hard to engage our delegation and try and underscore the importance of recreation and trails, especially to our local economies but also to our community health,” Cooley said. “The work that you’ve done is a really powerful message that we can carry forward as we’re having these conversations. This gives the local level a voice - I think that’s what’s missing from the conversation a lot right now.”
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.