Page 27 - Flathead Beacon // 1.27.16

CLOSING RANGE DAVE SKINNER
GUEST COLUMN NORTHWEST MONTANA LAND MANAGERS
ORTHWEST MONTANA illegal introductions and take aggressive o ers some of the nest water- action to correct problems when possi- ways in Montana, spread across ble. In recent years, visitors have noted
TRUMP’S DOING LAMERICA A FAVOR
ET’S GIVE DONALD TRUMP HIS due. He’s defying all the predic- tions, confusing all the pundits,
blowing conventional wisdom right out of the water. Trump pretty much shattered a mold that, for all our sakes, deserves to be broken.
Donald Trump is not my guy. He has a long history of “bipartisan,” self-dealing opportunism, happy gaming the system when it suits, and he seems no di erent now. So color me concerned. But I’ll bet the Republican “establishment” is utterly terrorized at this point in the 2016 presi- dential contest.
Of all the “conventional Republi- can” candidates, such as Jeb Bush, John Kasich, Chris Christie, possibly Carly Fiorina, none poll in double dig- its. Instead, three “outsider” candidates – Donald Trump, Ben Carson and Ted Cruz, share a towering 61 percent of total Republican (or “not Democrat”) voter support.
Let’s also add in Marco Rubio’s 12 per- cent – while he has “moderated” some- what, Rubio was elected to the U.S. Sen- ate in the Tea Party wave of 2010. It’s also signi cant to note that Rubio polled so well in Florida’s 2010 primaries that his establishment Republican opponent Charlie Crist (Florida’s sitting governor) withdrew from the primary to run (and lose) as an “independent.” Crist joined the Democratic Party in late 2012, endorsed Barack Obama’s re-election, ran and lost for Florida’s governorship again in 2014, and is now running for Congress – as a Democrat. Coincidence? Heck no!
Today, the “outsiders” are ghting for a combined 73 percent of expected Republican primary voters, while the establishment candidates are ghting for the remaining 27 percent. That’s pretty stark math – once the candidates canni- balize each other and the factional votes settle on a standard-bearer, odds don’t favor the “establishment” getting the nal GOP nomination.
Good or bad? Well, in 2010 Republi- can elites reacted to the Tea Party wave by trying to harness it, treating partici- pants as nothing more than “booboisie,” in e ect a useful voting bloc to be con- trolled and manipulated by the experts to secure power for “mainstream” Repub- licans. Were there any substantive pol- icy changes to the larger establishment Republican brand?
What the establishment mulishly
ILLEGAL FISH INTRODUCTIONS
fails to accept is, the “Republican brand” would be nothing were it not for the Tea Party wave in 2010 and the 2012-14 back- washes. “Business-as-usual” Republi- canism was losing against “free-stu -as- usual” Democratism – and the fact is, “as usual” has served America terribly.
How so? Well, when I was young and handsome, America’s national debt passed the unspeakable $1 trillion mark. Reagan and Bush the rst didn’t do any- thing serious to address the issue, nor did our “bipartisan” Congresses. “New Dem- ocrat” Bill Clinton and a mostly Republi- can Congress then slashed at each other’s pet projects, slowing the bloat and even putting the prospect of balanced budgets on the horizon.
That didn’t last. Republican “estab- lishment guy” George W. Bush, sup- ported by a Republican Congress, dou- bled our national debt from $4 trillion to $9 trillion – a feckless “establishment” Republican hegemony that set the stage for Barack Obama’s election and re-elec- tion against two, yep, establishment, “electable” Republicans – John “Mav- erick” McCain and Mitt “Flip” Romney. That worked well, kids – now President Barack Obama will double the national debt yet again, leaving future genera- tions a “legacy” of over $19 trillion, which almost certainly would be trillions more had scally illiterate “establishment” Democrats “kept” Congress after the 2010 Tea Party election.
So, with the pundits moaning and groaning about whether or not the Republican Party will “survive” (by nom- inating a 2016 candidate that will actu- ally become president), the fact is many “R” voters no longer vote to give power to establishment Republicans. They vote to take, and keep, power away from estab- lishment Democrats – and no amount of super-PAC millions can ever change those votes.
If the GOP establishment keeps ignor- ing this new reality, the establishment will lose – but there’s more to the Repub- lican Party than the establishment. Lots more.
As writer Molly Ball at the Atlantic (who absolutely does not write from a conservative perspective) has noted, the “GOP establishment [...] has held onto power despite being resented by its most loyal voters.” Donald Trump has tapped into that resentment, for better or worse.
Here’s hoping for better.
NIMPACTS IN NORTHWEST MONTANA
a variety of land ownerships. Waters in our part of the state are a public treasure and draw people from across the United States and beyond. As land and popula- tion managers, we share in the respon- sibility to manage and conserve these incredible resources with all the people who use and enjoy them.
One of the biggest issues to emerge in recent years is the threat posed to our aquatic resources from invasive and introduced species, ranging from zebra mussels to introduced non-native sh such as walleye. These introduced species threaten the special and valu- able native sheries systems in our part of the state as well as across Montana. Species like bull trout and westslope cutthroat trout are key components of our cold-water ecosystems. When ille- gally or accidentally introduced species invade our waters, the changes they set in motion degrade habitats for native sh species and can disrupt entire eco- systems. Whether these introduced species compete with native sh, prey on them, or alter the food chain, the e ects can be devastating for native sh and other aquatic organisms we value greatly.
Anglers come from out of state to Northwest Montana to spend their dol- lars catching our native trout. Walk through the airport in July and you’ll likely see as many rod cases as suitcases. Many of these visitors are headed to the forks of the Flathead River. There are plenty of other places anglers can go to catch larger walleye, northern pike, or even rainbow trout. Illegal introduc- tions of non-native species threaten sheries values in Montana for angling which exceed a quarter of a billion dol- lars. They can destroy the aesthetic, water quality, and sheries values that we all cherish.
As leaders of our agencies in north- west Montana, we place paramount importance on maintaining the qual- ity and functions of our aquatic sys- tems. Collectively, we work to prevent
increased enforcement and inspection stations across the region as part of an active program of prevention of aquatic invasive species introductions. All of this comes at a signi cant cost for state, Tribal and federal agencies but the eco- logic and economic cost of failure if these species gain a foothold in our riv- ers and lakes is much, much greater.
The cost of illegal sh introductions and invasive species has already been great. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been spent to control introduced illegal sh and other organisms. Large sums of money have been spent on pre- vention as well. To pay for this, funds must be diverted from positive e orts to manage our native aquatic systems and to provide for public access and enjoyment of those waters. We will con- tinue to place a lot of emphasis on pre- venting these invasions since eradica- tion of these species, once established is extraordinarily di cult and expensive.
We need your help. However you chose to recreate and enjoy these waters, there are things you can do to help pre- vent establishment of illegal sh pop- ulations or other non-native species. First, become aware of any activities you may take part in that could help spread aquatic invasive species. Be sure to clean, drain, and dry your watercraft, and stop at all invasive species check stations. Talk to your friends and oth- ers about the ethical and biological con- siderations of illegally introducing non native sh. Be vigilant and report illegal or even accidental sh introductions as soon as possible to local game wardens or park rangers. Lastly, consider contrib- uting time and money to conservation organizations that work to stop illegal introductions and invasion by non-na- tive species.
Together we can create a culture of responsible use and enjoyment of these rivers and lakes we all enjoy. What a won- derful gift to our state today and what a great legacy for future generations!
Mike (Uncommon Ground) Jopek and Dave (Closing Range) Skinner often fall on opposite sides of the fence when it comes to political and outdoor issues. Their columns alternate each week in the Flathead Beacon.
“THERE ARE THINGS YOU CAN DO TO HELP PREVENT ESTABLISHMENT OF ILLEGAL FISH POPULATION.”
Jim Williams, Supervisor, Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks; Chip Weber, Supervisor, Flathead National Forest; Je Mow, Superintendant, Glacier National Park; Tom McDonald, Fish, Wildlife, Recreation and Conservation Division Manager, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes; Steve Frye, Area Manager, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation
JANUARY 27, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
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