Page 29 - Flathead Beacon // 6.15.16

CLOSING RANGE DAVE SKINNER EIGHT SECONDS
GUEST COLUMN KATHY HADLEY
WILDLIFE COMMISSION ENDORSES IPLAN FOR ACCESS AND HABITAT
N 1964, CONGRESS DESIGNATED came together around the local saw- the Bob Marshall Wilderness. Fif- mill’s conference room table ten years ty-two years later, on May 12, 2016 ago to hammer out a proactive agree-
IN MY WASTED YOUTH, I WAS pretty much apolitical. As long as gas- oline and ski passes were cheap, life was great. But then my dad bought me an SKS as a gag gift, and the next year, Pres- ident Bill Clinton tried to take it away. I still have that ri e, and it shoots great.
But ever since, I’ve had a problem with gun control – and an even bigger problem with “gun journalism” as malpracticed by the conventional news media.
So, you might have noticed the hu y media ap about “Under the Gun,” a self-proclaimed “documentary” narrated by network TV superstar Katie Couric, produced by former network TV pro- ducer Stephanie Soechtig for Atlas Films.
At issue is a shamelessly creative interview “edit” with eight members of the Virginia Citizen’s Defense League, justly criticized by conservatives and gun-rights supporters as a deliberate attempt to embarrass gun owners. Even National Public Radio media correspon- dent David Folken ik conceded the edit “would not pass muster at NPR under its principles for fairness in handling inter- views.” I mean, that’s pretty bad.
Initially, cable/satellite provider EPIX declared the network “stands behind Katie Couric, director Stephanie Soechtig, and their creative and editorial judgment. We encourage people to watch the lm and decide for themselves.”
How could I not watch “Under the Gun” – all of it, including credits, plus supporting materials on its promotional website? Wow – it didn’t take long to g- ure out that Soechtig and Couric didn’t just make an eight-second artistic boo- boo that Couric acknowledged as “mis- leading.” Every second of all 110 or so minutes of “Under the Gun” was created with an intent to mislead, with utterly no “fairness in handling interviews” evident.
In terms of head-count and “face time,” the pro-gun side was out “faced” (and outspun) at least 10-to-one.
Worse, the interviews were stacked in terms of “status.” Mostly volunteer pro- ponents were shown in group settings or Leno/Watters-style street ambushes.
In stark contrast, almost all of over a dozen well-known, paid professional “gun safety” advocates enjoyed struc- tured, one-on-one “home-o ce” inter- views, and then given end credits as “experts.”
The biggest insult of all comes just
before the credits, where those who refused an interview are listed, obviously as a means of shaming not only National Ri e Association leader Wayne LaPi- erre, but fellow refuser Eric Holder, our recently-resigned attorney general.
One person who did assent was crimi- nology researcher John Lott, whose work is generally viewed as “pro-gun.” After the editing controversy, Lott wrote how, in summer 2015, Atlas Films producer Kristin Lazure solicited an interview, claiming a desire “to give the lm greater balance.” Lott gave a four-hour interview, but is nowhere to be found in “Under the Gun.” Wow, that was some “edit.”
At best, “Under the Gun” meets only the barest “documentary” criteria, pri- marily because producer Soechtig’s tightly scripted actors used their real names.
Leave it to a review in Yahoo News, where Mrs. Couric is “Global Anchor,” for a more honest, if ignorant, assess- ment: “[E] ectively unnerving, infuriat- ing, and heartbreaking, and the best lm on rearms we’ve seen since the 2002’s Oscar-winning doc Bowling for Colum- bine” – meaning Katie Couric’s closest professional peer is Michael Moore – and that’s a shame.
Katie Couric’s amazing Television Hall of Fame career should represent all that is great and good about a free press in a free country with an informed elec- torate. With no more journalistic glass ceilings to shatter and the well-deserved freedom to do whatever she wants, including the production of documenta- ries that re ect the truth, what has Katie Couric chosen?
To produce (not for the rst time) a vicious, slanted polemic, angering mil- lions who will justi ably never again trust Couric’s reporting.
In my view, the muted “mainstream” responsetoCouric’swillingparticipation in agitprop raises legitimate questions not just about her own career, but the profession that elevated her. All Ameri- cans, not just gun enthusiast, should jus- ti ably question how often, how badly, and on what topics did Couric (and her network contemporaries) generate “mis- leading” coverage over the years?
Only Katie will ever know, a sick, sad truth that even more shamefully will never be told by her peers in the profes- sion formerly known as journalism.
the Montana Fish and Wildlife Com- mission unanimously passed a resolu- tion supporting the Blackfoot Clearwa- ter Stewardship Project, which – among other things – would modestly expand the boundaries of the “Bob.”
Why is this relevant? Because big game needs big country. When it comes to abundant wildlife populations, one of our biggest challenges is providing enough room for wildlife to roam. The most fundamental way to protect our hunting heritage is by protecting the habitat that both wildlife and hunters depend upon.
In their recent resolution supporting the project, the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission addressed this positive relationship between protect- ing security habitat and the abundance of Montana’s big game species.
They said the Blackfoot Clearwater project would help ensure the future viability of the Blackfoot-Clearwater Game Range, which supports wintering elk, mule deer, whitetail populations and over 200 other species of wildlife who utilize the surrounding habitat year-round.
They also said the project will help preserve the future viability of Mon- tana’s native shes, including bull trout and westslope cutthroat, by protecting the North Fork of the Blackfoot, Mon- ture Creek, and West Fork of the Clear- water River – all are critical habitat for spawning sh.
It’s important to recognize that nobody is proposing these new pro- tections lightly. This e ort is commu- nity driven and developed by local resi- dents. Several long-time Seeley Lake and Ovando residents and business owners
ment for the Blackfoot and Clearwater valleys. That’s why all three local county commissions in the area support the project.
The Blackfoot Clearwater project isn’t just about protecting important headwaters like Monture Creek, the North Fork of the Blackfoot and the West Fork of the Clearwater River. It also included active forest management, restoration, and local jobs in the woods.
Community members have already successfully leveraged federal funds to pay for ongoing stream restoration and vegetative treatment on our national for- ests. These treatments have improved habitats for elk, bighorn sheep and deer populations. They have improved water- shed health by reestablishing natural stream channels, combating noxious weeds, and removing barriers to sh migration. Importantly, they have also created jobs.
But the work is not done. Protective status for the higher elevation headwa- ters has yet to be realized. It’s time to change that. We hope Montana’s dele- gation will pay attention to the recent endorsement by the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission. The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project will protects our rights to sh and hunt on public land in Montana for generations to come.
Hunters and anglers have always been at the vanguard when it comes to conserving critical habitats, and special places. It’s why we are joining the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission in urg- ing our Montana delegation to introduce the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project as soon as possible.
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.
“HUNTERS AND ANGLERS HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AT THE VANGUARD WHEN IT COMES TO CONSERVING CRITICAL HABITATS, AND SPECIAL PLACES.”
Kathy Hadley, a lifelong hunter and angler, lives on a ranch in the Deer Lodge Valley and is currently president of the Montana Wildlife Federation board of directors.
JUNE 15, 2016 // FLATHEADBEACON.COM
29