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FLATHEADBEACON.COM COVER NOVEMBER 27, 2013 | 19

“It’s time to talk to each other rather than about each other. When you assemble

collaborative eforts of diferent interests and diferent perspectives, what happens is that

folks learn that whatever they thought in terms of a stereotype about a group, that goes

away and once they actually talk to each other there is a lot more common ground than

anyone would ever have believed.” Gordy Sanders, resource manager, Pyramid Lumber

Yet, Saldin was skeptical that the bill If approved, the wilderness boundary throughout Montana, perpetuating the out of the gate, and it’s unlikely that oth-
would ind the same level of support in would fall within a mile of Revett’s Troy conlict of the past is a losing proposi- er groups will present so uniform and
the U.S. House of Representatives.
Mine.
tion.”
collaborative an agreement.
“For all the excitement from the Disputes over land use, timber, rec- The inal Whiteish Range Partner- For Brown’s part, he’s proud that he
bill’s supporters about it getting through reation and wilderness will continue as ship proposal increases the sustainable stuck by his conviction of compromise,
committee, it is still a huge open ques- long as there is public land, and King is timber base from 55,000 acres to 90,000 and while it might be surprising that

tion of how it’s going to make it through careful to acknowledge that coopera- acres while bestowing wilderness advo- such a diverse group, whose members
the House of Representatives,” he said. tion doesn’t come easy when so much is cates with 85,000 acres of recommended represented so many interests, could
“I have yet to hear any plausible ratio- at stake.
federally protected land. Private prop- see eye to eye, it makes perfect sense to
nale for how the thing gets through the But a collaborative process helps erty owners concerned about wilderness those who gutted it out through so many
House, even though the polling out there avoid the pitfalls of acrimony, she said, encroaching on their backyard proposed meetings.
is very clear that Montanans support it.”
and it’s the best strategy looking to the a bufer zone that allows for logging and “I think everyone involved in this
Meanwhile, at the local level, a min- future.
fuel reduction around their lands, about process still believes exactly what they

ing company and pro-wilderness group “Most of us are more interested in a mile before the non-motorized use believed going into it. They just learned
recently teamed up on the new Kootenai moving forward, not looking back,” King zone begins. Mountain bikers were rec- that for their interest to gain something
National Forest Plan. On the heels of the wrote in a recent op-ed piece. “The Tim- ognized for their trail-building eforts in other interests don’t have to lose some-
development of that plan, Revett Miner- ber Wars of the late 20th century are the North Fork and around Whiteish.
thing,” Brown said. “At the end, every-
als, Inc., and the Montana Wilderness over. Montanans fought to a draw, and The proposal is tentative and the one with an interest who was involved
Association came together to draft a we all lost. Everybody could stay sore Forest Service will add to the public in this process feels they ended up better
plan designating part of the Scotchman about that, but where would that get process through Spring of 2014. But the of than when we started.”
Peaks Roadless Area as a wilderness.
us? For forest-dependent communities
Whiteish Range Partnership was irst
[email protected]