Page 68 - Flathead Beacon // 12.25.13

68 | DECEMBER 25, 2013
OUTDOORS FLATHEADBEACON.COM

OUT OF BOUNDS Rob Breeding

Triumph of the Commons

W
E ALL KNOW THE STORY type of system that makes the system
of the “Tragedy of the Com- important, it’s its efectiveness. Hunt-

mons,” that metaphorical pas- ers and anglers — working hand-in-hand
ture owned by none and hence, exploited with state and federal wildlife agencies
by all.
— successfully implemented the great-
If that story didn’t possess a certain est act of environmental restoration in
wisdom we’d still be battling that com- the history of humankind when they set
munal superpower, the Soviet Union, out to restore this continent’s wildlife
to see who gets to boast, “You’re not populations during the 20th century.

the boss of me!” at U.N. Security Coun- That success continues today. North
cil meetings. But it’s an over simplii- American hunters have access to abun-
cation to say economic systems preor- dant game, abundant public land on
dained the winner of the 20th century’s which to pursue game, and it’s all avail-
superpower tilt. The cards were always able at an afordable cost.
stacked against the Russians. No coun- But all is not perfect. Our access to
try with a cuisine based on cabbage land and water is under constant assault.
and root vegetables washed down with The Montana Stream Access Law has

vodka should have a legitimate claim on become an obsession with the property
world domination.
rights movement. That obsession, com-
Our country has been on a 30-year bined with money, means it’s a threat
experiment with the other extreme: that isn’t going away. The anti-access
unfettered capitalism. Now there are forces got their heads handed to them on
circumstances where capitalism does a Mitchell Slough down in the Bitterroot a
ine job regulating markets so that goods few years back, yet responded this April

and services are available at fair prices. by telling the Montana Supreme Court
Unfortunately, those are just the sort of that they own all the land and water and
markets capitalists usually demand the sky on the Ruby River. And a new report
government step in to regulate, squeez- estimates that nearly 4 million acres of
ing the fairness out of the system so they public land in the West are inaccessible
can make more money than competition to the public due to surrounding owner-
would otherwise allow.
ship patterns and other barriers to en-
More importantly, there are resourc- try, legal or otherwise.

es, such as wildlife, for which free-mar- Some folks are ighting the good ight.
kets are ill-equipped to manage. It’s a Montana has the Public Land/Water Ac-
tried and proven failure, at least if you cess Association, a private group work-
measure wildlife by its abundance and ing to ensure illegal gates are removed
accessibility to the average citizen.
and folks who block stream access ind
While I’m not prone to sneering at all themselves defending the indefensible
things European, when it comes to wild- in court. There’s been a shift for the big
life management our friends across the
national conservation organizations as
pond have it all wrong. There, wildlife well. Groups have heard from their mem-
is property and hunting is the exclusive bership that while habitat is important,
game of wealthy elites. Working class habitat with access is the Holy Grail.
folk don’t have the money, or the access, As we open presents from loved ones
to experience that essential act of free- this Christmas, take a moment to con-
dom — stepping out into wild places and sider the gift hunters and anglers of ear-
hunting our own food — that Americans lier generations bequeathed to all of us.

too often take for granted.
We can hunt or ish or hike or bird watch,
The North American model of wild- and we have the world’s greatest play-
life management is the envy of the world, ground just outside our front door.
yet it’s nothing more than garden vari- Let’s make it our New Year’s resolu-
ety socialism. The thing is, it’s not the
tion to keep it that way.

MONTANA STATE LIQUOR STORE

KALISPELL
Celebrate the Located near LIQUOR
season with gifts
Smith’s and
of fine wine and Super 1 Foods in STORE

spirits!
Central Kalispell

154 3rd AVE EN, KALISPELL | 406-257-3840