By Margaret Gorski, Stevensville
Representative Ed Greef (Letters, 7/26/17 Star) suggests that “the group” who spoke up in the numerous public meetings about the development of the Stevensville Fishing Access have some other motivation than what they have already publicly expressed. He is suggesting that since the Town Council listened to their citizens and voted not to advance the proposed land exchange that it was that action that resulted in the loss of river access.
First, there is no public access site to the river at this location other than the Stevensville River Park. Second, it was the action of the landowner, Mr. Capp, that has caused the recent “loss of access,” not the decision of the Town Council. Despite his family permitting access for decades, Mr. Capp apparently has recently decided that the public use is no longer acceptable. Although some think this decision may be legally tenuous because of the long standing use by the public, it is his property.
Although he has exerted his right to control his property, lost in the discussion is any mention of the public’s right to hold on to its property. The “owners” of the Stevensville River Park have as much right to be party to the deliberations of a land swap that has appeared to be one sided from the beginning. To some this trade seems to be on Mr. Capp’s terms and no other.
Since Mr. Capp apparently won’t sell the private parcel in question outright and the Town Council has agreed (at least for now) not to move the exchange forward to a vote of the “citizen owners” of the public parcel, we are at an impasse. So, instead of laying blame, our elected officials should be charting a path forward that brings all parties together. This should not be a win/lose decision.
Public participation is complicated and whenever public assets are involved in a decision there are multiple parties who need to be at the table. Somewhere along the line all of these parties should have been in the same room at the same time: the Town of Stevensville, Ravalli County, Montana Department of Transportation, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Corps of Engineers, Department of Environmental Quality (because of the dump); the Montana Outfitter and Guides Association, Ravalli County Fish and Wildlife Association, and the Stevensville Civic Club. An incomplete list, I’m sure.
If Representative Greef had listened to all the viewpoints expressed, he would know why some citizens did not support the exchange of a piece of scarce public land on the river to develop the Stevensville Fishing Access Site as proposed. There should be no blame leveled at citizens who expect our public officials to carry out their responsibilities professionally, openly, and honestly. If there was any other motivation, I would suggest that it is simply an expectation that they want agency personnel and our elected officials to lead the way to good decisions that look ahead and more broadly and to engage in sound planning that involves all responsible, interested and vested parties. If that were to occur, we might end up with a public facility somewhere on the Bitterroot River that would provide more recreational opportunities than just a boat launch.