By JC Howell, Hamilton
My wife and I are Ravalli County residents and have fished the West Fork and Upper Bitterroot Rivers for more than 20 years. Last fall, FWP passed regulations restricting the use of these river sections. I’m opposed to these regulations and feel they should be repealed for the following reasons.
There’s no data that shows a need for regulation. The rules are biased and unfair, benefiting a small group of complainers and riverfront land owners at the expense of everyone else. They penalize local established outfitters by forcing some of their business to outfitters from outside Ravalli County. The regulations don’t effectively address crowding on the river and in some cases, make matters worse. They are unenforceable and will negatively impact the economy of Ravalli County.
In passing the rules, FWP mischaracterized public opinion. They ignored their own rule ARM 12.11.405 by imposing the most restrictive management intervention first. They violated Section 2-4-111 of the Montana Code which requires a small business impact analysis. FWP said this section doesn’t apply, but it’s impossible to pass a rule designed to limit outfitters’ business and reduce the number of visiting anglers and not have it significantly and directly impact outfitters, hotels, restaurants and retailers. The elected officials of Ravalli County should’ve been informed of the potential economic impact of these regulations.
For these reasons and more, we oppose these rules.