Last week the Bitterroot Free Press Foundation held a public meeting at the Bitterroot Public Library in Hamilton and announced that the organization had recently received its 501 (c)(3) tax exempt status. BFPF President Dale Burk and Secretary/Treasurer Michael Howell gave an update on the organization’s activities to date and its goals for the future.
Burk told the gathering of about twenty people, “Our purpose is fundamentally to inform and educate the public concerning the public’s right to know what its government is doing and the public’s right to participate in the government’s decision-making process. At the same time, we ourselves intend to take action where necessary to ensure that laws concerning public participation at the local, state and federal levels are not only encouraged but enforced.” He said the new foundation also intends to encourage and support investigative reporting by providing grants and awards to independent newspapers and individuals.
“I believe that Thomas Jefferson, and others who have posited the concept were right when they said that ‘the price of liberty is eternal vigilance’. If we are to maintain liberty as a key element to our way of life, we must ensure that a vigorous, free press remains a fundamental part of that process – and we’re going to deal with that in our part of the world,” said Burk.
Howell noted that the fledgling organization had already made contributions that resulted in the successful access to a human rights complaint filed against Ravalli County by a former road department employee and the successful suit to gain access to documents concerning former County Treasurer Valerie Stamey contained in her personnel records at the Missoula County Public School District. He said BFPF was currently committed to supporting the litigation challenging the decision by Ravalli County Commissioners to pay $675,000 to Big Sky Development as part of a lawsuit settlement agreement. BFPF believes that the decision violated public notice and public participation laws.
Current board members include President Dale Burk, Vice-president Victoria Howell, Secretary/Treasurer Michael Howell, Patti Eldredge and Helena attorney Michael Meloy. Howell said that donations may be sent to the Bitterroot Free Press Foundation, P.O. Box 904, Stevensville MT 59870.