Finally, Hughes Creek Road declared public

[katqanna]

Ravalli Co. says gated road public

This has been a long process to force these Commissioners to stop "kicking this can down the road" concerning the Hughes Creek Road public access, east of Mill Creek Road. It is a public county road that was gated by a private landowner. The Forest Service fought back, the Ravalli County Fish & Wildlife have fought back, PLWA fought back and a number of individuals and retired FS, like Dave Campbell.

I had put in a FOIA for information after the Commission meeting back in spring. The Commission was supposed to investigate the roads status and visually inspect if the road actually connected public land for the public to access. A number of us asked to be notified of the field trip and none of us were. We asked for notifications of commission meetings involving this and weren't. There was supposed to be a presentation of the findings. The landowners on that road recently put in a petition for the county to abandon it and thankfully, most of the commissioners voted to reject the petition and thereby avoided a lawsuit.

The gate should be removed now. Thanks to the Bitterroot National Forest and the public for fighting back. We now have another lost access point restored.

Map link

 

[Flatrock]

Awesome! Thanks to all that were involved.

 

[elkduds]

Congratulations to those who pushed the issue. Enjoy the benefits of your success!

 

[Southern Elk]

Another victory for access! Thanks Kat! Keep up the good work.

 

[katqanna]

I had minimal involvement in this. I watched the Jan 26th Ravalli County Commission meeting, verified through the FOIA documents it was public, sent in public comments to the Ravalli County Commissioners, requested to be notified so that I and others could be there (only works if they actually follow the law and notify you when you file as an interested person), and such. Flu kept me away today, I am glad for the ruling.

Others, like retired FS ranger Dave Campbell and the current FS Ranger Ryan Domsalla, put in alot of good work.

 

[406LIFE]

PLWA proving again they are worth the membership fee and then some. I've camped up Hughes, glad to see we won this battle.

 

[HighWildFree]

Good to see. That gate prevented us from doing research up there one summer.

 

[tjones]

Thanks for what you did Kat.

 

[WestT]

Chalk one up for the good guys!!!!

 

[Nameless Range]

Very cool. Well done!

 

[bobbydean]

Thanks Kat.

 

[katqanna]

Thanks for what you did Kat.

Tony, you are welcome, but you guys were instrumental, being the local conservation hunting and angling group, sending in public comments and having a guy on the scene - thank you.

 

[tjones]

Thanks Kat. Some of our guys have been on this for 30 years. PLWA guys did a great job and nice to have someone to share costs.
Also it took the right commission. Previous attempts with past commissions were a waste of time.



Commissioner Doug Schallenberger was a member of that contingent. He joined Ray Hawk in voting Wednesday to accept the landowner’s petition to close the road past the gate.


Schallenberger contended that despite the fact the road did cross into national forest lands briefly in a couple of places, those locations were too steep to provide suitable access for the public.


“I feel like we're basically giving the public access to private lands,” Schallenberger said. “Even if the road does cross over onto public lands, the access is going to be very poor.”


I'm not sure when it became county commissioners duty to decide what is good public access and what is bad public access.

 

[Huntin_GI]

Good. Thats what I like to hear.

 

[katqanna]

It was upsetting for me to hear this morning, that the Forest Service was not allowed to speak to the media yesterday concerning Hughes Creek Road, because of Trump's gag orders on the USDA, as well as other agencies, such as the DOI. Thankfully, Dave Campbell, being retired FS, does not have such a restriction.

 

[tjones]

I will be speaking to our two commissioners soon.

 

[katqanna]

I just got the video finished from the Ravalli County Commission meeting, on the Hughes Creek Road. It was originally 4.5 hours, down to 27 minutes of the major points from Ravalli County Fish & Wildlife's Jim Olson, retired FS District Ranger Dave Campbell, current FS District Ranger Ryan Domsalla and PLWA's Attorney Kyle Baldwin. The majority of that meeting was worse than herding cats.

The access proponents comments highlight a variety of laws dealing with county roads, stream access and encroachments, which would be helpful in other situations.

Hughes Creek County Road video link

 

[tjones]

Quotes from the two commissioners that voted against removing the gate and wanted to abandon
the road.




Despite the evidence presented, Commissioner Doug Schallenberger, who voted to accept the petition, said, “I feel like we are granting public access to private land. I can’t help it. I feel like even if the road does touch public land, it is not good access. Legally I can see where this is going, but the access isn’t good.”
Commissioner Ray Hawk, who voted along with Schallenberger to accept the petition, said, “I agree with Doug. These people have enjoyed private access for forty years. Now we want to come along and deny it. I can’t do it.”

 

[katqanna]

Tony, watching the meeting, I was horrified at the blatant privatization statements from the landowners and the commission, and the great lengths they were going to side with the landowners, while Campbell, Olson, Domsalla and Baldwin, kept trying to steer them back to the laws requirements. Had I not already known the final verdicts, I would have needed more organic dark chocolate to get me though the whole 4.5 hours of this hearing. "Frustrating" doesn't even come close to describing it.

Glad you had Olson there, and thank you again for y'alls part in this.

 

[300stw]

sounds like its time to get rid of those two commissioners, sounds like they have something to lose personally,,,,