Jeopardy of Losing Public Access

[Sytes]

The disrespect of private land that leads down the ugly hole toward loss of access for all.

If you have an opportunity, please shoot a message or letter to this Montana privately owned company who's allowed us to enjoy the outdoor activities on their land. Express your appreciation for their open access and disappointment for the piss poor treatment by a few.

This company could easily go the outfitter route. Close public access and profit from respectful lease contracts... Or Weyerhaeuser route of charged lease to individuals or groups for access to their land to monitor who is on their property - legally.

I fear this is the future route. Makes sense to me... In fact, if I owned a large swath of land, I would seriously consider the options that safeguard my land.

Warning issued after F.H. Stoltze lands damaged

F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber is warning they may close the land to the public after a group of large off-road vehicles damaged newly planted trees.

www.kpax.com

Whether you agree with MHAP or not... This is a reason that program exists and gaining traction.

Edited: oops - spelling misfire.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Agreed. Stoltze has a been a great neighbor & they deserve some thanks & appreciation. Well said, Charles.

 

[Bigjay73]

Disappointing, but unfortunately not surprising.

 

[sbhooper]

It is amazing how often you hear people whine about losing land access, and then you read a story like this. It is the same everywhere. A few worthless bastards ruin it for everyone that tries to do it right. I have access to a lot of acres to hunt does on, because I know all of the landowners and they know that I will not mess anything up. A good friend of mine quit allowing most hunters, because of torn up roads, open gates etc. He even had an outfitter for a bit and it did not take him long to terminate that agreement. He told me that he would rather have the excess of deer, than deal with hunters. I totally understand what he is saying.

 

[Big Fin]

Stoltze and their leadership is a model of how companies work to be part of the local community. This pisses me off. I know these folks and they do everything to be good citizens and give generously to their communities in so many ways.

Hope someone turns in these idiots.

 

[westbranch]

Well said! Hunters, hikers, foragers have access to 1M+ acres of private/corporate timberland in the ID Panhandle and Clearwater region through license fees, direct permit fees (all fairly cheap), and also some are still free access permits. So many people still complain about closed gates, restrictions on ATVs, no target shooting, etc. Crazy how many think they are entitled to the access. It's not perfect, the new large tracts program pays for some land with no public access that I can find. But it also gives better access to some public lands. I am sure Stimson and others were thinking about fees or other changes before they got the deal with IDFG.

 

[Bulldog0156]

I saw a bunch of guys with jacked up pickups and jeeps creating their own trails up on what I'm pretty sure was FS land up the Blacktail Rd on Saturday the 18th. Saw some of the trailers with pickups parked in the Red Lion parking lot that night. I wonder if it was the same group of people?

 

[BuzzH]

Something similar happened here North of me in the Laramie Range.

Somebody shot up a cabin and other vandalism on an HMA here. Immediately the hunting public rounded up some money and volunteers and offered to pay for and fix the damage. This vandalism was done to the property when there were no hunting seasons in place. Yet, it was hunters that stepped up and I believe the show of good faith to the landowner is what kept those lands open.

If I were a resident of Montana in the Flathead Valley and a hunter or fisherman, I'd be approaching Stoltze and asking if they were in need of help or $$$ to address it.