Wilks brothers true colors are shining through.....

[TheJason]

Dont know if y'all saw this, but the Wilks bought another ranch (24,500 acres), the Diamond Ranch in Rosebud and removed it from Block Management, which is their right. But this reinforces our need for public lands that we have guaranteed access on, because any landowner or new landowner, can pull out of Block Management.

What a shame. That ranch has been in Block Management for many years.

 

[MTsage]

I just got back another notice from BLM. They are requesting more specifics that could have been asked the first time. So I have to detail more before they begin processing my request.

I'm new to the site but I did go back and read this entire thread. It was entertaining and amazing. I appreciate all the effort everyone has put unto this on behalf of sportsman. Katqanna creates an interactive map documenting everything w video and pics and the BLM wants more specifics. Unbelievable!!

 

[double_a85]

Almost sounds like the BLM is hoping ya give up Kat--- like they wanna just brush this under the table...

 

[katqanna]

Almost sounds like the BLM is hoping ya give up Kat--- like they wanna just brush this under the table...

Well, it could be their being very thorough to cover themselves should another party sue, possibly the Wilks, because I am asking for some very detailed information, some of which will look at the accusations of the Wilks harassing public hunters. But I am disappointed that this second batch of questions was not asked on the first go around.

There is always the possibility of a brush off or sweeping this out of the way, but if anyone thinks I will simply give up because of some hurdles, they dont know me. This is important to the Public Trust or I wouldnt have taken the time to request this in the first place. I dont start something I have no intention of following through on, dont give up on important.

Here is a link to an example of public hunters concerns about the Wilks fencing and land encroachment that I just added to the map (top northeastern section 13). Mouse over, click to enlarge. The top pic shows the fence, next is the WAAS enabled GPS showing the coordinates (both photos courtesy of Wingman). The third pic shows the satellite image of Section 13 and Daley Gap in the Montana Cadastral program Which I have labeled. The borders of that BLM parcel are in blue. The fourth pic is Google Earth with a Montana Land Ownership overlay program I purchased this summer. It has the public land (BLM) in spring green overlay. I popped in the coordinates, which showed the pin. I then used the ruler to show distance between the coordinate pin and the edge of the boundary line, which came up at a wee bit over 250 feet. The GPS is about +/- 15 feet.

This is just one of a number of places that are concerns for extreme fence encroachment.

 

[RobG]

Well, it could be their being very thorough to cover themselves should another party sue, possibly the Wilks, because I am asking for some very detailed information, some of which will look at the accusations of the Wilks harassing public hunters. But I am disappointed that this second batch of questions was not asked on the first go around.

You are being too kind. But I think you already know that . They've been trying to stifle the hunters from the start. Something stinks in that office. Hope you can air it out.

 

[katqanna]

Good news. I just got my BLM FOIA notice that they have granted me a full fee waiver on my FOIA. They also received my second reply on the additional details they wanted and all the extra details requests are done. So I should be receiving a good amount of information soon.

I have been keeping an eye out every day on the Federal Register for the plat of survey that gets submitted. So far nothing for Montana and the Durfees. As soon as it does I will post a link to it.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Atta girl!!! Merry Christmas!

 

[devon deer]

Nice Christmas pressie!
Have a good one.
Cheers
Richard

 

[katqanna]

Yes, that was a nice present. A plat of survey would have had me ecstatic, but that will happen soon enough.

A Happy Holidays to y'all as well.

 

[Gr8bawana]

You are being too kind. But I think you already know that . They've been trying to stifle the hunters from the start. Something stinks in that office. Hope you can air it out.

There is no possible way any shady deals could be going on here.

 

[bigskyblueman]

Back on the phone, when Congress reconvenes

 

[double_a85]

Kat-- Any updates on how this is progressing?

 

[katqanna]

Everyday I have been checking the Federal Register for the filing of the survey and havent seen it yet. Yesterday I called Josh Alexander who heads the Cadastral Survey for the Dakotas and Montana and heard a message he would be back in the office on the 7th. Called another survey guy on the staff list and left a message. I had left a message with Josh just before Christmas. I know alot of people were out on holidays and using vacation time so they dont lose it, so I didnt really expect a call back.

I did however get a hold of a BLM cadastral survey guy from CO to walk me through their online process of the info that is filed on the Federal Register so that I would know how to use it when the filing appeared.

Not documented, so I cant verify yet and dont like to go on hearsay, so dont anyone pass it as fact, but I have been told from several sources there is encroachment, some areas as much as several hundred feet and a significant portion of the fence involved. Some of that is what a number of us were seeing with the GPS shots so it is nothing we didnt expect. There have been reports that Farris Wilks has been having quite a number of meetings with the BLM. As yet, I have not received any of the information from my FOIA.

So we are just waiting for this survey filing for verification. There is a related investigation to some illegal activities involving our wildlife that I submitted to the authority involved, that as soon as I can share that, I will. Am checking with the DNRC portion of this to find out about their end of things.

 

[katqanna]

I just got my call back from Clive Rooney with the DNRC. As surveying is expensive, the DNRC asked the BLM to survey their portion while they were doing theirs, Which Clive informed me of before. DNRC is waiting for the BLM to sign off on their survey and file it with the Federal Register. Then, depending on what occurred on the DNRC portion of the survey, they proceed with their end of the situation.

 

[double_a85]

Thanks kat.

It seems with hunting season over certain issues are becoming nonexistent. We as sportsmen should thank you for your continued push on this matter.

 

[MThuntr]

Anyone hear anything? I know I have let this slip a little and haven't had a chance to dig into the subject lately.

 

[katqanna]

I was just going to post here today on a connecting issue, but thought I would wait till I got a wee bit more information before I did.

As to the survey and investigation of the 3 sections the BLM surveyed in the Fall, they have still not filed it with the Federal Register.

Due to Benes mentioning a formally proposed land exchange on the Bullwhacker Access project, I contacted BLM FOIA to request that at least the portion of my FOIA that deals with the land exchange documents and communications to be expedited, they are getting back to me on that. Turns out someone from Lewistown had requested something similar last spring, so I am hoping to get a copy of that as soon as possible.

Since word of a legislator getting involved, I put a second BLM FOIA concerning the same land exchange request, but this time between the BLM and any Friends of the Monument or State and US legislators, but this one I asked for immediate expediting right off the bat. That one was submitted on the 9th of Feb. and I have not received the receipt email with the case number yet. I did send another email today requesting status on the FOIA.

I called DC on the matter and was planning on calling Cadastral to see if anything had changed on their course of action with the segment when I got a tip on another Wilks possible encroachment that I was digging through maps and calling Fergus county offices to make sure of a few things before I contacted the Law Enforcement officer to look into it just a bit ago.

 

[MThuntr]

Wow you are awesome Kat! Many thanks for working so hard on this

 

[katqanna]

You are quite welcome. I am anxious for the FOIA data to begin processing that. Oh, forgot with the concussion, I spoke with an attorney at the Western Lands Project organization in Seattle last week that requested copies of all my FOIA requests and looked over everything on the interactive map. They gave me an assessment and some advice I am pursuing, they want to be apprised of what is going on.

I might know tomorrow or Monday about the other encroachment possibility I am looking into.

 

[Big Billy]

My hat is off to you Kat !! Many thanks for all your time and effort, it is greatly appreciated by so many fellow Montanans!