Despite a barrage of prognostications to the contrary, Montana’s Upper Missouri Breaks appears likely to remain intact as Zinke noted yesterday “My likely recommendation will be to leave the Missouri Breaks as is,” Zinke said. “I think it’s settled to a degree that I would rather not open up a wound that has been healed”, according to the Helena Independent Record here.
Three quick points to ponder –
One, some will no doubt cast Zinke’s comments as representing “home cooking”. While his thoughts are no doubt influenced at least to some degree by the fact Montana is indeed his home state, it’s certainly just as likely that the word review (as in review the status of National Monuments) means just that – a thoughtful review of NMs based on their merits and faults – with recommendations to be rendered accordingly.
Two, while it’s clearly early in the game thus far, the breathless predictions of impending doom for all NMs with Zinke at the helm of Interior have yet to materialize, and the on-the-ground, evidential record of the process thus far looks fairly rational. Lots of folks these days don’t give a damn about being rational, and there’s an incredible amount of irrational, doom and gloom chatter still going on out there. Facts – including good science and reality based accounting (math is still a bitch, but can’t be ignored) – win the day in an objective and fair process.
Three, as the geographical monument declaration in 2001 (in the waning days of the Clinton administration) sucked up 81,000 acres of privately owned land (into the nearly half million acre NM), not everyone in the state thinks the UMBNM is such a keen idea, and they haven’t for a long time. Those in opposition are present in meaningful numbers and have some very valid points to make. You just don’t see those voices and opinions in the media and plastered on billboards.
