Huey Screwus and the Case of the Fish-filled Ditch
When I was in high school, I remember driving through the Boulder Valley in Montana, knocking on rancher's doors and asking permission to hunt on their land. These folks would typically oblige, but let you know where the cattle were grazing and ask you to avoid those areas. Yes, it was private property, but held by folks who understood the tradition of being a neighbor.
If there's one thing that pisses off your average Montanan, it's when wealthy out-of-staters move in, buy up huge tracts of choice property, start nailing up "No Trespassing" signs, and deny all access. Ask a Montanan on the street what he thinks about Californians who come to Big Sky County with unlimited cash and hopes of buying themselves their own little isolated paradise. You'll get an earfull.
One thing Montanans have done in response is pass a Stream Access Law which allows the public to use rivers and streams up to the natural high water mark, regardless of who may own the underlying streambed. That, friends, is good legislation. The water, and the fish in the water are everyone's property.
Well, there's only one way around that law: say a fish-filled, flowing body of water isn't a "stream." That's the tactic employed by one pop has-been and his cohorts in the Bitteroot Valley, in the ongoing saga of the Mitchell Slough, which landowners call a "ditch" and fishermen call a "stream." A recent ruling by the Conservation District in another context went in the landowners' favor.
Following that ruling BRPA staged a "fish in?" at Mitchell Slough, where it enters the property owned by Huey Lewis, to demonstrate their rights of access. Montana Department of Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) officials have consistently maintained that there is fishing access into Mitchell Slough. They attended the event and checked the fishing licenses of those participating. Huey Lewis, through an intermediary, threatened the fishermen with "civil trespassing charges" if they entered the slough on his property. Some landowners and their supporters showed up to protest the event. No arrests were made.
That's right. Huey Lewis. And when Huey Lewis speaks, apparently Montana's governor listens.
Now, I don't know the technicalities. Hell, maybe the slough is legally a ditch and not a stream. Either way, screw Huey Lewis and his pals (don't worry, guys from "the News," you're still cool) for trying to keep average Montanans off the water.
4 Comments:
Huey doesn't care if you have money or fame. Unless you're a friend of his, he doesn't want you around. I agree with the "screw him" attitude.
Now the only other problem with these California transplants is their tendency to vote Democrat. I doubt anyone here will sympathize with me on that point though. Oh well.
Build your high fences, Rock. We're all probably better for it.
I didn't even like Huey Lewis and the News when they were "hip". Rod Stewart, that's another story... anyway, eff Huey and get all the other out of state, rich "ranchers" out of Montana. Keep it the last best place.
Schweitzer a punk too.
Would anyone else be embarrassed if their governer actually said, "I'll be there or be square", to Huey Lewis, the man who came up with the song "Hip to be Square"?
I am!
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