Keep Wilderness Wild, Win a Reward: Montana Edition
Montana’s Bob Marshall Wilderness is the crown jewel of America’s National Wilderness System, boasting over a million acres of pristine wilderness, and when the Forest Service says “no motorized vehicles,” they really mean it. But no wilderness that size can be effectively policed, so the Bob Marshall Wilderness’ essential wildness relies on ordinary citizens to preserve and protect it. That’s where Backcountry Hunters & Anglers comes in, providing a $500 cash reward to those who successfully report the illegal use of public land to the Forest Service. The latest fund recipient is John Morris, a Montana horseman who recently captured images of a pilot using a private helicopter to access a fishing hole in the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex. Morris’s photos resulted in the pilot’s conviction, qualifying him for a monetary award via BHA’s Reward Fund.
The pilot in question, a Bozeman, Montana resident, has apologized, claiming that he had become lost and wasn’t aware that he had landed his helicopter in a wilderness area. He pled guilty to a federal misdemeanor and paid the maximum fine–$500, which is (interestingly enough) what BHA offers tipsters.
What’s the big deal about motorized vehicles? Under the federal Wilderness Act, motorized and wheeled vehicles, including motorbikes, ATVs, and snowmobiles are prohibited, and aircraft are limited to specific airstrips. Aircraft are required to stay 2000 feet above the ground when flying over wilderness areas. That overflight rule also applies to Wild & Scenic Rivers, which includes the South Fork of the Flathead.
Morris was hunting black bear by horseback in the upper South Fork of the Flathead Valley in the Bob when he saw a low-flying helicopter land on a gravel bar and two individuals fishing. “My family has enjoyed the solitude of the Bob for three generations now,” said Morris, of Kalispell. “Witnessing a helicopter illegally landed on the South Fork completely degraded my experience. In my mind, for me, that place will never be the same.”
Morris approached the individuals, informed them they were breaking the law, and photographed the helicopter, including its identification number. He later turned over the information to the Forest Service.
“While we are disappointed with the light sentence in this case, we applaud John Morris’s actions in defense of our public land,” said John Sullivan, the volunteer chairman of the Montana chapter of BHA. “We hope this is a learning experience for this individual and for other pilots,” continued Sullivan.
Sullivan expressed disappointment with the size of the penalty, which he noted amounts to less than one hour of rental time for a typical helicopter flight. Still, Sullivan said the incident would have escaped notice entirely had it not been for Morris.
“The Bob Marshall Wilderness is among the most famous and beloved piece of all our public lands,” Sullivan said. “If we cannot protect it from illegal abuse, then what can we protect?”
Agree with all I would cruel to be in the wilderness keep it wild
Either we can or can’t rape the wilderness. I am not able to make the trip into these places due to my disabilities, but I would never in 2 lifetimes say we should open them up to ALL handicapped people. Making it possible for everyone to see the wild is foolish in the extreme. I, and all others who are handicapped. need to suck it up and simply enjoy the fact that such places exist, rather than demand access. Nobody can do everything.
I am disabled and would hate to see or hear about roads in the wilderness. If i want to go where there are no roads. I will have to figure it out.
Would it still be wilderness if roads were cut in to get handicap people to the back country? Would it be the same wilderness if we put a Helicopter pad at regular intervals for the handicap? I think not. If this access was done, then I know for a fact that it would turn into a free for all of motorized vehicles. I live on the edge of a county owned wildlife area that is non-motorized area. due to the design it is able to get on it at different points with motorized vehicles and I can tell you that it isn’t disabled veterans or other disabled people that are terrorizing the area. I do appreciate the service of our veterans and first responders that are disabled due to their service. But there is other ways of making this access for them without it being motorized, it’s a copout in my opinion. Do some research, I may be wrong but I’m sure there’s opportunities using horses and other means to get a disabled person to the back country without the use of helicopters, atv’s, and other motorized vehicles.
I am disabled and a pilot. That horse did a lot more damage to the wilderness than a helicopter on a bunch of gravel.. Sadly the rule is discriminatory toward the mobility impaired. The rancher who will never again enjoy that spot grow up.
Capfly, just because you are handicapped doesn’t give you the right to use motor vehicles where prohibited. What if, everyone who was handicapped had free access to all wilderness areas. They wouldn’t be wilderness anymore. I’m 82 years old and am, basically, handicapped. I can’t go places I used to go to, with ease. I don’t expect to be able to use a motor vehicle in restricted areas which would diminish the experience of those who CAN access the area with a little effort. We have to realize our time is over. Let the younger, fit generation enjoy what we did as youngsters.
Capfly, hate to tell you but you aren’t only wrong you are dead wrong. Been around horses all of my seventy two years, including the twenty one years I was in the Marine Air Wing, yes it was with the rotary wing aircraft too! Everything from CH-53s to Hueys and Cobras. There is no way on God’s earth that horse did more damage than the help did. I am a disabled veteran who born a short distance from the Bob Marshall Wilderness and whose father was a Game Warden and at at accompanied him on wild life checks throughout the Wilderness. I will never be able to join my kids or my grandkids on trip into the wilderness. However, instead if crying about it and feeling sorry for myself, I am going to work on a way to get back in there without breaking the rules and still enjoy it!
It’s good to see that someone is still preserving some of the wilderness still left that hasn’t been ruined from the spread of corporate real estate and development of industries. I wish Florida would preserve what little wilderness and swamp land they have left.
The use , no motorized vehicles is a good one but as a 100% disabled veteran I’m angered that government land rejects a need for disabled to enjoy but limited to certain front areas and can never enjoy back country without motorized transportation. Should have public vehicle trails so the disabled can get out and enjoy the back country like non-disabled people. Grossly cruel to veterans who layed it on the line and are now not mobile to enjoy the land they gave up their mobility and many died for. Government should be ashamed 😡
Sorry but I must disagree with you. I was born not to far from the Bob Marshall and believe. It should be left as it is, undamaged by those who don’t care and destroyed which it undoubtedly would be with the addition of roads etc. it has happened time and time again. Before you condem my attitude, please know this, I spent 21 years in the USMC and a m now disabled to the extent I will never be able to show my kids or my grand kids the splendor of such a wonderful place. Should they decide to see it without me, I will be mighty proud to know they got to see it unblemished as it should be. I do not resent not being able to visit the places I dreamed of taking my family, no not all because that would be pretty much the same as feeling sorry for myself and I refuse to do that. If you want to see those places, then use the great gray matter the good Lord gave you and figure out a way to do it and still follow the rules and regulations governing these places. Where there is a will, there is indeed a way, a right way.