Show I t C2 —The Herald Journal Logan Utah Friday August 30 2002 The Scapegoat turns 30 Montana Wilderness Area a national treasure GREAT FALLS Mont (AP) — When Bill Plante owner of Scapegoat Wilderness Outfitters leads hunters from around the country into the spectacular alpine scenery of the Scapegoat Wilderness Area the reac- lion is almost always the same “It totally blows their mind - and these are guys who have hunted all over the world in places like Alaska Russia or the Arctic” he said “It’s just unique to be in the mountains and then look east at the prairie” Thirty vears ago this month Congress added the Scapegoat to nation’s wilderness system after a collection of Montana supporters lobbied to protect the area The Lincoln officially became the back-count- ry Nation's first citizens’ wilderness proposal made after the passage of pie Wilderness Act It was in the late ’60s after the Forest Service announced plans to put a logging road through the area that residents came together to save the Scapegoat Cecil Garland who now lives in Utah was a rallying force in the late '60s and early ’70s to save the area from development “I came to the West from the South where there was a Panther Creek with no panthers a Wolf Creek with no wolves and an Elk Ridge with no elk" said Garland a former Lincoln resident “When I came West I always had the idea that there should lie as big an effort made to save those areas as we possibly could and that it was a real mistake not to do so” When Garland went into the Scapegoat for the first time in 1956 those feelings swelled “It was my first time in a truly wild area with no roads! I saw more elk and caught more fish and enjoyed myself more than I ever had But it went deeper than that It was an innate love and I made a pact with myself that if there was any way to save this area I was going to do it” he said i Garland with the help of other wilderness supporters pulled in backing from Congress and in 1972 the Scapegoat Wilderness Area was created It encompasses nearly 240000 acres and is adjacent to the Great Bear and Bob Marshall wilderness areas creating a 15 million-acr- e swath of wild land in northwest Montana Grizzly bears wolverines mountain goats elk and deer roam the ridge tops meadows and hills Bald and golden eagles soar above the canyons and river bottoms There are 14 lakes and 89 miles of streams Perched on a rocky hillside more than 30 years ago Bill Lauckner declared to his wife Goni that die beauty of the wilderness is a pretty good reminder of the powerful unknown fish Chubs “It would be hard to pull off another treatment like that” said Mike Slater central region aquatic biologist “It’s so controversial so we are trying to manage the chubs Continued from Cl decision by the Wildlife Board expected next month Too many people think they have to fill their freezer That’s been the mentality for- ever” The native Utah chub puny and bony is not a good game fish but is and can other fish species Managers feel protecting big predatory cutthroat trout is Strawberry’s only hope to thwart a booming Chub population Three times fast-breedi- ng out-comp- “ Strawberry's insect-ric- h waters have been treated wife Rotenone to kill off the chubs and then restocked wife trout The practice is drawing fire from environmental groups who question killing off nati ve biologically’’ That is why the fish-eatiBear Lake cutthroat were stocked instead of the bug-eatirainbows anglers love But the anglers are eating the cut- throats Some groups support die proposal while others say the state is trying to hover up a failed management plan and that die cutthroat don’t eat many chubs “I’m not sure the cutthroat ' are going to get die job done” said Paul Phillips of Strawberry Bay Mania who feels it the pew limit would devastate his business “We don’t see many chubs in the cutthroat we clean” “We ate our lunch one day in the mountains I can’t remember where but we looked down and there was a group of deer My husband saidto me ’ You know Goni this is when you know there is a God’” said Lauckner 90 “And that is just the way I feel about the Scapegoat No human being could create something like this" The Lauckners helped develop support in the Great Falls area to protect the Scapegoat Goni Lauckner started hiking when she was in her 50s and didn’t quit until about a year ago During the hearing on whether to allow a road through the area one man testifying in favor of the road said only young wealthy people were able to pack into the Scapegoat and die road was needed “I stood up and said ’I disagree with this gentleman I’m not young and I know I’m not wealthy And I have been to the top of Scapegoat I go slow and I get there He could get there too he just doesn't want to'” she said “A congressman who was there said that comment really turned the tide” Neil Eustance owner of Eustance Pack and Tack said he leads visitors into the Scapegoat for hunting fishing and photography There is even a “watercolor” weekend The pleasant weather and excellent fishing draw people back he said AP photo Montana’s Nineteen Peak located 'about 20 miles from Augusta Mont is shown in this file photo The peak marks the northern boundary of the Scapegoat Wilderness Area where It meets the Bob Marshall Wilderness Eustance said the lower altitude makes the area fairly easy to get around in Red Mountain at 9400 feet is the highest peak in the Scapegoat When Plante better known as Wild Bill started outfitting in the area he took his kids to the area to be while still living the wilderness experience “Some of the neatest times in my life were when I would be on top of a mountain three or four miles' away and still hear my kids playing in camp” he said “It couldn’t get any home-school- notorious Falls Creek male which was killed last year idler years of preying on livestock was called Bruno he said ' “He was so huge and so big he kept all the competition out” Plante said “This boy I knew his circuit and he never bothered my camp” Bruno had learned a lesson after a quick zap from an electric fence around the cook tent He named his business Scapegoat Outfitters for a simple enough reason “People won’t forget it when they hear it” he said “And it is so unique It’s not like the Bob Mar- shall The habitat and terrain is very ed better” Some of Plante’s favorite stories revolve around the local grizzlies Plante even has named a few The different” Bear River flow control plan approved BOISE Idaho (AP) — Fifteen government tribal and Conservation groups have signed an agreement to improve the conditions of southeastern Idaho’s Bear River as relicensing of four dams on the stream moves forward Idaho Department of Fish and Game ' officials said die pact signed Wednesday at the Statehouse will help protect native Bonneville cutthroat trout and hopefully avert a federal endangered species listing “This is the right way to approach a sensitive issue” Gov Dirk Kempthorne said “by bringing together diverse interests and keeping them together until a consensus is reached that benefits water users water quality wildlife and fishery concerns recreational uses and pwer generators” U The agreement was reached after eight months of negotiations between p the state US Fife and Wildlife Service Shoshone-Bannoc- k Tribes and other entities If accepted by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission it will ' PaCifi-Cor- be included in the dam licenses and guide operations there for the next 30 years PacifiCorp had applied for relicensing of the Soda Grace Cove and Oneida dams The company serves 15 million customers through Utah Power and Pacific Power in eastern Idaho Utah Wyoming and other states PacifiCorp began the relicensing process in 1996 company spokesman David Eskelsen said but Trout Unlimited and several government agencies stepped in wife concerns over habitat irrigation and access Over time PacifiCorp will pay $16 million The agreement requires that for the first time minimum stream flows and hydroelectric operations to better protect fife and wfeUife In addition fee river now will be managed with native fife in mind said Scott Yates Trout Unlimited’s Western Native Trout Programs director The Bear is home to a unique strain of Bonneville cutthroat trout An environmental coordination committee will lead the activities in the agreement and the federal dam licenses' The utility will prepare a cutthroat restoration plan in the third year after the federal licenses are received The work will include genetic sampling of fee trout a brood stocking program by Fife and Game and habitat restoration “Bonneville cutthroat are one of the oldest residents in the Bear River but they’ve been in decline” Fife and Game Director Steve Huffaker said “This will have a significant effect on keeping them off the endangered species list and on die list of fish for sportsmen” Minimum flows will be established at Grace the Cove bypass and Oneida The agreement will not interfere with existing irrigation contracts or PacifiCoipsYwater rights and storage in Bear Lake “It’s a good starting point but it’s only a start The Bear Riyer drainage is in bad shape” said Bill Sedivy Idaho Rivers United executive director “jIj q 'ill V ‘ If Craft Auto Care Farm & Garden FoodGasollne CV C1IAFT tower Foods Inc SMITHFIELD UTAH Wheel Aiignment and Brake Of Wow STOP or AT I400N4C017 IfdfiAM Gasoline 0 Outlet Store Sep 2-- 7 SUPER SATURDAY SHOWCASE Flench Dip Pot Roast Select Prime Rb Sliced Barbecue sesssa Barbwire Don't Miss This One! 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