Scott Daumiller from Kalispell, MT remembers picking huckleberries with his
dad on Peter's Ridge 30 years ago. Since it is close to Kalispell it was a
popular berrying and snowmobiling site. Although there are no roads on
Peter's Ridge it is not within a wilderness area. Scott remembers the
trail as "no larger than an average game trail." But Scott says
it now resembles a war zone. "Hundreds of trees were dropped
across the trail. One was 30 inches across the stump. Every few
yards, huge trenches were dug."
The trail to Peter's Ridge was never an official FS trail although it has
been used for many years. Part of it was an old logging road that is no
longer used by vehicles. Snowmobilers liked to go up there in the winter
for the valley views. Even though snowmobiles traveling on top of 1 to 6
feet of snow do no damage to the environment, local environmental radicals from
the Swan View Coalition wanted it shut down, ostensibly because a couple
motorbikes had used it in summer. They sued and Judge Malloy
gave them permission to close the trail. Under FS supervision
environmentalist machinery dug and sawed it's way up the trail. Closing it to
ATVs, horsemen and even making it very difficult for hikers.
Scott thinks that the destruction at Peter's Ridge is proof of the
insincerity of radical environmentalists. If timber companies did this,
the greenies would call it raping the forest. When they do it it's
"saving the environment."
The Flathead Snowmobile Assn. has submitted a petition
signed by over 1000 citizens to reopen Peter's Ridge.
09/15/02
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