MY TURN: Judge's West Fork Pine Creek Road decision was correct

Judge Jensen’s recent decision and order affirming the county commissioners’ decision to deny validation of a small portion of West Fork Pine Creek Road was a well-reasoned and just one.

The major issue is that the newspaper, petitioners (North Idaho Trail Blazers) and their attorneys have been spreading propaganda to the public, the county commissioners and most recently, the District Court. “Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception.” (Wikipedia)

The audiences were selectively not told that 1) the area of the road to be validated was actually private property and none of the patent and warranty deeds note any County roads; 2) the BLM road beyond the private properties has been closed to motorized travel since 1999 due to flooding/costly reconstruction issues; 3) the Langlois Road allows motorized travel except during the hunting seasons (Aug. 25 to Dec. 31) and in extreme fire danger; 4) the Roller Coaster, with the same closures, is improperly/illegally located per the BLM’s Resource Management Plan, which may allow rock crawling in the Middle Fork Pine Creek Road, after an environmental analysis shows no degradation; and 5) the county never complied with the road laws of 1909 by surveying the road, purchasing the land or executing deeds from the landowners to the county, etc.

These issues were; however, presented with documentation at the three hearings by opponents of the validation. The county commissioners then understood they had never legally extended the West Fork Pine Creek Road. beyond its current 3.18 miles and to do so would involve paying for a survey, some repairs and purchasing the land from its owners. They understood that even if validated, the road would dead-end at the BLM boundary line and deny the Trail Blazers further travel.

A few beneficent, mostly former, BLM staffers allowed the creation and massive expansion of the Roller Coaster on the wrong road and with no environmental assessments. The current BLM field manager inherited this situation and is apparently trying to correct it, but government wheels move slowly.

While no one objects to the Trail Blazers having a safe rock-crawling recreational site, it must be done legally and in a correct location. No one is above the law.

Jann Higdem is a resident of Pinehurst.