Rural Respect
Be considerate of private landowners.
The weekend looked to be a beaut. Cup of coffee in hand, I contemplated how to enjoy the great outdoors after a long work week. Suddenly the dog bristled and growled.
Heading out front, I saw a three-quarter-ton pickup angled across the end of the drive, its muddy front tires sunk into the lawn I worked so hard to keep green and weed-free. Hearing voices, we went to investigate. On the far side of the truck were a strange man and woman making themselves at home.
With well-worn ropers propped on the garden wall, faces to the sun, cans of beer in hand, two cattle dogs at their feet, and litter cast to the ground, they had certainly gotten comfortable.
“Nice spot you have here,” the man observed. “We decided to get off the ranch for a day and come over the hill, to take in the sights and get our minds off the daily grind.”
“Hope you don’t mind,” the woman added. “We didn’t see any No Trespassing signs, so we decided to come on in.”
This scene may sound zany and contrived, but reverse the roles and it is a scene replayed dozens of times each weekend as people pour out from the increasingly urbanized environs of Bozeman and into the surrounding rural areas, seeking recreation and enjoyment. While few of us would ever consider helping ourselves to a city-dweller’s front lawn, do we extend that same consideration to our rural neighbors?
A hot summer weekend brings out boaters, floaters, and rafters to the region’s rivers and lakes. And now it is the riparian landowners finding strangers on their property. The noise, litter, and drunken behavior are all too common. Montana’s stream-access law is one of the strongest in the West for its public-access provisions, but many riparian landowners I have spoken with note that the privileges of living along the water are increasingly dampened by the public trespass they experience.
The picture is much the same off-river, as hikers and bikers speed down dirt roads to get to their trailhead destinations, and shed hunters ignore posted property in search of antler treasure. Likewise for anglers ranging beyond the limits of high-water marks.
As we travel around southwest Montana and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, enjoying our right to seek solace and rejuvenation on our cherished public lands, let’s respect the rights of private landowners, too. Let’s appreciate the hard work they put into keeping their lands as open space, preserving the rural character of the landscape, and providing vital homes for wildlife.
