HomeMy WebLinkAbout12-26-23 Public Comment - C. Nagel - Letter_for_Approval_of_Sensitive_Lands_Study__Bozeman_City_Commission
December 19, 2023
Bozeman City Commission
121 N. Rouse
Bozeman, Montana 59715
Dear Bozeman City Commissioners:
My Name is Clinton Nagel, President of the Gallatin Wildlife Association, one of the
stakeholder groups that has worked together with a dozen or so of our colleagues on the
Sensitive Lands Study. Due to a prior commitment, I can’t be in attendance tonight, but
I would like to have these comments as part of the official record in favor of supporting
the Sensitive Lands Study that is before the Bozeman City Commission tonight.
GWA is simply an all-volunteer, nonprofit wildlife advocacy organization which has
been involved in wildlife and fishery issues pertaining to the Greater Yellowstone
Ecosystem and lands of southwest Montana since 1976. Basically, we provide a voice for
wildlife.
Many in GWA’s membership have attended public meetings and have spent hours in
interviews since the beginning of this effort. Why? – To make the lands in and around
the communities of Bozeman and Belgrade a more harmonious place for our fellow
wildlife.
There is considerable concern among the public at large about the disappearance of
sensitive lands for wildlife. GWA has been involved in giving voice to this issue for
several years and will continue to be so. We saw and recognized what was happening
upon the landscape. When we were asked to be a part of this work, we were honored
because we wanted to become part of the solution, not just sit back and throw stones
after the work was done.
We admit this effort is not perfect. I will admit there are some in our organization who
wonder if this framework goes far enough, including me. We will be watching. But we
believe this has the potential to engage the community to make a difference. Before any
large sale of property is approved for development in wildlife habitat or riparian areas,
there must be an analysis to determine how that fits into the local lands study for
wildlife. What scares us at the moment, is we don’t know what we don’t know. How
GALLATIN WILDLIFE
ASSOCIATION
P. O. Box 5317 Bozeman, MT 59717
(406) 586-1729
www.gallatinwildlife.org
many projects have already been approved outside of this framework where the public is
unaware.
GWA feels we are way past time to make the differences that we would like to see on the
landscape, but we also feel we are not too late to make a difference. We strongly urge
approval of this Sensitive Lands Study.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Clinton Nagel, President
Gallatin Wildlife Association