The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1962-02-09
Page Seven

request for information on stream
damage, Director Walt Everin of the
Montana Fish and Game Department
said:
''The basic problem is that by state
law the Highway Department chooses
the routes and makes decisions as
to what considerations are important.
There appears to be little question
but that routing a highway up a
stream valley is often the cheapest
from the point of view of highway
construction alone. Then too. Con-
gress has exerted pressure to keep
federal-aid highway construction as
economical as possible.
G.. We have made several re-
quests to the Montana Highway De-
| partment that sections of proposed
highways be rerouted to avoid dam
aging trout streams. To date we have
not had major request granted.
The Highway Department has CO.
operated in saving few natural
stream meanders but only when there
was no additional cost involved or
the cost was negligible. In at least
one instance highway was routed
into trout stream to avoid the cost
of moving a power line. Only on
National Forest land has adequate
consideration been, given to stream
preservation during highway routing
and construction. This is due. of
course, to the fact that permits must
be obtained before construction can
h. IL,
In his speech to the Senate preced-
ing Introduction of the bill, Senator
Metcalf said Montana still furnishes
the best trout fishing in the world,
in the Madison, Gallatin, Big Hole,
Yellowstone, Rock Creek
(near Missoula), Spring Creek (Which
through Lewistown) and other
streams.
Incidentally, fishermen spent $50
million in Montana last year."
PROGRAM BEGUN
The Soil Conservation Service has
been authorized to help Treasure
County Soil Conservation District
prepare a work plan for the 1900
acre Hysham Bench Watershed. Sos
gives financial and technical assist
ance to organized groups of farmers
in small watersheds where floods,
drought and soil erosion cause serious
damage.
Montana now has one small water
she'd project underway, Lower Willow
Creek in Granite county. 1t is a flood
and irrigation project with
ocal interests putting up $495,000
md the federal government $342,000.
The Senate Public Works Committee,
# which Senator Metcalf is a men,
Ter, speedily approved the Box Elder
Jreek watershed work plan, which
5 waiting action by the House Pub
c Works Committee. 1t is a water
he'd protection, flood prevention and
ish and wildlife development, with
!. S. footing $315,128 of the $402,-
03 cost.
Full responsibility for starting
mall watershed projects rests on To-
al people who act through their own
EXAMINATIONS, usually soil conserva-
on districts. Federal help cannot
e given if the project is disapproved
Y the state. Sos estimates about
90 feasible small watershed develop
ents in Montana, SO there is lors
lat could be done here.
EDERAL AID FOR AIRPORTS
$546,061 in federal aid to airport
lnds is available to seven Montana
ties. Billings, Cut Bank and Miles
ity are listed for direction-finding
Iuipment average cost $27,8OO
lch). No state or local matching is
quired.
The remaining 462,661, to be
atched dollar-for-dollar by local
onsors is available for work at Bill
lgs ($94,993 to build parts of run
ay and taxiway), Butte ($153,122
rebuild part of runway, relocate
aeon and tower, install lighted wind
ne and build taxiway, turn-around
nway and terminal apron), Gerald
e ($33,586 to buy land, remove
grade and turf landing
Zip, pave runway, taxiway and
ROM, Glasgow ($116,585 to re-
rface and mark runway, and Great
Ills ($64,377 to build elevated