Northwest Reel Life April 2023 Volume 2 Issue 10 - Flipbook - Page 28
Leave It Better Than You Found It By Matt Carey
As outdoorsmen, we have a
duty to continue to cultivate the
resources that are our land and
water. How many times have you
pulled into a boat launch and
seen it torn to shreds? Concrete
half off the ramp, rope handrails
cut and laying lifeless, no longer
serving their purpose. What
about the campsite with half
ripped apart beer cases, food
scattered around, and dog poop
on walking paths? One of my
personal favorites is seeing trash
thrown in the firepit. It’s one thing
if the stuff thrown into the firepit
can burn up (I’m plenty guilty
of that), it’s another when the
material should’ve been disposed
of properly. The old adage of “pack
it in and pack it out” is simple in
speech and at times aggravating
in action. My college football
coach had a saying, “do what you
are supposed to do, when you are
supposed to do it, and do it that
way every time”. The lens in which
that quote was said was more
along the lines of eat right, study
your playbook, and lift hard, but
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the message applies across the
board.
This isn’t meant to be a tirade
against littering (not that I’m prolittering - there is a Seinfeld skit
somewhere about this I’m sure) or
some kind of political statement.
Rather, just an observation from
a summer that I’m sure many
of you shared. Time with friends
and family outside. Some of us
are lucky enough to have boats to
get out on the water. Others may
hike up into the mountains for
some serenity and isolation. Then,
for a brief moment, you realize the
person there before didn’t care
enough to keep the place clean. It
probably doesn’t consume much
of your brainpower or ruin the
weekend, but it’s enough to make
you roll your eyes and sigh. Those
are the kind of simple things we
can all do to help one another
continue to enjoy these shared
spaces.
Another element that should
be considered, particularly for
those hunters among us, is the
consideration of land water
access. Familiarizing yourself
with the public vs private land,
access points, and limits on how
many people can utilize certain
access points are all equally
important and part of our duty
as conservationists. I remember
during the last hunting season
being continuously peppered
by advertisements from
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks
(FWP) about the importance
of seeking permission for type
II block management access
(BMA). It certainly didn’t hurt
that the advertisement featured
a cameo from MeatEater star
Ryan Callaghan. A quick sidebar
for those who aren’t in the know
- Block Management in the
state of Montana is a partnership
between private land owners and
FWP to grant access to hunters
on private land, sometimes
adjacent to public land. Type I
BMA allows hunters to sign in on
a card for hunting permission on
private lands; you simply show up,
fill out a card, and go hunt. Type II
BMA often requires a reservation
and is subject to availability from