West Fork Home Owner in Trouble with the County

Ravalli Republic -- Robaks Fight County Over Floodway

Any fisherman who has waded or floated the section of the West Fork of the Bitterroot River just upstream from the Nez Perce bridge is familiar with the Robak house. The 4600 square foot log home sits just a few yards from the West edge of the river and only a few feet above the river-rock lined bank. I remember wading this section the day the footings were going in and thinking to myself, "You've got to be kidding me? It's going to be awful cold headed to the outhouse in the dead of winter, because there is no way they should have a septic permit." Of course, I was wrong about that, but it is unclear whether Tom Robak didn't break other rules in the construction of his streamside mansion.

In December of 2007, Ravalli County issued a stop-work order "because of a concern they may have illegally brought in a large amount of fill to raise the building site out of the floodway." Construction within the floodplain and adding fill is prohibited by local, state, and federal regulations. If he is found culpable, Mr. Robak will be forced to move or dismantle the house.

Tom Robak denies any wrong doing and claims he's "the victim of a concerted effort by public and private land-use planning advocates."

I am not familiar with any groups conspiring against Mr. Robak, but I can understand why some angst would be directed at him. Mr. Robak is outspoken against proposed streamside setbacks, zoning, and a county growth policy, all of which were dealt a major blow when the Ravalli County Growth Policy was repealed in a ballot initiative on November 4th. He is also the founder of the Big Sky Coalition, a group that advocates more logging on national forests. As Mr. Robak is a retired millionaire from California whose log home mansion is surrounded by forest and sits a few feet from the Bitterroot River, it is hard to argue that his political leanings aren't simply self-serving.

No one can fault Mr. Robak for retiring to the Bitterroot. He chose to live here for the same reasons most of us do, for the ice-cold trout filled streams out are front door, the snow capped mountain peaks out are back door, the abundance of wildlife, and the sense of community and solitude. He is lucky and wealthy enough to build the home of his dreams. I'm not sure that the county will succeed in proving its claim against Mr. Robak, but I am sure of this: It is environmentally irresponsible for Mr. Robak to build a house on the bank of a mountain stream, thumb his nose at Mother Nature, and instigate the inevitable battle between man and the annual spring run-off.

It's this kind of "I'll do what I want!" attitude directed at our beautiful places like the West Fork of the Bitterroot River that gave this site its name.

Check out 4&20 for another take on the Ravalli Republic article on the Robak house.

The Definition of a Sportsman (4 of 7)

A Sportsman is an Environmentalist

This statement presents a conflict to many Westerners who consider themselves sportsmen. They share a mindset that “environmentalists” are a fringe group out to ruin the livelihoods of blue and white-collar Western workers. Brent from the Corvallis area provides evidence of this mindset in the following quote.

“While environmentalists would like to take credit for protecting everything good on earth, sportsmen do more than their share.”

Brent is correct that sportsmen do a lot for maintaining the areas where they recreate. A National Geographic article entitled “Hunters: For Love of the Land” (Nov. 2007) estimated that “hunters contributed 280 million dollars in 2006 to dozens of groups that devote most of their revenue to conservation,” groups like Ducks Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, and Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. In fact, the article also surmises, “that many species might not survive at all were it not for hunters trying to kill them,” and that “The nation’s 12.5 million hunters have become essentially partners in wildlife management.” So whether Western sportsmen like the title of Environmentalist or not, the proof is in the money; sportsmen are big softies for Mother Nature and that is essentially what an environmentalist is.

Greg Lemon puts it best in quote from, “Blue Man in a Red State”.

“Out here, environmentalists are people who still hunt and fish. They may chain themselves to a tree to keep loggers from cutting it down, but check their freezer and you’ll find steaks from last year’s deer.”

Here are a few of the local issues of environmental consequence that should concern sportsmen.

Drilling on the Rocky Mountain Front
There will be an increased call to allow more coal-bed methane, natural gas, and oil exploration along the Rocky Mountain Front of the United States as the cost of energy continues to rise and with the Bush Administration on its way out. Here are a few questions that need answering: At what point does drilling for fossil fuel trump wildlife and the environment? Is the land only worth what you can extract from it? Who benefits from drilling in the areas where Americans hunt, fish, and hike?

Streamside Setbacks
Streamside development, where structures are built within a few feet of a mountain stream, is an example of an environmentally unfriendly and unsportsman-like activity. A mountain stream naturally moves and changes course from year to year with the spring runoff. Building structures next to a stream leads to eventual streamside stabilization projects like rip-rap which artificially redirect the flow of the river and change the river’s natural local ecology. Montana’s rivers are property of the state and thus every Montanan owns a piece. The sportsmen of Montana have a responsibility to protect this precious resource by installing setbacks in county streamside building permits.

All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
Operating an ATV in a non-motorized area is not only illegal, but it denudes the land, leaving ruts that increase the extent of erosion during rainstorms or spring runoff. They are also an unnecessary source of noise pollution that can ruin the experience for law-abiding recreationists. ATVs will always be an important part of recreation and hunting in Western States and there will always be places where riding is permitted, but illegal riding and damage to the environment only adds to the call for further restrictions.

In conclusion, a sportsman is an environmentalist. He never disrespects Mother Nature or fouls another man’s experience when entering the realm of the elk and trout. A sportsman understands the value of leaving a small footprint in life because his actions can have a profound effect on the surroundings and the future. Sportsmen are stewards of this planet. We have a responsibility to maintain the health of its animals and land because as Brent puts it, “If we abuse the resources we have, then we also lose what we enjoy most.”