Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the property owners and residents of the Blankenship neighborhood, hereby request that the Blankenship Road Bridge/Flathead River gravel bar be closed to overnight camping and designated day use only. The risk of catastrophic wildfire emanating from illegal campfires and fireworks of overnight campers, as well as the difficulty of an effective response by a fire department to a wildfire, mandate this request. In addition, the overnight camping has resulted in large amounts of human waste washing into the Flathead River and Flathead Lake each spring. The current use of this Wild and Scenic River site for camping is a serious threat to our forest, homes, and properties. The Flathead National Forest should take responsibility and act by closing the gravel bar to overnight camping.
(photo credit: Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)
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30 Comments
What began as a few casual campers has become overuse by many dozens each night, and has destroyed the ecology of the area with campers making little or no attempt to clean up after themselves and ruining a wild and scenic area with trash and human waste, in short, a pigpen. Stop it.
A lot of Flathead Valley residents used to use this area as a day use site, that all ended last year with an influx of campers on the gravel bar utilizing all the space. What they left behind was trash, human waste, illegal camp fire rings and a disrespect for a wild and scenic river. In my opinion ending overnight camping would restore it back to it’s original status and permitted use on a Wild and Scenic River Corridor.
With dozens of homes on Rabe Road and Talon Trail a quarter mile from the gravel bar, a wildfire would be disastrous.
It is terrifying to drive by here and witness the fires that are going all night long and at times quite large.
Thanks for initiating a forum for concerned citizens and property owners to find a way to manage use of the Blankenship Bridge area for multiple uses. The last few summers far too many people have been camping at Blankenship jeopardizing the Wild and Scenic designation with litter, human waste and fires which could threaten human lives and property. This should be designated no over use or developed and managed to accommodate over night use properly.
I am for making this a day use site only. It was out of control last year. All that waste right into the river and the rules were not being followed. If there are not enough forest service personnel to police it daily, than it should be day use only. Also heard from many people that live around that area say that it became a nuisance last year
Please protect our land and residents.
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Status: Closed — this petition is no longer accepting signatures.
Final supporters
We, the property owners and residents of the Blankenship neighborhood, hereby request that the Blankenship Road Bridge/Flathead River gravel bar be closed to overnight camping and designated day use only. The risk of catastrophic wildfire emanating from illegal campfires and fireworks of overnight campers, as well as the difficulty of an effective response by a fire department to a wildfire, mandate this request. In addition, the overnight camping has resulted in large amounts of human waste washing into the Flathead River and Flathead Lake each spring. The current use of this Wild and Scenic River site for camping is a serious threat to our forest, homes, and properties. The Flathead National Forest should take responsibility and act by closing the gravel bar to overnight camping.
(photo credit: Chris Peterson/Hungry Horse News)
30 Comments
There are plenty of designated camping areas with proper facilities. No need for camping and trashing out this pristine river. This is one of the few rivers left for bull trout and it needs to be protected.
What began as a few casual campers has become overuse by many dozens each night, and has destroyed the ecology of the area with campers making little or no attempt to clean up after themselves and ruining a wild and scenic area with trash and human waste, in short, a pigpen. Stop it.
A lot of Flathead Valley residents used to use this area as a day use site, that all ended last year with an influx of campers on the gravel bar utilizing all the space. What they left behind was trash, human waste, illegal camp fire rings and a disrespect for a wild and scenic river. In my opinion ending overnight camping would restore it back to it’s original status and permitted use on a Wild and Scenic River Corridor.
With dozens of homes on Rabe Road and Talon Trail a quarter mile from the gravel bar, a wildfire would be disastrous.
It is terrifying to drive by here and witness the fires that are going all night long and at times quite large.
Thanks for initiating a forum for concerned citizens and property owners to find a way to manage use of the Blankenship Bridge area for multiple uses. The last few summers far too many people have been camping at Blankenship jeopardizing the Wild and Scenic designation with litter, human waste and fires which could threaten human lives and property. This should be designated no over use or developed and managed to accommodate over night use properly.
I am for making this a day use site only. It was out of control last year. All that waste right into the river and the rules were not being followed. If there are not enough forest service personnel to police it daily, than it should be day use only. Also heard from many people that live around that area say that it became a nuisance last year
Please protect our land and residents.
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There are plenty of designated camping areas with proper facilities. No need for camping and trashing out this pristine river. This is one of the few rivers left for bull trout and it needs to be protected.