Poker Joe access fight going to court

Landowners near the Poker Joe access site on the Bitterroot River south of Florence are again threatening to block the road. Fish, Wildlife and Parks promises to take the landowners to court to defend public use of this right-of-way.

Landowners complain that they've been subjected to a recent round of vandalism. That stinks and we hope those responsible are caught and pay for their crime. But the answer to the problem isn't taking something — in this case the right to use a public right-of-way — that doesn't belong to the landowners. When the government does something like that it's called a "takings" by the property-rights crowd. It's no different when private interests take something that belongs to all citizens.

In this case, FWP is simply protecting the public property rights of all Montanans.