Access deal close?

A deal may be in the works to settle Montana's debate about accessing streams and rivers using highway easements at bridge crossings. Settling this issue once and for all is in the best interests of all concerned. Anglers will benefit from the improvements at crossing that will ease access. And landowners, who are fighting an upriver battle, will benefit by ending their battle against popular access laws. This has been a PR disaster for the folks — such as ranchers — who have hitched their wagon to this unpopular cause mostly promoted by out-of-state, and ridiculously wealthy, landowners.