Improve Hi-Line plan, fight Alzheimer’s disease

Slow down and do it right

As a big game and upland bird hunter who loves Montana’s big, open spaces, I am among those convinced that the Bureau of Land Management could, and should, do more to to conserve habitat and our backcountry hunting areas along the Hi-Line.

Montana’s prairies are just as beautiful and inspiring as her mountains, although they may be a bit more of an acquired taste. Chase sharp-tails or pronghorn under a big prairie sky, and you’ll acquire that taste soon enough. It’s the kind of experience people in other more crowded places dream of.

According to BLM’s Brian Hockett, only 16,000 acres out of 2.4 million acres of public land in the Hi-Line District will be managed to protect their wilderness values —opportunities for solitude without human encroachments like ATVs and roads. That’s a pretty slim slice of the pie. Even with the BLM’s proposed sage grouse protections, prime habitat like Black Elk Coulee, Cummins Bench, Sand Creek and Lamere Lambing Coulees are left out. These areas provide significant big game winter range and upland bird habitats; the BLM proposal would leave all these areas vulnerable to development. This is shortsighted.

Montanans have a rich outdoor heritage that is important for locals and visitors alike. These values are being shortchanged by the BLM’s proposed plan for the Hi-Line. Let’s slow down, do it right and strike a better balance.

— Ben Long,

Kalispell

Growing problem

The Montana Alzheimer’s Work Group invites Great Falls residents to attend a town hall meeting on June 16, 9:30-11 a.m., at Great Falls College Montana State University to discuss the development and implementation of a state Alzheimer’s disease plan.

This plan will help examine the infrastructure and ensure the accountability necessary to confront the sweeping economic and social impact of Alzheimer’s disease.

According to the Alzheimer’s Association 2015 Alzheimer’s Disease Facts and Figures report, 19,000 people are living with Alzheimer’s disease in Montana. By the year 2025, 27,000 Montana residents will be living with Alzheimer’s. As director of nursing for senior services at Benefis Health System, I’ve become acutely aware of the need to enhance programs and services to meet the needs of those impacted by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.

Even without a way to cure, slow or effectively treat Alzheimer’s disease, there are ways to improve the quality of life for those living with the disease and to decrease associated costs. Government-sanctioned Alzheimer’s state plans explore the current impact of Alzheimer’s disease in the state and outline what steps the state must take over the next five to 10 years to improve services and support for people with the disease and for their families.

I’m encouraging Tribune readers to attend this meeting to provide input on how we can best support those living with Alzheimer’s in Montana.

For more information, visit alz.org/montana or call 406-252-3053.

— Sue Warren,

Great Falls