Montana county approves nat. resources policy despite public protests

Despite a last-minute appeal by critics asking for more time, the Ravalli County commissioners unanimously approved a natural resource policy Thursday morning.

The commission contends the policy will help guide the county in future dealings with public lands managers, including the U.S. Forest Service.

Much of the public comment Thursday came from citizens concerned that the county is overreaching with its new policy and that commissioners have not taken enough time to find the middle ground between different interest groups.

The policy was initially written by a group of citizens mostly concerned with the economic and environmental impacts of national forest management in and around the Bitterroot Valley.