Senator Tester’s Forest bill will leave legacy for Montana’s outfitters

The other day, as I watched the leaves whip through the forest near my home, I thought of an old friend. He and I used to visit the Bob Marshall Wilderness every hunting season. We would leave camp in the morning before first light. Once we got him close to an elk he would place it squarely in the rifle sights four or five times. Then he would lower the gun, clap his hands, and head back to camp happy as could be.

For him, the payoff wasn’t a trophy or filling up the freezer. It was the journey of getting far from civilization and experiencing something my outfitting mentor, Tom Edwards, once termed, the hush of wilderness.

I know this hush well. For more than five decades I’ve packed guests and sportsmen into Montana’s Bob Marshall country. Over the years, my old mules and I have taken in famous politicians, doctors, lawyers, blue-collar plumbers, electricians and the CEOs of major corporations.

…

I’ve always said our backcountry wilderness areas contain something more valuable than oil, gold, silver or copper. Future generations may be wiser than us and learn to interpret its value better than we can, but after a lifetime of outfitting, I’d like to think that in wilderness we may find the soul of mankind.

That is why we need to save it. That is why we need to set aside our differences and support the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act. Thank you, Sen. Tester, for your leadership.

Smoke Elser lives in Missoula and still looks forward to packing into Montana’s Bob Marshall over 50 years after his first trip.

Full Opinion: http://missoulian.com/news/opinion/columnists/article_ec763258-bf13-11de-9068-001cc4c03286.html