Tim Leeds Havre Daily News tleeds@havredailynews.com
The commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation said Tuesday that a message telling people with cabins on public land administered by the Bureau that their leases would be canceled was in error, Montana’s lone U. S. representative said. “It’s important BOR clears up any confusion over the use of these cabin sites,” said Rep. Denny Rehberg, R-Mont. “ Montanans have a vested interest in the state’s federal lands, and it’s vital that we protect those interests.” The proposed rule has had the people who lease spaces with cabins in an uproar. After being told they would lose their leases, people have been contacting BOR and Rehberg and Montana’s Democratic Sens. Max Baucus and Jon Tester. The Bureau of Reclamation issued a proposed change in the regulations regarding use of the bureau’s land, facilities and waterbodies in the July 18 issue of the Federal Register. The proposed change would prohibit issuing new leases for “private exclusive recreational or residential use” of bureau land. Existing leases would be administered under an existing section of the law, and, “Any renewals will be reviewed by the (Bureau of Reclamation’s Commissioner’s Office) and approved, where appropriate.” The leases must be renewed every five years after being reviewed to ensure their use “is not inconsistent with the needs of the general public for use of the area,” according to the federal code governing occuPancy of cabin sites (Title 43, Section A, Part 21. ) Cabins and leased sites are common on some BOR land in Montana, such as at Fresno Reservoir west of Havre or Nelson Reservoir east of Malta. The BOR reports there are 106 cabins at Nelson, and 24 at Fresno. Mark Andersen, public affairs officer with the Great Plains Regional Office of the BOR in Billings, said this morning that there has been a lot of confusion over the wording of the proposed rule change. “We have received a lot of comments,” he said. “ There were a lot of comments about the language and the clarity.” Andersen said the changes will apply to cabins in concession areas, where a for-profit business is operating. Those leases will likely be phased out after the rule is changed, he said. “Those cabins outside of concession areas will still be managed the same way they have been for the last 40 years,” he said. The leases at Fresno and Nelson will continue to be reviewed as they have, Andersen said, and renewed as long as they do not restrict an increased demand in public use or create some other compelling issue such as health problems. Cabins in some areas of the country, for example, have created problems with trash or sewage, he said. Rehberg said he spoke to Robert Johnson, commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation, Tuesday and was told the people with existing cabins in Montana were mistakenly told the regulation would prevent their leases from being renewed. In a press release, Rehberg said Johnson told him “cabin owners need not worry’ and would be protected against any one-size-fitsall’ regulation.” He said he also was assured that necessary flexibility would be provided to ensure no harm would come to the families who own cabins. Rehberg, as well as Baucus and Tester, have said they would fight any loss of the leases allowing cabins on BOR land in Montana. “I would strongly oppose any change in BOR policy that does not allow for existing uses and seeks to limit the public’s access to federal land,” Rehberg wrote in a letter to Johnson. Baucus and Tester also wrote to Johnson saying they wanted clarification on the proposed change and that they would oppose people being able to use cabins at sites in Montana. “Montanans have been vacationing and leasing these sites for decades it’s a timehonored tradition to take the family to the lake,” Baucus said. “It’s not right that the BOR comes along and tries to pull the rug out from under these families.” Tester made similar comments in his letter to Johnson. “Investments have been made under great expense with the understanding that their leases would continue into the future,” he wrote. “Any changes in Bureau of Reclamation procedure that would discontinue leasing on these reservoirs in the future are unacceptable.”
