Untaming the West

It was hunting season 2015, the first time Justin Schaaf wanted to go hunting on Haxby Point (also known as Sage Creek) on the south side of Fort Peck Lake where the Dry Arm meets the rest of the reservoir. The only problem was he wasn't sure what was public and what was private, so after a call to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in Fort Peck, he had his answer and set out to hunt a recently converted chunk of wildlife refuge accessible by hundreds of miles of dirt road or a boat ride across the lake. That trip would be the genesis of what has become a nearly four-year project to help restore and maintain public land access.

That year Schaaf harvested his antelope, and learned about a unique piece of public property, one that had only belonged to the CMR Wildlife Refuge for less than three years, but had a human history going back to the town of Haxby from the turn of the 20th century. The other thing he noticed was that it was covered in barbed wire, farm and ghost-town buildings and abandoned equipment. Schaaf would later learn that the property was part of a recent act of Congress to better enhance the already massive 1.1 million acre refuge.

The law – known as the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Enhancement Act of 2000 – would sell the land below privately owned cabins along Fort Peck Lake to the cabin owners. It would then take the money from those land sales and buy "significant inholdings" within or along the CMR boundaries. The land on Haxby Point was one of the largest, encompassing about 10,500 acres of previously ranched lands containing overgrown tilled lands, original grasslands and badlands. Schaaf also learned that much of the remnants of the old human activity could be cleared from the refuge.

So, in 2016, he – along with two of his "buddies," Greg Blascobich and Patrick Curran – established a 501(c) 3 dedicated to federal public land education, conservation and restoration. The group also adamantly opposes the sale or transfer of federal lands. That group was called Keep It Public and they began implementing a plan to accomplish their mission.

Schaaf says the group focuses only on federally managed public lands, so as, "Not to get pigeon-holed into a situation where we alienate someone." The group's goal is to work with all people to complete their mission on public lands without alienating any one group. He says they work with birders, outdoorsmen, ranchers and conservationists alike, but mostly they work with federal biologists and land managers.

"We put feelers out to biologists and land managers," said Schaaf, "We ask them, 'Hey is there anything in your neck of the woods that you need help with?'" He says they get a good amount of response from those feelers as well. "We've never had issues filling our schedules."

The group has done work all over the western United States, from California and Arizona, to Sage Grouse habitat restoration in Idaho, to trail building and maintenance in Washington and north Idaho. Along Haxby Point on the CMR NWR, the focus has been opening up antelope migration routes to the reservoir by removing fencing.

"Frankly they need a lot of help," said Schaaf about the Fish and Wildlife Services removal of historic fencing.

Schaaf says, herds of antelope roam from the prairies and badlands south to the lake on a regular basis. The animals are ill-adapted to jump over or go under barb-wire fencing, and that is particularly true for six-strand fences like many they have removed up to this point. To open up that range, each year Keep It Public has hosted Conservation Campouts to clear the fence and engage people in taking responsibility for public lands in a fun way.

Aaron Johnson, the manager for the CMR NWR Fort Peck Field Office, echoed Schaaf's concerns. "We rely heavily on volunteer work," said Johnson. "That's not just here, that's all throughout the National Wildlife Refuge System." According to Johnson, there are two groups that are really active in clearing fencing on the CMR; one is Keep it Public, which works mainly the east side of the refuge and the other is the Mule Deer Foundation, which work near the U-L Bend area.

This year's Conservation Campout, which took place over the weekend of June 7, 8 and 9, saw a good deal of progress. "We took out a six-strand fence," he recalled, "that nothing was going over or getting under." Just a few days after pulling the fence, antelope crossed the area right through the old fence path. Schaaf said the group has cleared about eight miles of fencing from the area since it began the campouts three years ago. For perspective, only about 15 to 20 miles of strand has been removed total since the land was incorporated into the CMR in 2013.

The group attracts diverse crowds as well. This year they had about a dozen participants from all over the region. "We had a guy who drove all the way from Helena, and that [the campout] was the first night he ever stayed in a tent."

Johnson reiterated the need to clear fences stating that the primary focus on the refuge's new lands is to remove fencing and especially sheep fencing – which consists of six strands with one of those strands nearly touching the ground. That style of fence restricts the movement of antelope which travel vast distances for grazing and seeking out water on the prairie.

Johnson was grateful for the volunteer support and commented that the area on Haxby Point only has about three miles of fencing left before it is clear of the old rusty strands of barbed wire. The refuge manager also pointed out that the work is done by fire crews and hired work from the Montana Conservation Corps over the summer.

The idea for Keep It Public came about to bridge a gap between conservation and the general citizenry – many of whom may not have knowledge of public lands or any idea of how to enjoy them. Schaaf says they spend a good amount of time highlighting that usage through educational materials on how public lands benefit everyone from ranchers to outdoorsmen. The results have worked in their favor.

"That's a good group of guys and gals," commented Johnson referring to the campout attendees. That is an opinion he shares with Schaaf who also views the groups broad-range of opinions as a strength.

"We get a good, broad group of people at these events," said Scaaf. With a chuckle he added, "It makes for good campfire discussions." It doesn't hurt that he cooks up a wild game meat meal each year, this last weekend, he served Caribou he harvested in Alaska.

For more information on Keep it Public or to volunteer visit http://www.keepitpublic.org.