Riverside FAS

This letter is to express my concern regarding the proposed Riverside Fishing Access Site (FAS) being considered by Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and Musselshell County. Since there seems to be some confusion among several County residents I have already spoken to, this proposed FAS is not the old Riverside Hall (Stage Stop Café) property. The proposed FAS includes all of the former Chuck and Irene Carson property and the former Minnie Greenhouse property.

When I first learned about a year ago that these properties were possibly being considered for a FAS, I wrote a letter to the County proposing that a buffer be left between my property and the FAS if it was indeed developed. I proposed to the County that two of the three former greenhouse property parcels be rented for agricultural use. That would have created a buffer between the fishing access site and my house. The proposed FAS has no buffer so if the FAS does become a reality, my house will be less than 30 feet from the FAS boundary. The argument will probably be made that most of the activity at the FAS will be near the river, but a concern of mine is what happens when people are camped there and alcohol and ATV’s or 4 wheel drive vehicles are involved and there is the urge to joy ride around the property. I will be the one to suffer from the noise and other issues that may arise. How soon will law enforcement respond when I call at 2 am to complain?

Also the layout of the proposed access road to the FAS if not constructed properly appears that it could potentially divert any high water directly towards my property. If the road is built and that happens, who is liable for damages? Will Musselshell County be liable or will FWP? Since the proposal has Musselshell County building the road, my initial guess is that the County would bear primary responsibility.

The proposal is for an initial 25 year no cost lease to FWP with automatic renewal. So basically this property will be taken off the County tax rolls forever with no ability to recover any portion of the tax revenue previously received when it was private property. The County will also have the initial expense of constructing the access road ($42,000 estimate) and then additional costs every year maintaining the roads to the site.

The Riverside area is still a residential area and I am not sure the increased traffic, dust from the traffic and noise created by the development of a fishing access site and campground will be beneficial to a quiet rural residential neighborhood.

Thank you,

Raymond Raths

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