How Misguided Environmental Activism Can Backfire and Harm Communities
As I reflect on the latest lawsuit celebrated by the Gateway Conservation Alliance, I can’t help but wonder what the true outcomes of their efforts will be. They parade around as champions of environmental protection, but beneath the surface, what are they really achieving? Beyond the rhetoric, it seems like the real impacts might be nothing more than the erosion of trust within our community and a spike in gravel prices.
The Local Exodus
Many of us locals have had enough. We remember this place before you and those like you arrived, before you started dictating what we could and couldn’t do. The hypocrisy is staggering. You’ve tried to buy us, to intimidate us, to paint us as villains in our own backyard. And when that didn’t work, you resorted to lawsuits. It’s no wonder so many who once made this town special have left, or are seriously thinking about it. Who could blame them? You moved here and set out to recreate exactly what you left behind. If this continues, we may be forced to sell our land to someone just like you, but with more power and money. Someone or some group you won’t be able to bully. Whoever they are, they likely won’t share our appreciation for this land. History repeats itself—look no further than Gateway Village just north of Cottonwood. Will you learn from past mistakes? How did that turn out for your fellow activists?
Environmental Harm
Based on your consistent failure to respond to my comments and inquiries for evidence, it’s fair to say that you don’t even believe your own environmental claims. Do you even understand the issues you’re raising? Or our vision for reclaiming our worn-out farmland? You throw around accusations about water pollution linked to our gravel pit without a shred of evidence, and then parade around as saviors of the environment. Anyone with a bit of common sense can see through this act. Your so-called environmental crusade is nothing more than a cover to protect your own aesthetic interests, and the irony is that you’ve admitted it to me, though perhaps not to the rest of the world. Read more about that here
Reputational Suicide
Lies, half-truths, and manipulations—that’s what defines your approach. It appears you’ve attempted to deceive my family, the media, my neighbors, and even yourselves. How long can you keep up this charade? My family has been stewarding this land with care and responsibility since long before Montana became a state, and each generation has left it in better shape for the next. I plan to do the same. Yet you’ve chosen to accuse us of potentially harming the land and jeopardizing the health of our neighbors? That’s not only unfounded but deeply out of touch. People in this valley have known my family for generations, families we’ve shared this land with, served, and continue to serve—away from the spotlight of media attention. We’ve raised our children here, and we feel profoundly grateful for the blessings this land provides. And now you claim we’d put all of that at risk, without offering a single piece of evidence to support your accusations. In the end, your tactics will only reveal the true lack of integrity behind them.
Wasted Resources
How much money have you poured into this? How many hours of your life spent chasing something that won’t bring meaningful change? Think of what could have been done with those resources—real, tangible improvements for the community. Instead, lawyers get richer, and you get to wear your environmental badge of honor. I sometimes question whether I’m wasting my own time, speaking out against you. But staying silent, when there’s something worth saying, is a form of lying.
Economic Impacts and Higher Gravel Prices
Let’s assume for a moment that you win your lawsuit. What’s the real cost? More red tape for businesses to navigate to open a gravel pit in Montana. Maybe we’ll jump through the hoops or maybe we’ll move to plan B. But either way, the hardworking people in Gateway—those who mine, transport, and build—will be left without work and resources, or at best, delayed. Your actions are setting us on a course toward higher gravel prices and economic strain. In the end, all your efforts might just pave the way to a bumpier road for everyone in the Gallatin Valley.
A Bitter Victory
If you do succeed in shutting down this pit, it will feel as hollow as a victory earned through cheating, like an athlete who used performance-enhancing drugs to cross the finish line. Deep down, you know the lies, the bullying, and the manipulation you’ve used to get this far. You can tell yourself it was necessary, but the truth is you’ve sacrificed your integrity. No matter how much you try to justify it, that dishonesty will only leave you feeling empty in the end. If your goal is to be even more miserable, then by all means, stay on your current course. But it’s not too late. There’s still a chance to turn things around, seek redemption, and restore trust. Only time will tell.