Fort Peck Lake is the largest body of water in Montana -- and one of the last developed! It is 134 miles long and has an area of approximately 249,00 acres, which is more than the Pacific Coast of California. The potential for fisheries here is almost unlimited.
Fort Peck is the 4th largest tourist stop in the State of Montana. Tourism is Montana's second largest industry. In 1996, visitors spent an estimated $1.26 billion. More than 60,000 jobs are directly related to travel and they account for $763 million in payroll.
On a regional level, we hosted the In-Fisherman Professional Walleye tournament at Fort Peck Lake in 1997 and 1993. What did that mean to Montana's economy? The total economic benefit was $1.4 million. In 1995, 7 tournaments were held on Montana waters. These tournament participants spent $1.9 million in one summer.
A study released by the American Sportfishing Association stated that the total economic impact of angler expenditures in Montana was $450 million in 1996.
Salmon Fishing--which extends the fishing season into the fall-- brought $2,362,500 into our community in 1996 (peak year).
Studies have shown that money is spent 7 times before leaving a community. This would equal $16,537,500 alone from salmon fishing in the Glasgow area.
Here are some legislative reflections:
"MIRACLES COME AFTER A LOT OF HARD WORK."--reads a Key Club banner at Glasgow High School.
Yet, passing HB 20 through the 56th Legislative session of the Montana Legislature was a miracle. (Praise the Lord!)
And, it took a lot of hard work by many individuals.
I still remember the day that Chuck Lawson told me at Sagebrush Cellular that he had a great idea for a bill, and I asked him if he was serious about it. I remember flying to Billings with him and Roy Snyder to talk to the Walleyes Club about their support. Before take-off, he said, "If you are shy about flying, you can sit in the front seat so you don't throw up on us."
"Chuck, I'm not fearful of flying. I just don't want to hit a deer on the runway on take-off."
"Sit down and shut up or I'm going to put a bag over your head," Chuck said.
And, off we flew . . . to many Walleyes Meetings in Eastern Montana. Most of the time, we drove . . . getting home late . . . or early in the morning.
Myron Gartner was along, too, tirelessly contracting and erecting over 80 signs--sometimes at a cost of $140 each--throughout Eastern Montana.
Fort Peck Lake Manager, Roy Snyder, our facilitator, came along too--offering sound advice, hope--and free land for the rearing ponds.
Then, the Legislative battle began . . . with 50,000 copies of literature, phone calls, letters, etc. In fact, one of the top five issues that legislators received more mail and call about was the fish hatchery.
I remember thinking going into the first committee hearing of the House Fish Wildlife & Parks Committee hearing in the House that we were (maybe) . . . two votes shy of passage. (It could have ended that day!) But, the bill swayed in the wind like a giant Ponderosa Pine deciding which way to fall after being cut . . . and passed out of committee!
I remember the day I carried the bill on the floor of the House. I wore ``my lucky fish hat." After two-hours of debate, my soaked dress shirt . . . the bill sailed on . . . .
"Will you need the large Senate hearing room?" the chairman of the Senate Fish and Game Committee asked me. "I hear there are a lot of people coming," he added. It was a '"packed houses' in room 345 (the old Supreme Court room) when the bus from Glasgow showed up after an exasperating bus trip -- a 23-hour trip, with 19 spent on the Scotty Cruiser.)
Finally . . . the bill took flight Senate and flew through the Opposition began to dissipate--especially after one fellow from the Mile High Fishing Club in Butte got up and said: "You Canadians out there in Eastern Montana . . . ." (He got a round of laughter and a red face!)
The same cooperative spirit that built Fort Peck Dam in the '30s came alive again in Eastern Montana to pass HB 20 through the Montana Legislature.
Lewis and Clark (Chuck and Myron) braved uncharted territory through Montana again to find "a better world''--a path through the Wilderness of Economic Depression.
Congress may choose to do nothing . . . to take lightly our efforts . . . to never allow the Fish Hatchery "to hatch."
But . . . a better path would be to follow in our footsteps towards a better tomorrow.