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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Slappy" data-source="post: 413037" data-attributes="member: 7608">To be clear, this discussion is about the taking and destruction of existing, heavily-utilized, publicly-owned infrastructure that is already in short supply and gifting it to a private, profit-driven organization, displacing the current users. My opposition to this project is only loosely related to my personal interest in accessing this stretch of river by boat. Anyone who utilizes this parking lot to access the trail system or other nearby park facilities would be negatively impacted by this proposal. This existing public property has been paid for by federal, state and local taxes. I object to the proposal to cede the property and its current utilization to the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation (FALF) to redevelop and monetize it to suit their interests.This meeting was organized and led by individuals from City of Bismarck (Mayor Mike Schmitz and City Admin Jason Tomanek), the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation (a guy resembling Butt-Head), the project architect (Jake Axtman) and the Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (Brock Wahl). The meeting was not posted on the City of Bismarck calendar. The only reason I was aware of the meeting was the post by [USER=1778]@bravo[/USER], and the only reference to the meeting by the City of Bismarck that I found online was a post on LinkedIn.The proposal is to grant the entirety of Keelboat Park to FALF to redevelop this area as a publicly-funded profit center for their organization. They already have the Lewis & Clark Riverboat and the Huckleberry House... why not monopolize parking and utilization of the area around these existing “non-profit” businesses?The meeting was mostly led by Brock Wahl of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers (BHA). I don’t personally know anyone affiliated with this organization, and their online reputation among sportsmen is mixed to put it lightly. Brock began the meeting in the exact same fashion as the supposed “public input meetings” hosted by FALF a couple months ago: “This project is going forward and we value your input unless it is counter to our objectives”.The project sponsors cite the new (still without a permit from the USACE) Mandan boat ramp as a replacement, intentionally failing to recognize that 1) the proposed project includes zero obligation or funding to expand existing boat ramp access, 2) low-maintenance boat ramps such as Keelboat Park are already demand-constrained, 3) it takes years to secure federal permits to do anything adjacent to a major river, and 4) the proposed project does not include any funding for replacement of the facility they wish to condemn.Brock made regular use of the “lemons into lemonade” phrase when suggesting the public be satisfied by renderings of far-fetched, unfunded new boat ramp projects which have nothing to do with the proposed transfer of this property. There is zero obligation from the project sponsors to provide any replacement or remediation, and even if they made such a pledge there is no plan or funding in place to provide a replacement. It takes many years to get a USACE “Corps” permit to do anything up to and including taking a shit on or along the Missouri River. The only reasonable conclusion from attending this meeting is that BHA is aligned with the project sponsors in repurposing this existing facility. This is affirmed by the mission statement on the BHA website which makes clear they do not support motorboat access to major rivers boasting incredible fisheries.At one point during the meeting Brock taunted that a lawsuit may be the only way to prevent this boondoggle going forward. That is certainly something I could organize. In the meantime I request that any likeminded individuals reshare this information and reach out to their local, state and federal representatives to encourage this project be stopped. Please let me know if you need help locating contact information for your elected representatives.Source: <a href="https://www.backcountryhunters.org/mission_and_values" target="_blank">https://www.backcountryhunters.org/mission_and_values</a>[ATTACH=full]67626[/ATTACH]</blockquote>

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