Park board hears grievance on grazing issue

At its monthly meeting Monday night the Hill County Park Board heard a request from Debbie and Ray Kallenberger that they be given access to grazing land they allege was improperly given to area grazers when they were given no chance to apply to use.

Debbie Kallenberger said in 2009 her family sold the cattle they had grazing on the park after a cancer diagnosis, and they requested that the board’s grazing committee let them keep the lease but let someone else use it.

Kallenberger said the committee allowed this, but after three years when the couple still didn’t have cattle on the land the allotment was terminated.

She said once they had built their herd back up in 2016 or 2017 they asked to be put on the waiting list for land, and when they called last year to see where they were on the list she was told they were at the bottom.

A year ago, she said, they heard a family member of theirs was moving and would be leting his grazing lease go, and when they inquired about this land they were told to call the family member for permission to use it.

Kallenberger said that under board policy, when existing grazers sell, retire or die their family members may apply for grazing in that area, no permission necessary, but when she inquired about an application she was told there were none and they need to get permission.

She said the parts of the allotment they were interested in were then divided up among area grazers without any consideration of them, and because this violates the board’s policy she’s requesting that the matter be looked into.

Hill County Commissioner Diane McLean, a member of the Park Board and its grazing committee, said the board and committee are clearly not following their own policies and in five years of being on the committee she has never seen the applications the Kallenbergers talked about, nor an official waiting list.

McLean said the way this allotment was handled needs to be examined.

Bill Bradbury, a Havre-area rancher who also uses the park said the allotment’s previous Lessee clearly wanted the land to go back to the park and for other grazers to make use of it.

McLean said the policy clearly states that it’s the board’s responsibility to divide allotments like this between current grazers and those on the waiting list in the most fair way possible, which would include the Kallenbergers.

Beaver Creek Park Superintendent Chad Edgar said ranchers need to put a request in writing for that land and they need to set up an application process.

Retired Rangeland Management Specialist Lou Hagener, who attended as a member of the public, said the Kallenbergers are correct that there should be an application process under board policy, and he drafted applications in 2013 for just that purpose, but they were rejected by the board.

Hagener said he would provide these application drafts to the board.

After some discussion the matter was tabled until the next board meeting.

At the meeting, Edgar also provided an update on the lodge stabilization and remodeling project.

He said they are still waiting on final designs but Bear Paw Development Corp. is using information they do have to write up the grant application for the project.

McLean said the project has received multiple letters of support, and Edgar said it has been a good response.