Impact on Public Land

Editorial from Executive Director, Richard Hunt

Disturbing news out of Montana this week signals yet another warning bell for those who care about our nation’s history and public lands.

On May 22, Pompeys Pillar National Monument will reopen for the season—but with reduced hours and intermittent visitor center access due to limited staffing. Vehicle access is scheduled to be open only three days a week, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and the site’s remarkable interpretive center may or may not be open, depending on whether someone is available to staff it.

The message from site management is polite and apologetic. The message between the lines is clear: our national treasures are being quietly starved of the support they need to thrive. This should concern all of us.

Pompeys Pillar is more than a scenic outcrop above the Yellowstone River. It is one of the most iconic and tangible links to the Lewis and Clark Expedition—home to the only physical evidence left on the landscape from their journey: William Clark’s carved signature, dated July 25, 1806. His view from the top, and his decision to name the place “Pompey’s Tower” in honor of Sacagawea’s son, reminds us that these were real people, moving through real landscapes with real consequences.

Surrounding that signature are thousands of years of human history. Native American petroglyphs. Ancient trails. The stories of generations who saw the Yellowstone River not as a backdrop to history, but as a lifeline.

And yet today, we’re told that due to budget constraints, visitors may need to make do with walking in from the gate and hoping the visitor center is open.

Pompeys Pillar draws around 50,000 visitors each year, despite its rural location 25 miles northeast of Billings. That’s 50,000 opportunities to inspire students, educate families, and connect people with the deep and complex history of this land. But those opportunities are dwindling if our parks and public lands continue to be underfunded, understaffed, and undervalued.

This is not just about one site. Across the country, historic landmarks, cultural heritage sites, and public lands are being squeezed by shrinking budgets and rising demands. The National Park Service faces billions in deferred maintenance. Interpretive programs are cut. Seasonal hiring struggles. And every time a visitor arrives to find a closed door or an empty ranger station, we risk losing their interest—and their trust.

So here’s the question:

Are we, the public, willing to fight for the places that define us?

Supporting our parks means more than visiting them. It means calling our representatives. Demanding robust funding for public lands. Donating to friends groups and local foundations. Volunteering. Voting for leaders who value history, education, and the environment.

The story of Pompeys Pillar didn’t end in 1806. It’s still being written. And now, we all have a role in the next chapter.



Let’s make sure it’s one we can be proud of.

BLM Announcement----------------------------- USAToday Article

How many Calories?

What were the energy demands to pole a barge up the Missouri River?

Join us for a free on-line lecture presented by Andrew Creer who will use current data to hypothesize energy requirements of the Corps of Discovery and provide comparisons to modern data highlighting the limits of sustained physical activity.

Andrew Creer is a professor specializing in exercise science and is currently serving as the department chair for Exercise Science & Outdoor Recreation at Utah Valley University.

Thanks to funding from a Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance $7,500 grant, an auto tour brochure is being created to promote and encourage visitor traffic to interpretive and cultural centers, as well as communities, located along the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s route through South Dakota, Idaho, Washington, and Oregon.

The brochure will be an important printed and online asset that complements the Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance’s travel website

J. Greg Smith, Inc., an Omaha, Neb.-based company, that is a supporting partner with the Lewis and Clark Trail Experience, will develop the brochure that will guide visitors to historic sites where they can appreciate the expedition’s grit and tenacity.

More than 220 volunteers organized by Missouri River Relief gathered April 12 in the Kansas City region to clean up 10 miles of riverbank along the Missouri River. The project centered around LaBenite Park where Lewis and Clark camped on an island June 25, 1804.

What the volunteers found during the cleanup was an incredible assortment of trash: bike wheels, tires, balls, hiking boots, baby sandals, a troll doll, and an American flag in good condition. In total, volunteers gathered 4.28 tons of trash. Click here to see the trash tally

This was the second year in a row that the cleanup host, Missouri River Relief, held an event in the Kansas City area. On May 17, MRR also hosted a similar event in Omaha.

In operation since 2001, Missouri River Relief is a remarkable nonprofit organization that relies on volunteers who participate in extraordinary stewardship and restoration projects that benefit the river. These volunteers get up close and personal with the waterway through exploration, education and recreation.

The Lewis & Clark Trail Alliance helps support Missouri River Relief projects with Trail Stewardship Grants.

The next cleanup is October 25 on the Osage and Missouri rivers near Jefferson City, Mo. If you are in the area, consider joining in this worthwhile event.

Watch a short video about the cleanup