It'll Take More Than Blue Paint

Recently there was an article in the Missoulian by George Ochenski suggesting a way to “enhance access to public lands” is to “paint the corner posts on all state land sections blue.” He thinks that would make it so “any member of the public would know immediately whether the land they seek to access is public....”

Well, that may identify the state land but it wouldn’t necessarily make it available to any member of the general public. First of all, assuming they could get there without trespassing on private land, according to State statutes, anyone without a valid hunting or fishing license w...