The Billings Gazette from Billings, Montana • 25

No trick to special treat (3C) 'V. blasts Reagan (5C) 1 Qlrsrrrv The Billings Gazette caucus Tros By ROBERT EKEY Gazette Bozeman Bureau BOZEMAN Trail-bike riders will ignore a Forest Service ban on their machines in the Cabin Creek area if the ban is not lifted by next July, a spokesman for the riders said Thursday. "We're not going to play the Forest Service's game. The law allows us to be in there," trail-biker Bob Garner said. "Historic use allows for the use of trail bikes.

The record's clear." The Forest Service announced Wednesday that It was reversing a previous decision to allow trail bikes in the special wildlife-management area from Sept. 1 to Dec. 1. The area had been closed to motorcycles for the past two years until late August, when the Forest Service opened the area for a two-month hunting period. Three environmental and conservation groups appealed the agency's decision.

Forest Service officials said the decision to rescind the order opening the area was based on the appeals. Signs were to be posted Thursday announcing the closure to trail-bike riders-Garner, who said he speaks for as many as 1,000 trail-bike riders in the region, said the law that created the Lee Metcalf Wilderness Area calls for historic use of 'V i "i i yy 1 ri I I JT 1 Lmi cadio stations frade places ji (Si 5 motorcycles in the area to continue. "Two years ago, we were specifically told to ride in there by the staff of Sen. John Melcher," Garner said. The advice was given to ensure that historic use patterns would be continued.

The Lee Metcalf bill gives us the right to be there, so we will continue to use the area," Gamer said. Garner said he hopes that the issue is resolved by July 1 so that any confrontation can be avoided. Snow in the area this fall prevents the use of any motorcycles now. Ross MacPherson, a spokesman for the Forest Service, said the question of whether motorcycles will be allowed in the Cabin Creek area will be addressed in the forest plan a document now being written. The forest plan may not be completed by July, he said.

If the issue is not resolved by Garner's July 1 deadline, MacPherson said, the Forest Service would enforce the travel regulations and charge any violators with a federal misdemeanor, which carries a maximum fine of $500 and up to six months in jail "We're going to enforce whatever the travel regulations are," MacPherson said. "We hope it doesn't come to that." Garner said that, by blocking use of only trail bikes, the agency would be dis-criminatintr against one eroun of Deoole. music, oldies music or religious programming. Miller says the programming change follows a national trend. A recent Wall Street Journal article said the percentage of FM radio listeners surpassed AM listeners in 1979.

"It's a move that should've been done a long time ago," Miller said. "The type of music we play on KOOK relates more to the FM audience than, to the AM audience. The modern country music played on KBIT should relate well to the AM audience." The call-letter and format changes will put KBIT in direct competition with KGHL, an AM country music station that leads the Billings radio market ratings. At the same time, KOOK will be pitted against three other FM stations that use various contemporary music formats. Two of those stations, Y-93 (KYYA) and KZLS, have been in second and third place, respec A.

Photo by Jeff while were the to and we Takin' shape Friday. Nov. 1. 1985 allowing unlimited use of the area by horsemen, hikers, snowmobilers and skiers. The environmental groups that appealed the Forest Service opening of the area the Montana Wildlife Federation, Montana Wilderness Association and the Madison-Gallatin Alliance.

On Oct 16, Gallatin National Forest Supervisor Bob Breazeale issued a letter denying the appeal. Two weeks later the deci-sion was reversed. Officials said the decision was changed after consultation with legal counseL Part of basis of the appeal was that the decision open the area was inconsistent with provisions of the Endangered Species Act the effect of opening the area on the threatened grizzly bear. Garner also said he will appeal the latest decision by the Forest Service and will request that Regional Forester James Over-bay be removed from hearing the case because of alleged prejudice against trail-bike riders. Garner said associates have told him that Overbay made some derogatory statements about trail bikes.

Garner's appeal will use the same process that environmental and conservation groups used to have the original decision reversed tively. "The contemporary pie was already split four ways," Miller said. "It used to be, were comparing apples to oranges with KOOK and the others. Now, well be comparing apples to apples." The call-letter switch was approved last month by the Federal Communications Commissioa Response to the switch has been generally positive, Miller said. Station officials researched the move with advertisers and listeners before the FCC application was filed.

"Most people we've talked to have said 'Hey, good he said. "The few complaints we've had have come from people who dont have FM radios." Miller said no personnel changes are planned for either station. KBITs country music programming will be handled by Century 21 Music Service of Texas. Cheyenne suspend chairman LAME DEER Northern Cheyenne tribal Chairman Windy Shoul-derblade was apparently suspended from office for 30 days after a long council meeting Wednesday. Tribal Vice Chairman Mark Elk Shoulder said he would not confirm or comment on reports of the suspension, but members of the council said the action had been taken.

Council members said they could not discuss reasons for the suspension. Shoulderblade has been under periodic attack since his election in September 1984. In August, the council called a special session to answer complaints in a letter signed by 11 of the 16 council members. The letter included a charge that Shoulderblade took two weeks of military leave for National Guard camp without consulting the council Shoulderblade answered all the complaints at the special council and remained in office. He said at the time that attempts to discredit him "have been going on since I came into this office." Shoulderblade was elected to the chairmanship with the endorsement of former chairman Allen Rowland who did not seek re-election after 16 years in office.

During his last term, Rowland's leadership was also subjected to several challenges. Shoulderblade was only 33 when he was selected over 12 other candidates to lead the tribe. He had been a member of the council since 1982 and was council vice president in 1983. Shoulderblade could not be reached for comment Thursday. Henry Wilbur King of Hardy Construction welds the framework for a new West Park Plaza exterior.

The $10-million remodeling project continues on schedule, ac Water from wildlife areas to be tested for selenium By PAUL J. HOLLEY Of The Gazette Staff h- Come Monday morning, listeners of Billings radio stations KOOK and KBIT will need to do some dial twisting. KOOK, which carries a contemporary music format, will be heard at 102.9 on the FM radio dial KBIT, a country music station, will move to KOOK radio's former slot at 970 on the AM dial Both stations are owned by KOOK Associates Ltd. of Billings. "As far as I know, what we're doing is unique," said Dan Miller, the stations' general manager.

"We could've simply switched the formats, but we felt KOOK radio was strongly identified with its format, so we chose to keep them together." The switch marks the end of contemporary music, or Top 40 rock 'n' roll, on Billings AM airwaves. The market's other four AM stations offer country music, beautiful Steamy spot GREAT FALLS (AP) Water samples from Benton Lake and Bowdoin national wildlife refuges will be tested by the federal government for selenium, a trace element that has poisoned a wildlife refuge in California. According to spot tests by the Sacramento (Calif.) Bee newspaper, Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge north of Great Falls had the highest level of selenium measured at any of seven wildlife refuges tested in five Western states. The level of selenium was 7,500 parts per billion in one sample of mud from the refuge. That's about 13 times the level of 564 parts per billion determined in a U.S.

Fish and Wildlife Service study to trigger damage to fish and birds. Two samples of mud from Bowdoin, which is near Malta, had selenium levels of 3,136 parts per billion and less than 100 parts per billioa The Bee's series of stories has prompted the Department of the Interior to take a closer look at the question of selenium levels in the Western United States. The U.S. Geological Survey is preparing a report that will be given to Congress next month. The survey is expected to seek extensive sampling at the 25 or 30 areas considered most likely to be experiencing selenium problems, said Tom Harris, the Bee reporter who wrote the series of articles.

A wildlife service contaminants specialist from Billings will go to Benton Lake to help the refuge manager take a dozen samples to be tested at a Billings laboratory. Gazette photo by Bob Zetlar cording to leasing agent Richard King. The project is expected to be completed in mid- to late November. The mall is being remodeled to house 40 to 50 shops. Wednesday the refuge manager at Bowdoin was taking a half-dozen mud samples to be tested for selenium.

The Bee conducted its study to determine if selenium poisoning occurring at Kesterson National Wildlife Refuge in California might be part of a larger problem. Kesterson, like Benton Lake and Bowdoin, receives irrigation return flows from Bureau of Reclamation irrigation projects. Of 42 samples taken by the Bee in nine states, the second highest level of selenium was measured in Montana. That sample which had 74,760 parts per billion of selenium was found in a plant known to accumulate selenium, which was taken from the Fairfield Bench northwest of Great Falls. But a manager of a federal irrigation project near the Bench said he did not think his project caused any selenium poisoning.

"I doubt very much whether we have a selenium problem on the project," said Jerry Nypen, Greenfield Irrigation Project manager. "I dont know how that's been taken out of proportion like it has," he said in reference to the Bee's stories published two months ago. "Water development projects throughout the country have enhanced fish and wildlife habitat dramatically," Nypen said. For instance, water from the project dilutes the poor quality water at Freezeout Lake," where the state has a wildlife-management areas, he said. ated from small producers.

The new ruling allows for fluctuating rates that developers say are not adequate to obtain investors. Still, Livingston has received two proposals to develop the wind farm and is expecting a third proposal, according to Farrell Seiler, a wind-energy consultant for the city. Seiler said there Is a "better than 50-50 chance" that five new wind machines will be on the city's property by the end of next year. But, Seiler said the companies may withdraw their proposals if specific buyback rates to be announced soon are unattractive. The city has a contract with MPC to sell A bull elk suns itself as steam rises at the Geyser Hill of Yellow- stone National Park's Upper Geyser Basin.

Wind farm investors skittish about buy back rates there," Seiler said Seiler said the companies that have made proposals have good reputations and are proposing to use state-of-the-art equipment "I am pleased with the proposals we have received" he the 18 companies that asked for more information, 12 were very serious companies. Most of them have decided to work in California now rather than Montana." One of the problems is that companies are racing with a deadline to have as many machines operating as possible by the end of this year, when federal tax credits for energy projects expire. the utility a limited amount of electricity at a fixed rate through 1992. The contract will accommodate five wind machines. Seiler said companies are not interested in coming to Montana to erect five machines bif prospects for expanding the project aren't good The wind farm can accommodate up to 150 wind machines, Seiler said, if an attractive buy-back rate were available.

"They are putting everything on hold until they know what the rate will be. The business climate for wind energy is much better right now in California, and developers are going there because they have bigger fish to fry By ROBERT EKEY Gazette Bozeman Bureau LIVINGSTON Proposals for private development on Livingston's wind farm have been fewer than expected in part because of uncertain buyback rates to be offered for electricity. Late last summer, Livingston advertised for private developers to submit proposals to develop the city's wind farm and had many requests for information. But, during the interim, the Public Service Commission announced new rules on how Montana Power Co. must pay for electricity gener.