“Bud always seems to look at things from the fish’s point of view. As a result, his conservation philosophy is unyielding: he is committed to protecting and preserving the rivers and streams that make the West one of the greatest trout fisheries in the world. Catch-and-release fishing is imperative to this end. “I haven’t kept a fish for probably thirty years,” Bud says, at once reflecting his personal philosophy and a sensible preservation strategy. He’s been promoting responsible environmental practices since 1950, long before it became fashionable to do so.”
Mike England, Outside Bozeman
anyone, anytime, to the unimaginably horrific damage of war—the stuff of nightmares. With 22 million veterans in the United States, and an appreciative population, disabled vets are held in special esteem. Without regard to political ideology, everyone supports disabled vets. No exceptions. And, as it happened, everyone (it seemed) did show up to help Lilly and Crawford. The first recruit of the fishing access army was Esther Lilly, who spent two years negoti- ating Crawford’s purchase of the land from the Campbell family (who were ultimately generous in the sale price). The State of Montana joined with the American Legion in accepting Crawford’s donation of the land for creation of the fishing park. An adjoining Gallatin County park to the east became a welcome buffer of open space, where one can still conjure the chuff and clank of passenger trains which once passed nearby on their way to Chicago or Seattle. The resulting three-acre parcel, with more than a quarter-mile of river frontage, was soon razed of the boarding house and 124 tons of clutter and junk, tidied by
Bud Lilly with Tim Crawford
www.distinctlymontana.com
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