Code of the West gone south
by Julie Carter
The West has long been a frontier to those seeking a
romanticized version of it or simply the quiet solitude away from the noise of
an industrial civilization. Ours is a nation of immigrants -- people who have
never been content to stay in one place but always wanting to see what is “over
there.”
The frontier has been the line separating civilization from
wilderness. For hundreds of years in America it has been a fluid line, moving
westward as men sought open spaces and new horizons. In the 19th
century, people who were willing to take a chance on the unknown moved to a
vast, unsettled land beckoned to the daring and called to hardy, courageous
folks of pioneer stock.
The call of the wild is the same in the 21st
century but comes with issues that catch these new pioneers by surprise. The
new 20-acre piece of paradise requires owners to realize they aren’t in the
suburbs any more.
Poor roads, wildlife damage, water shortages, high utility
costs and the threat of wildfires are just a few major items on the list for
these new pioneers.
Many city dwellers move into the country and expect to get
the same local government services they received in town. They want the
solitude of living in the country but they also want 911 to respond in three
minutes to a residence 25 minutes from the nearest emergency station.
It is such a common issue in rural communities across the
West that many have compiled information into publications to be distributed to
prospective property owners. Some of these booklets are titled “Code of the
West” in reference to the Code of the
West novel by Zane Grey. The original unwritten code - based on integrity,
self-reliance and accountability – guided the men and women who moved into the
region during the westward expansion.
Most of the today’s “code books” cover water rights, split
estates and open range. Many explain why dogs can’t run wild and why rural
residents often have to haul their own garbage. They warn that roads might not
get plowed, cell phone service could be iffy, and emergency response time
longer. They also address accepting “ag-related annoyances” that existed long
before they moved in.
One example is the 52-page booklet from Sweet Grass County, Montana
offering information on everything from fire prevention to noxious weeds to
billboards. It gives suggestions for preserving viewsheds and designing homes
compatible with the rural landscape.
County commissions and a long list of agencies continue to
address complaints and demands from these new pioneers who, one issue at a
time, try to turn the West into the East under the guise of their rights as
taxpayers.
Those that were in the West before the new pioneers arrived
fight to keep the simple basics lives they led before the onslaught of
subdivisions and the pandemic growth of golf courses.
It is America
and subject to ongoing change, even in the West. And those ag-related
annoyances? They are someone’s
livelihood that undoubtedly have become disturbed by the un-ag-related
annoyances that just moved a double wide home into the pasture next door.
A Code of the West booklet might be the answer for those
willing to accept the changes. But for most, I suggest making the covers
something tasty and edible. At least they’ll find some use for it.
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