By Gayla Wortman Oehmcke

I think it must have been about 1999 when it all started. In the summer maybe; perhaps a very warm day with no wind to disturb the petunias carefully planted next to the sidewalk. It was a pivotal moment in the long history of Montana’s conservation districts. It was when the Yellowstone River found itself in the nation’s fish bowl because it was the “last free flowing river”.

The environmentalists/preservationists decided to have the Yellowstone River included on the Heritage Rivers list, which would have spelled disaster for the over 80% privately owned lands that border the river. Yellowstone CD organized and rallied the 12 CDs that were affected and after many battles, made the Heritage River issue go away. Following that, the Yellowstone CD then had to deal with the cumulative effects study and other issues impacting the landowners and river users. My counter-part at YCD gave me a warning to which I was compelled to pay attention. She said that it was “only a matter of time” before the Missouri River found itself in the same, rather hot, spot light. I decided to talk to Dale Marxer to get his take on it.

A few days later, at his kitchen counter over a cup of coffee and homemade cookies, Dale and I talked about the Yellowstone River predicament. It only made sense that the Missouri would be targeted next because the Yellowstone is its largest tributary. Dale and I talked about the logistics of putting together some sort of a task force to begin identifying issues along the river corridor. As we cussed and discussed, one thing above all else became glaringly clear–we didn’t know very much about the river below the Fred Robinson Bridge. So, the first thing that became evident was we had to devise a way to get everybody along the river interested in talking to us on common ground–or common water, as it were. To that end, Dale gave me the nod to start figuring out a way to get CDs on the river together. Luckily, I had the Yellowstone River CD Council to use as a model.

Together Dale and I made phone calls and wrote letters and began creating the core of what would become the MRCDC. In November at the state convention, the Council had its first official meeting–I think there was something like 57 people in attendance. That meeting was a spring board to a labor of love led by Buzz Mattelin. As Cascade CD’s representative to the Council, Dale attended every meeting and his steady, constant presence gave Buzz and I inspiration and guidance. Without Dale’s acknowledgment and recognition that there was just cause for at least exploring the idea, the MRCDC may very well not have come into existence.

That was so typical of Dale’s style. He approached everything with an open mind. Thoughtful and intuitive, Dale had patient listening skills and no matter how convoluted and confused the issue might be, Dale had an uncanny ability to see through the enigmatic murk and identify the true issue at hand. He could, and often would, disagree with points of view, but he never made it personal. He disagreed with someone the same way he agreed with them–with courtesy and respect and all the facts firmly in his grasp.

Dale firmly believed in the benefit and purpose of the river councils. He thought it was necessary, even vital, for conservation districts to think beyond their district boundaries–to plan and consider on a broader scope. He could see that the future of conservation districts in their current form would be jeopardized if they failed to move ahead with the times. When it first began, the “watershed movement” was a bit threatening to some conservation district supervisors, but after careful consideration, Dale realized that it was really the only answer to genuinely addressing natural resource problems appropriately. He embraced and promoted the notion thoroughly.

Dale Marxer was many things to many people. He was a cherished husband and father, a greatly loved and respected grandfather and great-grandfather. He was the revered patriarch of his family and this, to Dale, was his most important role. But, he always made time to be a civic leader. Ray Marxer added it up once–his Dad served a total in excess of 325 years to civic organizations. To those of us in the conservation community, Dale will always be an icon. There have been many great leaders in Montana’s conservation movement, and no doubt, there will be other great individuals, but many of us will remember Dale Marxer as one of the best. He was kind and thoughtful, dignified and gentlemanly, but if the situation warranted, he could be a daunting opponent in any scrap.

If I could wish something for us all, it would be that we all live our lives, guide our conservation districts, our river councils, our watershed groups, in the example that Dale Marxer set through his dedication and leadership. I don’t think any of us fully realize yet how much we are going to miss him.