So I'm not sure what exactly you were looking for regarding replies, but I'll happily put in my two-cents on the Smith. Five years ago, while I was still attending the University of Montana, one of my roommates drew a permit to float it in April, and I can say that it was an unbelievable journey. Despite the unpredictable weather and low flows of early spring, our crew of eight thoroughly enjoyed it. I've since been in the Bob Marshall on several hiking-fishing trips and believe that the Smith rivals the experience.
I am a burgeoning libertarian, and believe that we need to encourage, rather than limit, economic opportunities for Americans. However, I voted against the Smith River mine, because the river provides us with a rapidly diminishing opportunity to partake in a wilderness-like float, and I believe we need to protect it. Now, I know the Smith River corridor is not a wilderness, and that floaters encounter signs of humanity (including an opportunity to golf), but for those four days, each fifteen mile stretch of water was ours and we definitely felt like we were in the wilderness. With so few opportunities like this left in Montana, it seems foolish to put the river-corridor at potential risk.
If you need more specific details for your paper, feel free to pm me. I'd be happy to share, but wasn't sure if the moderators wanted me writing an essay for a post!
