In your Jan. 23 article “Gianforte says he’ll work with Biden, lays out clashes,” our governor took strong exception to President Biden’s Executive Order re. COVID-19 protections in federal buildings and on federal lands. Even a quick reading of this article would suggest that Gov. Gianforte either didn’t bother to read the executive order, and related CDC guidelines, or he’s just trying to score cheap political points against the new administration.
Biden’s executive order requires compliance with CDC guidelines with respect to wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, and other public health measures by all persons in federal buildings or on Federal lands.
The CDC Guidelines read, in part as follows:
Wear Masks: Everyone should wear a mask in public settings and when around people who don’t live in your household, especially when other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain.
Stay 6 feet away from others: Outside your home put 6 feet of distance between yourself and people who don’t live in your household.
The CDC guidelines govern in these situations and clearly pose no meaningful hardship on the citizens of Montana when on federal lands. Social distancing is ridiculously easy when on federal
lands in our great state. About the only time social distancing might even be challenging would be at places like crowded trailheads or when encountering others on a trail where physical conditions make six feet of separation difficult — at which time masks would not just be required but absolutely desirable for all concerned.
It would seem Gov. Gianforte does not to understand the underlying requirements of the executive order and is just trying to score cheap political points at a time when our new president is simply trying to wrestle this pandemic to the ground after nearly a year of ineffective response by his predecessor.
Robert Smith
Bozeman
Bozeman Daily Chronicle Letter to the Editor 2/2/21