From the Monday, May 14, 2007 online edition of the Missoulian . . .

(Ben Long is a well-known environmental writer from Kalispell.)

It’s not every day the federal government orders a book off the shelves, so you can imagine Ben Long’s surprise when he learned last week his work would be pulled and pulped.

“It’s not like it’s a blockbuster or anything,” the Kalispell author said, “but it’s been good to me.”

And the pulper? The National Park Service, an agency, ironically, that Long has championed for years.

Trouble is, the latest soft-cover release of Long’s award-winning book – “Backtracking: By Foot, Canoe and Subaru Along the Lewis and Clark Trail” – features that famous silhouette image of the Corps of Discovery leaders pointing into the distance.

Despite its appearing on road signs for some 40 years now, turns out the National Park Service owns that image and has the right to reel in Long’s book.

Which is exactly what it has done.

Read the entire article . . .