State House members on the Judiciary Committee heard from hunters and county commission advocates Thursday that a bill to increase the fine for gating a county road would improve public access and local government authority.
HB 295, sponsored by Rep. Tom Jacobson, R-Great Falls, would take the outdated $10 per day fine for gating a county road and bump it up to up to $500 per day, with no minimum fine. It would also allow county commissioners to issue encroachment permits to farmers and ranchers when it’s needed for fencing and other issues, while maintaining that roads remain open.
The Montana Wildlife Federation worked with the Montana Association of Counties for over a year to craft this needed measure. And it showed in the hearing, with MACO Executive Director Harold Blattie testifying for the measure. Several MWF members from Helena and Anaconda also showed up in support, testifying that hunters lose access to thousands of acres of public land when a county road to reach it gets gated.
The only opponents were the United Property Owners of Montana, a group that also opposes our stream access law, and the Rocky Mountain Stockgrowers. The major statewide agricultural organizations stayed out of the bill.
Questions abounded about what is exactly a county versus a public road, and whether people could be fined in disputed cases. But in the end, it was made clear that the bill was narrowly written to apply to established county roads, and the fines would only apply once that is established and a road is gated.
State legislators almost across the board say they’re for public access. HB 295 is the access bill of the session, and it’s time for legislators to show where they are on this key issue.
Fill out the form below to send an email directly to the head of the Judiciary Committee, Chairman Doane and show your support for HB 295.
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