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BIG WIN FOR PUBLIC HUNTERS

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Front Teton County Road photo by Nick Gevockforweb

Access and opportunity. They’re two things the Montana Wildlife Federation works hard to preserve for Montana hunters and anglers. And they’re two things that will be gained this year when a new access is opened up into an area along the Rocky Mountain Front west of Choteau.

Thanks to the dedication of the Russell Country Sportsmen’s Association, and in particular Randy Knowles, an agreement was reached this summer between RCSA, Teton County, the state Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and owners of the Salmond Ranch to open up the new access point. The access provides walk-in and horseback access to roughly 50,000 acres of public land in the Deep Creek area along the Front. The access is opening just in time for big game season later this month.
It’s new access. And it opens up a lot of hunting opportunity. The deal was reached after years of negotiations and some legal wrangling over whether Teton County Road 380 was in fact a public right of way. Sportsmen led by RCSA said it was. Members of the Salmond family in 2012 brought a quiet title action on the road, which had been posted no trespassing. Teton County, the DNRC and Knowles intervened, contending it was a public route.

Under the settlement agreement reached in July, the Salmond family agreed to create a new public road along the border with its property that leads to state trust lands. DNRC agreed to pay for a public parking area as well as maintain weeds along the road.

The road will be open from July 1 through Dec. 31. That allows public access for hunting, hiking and other recreational pursuits in summer and fall, while protecting the area during calving and fawning season as well as in the winter when the area is used as winter range.

The parking lot opens access to 1,900 acres of state land, roughly 38,000 acres of the Lewis and Clark National Forest in the Bob Marshall Wilderness and about 10,000 acres of Bureau of Land Management land in the area.

The settlement opens up an area for foot and horseback hunting that was previously only reachable by coming in 25 miles from the north or south. It represents a major win for the sporting public, while still protecting the important wildlife and habitat values along the Front.

It’s important to build on this success and address the issue of gated public roads leading to public land. MWF in the last Legislature brought several bills to improve public access to public land. They failed to pass. But we are going to keep up the effort to solve this problem and bring back these bills. Russell Country Sportsmen, an MWF affiliate, worked tirelessly on this, and deserves credit for this victory. Hopefully it’s a building block for a statewide solution.

The Teton County Road 380 blockage was highlighted last year in Roadblocked & Landlocked, a joint report by Montana Wildlife Federation and Public Land/Water Access Association on unlawful public access closures in Montana.

CONGRESS MUST STOP RAIDING LWCF

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In 1964, Congress enacted the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) to set aside a portion of federal revenues from offshore oil and gas development to pay for parks, wildlife habitat, and other natural areas. In other words, the money the federal government makes from developing public resources is dedicated back into conserving other public resources.

LWCF provides a simple, common-sense way to offset some of the impacts of oil and gas drilling and support much-needed land conservation without using taxpayer dollars. It’s no wonder that LWCF was enacted with bipartisan support. Republicans and Democrats all saw the thrifty wisdom in this common-sense program.

Under the law, the LWCF is supposed to provide $900 million a year in funding to purchase land, water, and public access. Over the last 50 years, the fund has accrued a total of about $36 billion from offshore oil and gas drilling.

Unfortunately, Congress has regularly raided the LWCF to cover other government spending. Nearly every year since the program has created, Congress has voted to divert the fund to pay for other government expenditures.

Nobody knows exactly where LWCF dollars have gone, but we do know that less than half of the intended funding has actually ended up in land protection. More than $19 billion of the LWCF has been spent on pork barrel construction projects, unnecessary government programs, and abandoned military hardware – but not the land and water protection the law intended.

Despite the diversion of funds, the LWCF has had some real successes. Over the last 50 years, LWCF has resulted in about $16 billion in funding nationwide, protecting everything from national forest wilderness lands to fishing access sites to urban parks. Over $400 million has gone to Montana projects. These funds have protected important lands in the Blackfoot Valley, on the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Greater Yellowstone region, and all over the state. LWCF has been used to acquire most of Montana’s fishing access sites as well as key parcels that open up large areas of “land-locked” public land for hunting and fishing.

LWCF has meant a lot for Montana. The fund has help provide communities across the state with new municipal pools, golf courses, tennis courts, baseball fields, town parks and trails. It’s also been used in Montana to preserve forest lands that help protect the water supplies that we depend on for drinking water and irrigation. LWCF is used to obtain public access sites to our rivers and public lands and has been crucial to protecting hunting, fishing, backpacking and every other outdoor activity that makes Montana such a great place to live. In addition to supporting our quality of life, the program has fueled the Treasure State’s $6 billion outdoor recreation economy.

Fortunately for us, both Senator Jon Tester and Senator Steve Daines have expressed support for LWCF, and they have both cosponsored Senate Bill 338, which permanently authorizes the program. That’s a great start. Senator Tester has gone a step further and also cosponsored Senate Bill 890, which both permanently authorizes the fund and locks in the $900 million in annual spending, protecting it from future budget raids.

Just imagine what we could accomplish if Congress stopped hijacking LWCF and allowed all of the funds to go to their intended purpose. With a 50 year track record, this program doesn’t need any debate, evaluation, or “reform.” The partially-funded LWCF has done great things for Montanans and all Americans. The time has come for our elected officials to restore full funding to LWCF.

Kathy Hadley lives in Deer Lodge. She is president of the Montana Wildlife Federation.
A version of this article appeared in the Helena IR. You can see that version here

Help us secure FULL funding for the LWCF. See how you can GET INVOLVED or DONATE TODAY!

LAND AND WATER CONSERVATION FUND

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The Land and Water Conservation Fund has helped secure nearly 70% of the fishing access sites in Montana.

The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) has been one of our nation’s most successful conservation programs. The program puts aside a portion of federal revenue from offshore oil and gas leasing to fund land conservation. Over the last 50 years, the LWCF has played a crucial role in protecting habitat and opening up public access.

Since 1964, the LWCF has resulted in roughly $16 billion in spending nationwide, protecting everything from backcountry national forest lands to urban parks. Montana has received over $400 million in funding from LWCF. These funds have protected important lands in the Blackfoot Valley, on the Rocky Mountain Front, in the Greater Yellowstone region, and all over the state. LWCF funds have also been used to acquire key parcels that open up large areas of “land-locked” public land for hunting and fishing.

In the 2016 fiscal year, LWCF funding could go a long way in continuing the legacy of Montana conservation. Projects that would benefit from funding include improvements to the High Divide Landscape of the continental divide – ensuring crucial wildlife corridors are kept open, watersheds are healthy and full of native fish, and access is maintained. Montana refuges are also slated to receive funding, keeping some of our most important wildlife habitat areas healthy and accessible for hunters, anglers, and other recreationists. In all, over $30 million from LWCF could go towards improvements and investments in Montana.

However, the federal law that created the LWCF is slated to expire this year. If Congress does not take action, the program will cease to operate. The pressure is on for reauthorization. Senator Jon Tester and Senator Steve Daines have both cosponsored Senate Bill 338, which permanently authorizes the LWCF. Senator Daines has already successfully pushed through an amendment that increases the fund’s current levels by $14 million to $306 million annually – if it is reauthorized. Senator Tester has gone a step further and also cosponsored Senate Bill 890 which both permanently authorizes the fund, and permanently returns it to its original $900 million annual levels.

With the clock ticking, Montana’s hunters, anglers, and other recreationists are watching to see if Congress can get the job done on reauthorizing the LWCF. Our state’s unmatched recreational access – and our $6 billion outdoor economy – depend on it.

Montana sportsmen praise Bullock’s veto of anti-public lands bill

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May 1, 2015

Montana sportsmen are thanking Governor Steve Bullock for vetoing controversial legislation that would have paved the way to selling off public lands.

Bullock today rejected HB 496, sponsored by Rep. Kerry White (R-Bozeman). The bill would have created a task force to consider management of all federal lands in Montana, including Indian Reservations and Department of Defense lands along with national forests and grasslands. This task force would have been a first step toward selling public lands and closing off public access. In its original form, HB 496 was focused on the transfer of public lands to the state of Montana.

“This anti-public lands bill was a bad idea for Montana every step of the way, and we’re grateful to Governor Bullock for standing with Montanans against any scheme to ultimately close off our public lands,” said Joelle Selk, president of the Montana Bowhunters Association. “We join tens of thousands of Montanans in calling on our elected leaders to stop pushing out-of-state, astro-turf plans to weaken our outdoor heritage.”

The issue of transferring public lands has been contentious this legislative session, drawing roughly 500 people to the capitol for a rally on President’s Day to protest efforts lead by Rep. White and Sen. Jennifer Fielder (R-Thompson Falls) to implement the public land takeover agenda of the Utah-based American Lands Council.

“After the rallies, the petition, and countless opinion pieces in statewide newspapers all opposing transfer, it’s clear that Montanans have shut the door on this scheme,” says Dave Chadwick, executive director of Montana Wildlife Federation. “We thank the governor for listening to Montanans and vetoing the one and only transfer bill to sneak through the Legislature.”

Public lands contribute to an outdoor recreation economy that creates 64,000 direct jobs in Montana and pumps nearly $6 billion into the local economy while providing a stable tax base of over $500 million per year.

“Public land management is complex. It requires honest conversations and hard work from folks on the ground, like we have with our Citizen Advisory Committees & Resource Advisory Committees,” said John Sullivan, co-chair of the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. “For anyone to say that Montana’s public lands are only managed by D.C. bureaucrats is disingenuous. Local working groups spend countless hours collaborating with land managers to decide how to best manage public lands for all Americans. That’s truly democracy in action.”

“Montanan’s Bighorn Sheep live primarily on public land,” said Brian Solan, president of the Montana Wild Sheep Foundation. “We’re very pleased that Governor Bullock vetoed a poorly thought-out bill that could have put bighorns as well as our $6 billion outdoor economy at risk. It’s time to move beyond the rhetoric of transferring and selling public land, and work together to implement better management solutions. We’re ready to do that.”

Read the governor’s veto letter.
HB 496 Veto

Phil Tawney Hunters Conservation Endowment

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The Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) and the Phil Tawney Hunters Conservation Endowment are accepting applications for the 2015 round of annual grants and scholarships.  In the last ten years, the Endowment has awarded more than $50,000 in scholarships and grants to further Montana’s hunting, wildlife and outdoor heritage.

Established in 1998, the Endowment honors the late Phil Tawney, a fourth generation Montanan, lifetime sportsman, and conservation leader.  Tawney was dedicated to protecting Montana’s fish and wildlife and their vulnerable habitats as he chased waterfowl in the Bitterroot Valley, elk in the Great Burn and Cinnabar Basin, and trout in the blue ribbon waters of the Big Hole River and Rock Creek.  The Endowment was created to continue his legacy by educating the public about habitat and wildlife and involving young people in hunting and conservation.

Project grants are available to 501(c)(3) groups to support one-year projects that involve young people in hunting and conservation, create healthy wildlife habitats, support public policy changes to conserve habitat, and promote hunting ethics, fair chase, and safety.  Projects typically range from $500 – $5,000.

Scholarships are awarded to Montana college students who are studying academic fields that relate to conservation, exhibit a commitment to public hunting ethics and fair chase, and support habitat conservation and wildlife protection.  The scholarships provide $1,000 to support any expenses related to the pursuit of a college degree.

For information about the application process visit www.montanawildlife.org or contact Mark Dostal at MWF at 406-458-0227 or mdostal@mtwf.org. The deadline for grant and scholarship applications is January 16, 2015 with awards to be announced by March 1, 2015.

 

2015 Tawney
Grant Application

2015 Tawney
Scholarship Application

Jeff Lukas – MWF Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas

Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.