Conservation Funding is Economic Development

Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Frank Szollosi issued the following statement on Gov. Gianforte’s State of the State address: 

MWF appreciates working with Governor Greg Gianforte and Fish, Wildlife and Parks Director Hank Worsech on the Montana Comeback. Montana hunters and anglers support the HEART Fund and other efforts that increase the resilience of wildlife, habitat and our fellow Montanans.

MWF also appreciates the Governor’s emphasis on increasing Montana’s competitive edge in the region.  To that end, conservation funding is economic development. Montana’s $7 billion outdoor recreation economy supports good jobs & businesses. Let’s invest in it together.

“We call on the Governor to increase public access through the numerous measures like Habitat Montana that have broad support among Montanans and are fully paid for by hunters,” said Frank Szollosi, MWF executive director. “We share his goal of promoting economic development, and our outdoor recreation economy is a big part of that. 

“That’s also why we want to see the will of voters, expressed through I 190 last fall, honored by spending the other half of the increased tax dollars from recreational marijuana spent as the people clearly stated they wanted it spent – on our state parks, wildlife and on efforts to preserve our working farms and ranches to benefit longtime Montana agricultural families, hunters, anglers and all Montanans who value open space, wildlife habitat and access.”

MWF Joins Conservation and Business Groups in Support of Much-Needed oil and gas Policy Reform

After years of an unbalanced approach and energy dominance agenda that has ignored conservation and recreation values on federal public lands, MWF is proud to continue our advocacy efforts to support common-sense reform to outdated and wasteful oil and gas leasing practices. In response to President Biden’s signing of an Executive Order that issues a pause on new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, MWF joined Montana Wilderness Association, Friends of the Missouri Breaks, and Business for Montana’s Outdoors to issue the following statement of support:

Business, Conservation, and Hunting and Angling Groups

Applaud Biden’s Pause on Oil and Gas Leasing

Groups say pause is a much-needed opportunity to reform a broken leasing system

Helena, MT – A group of Montana-based business, conservation, and hunting and angling organizations have come together in support of the executive order President Biden is expected to sign today pausing oil and gas leasing on federally managed public lands.

The organizations point to the fact that 65% of all oil and gas leases in Montana, covering 1.2 million acres of public lands, are currently not being used, primarily because there is very little, if any oil and gas potential on public lands in Montana. They also point to the fact that currently there isn’t a single operating oil rig in the state.

“Our current leasing system hasn’t worked for Montana’s diverse economy and communities for a long time,” says Marne Hayes, executive director of Business for Montana’s Outdoors. “It makes no economic sense to lease public lands that have no oil and gas potential when land management agencies could instead be looking at how those lands could be used in service of creating more jobs and supporting more businesses that rely on our outdoor recreation economy – driven as it is by hunting, fishing, hiking, wildlife viewing, and other activities that, all in all, generate some $7 billion a year for our state.”

Hayes adds that the pause will not at all restrict funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund. “That’s an unfounded argument that has no basis in reality, as money for LWCF is funded entirely through currently producing off-shore oil and gas operations – which are unaffected by the pause – not areas that won’t be leased as a result of Biden’s executive order.”

Despite the fact that Montana holds little oil and gas potential, the BLM has not let up on offering hundreds of leases a year at regularly scheduled auctions. During the four years of the Trump administration, 30% of the leases the BLM auctioned off went for the minimum bid of $2 an acre.

Leases that aren’t bid on at the minimum $2 per acre are sold off the shelf for $1.50 an acre – a practice referred to as noncompetitive leasing.  During fiscal year 2018, the BLM sold more than 262,000 acres of public lands in Montana noncompetitively for a $1.50 acre.

Sen. Tester introduced a bill last year, called the Leasing Market Efficiency Act, that would have put an end to noncompetitive leasing.

“The BLM spends millions of dollars every year administering leases that lead to no oil and gas production, no jobs, no royalties, no public benefit,” says Joe Offer, executive director at Friends of the Missouri Breaks. “That’s money and resources the BLM could be spending on habitat improvements, law enforcement, and maintenance of trails, trailheads, fishing access sites, boat ramps, and many other things that are critical for Montanans’ outdoor recreation economy and our way of life.”

The group of Montana-based organizations supporting the leasing pause would like Congress and the administration to use the time to enact new policy and pass laws, such as Sen. Tester’s Leasing Market and Efficiency Act, that would reform the country’s oil and gas leasing system.

“There’s no doubt that our hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation opportunities have suffered from a broken oil and gas leasing system, which also hurts taxpayers,” said Alec Underwood, federal conservation campaigns director for the Montana Wildlife Federation. “A pause on oil and gas leasing will allow for a review of wasteful and outdated policies and ensure our $7 billion outdoor recreation economy, and the jobs it supports, are protected for this and future generations.”

Aubrey Bertram, eastern Montana field director at Montana Wilderness Association, argues that Congress must also update its bonding rates to cover reclamation costs, which haven’t been updated since the 1960s, and update royalty rates paid to local communities from nearby oil and gas production. Taxpayers for Common Sense estimate that Montanans lost out on approximately $56 million in rental revenue on federal oil and gas leases between FY09 and FY18.

“America’s current oil and gas leasing system – the leasing of publicly owned resources to private companies – is working against the American public and only serves Wall Street investors and wildcat speculators,” Bertram says. “We appreciate President Biden giving us a break while we take a hard look at this system so we can move forward with meaningful reforms to protect our Montana way of life.”

Stand up for Habitat Montana

Habitat Montana is our best conservation and access program that benefits landowners, wildlife and public hunters. It protects working farms and ranches with conservation easements that open up thousands of acres of land to public hunting and recreation. 

Now SB 115, sponsored by Sen. Keith Regier, R-Kalispell, would add a layer of government bureaucracy into ranchers’ decision on their private property by requiring state Land Board approval for conservation easements under Habitat Montana. This can kill projects that have taken two years to work out with extensive planning, including for public hunting access. 

Contact members of the Senate Fish and Game Committee and tell them to vote NO on SB 115. Tell them to support landowners’ private property rights, our farming and ranching economy and hunters’ access through the Habitat Montana program. 

PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN MESSAGE, but hit these points: 

Habitat Montana benefits working farmers and ranchers with working capital to expand their operations, and they have private property rights to do what they want with their land. 

This program improves relations between hunters and landowners, opens up access for hunters, and benefits wildlife management. 

Habitat Montana is working better than it ever has, and there’s no need to add a layer of government bureaucracy to complete good projects that have taken years to work out. 

Please vote no on SB 115 and support Montana’s landowners and hunters. 

Call and leave a message for the Senate Fish and Game Committee at 406-444-4800.

Contact the Senate Fish and Game Committee HERE.

  • Fill out the form provided.
  • Select Committees
  • Select (S) Fish and Game
  • Select Bill Type (SB) and Bill Number 115
  • Select Against 
  • Provide your message

Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

The Montana Wildlife Federation issued the following statement on the appointment of Martha Williams as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service:

“President Joseph R. Biden has made an excellent choice in appointing Martha Williams as Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service,” said Tom Puchlerz, MWF board president. “Martha has a wealth of knowledge and experience in managing public wildlife, public lands and waters, and striking that balance between people and wildlife in the many complex issues around these incredible resources.

“Montana and all Americans will benefit from her two decades of experience at both the state and federal level in wildlife law and on-the-ground management of fish, wildlife and public lands.”  

“We also urge Montana Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines to join MWF in supporting the historic nomination of Congresswoman Deb Haaland as Secretary of Interior.”

 

Contacts: 

Nick Gevock, MWF conservation director 406-533-9432

Frank Szollosi, MWF executive director 406-417-9909

MWF 2021 Legislative Leadership Guide

A full list of legislators and relevant committees is available by clicking here. 

Officers of Senate 

  • President: Mark Blasdel, R-Kalispell
  • President Pro Tempore: Jason Ellsworth, R-Hamilton
  • Majority Leader: Cary Smith, R-Billings
  • Majority Whips: Doug Kary, R-Billings; Steve Fitzpatrick, R-Great Falls; Gordy Vance, R-Belgrade
  • Minority Leader: Jill Cohenour, D-Helena
  • Minority Whips: JP Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman; Pat Flowers, D-Bozeman; Diane Sands, D-Missoula

Officers of the House of Representatives 

  • Speaker: Wylie Galt, R-Martinsdale
  • Speaker Pro Tempore: Casey Knudsen, R-Malta
  • Majority Leader: Sue Vinton, R-Billings
  • Majority Whips: Seth Berglee, R-Joliet; Dennis Lenz, R-Billings; Lola Sheldon-Galloway, R-Great Falls; Derek Skees, R-Kalispell
  • Minority Leader: Kim Abbot, D-Helena
  • Minority Caucus Chair: Marilyn Marler, D-Missoula
  • Minority Whips: Tyson Running Wolf, D-Browning; Laurie Bishop, D-Livingston; Derek Harvey, D-Butte

Who is your legislator?
If you do not know who your legislators are, you can search by your address at: https://www.leg.mt.gov/map/
 

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.