Thanks to your hard work, Montana’s premier conservation and access program, Habitat Montana, was fully restored.
HB 5, the state capital improvement budget, passed the House in a final vote on Friday and is heading to Gov. Bullock for his signature. The bill includes Habitat Montana, a program paid for by hunter license dollars that provides funding for conservation projects.
For over two decades Habitat Montana has protected working farms and ranches through conservation easements, and allowed Montana to buy key parcels from willing sellers, securing hunting access and fishing sites. The 2015 Montana Legislature put a rider on the state budget that barred future purchase of land. Thanks to calls and emails from you and many other MWF members, legislators ended that restriction in this year’s budget.
Thank you for responding to all of MWF’s calls-to-action. And we also owe a big thanks to the coalition of hunting and angling organizations that came together this session to make restoring Habitat Montana the top priority in the 2017 Legislature. Working together, we are ensuring that future generations will also experience the hunting, fishing, and other great outdoor recreation we enjoy today.
“I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the area where we were hunting. We were in what people who hunt refer to as “big country.” I was blown away by the grandeur of the towering buttes, the serenity of the golden plains, the mystery of the dark coulees, and the overall enormity of the public land we were privileged to hunt.”
While hunters of Montana eagerly await their draw results, here’s the story of MWF board member Marcus Strange on a successful Missouri Breaks archery hunt. This area is under a new BLM planning process, visit montanawildlife.org/lewistownrmp to learn more and get involved.
We’re down to the final days of the 2017 Legislature, and this past week was a good one for wildlife and habitat in our state.
Habitat Montana on track
Habitat Montana, the state’s premier conservation tool to protect vital habitat and provide access for hunters and anglers, cleared another hurdle last week. The program is included in HB 5, the state’s capital improvements bill, and last week it passed out of the Senate.
HB 5 was amended in the Senate and has to go back to the House for concurrence. If it does, the bill will be heading to the governor for his signature. Montana’s hunters and anglers will again be able to acquire quality wildlife habitat, and will gain access to those lands as well as adjoining public lands for hunting.
Constitutional referendum fails
SB 236 would have put before Montana voters a constitutional amendment that created a right to hunt, fish and trap. While Montanans overwhelmingly support our outdoors traditions, the measure was fraught with legal problems that could have affected private property rights, the ability of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to differentiate between resident and non-resident hunters for license pricing, and the ability for state biologists to manage big game, birds and fish.
The measure requires 100 votes, and earlier in the session received 30 votes in the Senate. It hit the House floor after a 10-9 vote in the Judiciary Committee, but was amended and only received 48 votes for it. A motion to reconsider SB 236 came up on Thursday, but it went down even harder in a 38-62 vote.
Habitat bill amended
A bill that brought together landowners, hunters, counties and others, HB 434, was amended for the worse this week. The bill would have allowed FWP to work on habitat improvement projects on public and private land, including weed treatment. Any project would have to be approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and would have required matching dollars. But the Senate Fish and Game committee amended into the bill large sections of HB 651. That was a bad bill that would have gutted Habitat Montana, and created a redundant access specialist position that already exists. The bill is heading back to the Senate and could go to a conference committee, where it will hopefully be restored to a good bill that benefits habitat.
Deer permits, outfitter check in and more
In other bills, SB 171 that would have limited the ability for FWP to issue unlimited deer permits to manage harvest was table in the House FWP committee. SB 185 that would have allowed an outfitter to report clients’ game animals died in House FWP. Several other bills that have been broad consensus measures are making their way to the governor.
Winding down
The Legislature is taking a four day break over the Easter holiday, and will be back on Tuesday. It will be working to finish the state operating budget (HB 2) and working to get an infrastructure improvement bill passed. It’s close to the finish.
As always, check the Montana Wildlife Federation bill tracker at montanawildlife.org/billtracker for the most up-to-date information on bills and where they’re at in the process. For questions, contact MWF Conservation Director Nick Gevock at ngevock@mtwf.org or by calling 458-0227 ext. 108.
With much of eastern Montana under private ownership, quality public land around the Billings area is highly valued by hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts. Grant Marsh, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks public Wildlife Management Area located 50 miles southeast of Billings near Hardin, provides public hunting and fishing opportunities to thousands of Montanans.
The wildlife management area, nestled alongside the Big Horn River and surrounded by agricultural lands, provides hunting opportunity for white-tailed deer, pheasant, sharp-tail grouse and waterfowl. On the many occasions I’ve gone searching for a September grouse, I have also come across families taking advantage of the area to introduce their young children to fishing.
Now we have a chance to build on this great area to benefit all Montanans. Montana FWP is proposing to use Habitat Montana dollars to purchase 425 acres to add on to the Grant Marsh WMA. Habitat Montana uses sportsmen’s dollars to acquire conservation easements, leases and select purchases suitable for game, bird, fish restoration, propagation or protections and for public hunting, fishing or trapping areas.
The proposed 425 acres borders the south end of the current 141 acre WMA, creating a large block of wildlife habitat. If approved, the pieced-together parcels would create the largest block of public land along the Bighorn River and provide a boat launch, ponds, hunting opportunities and wildlife habitat for thousands of Montanans to enjoy.
Quality public wildlife habitat that provides hunting and fishing opportunities in eastern Montana is becoming rarer. We have a unique opportunity to increase public land, water and access while providing quality habitat for future generations to enjoy. Having places open to the public where future generations can go to experience the best of what of Montana has to offer is something we can all get behind.
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the purchase this week, and it goes to the State Land Board for final approval on Monday, April 17. We are hopeful our public officials see the value in adding to our wildlife and public lands heritage and approve this worthy project.
John Bradley is the Eastern Montana Field Representative for the Montana Wildlife Federation. Contact him at jbradley@mtwf.org
The finish line is in sight for the 2017 Montana Legislature, and several key measures affecting wildlife, habitat and hunting and angling opportunities are shaping up to work out well for sportsmen and sportswomen. As of last week, Montana’s premier habitat protection and access program, Habitat Montana, was moving through the Legislature intact, meaning hunters will again be able to protect habitat through conservation easements and purchase crucial habitat.
Habitat Montana
This program, which uses a small fee on hunting licenses to protect working farms and ranches with conservation easements as well as give Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks the ability to buy key parcels, is in HB 5. That’s the state capital improvements bill. Last session Habitat Montana had a budget rider put on it that barred new purchases of land that weren’t in the works. HB 5 last week was heard in the Senate Finance and Claims committee, where several sportsmen and conservation organizations as well as individuals showed up to show support to restore this popular program.
Constitutional Referendum
SB 236 would put to voters in 2018 a constitutional referendum that establishes hunting, fishing and trapping as a right. It sounds good, but a little digging reveals that the measure is full of problems for property rights, for resident hunters and for Montana FWP to manage wildlife. The measure would invite litigation and could make it impossible to discern between resident and non-resident hunters in license pricing as well as limiting hunting licenses for non-residents. The bill was heard in the House Judiciary committee and had several proponents, but also numerous opponents including a property rights attorney and several conservation organizations. MWF opposes the bill as hastily written and for the potential consequences it could have for our sporting traditions.
Habitat Improvements
Another bill would create a committee to oversee habitat improvement projects, HB 434. The bill would use a combination of federal and state dollars and individuals could apply for grants to do projects including weed treatments. Projects would have to be approved by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission. The bill has passed the House and was heard last week in the Senate Fish and Game committee.
State Parks Bill
HB 324, which would change the state parks division so that the Parks Board would hire and oversee the executive director of the division, is heading to Gov. Bullock. MWF opposed the bill for the problems it could cause within the agency, as well as the potential threat to federal excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, sporting gear and fishing tackle.
Looking Ahead
This week the hearing to confirm Martha Williams as FWP director will be held April 11 at 3 p.m. in Senate Fish and Game. Most bill hearings are over and the committees need to take executive action on bills hanging out there because the Legislature is trying to get done early.
As always, check the Montana Wildlife Federation bill tracker at montanawildlife.org/billtracker for the most up-to-date information on bills and where they’re at in the process. For questions, contact MWF Conservation Director Nick Gevock at ngevock@mtwf.org or by calling 458-0227 ext. 108.
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.
