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Capitol Report: Budgets and Bills

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Capitol-Griz

The 2017 Legislature was back at it after the transmittal break, and lawmakers in the House got to work to pass Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks budget and send it to the Senate.

The operating budget, HB 2, contains the funding for the operations at FWP. The bill was heard before the House Appropriations committee, and passed with a few amendments. One of those is problematic because it uses federal Pittman Robertson firearm and ammunition excise tax dollars for law enforcement, which puts restrictions on what game wardens can use their time working on. We will be working to get that amended out when HB 2 is heard in the Senate Finance and Claims committee.

The budget also does one-time-only funding for the Parks and Communications and Education departments within FWP. While that’s not ideal for planning, it will give those departments a chance to review their budgets coming into the 2019 Legislature.

Next week, the House Appropriations committee will hear HB 5, the capitol improvements bill for the state that includes the Habitat Montana program. MWF has worked with 11 other sportsmen and conservation organizations to build a coalition to get Habitat Montana spending authority fully restored. We will be organizing to ensure that the committee hears the voices of hunters and anglers about the importance of our best habitat and access program.

Livestock Loss Prevention

SB 73 to renew the state Livestock Loss program was heard this week in the House Agriculture committee. This bill brings together conservation and agriculture groups to seek solutions to the difficult issues of living with wolves and grizzly bears. The bill renews the program that would sunset this year, and it includes funding for prevention work that includes carcass management, fencing and range riders. MWF has worked throughout the past year to build successful programs that benefit people and wildlife.

Hunters Against Hunger, CWD and other bills

SB 183, to lift the sunset on the Hunters Against Hunger program, passed out of House FWP and is sailing toward passage. In addition, this week SJ 9, calling for a study of chronic wasting disease, passed out of the Senate Fish and Game committee 7-4. We strongly support this effort to look into the biggest threat to ungulate herds and how to prepare for its arrival in Montana.

In addition, HB 324 to overhaul how state parks are managed passed out of the House. MWF opposes this bill and will work on the Senate side to kill it. While we understand that the parks have maintenance issues, those are best handled within the department under the leadership of the FWP director.

As always, check the Montana Wildlife Federation bill tracker at montanawildlife.org 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.

Muddying Montana’s Waters

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Scenic 2 - Matt Rogers

Rivers, streams, lakes and wetlands play an integral role in the lives of many Montanans. The waters that give us a place to fish, hunt, and float deserve to be protected. Unfortunately, hunters and anglers are seeing that, once again, our streams, lakes, and wetlands are under attack.

An executive order just issued by the Trump Administration would repeal the Clean Water Rule, removing the protections of the Clean Water Act from hundreds of thousands of miles of streams and waterways in Montana and across the nation. In fact, this directive removes protections for 60 percent of the nation’s stream miles and 20 million acres of wetlands.

The Clean Water Rule was developed by the EPA and Corps of Engineers over several years of work, and was intended to clarify legal confusion that existed in the past. The agencies met with over 400 stakeholder groups, including the energy industry, farmers, ranchers, and hunters and anglers. The EPA listened to concerns from the farmers and ranchers and made sure that the rule explicitly excludes artificial irrigation systems, ponds, and ditches, while also reaffirming existing exemptions for normal farming, ranching, and forestry practices.

Under the new executive order, a mining company will no longer need any government permission to dredge the creek upstream from your local trout honey hole. They won’t need permission to build a road through a creek or channel and divert the river to create settling ponds.

Anyone who has spent a day fishing a mountain creek or an early morning in a duck marsh knows how fragile those environments can be. As anglers and hunters, we are careful to respect streambeds and shorelines. Industrial users should also be required to take care of the resource.

In addition to providing quality habitat and hunting and fishing opportunity, small streams and seasonal wetlands provide drinking water for one in three Americans. These areas trap floodwaters, recharge groundwater supplies, and filter out pollution. Approximately 54% of Montana’s population uses public drinking water systems that rely on clean surface water; the rest of Montanans rely on clean groundwater.

John Bradley is MWF’s Eastern Field Representative. You can reach him at jbradley@mtwf.org

Capitol Report: Resolutions Pass Before Transmittal

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Last week was a short one for the Montana Legislature, with only the House in session after the Senate adjourned Feb. 24. The House had very few committee hearings, but the floor sessions contained several wildlife and habitat related measures.

Roadblocked bill

The Montana Wildlife Federation crafted and pushed for HB 295, which would have increased the fine for gating an established county road from the current $10 per day to up to $500 per day. The bill was tabled earlier in the session in the House Judiciary committee in a 10-9 vote. But sponsor Rep. Tom Jacobson worked to blast it Monday onto the House floor, which would have triggered a debate the next day. The motion failed in a 48-51 vote.

Wilderness Study Area Releases

MWF and our conservation partners also worked to defeat HJ 9, which would have released hundreds of thousands of acres of National Forest lands in Montana for future wilderness designation consideration. More than 70 people attended the hearing to oppose the measure, but it passed out of committee and went to the floor. It passed 56-44 and goes on to the Senate.

Grizzly Delisting

Another resolution calling for Congress to go around the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and take grizzly bears throughout Montana off the Endangered Species Act passed last week. HJ 15 passed the House 63-37 in a bipartisan vote. MWF testified against the bill and will continue to oppose it. Although we supported delisting the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem grizzly population, we believe it should go through the correct process and be limited to that population.

Public Lands Day

On a positive note, the House passed HB 491 to designate March 1 as Public Lands Day in a 52-48 vote. The measure is one that brings Montanans together to honor our public lands and everything they contribute to our state.

Looking ahead

Following the four day transmittal break, MWF will be busy again working on FWP’s budget. We will also have several hearings next week as bills that have passed one chamber move forward in the other chamber of the Legislature.

As always, check the Montana Wildlife Federation bill tracker at montanawildlife.org 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.

Tester Announces Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act

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On Wednesday, February 22, more than 100 people gathered at Jack Rich’s Guest Ranch near Seeley Lake where Senator Jon Tester announced the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act — legislation that would implement the collaborative Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP).

The BCSP is a ground-breaking collaborative effort that will protect and enhance hunting, fishing and other recreational opportunities on public land while helping to maintain and create jobs in the forest and recreation industry and support healthy, viable communities.

Hunters, anglers, outfitters, guides, snowmobilers, ranchers, loggers, local businesses, county commissioners and numerous others have joined forces to cut through the contentious divisiveness that hinders public land management today and reach common ground. Senator Tester’s legislation will make that common ground a reality.

Please take time today to call Senator Tester’s office at (202) 224-2644 and thank him for introducing this important legislation. Let him know if you hunt, fish, hike, canoe, cross-country ski, snowmobile or otherwise enjoy the abundance and diversity of wildlife and wild lands in the Blackfoot-Clearwater area — and let him know you appreciate his efforts to protect the places we cherish and strengthen local communities.

It is also important to contact Senator Steve Daines at (202) 224-2651 and urge him to support the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act.

Special Interest Politics Kills Common-Sense Public Access Bill

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Tenderfoot Creek Road

Today the Montana House of Representatives voted to kill a bill that would have strengthened the authority of county governments to remove illegal barriers on county roads that block access to public land for hunting, fishing, and other recreation.

The bill, HB 295, would have authorized county governments to remove illegal gates on established county roads and impose higher fines on people who place such barriers. It would also have allowed counties to issue permits for landowners with legitimate encroachment needs. The bill was sponsored by Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls.

HB 295 would have addressed the problem of illegal gates on public roads that block access to public land. As documented by the Montana Wildlife Federation in a report last year, these barriers are a real problem for too many Montana hunters, anglers, and outdoorspeople. The bill was developed over several months of negotiations with public hunters, county officials, and other stakeholders to ensure that it would balance public access with private property rights and legitimate maintenance needs.

“Montana lawmakers who really care about public access and private property rights supported this common-sense bill,” said Jacobson. “Thank you to the Montana Wildlife Federation, the Montana Association of Counties, and other stakeholders for your hard work to find common ground on this issue.”

Despite strongly supportive testimony from sportsmen, county governments, and other stakeholders, HB 295 was tabled in the House Judiciary Committee. Today’s vote would have allowed for consideration of the bill by the full House of Representatives.

“HB 295 had no opposition except the anti-access fringe groups who have repeatedly attacked Montana’s stream access and habitat conservation laws. We worked in good faith to increase county authority and local control, helping end conflicts before they become expensive lawsuits,” said MWF Executive Director Dave Chadwick. “It is sad to see some Montana lawmakers cave to special interest politics and oppose common-sense solutions.”

Locked Out: How Illegal Road Closures Keep Montanans From Their Public Lands

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.