We Preserve Habitat
Montana Wildlife Federation is protecting Montana's important lands and waters.
Photo: Emma Smith
The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act will protect our fish, wildlife, and sporting heritage for future generations.
Take action now to tell our elected officials to help pass the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act. https://montanawildlife.org/news/bcsa/
There are few places in Montana that emulate the quintessential sporting paradise like the Blackfoot River and the surrounding landscape. Whether you choose to cast to rising westslope cutthroat trout or pursue bulging bull elk with a bow in September, it’s an area that truly has everything that a hunter or angler could wish for.
That’s why there is no shortage of sportsmen and sportswomen, guides, outfitters, and other businesses that support the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act, legislation that will protect our sporting heritage well into the future. Developed by Montanans for over a dozen years, the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project has resulted in major investments in the local community and landscape restoration efforts.
Championed by Senator Jon Tester, the BCSA would honor more than a decade of collaboration between landowners, sportsmen, outfitters, conservation groups, and more. The legislation would permanently protect nearly 80,000 acres of prime fish and wildlife habitat and also further catalyze restoration projects.
Now more than ever, we need hunters and anglers who care about this iconic landscape to use their voice and encourage our elected officials to help get this legislation across the finish line. Take action now to tell our elected officials to help pass the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act.
http://blackfootclearwater.org
Maintaining Our Ecosystem
Healthy fish and wildlife populations depend on high-quality, intact habitat. The Montana Wildlife Federation works to protect habitat on public and private lands throughout the state. We advocate for scientifically-based land management and conservation of wild lands and wild waters.
Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act
The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act is a grassroots collaborative conservation initiative that aims to permanently protect critical tributaries of the world-renowned Blackfoot River in addition to thousands of acres of public lands. The BCSA utilizes local timber companies to provide habitat services to improve wildlife habitat while also stimulating the local economy of the Seeley-Swan Valley. For many years, MWF has served as the voice of wildlife in this effort and we will continue to do so until this landmark act is passed.
Take action now to tell our elected officials to help pass the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act.
Badger Two Medicine
In July, MWF and our partners announce the introduction of legislation by Senator Jon Tester, calling for the permanent protection of the Badger-Two Medicine as a Cultural Heritage Area.
The Badger is an important, wildlife-rich region of the Rocky Mountain Front (RMF). In fact is it the only portion of the RMF that hasn’t been legislatively protected. For time immemorial, hunters have been coming to the region to pursue elk, mountain goat, and moose. It provides hunters and anglers with a wild, backcountry experience and critical habitat for native trout. MWF believes that the next generation should have the same opportunity hunters and anglers of the past have had to experience this special place.
The permanent protection proposal for the Badger is an important step toward ensuring that traditional land-uses are protected. The Cultural Heritage Area designation will:
- Protect and enhance public access, wildlife, and habitat. Hunting and angling opportunities will remain unchanged.
- Celebrate and safeguard cultural and traditional uses of the area and guarantee Blackfeet’s existing treaty rights will be honored.
- Establish a formal Tribal consultation with the U.S. Forest Service, allowing the Blackfeet Nation to contribute to future management decisions.
- Create a diverse citizen advisory group made up of tribal and non-tribal stakeholders, to help the U.S. Forest Service develop long-term management guidelines for the area.
- Provide job opportunities to conduct trail maintenance and other contracted forest work.
- Continue non-commercial timber harvest for forest health, wildfire response, and private property protection.
- Preservation of headwater streams that are an important source of clean water for agricultural operations and communities both on and off the reservation.
Not only is this proposal the right thing to do, but it also ensures continued economic growth in Montana, where hunters and anglers contribute more than $1 billion annually to the state economy. It is time to ensure a future of certainty for the Blackfeet, this treasured landscape, and hunters, and anglers from all walks of life who care deeply for the Badger. While some places may change, hunters and anglers agree that some places are too special to be compromised.
Now you have a unique and historic opportunity to help protect the Badger-Two Medicine forever, preserving hunting and angling traditions and opportunities for unborn generations. To lend your support, visit www.protectthebadger.org and take action today! If you have any questions, contact MWF Program and Partnership Director, Marcus Strange, at mstrange@mtwf.org.
Promoting Voluntary Efforts of Private Lands
Montana’s farmers and ranchers have a long history of being excellent stewards of the lands in this state. They have consistently made a living off the land while providing for quality wildlife habitat. MWF supports programs, such as Habitat Montana and the federal Conservation Reserve, that assist and incentivize landowners to voluntarily protect their land for the benefit of the overall ecosystem.
At A Glance
Sage grouse conservation is a priority.
We must mitigate the impacts of climate change.
Protecting big game habitat is crucial.
Our Work
The Montana Wildlife Federation is teaming up with National Wildlife Federation’s Garden for Wildlife program to transform backyards, school grounds, places of worship, businesses, and community spaces in Billings into Certified Wildlife Habitats.
Our Work
Droughts, fires, and floods associated with climate change will have far-reaching impacts on Montana’s world-class outdoor recreation opportunities, our economy, and our outdoor heritage. MWF fights to protect our wildlife, fisheries, and public lands to mitigate the impacts of these changes and help ensure the future viability of our way of life.
Our Work
With the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge and the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument at its heart and surrounded by intact backcountry including the headwaters of the Judith River, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lewistown District oversees some of the greatest public wildlife habitat in the world, and with it, one of America’s strongest hunting heritages.
Our Work
This is a program designed to protect Montana’s world-renowned rivers and cold water fisheries from invasive species. The three steps of Clean, Drain, Dry greatly minimizes the risk of spreading Aquatic Invasive Species into new locations. Find out what you can do, where the inspection stations are, and more information on the certified boater program.
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