With the big rally out of the way, the MT Leg has taken it upon themselves to attack the largest pot of money available for securing permanent access and fee title acquisition.
HB 404 diverts 25% of Habitat Montana to Block Management - it sunsets in 2 years. This bill was a compromise that was worked out by good folks interested in ensuring that FWP never again entered into a situation like the Milk River Ranch. I personally do not support this bill, but can see why folks would think this is a good solution, especially if it would end some of the craziness around land purchases and FWP budget issues. I absolutely support those folks who have been working on this bill and with folks across the aisle and the spectrum of ideologies to get to a solution. I can certainly live with this bill so long as it doesn't change in it's current form.
HB 440 passed out of committee last night. HB 440 originally gutted all of Habitat Montana to set up a new account to purchase access easements across private property. Once again, we'd lose permanent public access to lots of land, the ability to purchase new wildlife management areas and engage in the 100 year tradition of conserving habitat in favor of letting folks give us the access to our public lands that we want. The bill was amended to only take another 25% of Habitat Montana funds.
So now we're down to 50% of the Habitat Montana money. That's a hit of 2.6 million dollars that was previously dedicated to permanent access and habitat conservation.
Rumors flying around the Capitol today that the Appropriations Committee will continue the work of gutting the rest of Habitat Montana funding to pay for pet projects that legislators want.
Along that lines, the 7 wolf specialist positions that FWP needs to have in order to institute the state management plan were excluded from FWP's budget today. That means there is $900,000 sitting in an account, waiting to be spent of wolf management, but FWP can't use that money to pay for the people charged with keeping wolves off the endangered species list. This also means that it leaves MT vulnerable to challenges to our delisted status.
Over 300 sportsmen showed up on Monday to stand up for access. The legislature did not listen.
The Legislature is stealing your license dollars and carving up one of the most successful conservation programs the state of Montana has ever seen.
What are you going to do about it?
HB 404 diverts 25% of Habitat Montana to Block Management - it sunsets in 2 years. This bill was a compromise that was worked out by good folks interested in ensuring that FWP never again entered into a situation like the Milk River Ranch. I personally do not support this bill, but can see why folks would think this is a good solution, especially if it would end some of the craziness around land purchases and FWP budget issues. I absolutely support those folks who have been working on this bill and with folks across the aisle and the spectrum of ideologies to get to a solution. I can certainly live with this bill so long as it doesn't change in it's current form.
HB 440 passed out of committee last night. HB 440 originally gutted all of Habitat Montana to set up a new account to purchase access easements across private property. Once again, we'd lose permanent public access to lots of land, the ability to purchase new wildlife management areas and engage in the 100 year tradition of conserving habitat in favor of letting folks give us the access to our public lands that we want. The bill was amended to only take another 25% of Habitat Montana funds.
So now we're down to 50% of the Habitat Montana money. That's a hit of 2.6 million dollars that was previously dedicated to permanent access and habitat conservation.
Rumors flying around the Capitol today that the Appropriations Committee will continue the work of gutting the rest of Habitat Montana funding to pay for pet projects that legislators want.
Along that lines, the 7 wolf specialist positions that FWP needs to have in order to institute the state management plan were excluded from FWP's budget today. That means there is $900,000 sitting in an account, waiting to be spent of wolf management, but FWP can't use that money to pay for the people charged with keeping wolves off the endangered species list. This also means that it leaves MT vulnerable to challenges to our delisted status.
Over 300 sportsmen showed up on Monday to stand up for access. The legislature did not listen.
The Legislature is stealing your license dollars and carving up one of the most successful conservation programs the state of Montana has ever seen.
What are you going to do about it?
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