How your license money gets stolen

[Big Fin]

So, some have asked, "How is it that FWP money can go toward costs that are the responsibility of livestock producers?"

Here is how. Senate Bill 348.

A bill that passed the Senate and is now to the House.

NEW SECTION. Section 2. Funding for wolf management. (1) The department shall allocate $3,000 for every wolf estimated to inhabit Montana according to the department's annual wolf conservation and management report for wolf management. Not more than 25% of the total funding allocated may be used for administrative costs related to wolf management activities and reports, and the rest must be divided among and used for the following purposes:
(a) wolf collaring conducted pursuant to 87-5-132;
(b) wolf control activities; and

(c) lethal action conducted pursuant to 87-1-217 to take problem wolves that attack livestock.​

Can someone explain to me how it is that hunters are responsible for the losses to livestock producers, such that we should be funding all of this?


And, if you want to carry forward your agenda to get rid of public lands in Montana, you add this language. And you put the "adequately maintain" language there, to make it subjective and allow the legislature the right to sell these lands, to fund livestock producer losses, if need be.

(2) Pursuant to 87-1-201, the department may allocate funds from any source to meet the requirements of this section, including proceeds from the sale of land that the department is unable to adequately maintain or operate.

And you want to see how Federal Agencies who had their budgets cut, such as the Wildlife Services, gets state funding from license dollars. Read below. Easy, if you have a Senator who receives a huge subsidy from your agency being paid to kill predators on behalf of their industry, at no cost to them.

Being a legislator must be fun. Spend other's money for your own problems.

(3) THE DEPARTMENT MAY CONTRACT WITH THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WILDLIFE SERVICES FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION.

Understand that Wildlife Services has been hired for wolf control in Montana, but is primarily the predator/coyote control group who helps with livestock losses. Their budgets are being hammered in Congress.

I have no problem with funding Wildlife Services, and in fact, would be glad to see Congress fully fund them. I have a problem with a bill, sponsored by a Senator who is a livestock producer, using the political football of wolves and the funds from license sales, as the mechanism by which it gets funded.

Guess who is the bill Sponsors?

I wish I was making this stuff up, but I am not. It only, I say only, costs hunters $5,748,000 over the next four years.

Since when did hunters want wolves anymore than livestock producers? But, we are supposed to fund their losses related to wolves.

The attacks are relentless.

If you are in Montana, please contact you Representative, and these Reps on the House Fish Wildlife and Parks Committee. They hear this bill in their committee tomorrow, after it already passed the Senate.

If you can't email, call the number at the bottom and tell then your position on the bill.

House Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Committee
Meets Tuesday, Thursday, 3 p.m., Room 152
Chair: Ted Washburn (R-Bozeman) [email protected]
Vice Chair: Jeffrey Welborn (R-Dillon) Information Office: (406)444-4800
Vice Chair: Mike Phillips (D-Bozeman) [email protected]
Carlie Boland (D-Great Falls) [email protected]
Pat Connell (R-Darby) [email protected]
Virginia Court (D-Billings) [email protected]
Robyn Driscoll (D-Billings) [email protected]
Kelly Flynn (R-Townsend) [email protected]
Bill Harris (R-Mosby) [email protected]
Douglas Kary (R-Billings) [email protected]
Dan Kennedy (R-Laurel) [email protected]
Austin Knudsen (R-Culbertson) [email protected]
Cleve Loney (R-Great Falls) [email protected]
Mike Miller (R-Helmville) [email protected]
Jesse O'Hara (R-Great Falls) [email protected]
Ken Peterson (R-Billings) [email protected]
Jean Price (D-Great Falls) [email protected]
Dan Skattum (R-Livingston) [email protected]
Franke Wilmer (D-Bozeman) [email protected]
Max Yates (R-Butte) [email protected]
Staff: Hope Stockwell, 406-444-1640
Secretary: Cara Gold, 406-444-4832

To find your legislator, go to this link. http://leg.mt.gov/css/Sessions/62nd/roster.asp?HouseID=0&SessionID=105

 

[drahthaar]

This just never stops!!
So if you don't have a Rep from your area on that list, who would you email? Who has some clout in that group, please don't say Bill Harris.

 

[jore07]

I just emailed the whole committee from the legislature website from this link: http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp

I think that from that it will go to everyone on that committe or you can choose a specific person.
I am newly involved this year so I hope that page works.

 

[warmer]

Who sits around and thinks this stuff up anyway?

 

[onpoint]

they may not actually think this stuff up....they are just minions for bigger bottom feeders. BUT, they are the ones who push it on all of us, and they get elected by a lot of US......it's past wake up time.

 

[shoots-straight]

Fin, send the F & G committee that post you just made, that's outstanding.

 

[Flatrock]

Man, I've tried to keep up with all the BS coming out of Montana but I am having a tough time staying current on all this. I mean seriously, WHAT IS GOING ON THERE? It sounds like hunters are just being ambushed from every direction. Is ANYTHING good happening there on the legislative front?

And as far as onpoint's comment about THEM being elected by US, I really don't even think it makes much of a difference. Seems like EVERY politician, and I mean EVERY politician, would stab every voter in the back who doesn't vote for him just so that he could stay in office. Just my opinion.

 

[Big Fin]

Fin, send the F & G committee that post you just made, that's outstanding.

Did that, about a half hour ago.

 

[onpoint]

Man, I've tried to keep up with all the BS coming out of Montana but I am having a tough time staying current on all this. I mean seriously, WHAT IS GOING ON THERE? It sounds like hunters are just being ambushed from every direction. Is ANYTHING good happening there on the legislative front?

And as far as onpoint's comment about THEM being elected by US, I really don't even think it makes much of a difference. Seems like EVERY politician, and I mean EVERY politician, would stab every voter in the back who doesn't vote for him just so that he could stay in office. Just my opinion.

good theory, but here in MT, many politicians are stabbing the very voters who elected them. Also, quite a pessimistic theory...maybe true...but I would quite fighting for the things I believe in if I didn't think I had a chance to make a difference....givin up is givin up.
Throwing hands up is disgust and defeat guarantees you lose....in politics too

 

[sweetnectar]

I have a problem with the part where the money comes from. Shouldn't we send the bill to all the people of Montana seems how the wildlife belongs to the people of Montana or should we send the bill to the federal government? I don't have any problem if FWP wants to sell a cost draining property that hunters have mowed every critter off of and put the money to better use like purchasing an easement to thousands of acres of landlocked public property. And where do they get the 5.7 million figure? I would expect it to be more.
I get the livestock producers point of view. They can simply say hey, those wolves are the peoples wolves so keep them from killing my animals. Hard to argue with that.
I do think it is FWP's responsibility to manage the states wildlife and as such I can see a lot of people wanting to come after FWP's pocket book. Someone with more knowledge than me can tell me if I'm correct... FWP's pocket book gets funded by hunters and federal dollar matching only? So just us hunters and everyone that pays federal taxes in some way shape or forum pay for this.

 

[shoots-straight]

I have a problem with the part where the money comes from. Shouldn't we send the bill to all the people of Montana seems how the wildlife belongs to the people of Montana or should we send the bill to the federal government? I don't have any problem if FWP wants to sell a cost draining property that hunters have mowed every critter off of and put the money to better use like purchasing an easement to thousands of acres of landlocked public property. And where do they get the 5.7 million figure? I would expect it to be more.
I get the livestock producers point of view. They can simply say hey, those wolves are the peoples wolves so keep them from killing my animals. Hard to argue with that.
I do think it is FWP's responsibility to manage the states wildlife and as such I can see a lot of people wanting to come after FWP's pocket book. Someone with more knowledge than me can tell me if I'm correct... FWP's pocket book gets funded by hunters and federal dollar matching only? So just us hunters and everyone that pays federal taxes in some way shape or forum pay for this.

Those livestock producers run their stock on public lands at a minuscule cost. I think that there's a cost of doing business on those lands. On the private lands, I see the argument.

You do know where those federal dollars come from, right?

 

[the nikster]

PR funds no doubt.
Hunters have to pay to manage unhuntable entities? By that logic hunters should be paying to feed the hungry, house the homeless, subsidize wheat growers, insurance claims, space shuttle missions etc.
If wolves cannot be hunted, why saddle an unrelated populace with the burden of financing their livelihood? Why not the PO-PO? Or educators? or lemonaid stands?

 

[TheTone]

Want a good Idaho one? A big chunk of the money being brought in by our "Elk" license plates is being used to test domestic elk herds for disease. Want to hear an even better one, if the elk ranchers get their way they will only have to test 20% of their herds every three years and then if CWD is not found maybe never test again. Politics is awesome!!

 

[theat]

I have been civil in my corespondence to the legislature so far but...I couldn't help myself and sent a pretty mean email to the committee. I just wonder how they plan to spin all these attacks on us average Montana sportsmen the next election? I know they have lost my vote and many others.

 

[sweetnectar]

Those livestock producers run their stock on public lands at a minuscule cost. I think that there's a cost of doing business on those lands. On the private lands, I see the argument.

Amen to that. I agree that the prices they pay for public land grazing are well bellow county averages and should change.

I believe all those federal dollars come in the form of excise taxes on sporting goods...thus putting the bloody costs back on hunters. Crazy!

I mean really, are the wolves the people of Montana's wolves, or just the hunters of Montana, or the federal governments wolves, or the people of the United States wolves. Who's flippen wolves are they? When that is figured out then send them the bill.

 

[MThuntr]

message sent the the entire committee...knowing that a majority are outfitters, ranchers, or benefit from those, I highly doubt they will listen. I know they will all lose my vote come re-election

 

[onpoint]

I have been civil in my corespondence to the legislature so far but...I couldn't help myself and sent a pretty mean email to the committee. I just wonder how they plan to spin all these attacks on us average Montana sportsmen the next election? I know they have lost my vote and many others.

I have purposely done all my correspondence with legislature via the legislative contact phone 444-4800, have it on speed dial. I figured that would be the only way I wouldn't cave to the temptation to "nag". The folks who answer that phone have always been real good to deal with, some even have kept a sense of humor....I have no beef with them, so calling them has been a good buffer between me and who I very seriously consider an enemy (for the most part). I have only made 3 out of many many many calls which supported a bill or a legislator. Theat, don't feel to bad about it

 

[nylogger]

Sometimes politics moves in mysterious ways. Is the bill really saying that we need $ to do wolf management ? Look for a compromise like selling wolf tags.

 

[Big Fin]

Sometimes politics moves in mysterious ways. Is the bill really saying that we need $ to do wolf management ? Look for a compromise like selling wolf tags.

Oh, we already have laws that allow for selling of wolf tags - $19 for residents and $300+ for non-residents.

This is just one more attempt to use hunter dollars to fund programs that have run out of money, due to Congressional budget cuts and due to the fact that the beneficiaries of predator control are not willing to pay the true cost of the services they want from Wildlife Services.

And, another block in the foundation being built in Montana to sell our public lands. Don't anyone take my word for it, here is the link to the Republican Party platform. Scroll down to the "State and Federal Lands" section and read the first plank.

http://www.mtgop.org/platform.aspx


The M.O. in this legislative session is to try mingle all these requests in with the political football known as "Wolf Money." The wolf is a money machine, on all sides, and everyone wants to have their siphon in the tank, even if the tank of money is being paid by hunters.

Funny part is that these legislators claimed they were going to Helena to work on the economy and employment. Instead, they try to disassemble one of the biggest employers in Montana - Hunting and Fishing. Again, don't anyone take my word for it, click on this PDF file link and it will show you what hunting and fishing mean to the economy of Montana.

View attachment Montana facts.pdf

 

[WT_in_MT]

Under the Natural Resources Plank:

We oppose additional acquisition of acreage by state or federal agencies. Any public acquisition of private land cannot result in a net acreage gain to the state or federal government. We oppose any easements in perpetuity.

We support the development of responsible hunting, trapping and fishing harvest numbers that carefully balance resource conservation, property owners’ rights, the economy, and the safety of our citizens.

And from your second link, something they may want to keep in mind:

The majority of all sportsmen consider themselves “likely voters” and 8 in 10 say that a candidate’s position on sportsmen’s issues is important in determining for whom they will vote.