R LO’s already have the provision to get an extra bonus point in similar fashion.
907 repeals 635 from last session in order to get “a better deal” for residents. Only problem is I can’t follow proponents logic of why it’s a better deal.
It’s way more complicated than just expanding public access opportunity.
Currently, under 635, NR landowners who own at least 2500 contiguous acres are given up to 15% preference over other NR applicants within the 17,000 cap. They must pay full price for licenses and hunt their own deeded property only. Up to a maximum of 5 licenses can be purchased by immediate family members at the rate of 1 license per 2,500 acres. They can also buy an additional bonus point for permit areas if they enroll into an FWP administered public access program ( EHA, PALA, or Block Management.
Last year there were 131 licenses sold under this preference and 30 of those properties participated in an FWP access program. By my math that means a minimum of 75,000 private acres had some form of public access.
907 repeals 635 and lowers the acreage requirement to 640 acres to be able to qualify for buying an extra bonus point for the permit draws.
At face value the argument of proponents seems to be a good one until it is understood in context of what else is already allowed under existing law not addressed by either 907 or 635.
Additional law not in 635 or 907 awards a free general deer and elk license to any landowner participating in Block Management. This is valid for both residents and nonresidents and the nonresident licenses given for free are in excess of the 17,000 cap.
Also, those free NR licenses may be used in any part of the state on public or private where a general license is valid.
Also in current law, nonresidents who contract with a licensed outfitter may buy two preference points to buy a B-10 license.
The way I see it, if 907 passes, Montana residents stand to lose more than they gain.
Those landowners who participated in the 635 preference last year and opened up their property will still have a couple strategies to be almost guaranteed licenses every year.
They can either book with an outfitter to gain 2 preference points for an 80% chance of drawing a B-10 license or enroll an unspecified amount of indeterminate quality of land into Block Management and get a free license and an extra bonus point as well as receiving payment from FWP for hunters using a portion of their property.
Under both scenarios those landowners who would have been limited to hunting their own property under 635 can now hunt the entire state.
Also, with the drop in acreage requirement from 2500 to 640 for additional bonus points NR landowners will be competing directly with R landowners in the landowner preference permit draw. ( That’s not really a big deal to me, just making the point)
There’s nothing in 907 that quantities how much or what kind of quality of land is required to be enrolled into BM to get the free license and the additional bonus point, only that the landowner must own 640 acres.
I’m not seeing the “win” with 907.
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