MT Legislative Action Alert

[Ben Lamb]

Action Alert: FWP Commission Meeting/Montana Legislative Committee for 1/13/11

Several issues are coming up quickly, and your voice is critical to ensure:
That the future of wildlife management stay within the proper channel of the FWP Commission, and
That the establishment of conservation herds of bison outside of Yellowstone National Park in socially acceptable areas is considered through a public process.

What:
FWP Commission Hearing, Thursday, January 12, 2011: FWP will be hearing a proposal from the Wildlife Division to start looking for places where bison may be placed to ensure that a genetically viable bison population remains under the auspices of the North American Model of Fish and Wildlife Conservation. Your comments supporting FWP’s public process efforts to try and find a socially acceptable place to put bison are desperately needed TODAY!

Call (406) 444-7826 and leave a comment or email [email protected]
Legislation in need of Sportsmen Comments

What:
Senate Fish and Game - House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committees meet TOMMORROW January 13

Tomorrow, Senate Fish and Game hears testimony on several bills that would negatively impact the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission’s authority to set seasons, scientifically manage wildlife, and would increase ORV abuses on public lands.

Senate Fish and Game: Senate Fish and Game Committee Page

SB 83: FWP to bear costs of removing road kill from highways – MWF OPPOSED.
This effort to have FWP to pay for the removal of road kill from our highways is a direct diversion of funds from wildlife management, and therefore would eliminate over $20 million dollars of Pittman-Roberts/Dingell Johnson funds from FWP’s budget. The sponsors’ rebuttal to the fiscal note submitted by FWP reads as follows: “Two employees to take an hour to put dead game in a truck – I can easily do that in a few minutes.”
MWF strongly urges you to contact Senate Fish and Game members and tell them that this bill is a bad idea, and needs to go no further than this committee meeting.

Contact SENATE Fish and Game Committee Members:
Chairman, John Brenden (R) Scobey [email protected]
Joe Balyeat (R) Bozeman [email protected]
Debby Barrett (R) Dillon [email protected]
Tom Facey (D) Missoula [email protected]
Steve Gallus (D) Butte [email protected]
Bradley Maxon Hamlett (D) Great Falls [email protected]
Jim Shockley (R) Stevensville no email; use link below
Art Wittich (R) Bozeman [email protected]

All members can be contacted by the Legislative Comment Service as well: http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp

House Fish, Wildlife and Parks:
House Fish, Wildlife and Parks

HB 144: Revise FWP licensing laws related to large predators

HB 151: Revise laws related to special elk permits

HB 172: Revise laws related to hunting of grizzly bears

All three bills coming up tomorrow in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks committee would undermine Hunter/Angler input in how wildlife populations are managed, while taking authority away from the FWP Commission to scientifically manage wildlife for increased hunter opportunity. While the sponsor is well intentioned, these bills have the negative effect of statutorily dictating both types of licenses offered, and eliminates the thoughtful, public process involved in setting hunting seasons, licenses and reaching management objectives. MWF is opposed to this trio of bills, and urges you to contact committee members voicing your support of the FWP Commission, the role of the hunter conservationist in maintaining hunter opportunity, and opposing these bills.

Contact HOUSE FWP Committee Members:

Chairman: Ted Washburn (R) Bozeman [email protected]
Jeffrey Welborn (R) Dillon use legislative comment link
Cydnie (Carlie) Boland (D) Great Falls [email protected]
Virginia Court (D) Billings [email protected]
Pat Connell (R) Butte [email protected]
Robyn Driscoll (D) Billings [email protected]
Kelly Flynn (R) Townsend [email protected]
Bill Harris (R) Roundup [email protected]
Doug 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]
Mike Phillips (D) Bozeman [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]

All members can be contacted by the Legislative Comment Service as well
http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp

 

[Ben Lamb]

We sent this out to our Sportsmen Advocate Network (http://montanawildlife.org/takeaction/wan/) as well as some individual lists.

Given the tenor of the Legislature this year, it's important to get comments in early in the session, to let folks know that the hunters and anglers of MT are paying attention.

 

[JCS]

Are there any bill that pertain to giving the wardens the power to arrest DUI and other crimes?

I thought there would be one out but I cant find anything.

 

[Ben Lamb]

JCS,
the only thing I see that comes close to that is: Allow Game Wardens to Issue MIP Citations

Fish and Wildlife Bills Those are all of the Fish and Wildlife Bills that have been requested or are introduced.

 

[The Hedgehog]

Ben, thanks for the update.

 

[JCS]

Thanks, I was worried the the game warderns were going to turn into police officers.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Rather than start a new thread:

This specific message concerns HB 151, sponsored by Ted Washburn (R) of Bozeman. HB151 will institute a 7 year waiting period for successful applicants for the limited either-sex elk permits in the various HDs in Montana and has some very good points. Unfortunately, it specifically establishes either sex tag numbers for the Elkhorn Mountains, HD380. Whether that number specified is consistent with FWP’s recommendation or not, it is the responsibility of the Commission’s to determine harvest quotas based on biological data. HD 151 would remove that FWP decision and micromanages it in the Legislature. Which district is next? The Highwoods? The Missouri Breaks? This is NOT good wildlife science and goes against the North American Model of Wildlife Management.



Chairman Washburn brought this Bill forward at the request of a constituent, so keep your words respectful and to the point. Please find the closest legislator to your home district from the list below and contact them with a respectful message in your own words:

Please amend HD151 to remove Elkhorn Hunt District 380 permit numbers out of the bill and leave that decision to the FWP Commission where it belongs;
Other provisions in HD151 are good and have been requested by sportsmen in the past.


Chairman: Ted Washburn (R) Bozeman [email protected]

Jeffrey Welborn (R) Dillon use legislative comment link

Cydnie (Carlie) Boland (D) Great Falls [email protected]

Virginia Court (D) Billings [email protected]

Pat Connell (R) Butte [email protected]

Robyn Driscoll (D) Billings [email protected]

Kelly Flynn (R) Townsend [email protected]

Bill Harris (R) Roundup [email protected]

Doug 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]

Mike Phillips (D) Bozeman [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]



All members can be contacted by the Legislative Comment Service as well

http://leg.mt.gov/css/sessions/62nd/legwebmessage.asp and the phone message service 406-444-4800.



Thank you for stepping up for Montana’s wildlife, lands, waters, and our hunting/fishing heritage.