Has there? Why is it that the same issues are still ever-present and appear to continue to worsen? Is that incorrect? Is mule deer hunting better, what about public land elk hunting? Is the bird hunting better? What exactly is better? Because I apparently only hear/know about the not-better parts.
There's a hole that's been dug for over 20 years. It takes time to fill it. So here is what I'd say have been the crowning achievements going back to 2019:
1.) Public Access to Lands Act passes: in the 5 operational years of this program, and combined with block management, over 1 million acres of landlocked public land have been opened for public access.
2.) Hundreds of thousands of acres of new access through Habitat leasing and Conservation Easements despite a land board that has strong reservations about permanent easements and fee title acquisition.
3.) 2021 saw a good increase in both the dollar amount and acreage requirement necessary to move a HM decision to the Land board. We went from $250L and 100 acres to $1 million and 500 acres which allowed for the recent Stafford Ferry easement to be approved by the commission only.
4.) Doe licenses anyone? In 2022, the agency cut a ton of tags, the Commission eliminated doe hunting in R6 & 7 on public lands, in 2025 they reduced the number of licenses and put a cap on them, in 23 SB 283 was passed that has removed over 5,000 B tags from NR hands.
5.) New Elk Management Plan that is miles ahead of the previous one
6.) Significant investments in FWP's staff for hunter ed/technical services and law enforcement (14 new full time employees - not all the way there yet but getting close)
7.) Criminal trespass reform and establishment of authority for FWP to have shed hunting seasons on WMA's.
8.) Increase in cap payment and hunter day payment on block management as well as SB 83 & 441 from last session that creates better enforcement for landowners and wardens on FWP access program enrolled land.
9.) Dedicated funding stream to Block Management (NR Base hunting license - 80% goes to Hunter Access Enhancement Fund).
10.) Sage Grouse conservation easement program (that's 2015) is continuing and doing solid work despite funding challenges
11.) Grizzly Bear legislation in 2023 was pretty progressive considering the make up of the legislature. MT is the only state that has non-lethal management as a preferred option for first response.
12.) Alternative funding for FWP: In 2020, the rec MJ ballot helped establish the path for what became HB 701 which allocated a percentage of rec MJ funds to habitat conservation, nongame, trails and parks. In 2023, when that funding was threatened, a massive coalition of natural resource groups, conservation, healthcare and ag came together to build the 442 coalition, signaling growing support for conservation funding. In 2025, HB 932 did the same thing with some changes in how the funding would be split to include both the improved WHIP program in 442 as well as including water storage work, a new, fast action habitat restoration program (think fish kills and habitat work that should get done, weed remediation post-fire, etc - great addition by FWP). That bill was passed overwhelmingly and signed by the Governor. That in and of itself represents roughly $30 million a biennium to help offset costs to those programs, and increase spending on habitat conservation.
13.) Codified the BMA corridor program that had been shuttered previously. This would allow landowners to enter into a BMA that allows for access to public land during hunting seasons only.
14.) 2025: 10 day resident priority for upland seasons, and the new bird dog training program along with more funding for the Upland program through increased fees from NR's.
15.) Wildlife Crossing legislation & Funding in 2025: A bill that established the fund to collect revenue for wildlife crossings was passed and signed, and a portion of the 932 funds will go to the crossings. This is a major milestone in conservation, personally. TRCP and company deserve a ton of credit for getting this done.
I'm sure there's a ton that I'm forgetting. Yes, some bad got through. It always does. But on the aggregate, and on a more extended timeline - these changes set MT up to be successful in the future. You will never eliminate the challenges and people who have differing ideas than you on policy work, hunting regs, etc. How you deal with that conflict sets you up for success or failure.
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