SB 303 No net gain in State Land. Tuesday!

[shoots-straight]

At a time when private property is getting harder to access, these people want to keep us from acquiring new state lands. BTW, I thought having the right to sell your ranch to the state would have been a personal property right. If that's not allowed anymore they have taken away that right...

Get the e-mails out, and phone calls. We need to kill this asap. Here's my letter change up what you want to. This Bill would stop us from getting anymore state lands for hunters, and wildlife.

Tell this committee(house local government) why we shouldn't stop the state from acquiring more state lands.


SB 303, would stop all acquisitions from taking place by MTFW&P's and the DNRC. If you have never stepped foot on the Marias River WMA, or the Spotted Dog WMA, then you have missed out on very special places that the people of Montana own. If these Bills would have been in place it would have been impossible for us to purchase, or acquire them through other means.

Plumb Creek timber lands Co. has moved from a timber base, to a land development base company. They have 10's of thousands of acres of land, that are coming up for sale. These are checkerboard forest lands that have been historically available to the Montana sportsman and woman, for generations. If we can't purchase these lands, (That should have been in public ownership in the first place) then they will be sold to private individuals. The game on these lands will be tough if not totally impossible to manage. The lands themselves will be out of the timber production base. There's no good case that anyone can make as to why we should limit the amount of lands the state owns. These lands are all in production, they contribute to the taxes in those counties, and they are available to the Resident, and the Non Resident sportsman.

Holding MT state lands to status quo isn't good for Montana, their people, the lands, or the wildlife.
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Local Government
Meets Tuesday, Thursday, 3 p.m., Room 172
Chair: Gary MacLaren (R-Victor)
Vice Chair: Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway)
Vice Chair: Michele Reinhart (D-Missoula)
Liz Bangerter (R-Helena)
Dick Barrett (D-Missoula)
Bryce Bennett (D-Missoula)
Tom Berry (R-Roundup)
Edward Greef (R-Florence)
Kristin Hansen (R-Havre)
Pat Ingraham (R-Thompson Falls)
James Knox (R-Billings)
Steve Lavin (R-Kalispell)
Sue Malek (D-Missoula)
Mary McNally (D-Billings)
Jerry O'Neil (R-Columbia Falls)
Matthew Rosendale (R-Glendive)
Derek Skees (R-Whitefish)
Wayne Stahl (R-Saco)
Kathy Swanson (D-Anaconda)
Gordon Vance (R-Bozeman)
Staff: Helen Thigpen, 406-444-3804
Secretary: Phoebe Williams, 406-444-1512

 

[----]

I think this bill offends me more than any other, what a joke.

 

[WT_in_MT]

Rep. Reinhart's questioning of Sen. Brenden in the hearing last week was spot on. She tried asking him what happened in his area to make him want to pick, yes pick, on FWP so much. Of course she was pulled up short with a point of order.

 

[onpoint]

(Not so) funny how all these "anti-agency" bills end up hosing the public in the long run more than the agency(s). Elected officials, sent to legislature to serve the public............

 

[WT_in_MT]

Yep, what's seen as revenge by the legislator results in a good ol'-fashioned screwin' of the end user.

 

[WT_in_MT]

Elected officials, sent to legislature to serve the public............

I read that like you don't think they're living up to their statutory obligation. Surely that's not what you meant.

2-2-103. Public trust -- public duty. (1) The holding of public office or employment is a public trust, created by the confidence that the electorate reposes in the integrity of public officers, legislators, and public employees. A public officer, legislator, or public employee shall carry out the individual's duties for the benefit of the people of the state.

 

[onpoint]

I read that like you don't think they're living up to their statutory obligation. Surely that's not what you meant.

2-2-103. Public trust -- public duty. (1) The holding of public office or employment is a public trust, created by the confidence that the electorate reposes in the integrity of public officers, legislators, and public employees. A public officer, legislator, or public employee shall carry out the individual's duties for the benefit of the people of the state.

The constitutional scholars that many Montanans voted for have a firm grasp on their "dooty". And my name isn't surely............

 

[onpoint]

I read that like you don't think they're living up to their statutory obligation. Surely that's not what you meant.

2-2-103. Public trust -- public duty. (1) The holding of public office or employment is a public trust, created by the confidence that the electorate reposes in the integrity of public officers, legislators, and public employees. A public officer, legislator, or public employee shall carry out the individual's duties for the benefit of the people of the state.

WT, it's interesting that you posted 2-2-103. This is one of those statutes that sounds really good when read, but is so broad and vaguely defined that it is virtually useless. Too bad. I won't bother looking it up because it is too much a case of wishful thinking, but.....imagine there's a definitions and penalties section associated with that statute. Now imagine sportsmen and sportsmens groups across MT could file suit against (certain?) legislators for not "carry[ing] out the individuals duties for benefit of the people of the state". Just imagine.......too bad certain laws on the books sound so good but are basically useless. Too bad legislators spend our time and money producing them.....hey, sounds currently familiar.....

 

[jore07]

E-mailed the committee, not as much as you guys but hey I'm trying.
Hopefully they get the message.

 

[WT_in_MT]

onpoint- yes, I think subsection 2 is the penalties. With all the bills that add or change nonresident licenses, as soon as money for public access is tied to them I'm sure the argument can be made that it's benefiting the people of the state.

 

[onpoint]

E-mailed the committee, not as much as you guys but hey I'm trying.
Hopefully they get the message.

Every single bit helps. Oh, they'll get the mssg....what they do with it's another story. The important thing is them seeing that we are watching, weighing in, and will remember what they did and didn't do (this session) when the next election time comes around.....

 

[Ben Lamb]

SB303, in addition to requiring local County Board of Commissioners’ Approval for any state purchase of land would impose a “NO NET GAIN” disallowing any increase in state land for any purpose besides fishing access sites.

If HB303 passes, any future Wildlife Management Areas purchased through Habitat Montana would cause the sale of public lands you currently hunt/fish;
What is the compelling need for this limit in public land acreage? What does the sponsor hope to accomplish?
There is no loss on the Tax rolls if FWP purchases property; FWP pays taxes on lands they control; DNRC and USFS do not, although the FS does pay Payment in Lieu of Taxes when Congress releases the money to do so.
As private lands become less available for recreation, more people are crowded onto limited public lands.
SB303 would remove a viable tool to help mitigate or resolve crowding issues and ensure a quality hunting/fishing experience.


Please leave a message for the House Local Government Committee members listed below, especially if they are your Rep or if you live near their district. Please don’t neglect to also use the Legislative hotline 1-406-444-4800 to leave a message after sending them an email. Their email-boxes have been stuffed with all the comments you have sent throughout this 2011 Session, because of that many of them have quit checking their email. Be advised you can leave a message for every Committee member with one phone call. You can also use the House Fax number if you are equipped with a FAX machine: HouseFax 406-444-4825.



PLEASE CONTACT THESE REPRESENTATIVES TODAY!!



Local Government
Meets Tuesday, Thursday, 3 p.m., Room 172
Chair: Gary MacLaren (R-Victor) [email protected]
Vice Chair: Michael More (R-Gallatin Gateway) [email protected]
Vice Chair: Michele Reinhart (D-Missoula) [email protected]
Liz Bangerter (R-Helena) [email protected]
Dick Barrett (D-Missoula) [email protected]
Bryce Bennett (D-Missoula) [email protected]
Tom Berry (R-Roundup) [email protected]
Edward Greef (R-Florence) [email protected]
Kristin Hansen (R-Havre) [email protected]
Pat Ingraham (R-Thompson Falls) [email protected]
James Knox (R-Billings) [email protected]
Steve Lavin (R-Kalispell) [email protected]
Sue Malek (D-Missoula) [email protected]
Mary McNally (D-Billings) [email protected]
Jerry O'Neil (R-Columbia Falls) [email protected]
Matthew Rosendale (R-Glendive) [email protected]
Derek Skees (R-Whitefish) [email protected]
Wayne Stahl (R-Saco) [email protected]
Kathy Swanson (D-Anaconda) [email protected]
Gordon Vance (R-Bozeman) [email protected]

 

[onpoint]

I finally broke down and sent emails (instead of 444-4800) to two legislators....no response and the hearing I contacted them about is tomorrow. Yup, email may not be the preferred alternative.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Phone calls are always good. That nice slip sitting on top of 100 other slips sends a good message.

 

[onpoint]

Not checking emails, too many phone calls, probably a few unopened letters on the floor....we need to resurrect the TShirted hoards......we'll need thermarests, sleeping bags, coffee, beer, a huge pot of elk and jalapeno chili........

 

[shoots-straight]

Just got an e-mail from one of the committee members. He told me, he will vote against SB 303, but he is a minority. Most people are really pissed, (he said) about the dept. buying lands and not having a plan to manage them. Spread the word, with Plumb creek lands coming available, we will lose a chance to get them in public ownership. That would be a mistake.