Day: March 20, 2024

In mid-March, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced long-awaited draft updates to the federal management plan for greater sage-grouse habitat across 10 Western states. Without the updates, oil and gas companies will continue to lease land that could be better managed for big game, ranching, fishing, and recreational activities – a longstanding and well-documented problem in southwestern Montana. 

This update is an opportunity for a renewed commitment to safeguarding the sagebrush ecosystem, which is essential for more than 350 species of conservation concern, including the Greater sage-grouse and other wildlife species that live in and around the Big Hole, Beaverhead, and Centennial Valleys. Notably, the updates protect Montana’s outdoor recreation economy, farms, ranches, and our communities’ cultural traditions from speculative development. Public comment will open tomorrow, March 15, and end on June 13, 2024. BLM will conduct 13 public meetings, two of which will be virtual. 

The economic importance of hunting and fishing in federal oil and gas leasing decisions is critical to Montana. A 2021 report commissioned by MWF and conducted by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana revealed that hunting and angling in Beaverhead County alone contribute over $167 million yearly to Montana’s economy. These activities also create more than 1,400 jobs, many of which are located in the county, a significant contribution given the county’s population is just over 9,400. Moreover, the county is home to nearly 500 family farms and ranching businesses, which have generated up to $147 million in revenue in recent years. 

In response, Frank Szollosi, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation released the following statement: 

“Speculative oil and gas development does not belong alongside family ranches and on our public land in the Big Hole, Beaverhead County, and other places in Montana where there is virtually nothing to drill. Leasing reform benefits will extend beyond improving Greater sage-grouse populations– it promises better habitats for other important species, including pronghorn, elk, mule deer, and trout, by ensuring that oil and gas leasing only occurs where there is real development potential. Montana’s public land and working ranches are critical wildlife habitats and should be managed for conservation, agriculture, recreation, and other uses. Ecology and economics both support taking this step forward.” 

“Senate Bill 442 will have a transformative impact on all Montanans—improving wildlife and landscapes while supporting veterans and rural communities,”  said Frank Szollosi, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation. “Hunters, anglers, and landowners will be able to tap $30 million for habitat improvements, representing the largest investment in conservation in over four decades. Respectfully to the 130 legislators who supported this vital bill almost a year ago, ‘Stick to your guns.’ The next 30 days will impact what makes Montana, Montana, for the next 30 years.”

HELP ENSURE THE PASSAGE OF SENATE BILL 442:

Please take a minute to contact your legislators and urge them to support Senate Bill 442!

Here’s where you can look up your legislator, and find their email.

Email your legislator using this template:

Subject: Please vote YES on Senate Bill 442

I live in [insert city], and I am asking you to support the override of the veto on Senate Bill 442. This legislation benefits every single Montanan, along with many other important things in Montana like county roads, veterans, mental health services, public lands access, and much more. I am asking you to vote YES on the Senate Bill 442 veto override and finally make it law. 

Montanans put aside their differences to work together to build SB 42 alongside Senator Lang and many of you in the Legislature. The unwavering dedication to those people and the policies within SB 442 deserve your continued support. 

I realize the session ended long ago, but 130 out of 150 legislators voted for this less than a year ago and now that you have the opportunity to support this legislation again that support . I sincerely ask you to vote yes on the SB 442 veto override and encourage your colleagues to do the same.

We know many of you have already reached out to your legislators and appreciate all of the work that has gone into getting this bill to the point it’s at. Now, it’s a crucial time for the fate of this bill, and they need to hear from each and every one of us.

Investing in conservation is an investment in our future, and your involvement can make a difference in securing funding for conservation and supporting our communities. Senate Bill 442 provides an opportunity to lay the groundwork for continuous funding that will protect our natural heritage for generations to come.

As a reminder, Senate Bill 442 would:

1.) Provide permanent property tax relief for disabled veterans and their widowed spouses. 

2.) Maintain funding for wildlife management and critical recreation infrastructure, like state parks and trails. 

3.) Enhance Montana’s conservation tools by allowing for increased work on water infrastructure and noxious weed management, as well as habitat improvements on public land.

4.) Ensure that our county roads have the funding to keep us headed to the forests, prairies, rivers, and lakes, while rural Montanans get the kind of roads they need to deliver crops and cattle, get to the hospital, or if needed – have first responders come to you.