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Guest Profile

Madison River Rules

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Sonya fish3 A plan to limit the number of fishing outfitters on the Madison River tops a busy agenda this month for the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.

State managers are considering a proposal that would cap the number of guided fishing boats allowed on the Madison. The plan would be similar to limits on the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers that were instituted over a decade ago to address social issues related to crowded use on certain days.

The move is expected to be controversial, with some outfitters and guides objecting to limits on the use of the Madison.

The Commission will also consider final approval of an updated plan to manage Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). The fatal neurological disease was first detected in Montana last fall in Carbon and Liberty counties, and FWP biologists responded quickly with special hunts to better assess the disease.

Several land deals are also on the agenda, including a trade with the Cross Canyon Ranch of land in the Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area near Avon, a 160 acre parcel to buy in the Dome Mountain WMA in the Paradise Valley, the Birdtail Conservation Easement near Cascade, and in addition to the Garrity Mountain WMA west of Anaconda.

There are also a couple new fishing access sites on the agenda, including the Selway Bridge in Dillon and the Little Muddy Creek on the Missouri River just downstream from Cascade.

Commissioners will also consider management actions on FWP lands, including grazing leases for the Beartooth and Aunt Molly WMAs.

The public can comment on agenda items, and can also comment at any of the seven regional headquarters via video. Audio of the meeting is available on the FWP website by going to www.fwp.mt.gov.

The Montana Wildlife Federation will attend the Commission meeting to represent the interest of hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts. 

The meeting begins at 8:30 am, Thursday, April 19 at 1420 East Sixth Ave., in Helena at the Montana FWP headquarters.

Nick Gevock is the conservation director for the Montana Wildlife Federation.

FWP Launches Habitat Improvement Program

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bird One of the areas where hunters and landowners came together last year in the state Legislature was the need to improve wildlife habitat on public and private lands.

With that shared goal, the Montana Wildlife Federation joined Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, agriculture groups and others to support House Bill 434. The bill, sponsored by Rep. Kelly Flynn, R-Townsend, sets up the Montana Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program. It passed and was signed by Gov. Steve Bullock with bi-partisan support.

That was the easy part. The hard work comes now as diverse interests come together to build this program. Here’s how it works.

The bill requires that FWP establish a committee with agriculture groups, hunters and other interest to review grant applications. The money can come from the Habitat Montana program, as well as federal Pittman-Robertson dollars. Grants require matching funds from the applicant. And they are reviewed and approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission.

All of these measures are meant to ensure that projects to control weeds or make other habitat improvements are worthy, and will benefit specific native wildlife species. They will go through a public review with ample public comment. And they will require the buy-in from local interests to make them successful.

Hunters share with landowners the desire to combat noxious weeds. They crowd out native grasses, and that’s bad for native wildlife. They reduce the capacity of the land to provide forage for wildlife, and they almost always spread once they’re established in an area.

Working together, hunters and landowners forged this measure. It’s just another example that we share some common values and have an invaluable partnership when it comes to wildlife conservation.

That partnership will be essential to making the program work.

Nick Gevock is the conservation director for the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Thousands of Species Face Extinction: But It’s Not Too Late to Act

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Long billed curlew.512x275.RobertBurton.FWS As many as one-third of America’s wildlife species are at increased risk of extinction, according to a new report by the National Wildlife Federation (NWF), the American Fisheries Society (AFS), and the Wildlife Society (TWS).  NWF is America’s largest grassroots wildlife conservation organization, AFS is the professional association of fisheries scientists, and TWS represents thousands of wildlife scientists, managers, and educators.

“America’s wildlife are in crisis and now is the time for unprecedented on-the-ground collaboration,” said Collin O’Mara, president, and CEO of the National Wildlife Federation. “Fish, birds, mammals, reptiles, and invertebrates are all losing ground. We owe it to our children and grandchildren to prevent these species from vanishing from the earth.”

Among the findings in Reversing America’s Wildlife Crisis: Securing the Future of Our Fish and Wildlife:

  • One-third of America’s wildlife species are at increased risk of extinction.
  • More than 150 U.S. species already have gone extinct.
  • Nearly 500 additional species have not been seen in recent decades and are regarded as possibly extinct.

But the news isn’t all bad. The report also describes how it is possible to prevent the further decline of America’s wildlife through concerted, collaborative efforts.

“Here in Montana, we know that we can prevent wildlife from becoming endangered by working together to protect and restore habitat,” said Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation.

Montana has numerous examples of successful species restoration efforts.  In 2014, the Arctic Grayling in the Big Hole River was kept off the federal endangered species list thanks to collaborative efforts by conservationists and ranchers in the Big Hole Valley.  The conservation efforts around the greater sage-grouse represent another success story in progress. In some cases, species have even been saved through interventions as simple as survey efforts that document their population status.

“Stopping the wildlife extinction crisis isn’t hard, it just requires a willingness to work together and put resources into conservation. Over the long run, preventing wildlife from declining will save money and help avoid political fights. Common ground is common sense.” said Chadwick.

Legislation currently pending in Congress would dramatically increase funding for preventing conservation efforts.  The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647) would increase funding for the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ conservation efforts, providing about $29 million/year in new federal funds for the agency.  H.R. 4647 currently has 38 cosponsors, including Democrats and Republicans from all over the country. Rep. Greg Gianforte is not yet a cosponsor of the bill.

 

MWF Update: Wildlife News from Legislative Interim Committee

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Capitol Griz

This week, the Legislative Environmental Quality Council (EQC) met in Helena for two days to discuss a variety of issues.  Montana Wildlife Federation staff attended the meeting to track issues and provide testimony on a panel to discuss wildlife policy and landowner relations.

EQC is the state committee that oversees Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) during the interim between Legislative Sessions. The agenda was packed with items for FWP, including the status of the aquatic invasive species program, an update on State Parks in Focus initiative and a proposed rewrite of state law on bird dog training.

MWF Conservation Director Nick Gevock represented hunter and angler interests throughout the meeting. Gevock also took part in a panel to discuss wildlife policy and landowner relations, in particular how it relates to elk management. The agenda item was spurred by the issue of elk populations exceeding the established objectives in some areas of the state, shoulder seasons and how landowners and hunters can work together to achieve better outcomes.

MWF has a strong record of working to enhance Montana’s suite of programs to encourage public hunting access to private lands and through private lands to public lands. We also have worked on numerous bills to support landowners for providing wildlife habitat and resolve wildlife conflicts with farmers and ranchers in recent years, including livestock loss renewal, increasing the amount that landowners can receive for Block Management and renew the Unlocking State Lands tax credit, among others.

Hunters and landowners have long been solid partners to conserve wildlife in our state, and MWF will continue to be there to build on that working relationship to ensure better outcomes for wildlife, landowners and hunters and anglers.

The next EQC meeting is in will be in May, and MWF staff will be there to track the issues that matter to you.  Follow MWF on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram or sign up for our action alerts for more breaking news.

BLM Offering Up More Wildlife Habitat For Oil Drilling

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IMG 6641 Last week, Secretary Ryan Zinke deferred the oil and gas leases on 17,300 acres near Livingston and in the foothills of the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains, citing the cultural and economic significance of the surrounding area. Despite this positive step forward, oil and gas lease sales around the state marched forward today.  The sale included one lease adjacent to the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument which sold for $2/acre.  Many other similarly cheap leases were squarely in the middle of crucial big game winter range and priority sage-grouse habitat.

Secretary Zinke, who has yet to hire a BLM Director, offered the public barely any opportunity to weigh in around today’s lease sales. While we were all heartened to see a few areas saved, it is irresponsible for the Secretary to unilaterally decide to protect some landscapes and endanger others with similar irreplaceable cultural and recreational resources, not to mention super big game and critical sage grouse habitat, as well as important water resources on a whim.

Future generations of Montanans deserve the same opportunities we’ve had to access and enjoy Central and Eastern Montana’s unique landscapes. This area is simply too important to be sold to the highest bidder for oil and gas drilling. Secretary Zinke must uphold the Department’s multiple-use mandate, and protect the cultural, recreational, water and wildlife resources that are critical to local communities and our outdoor heritage.  

Take Action: Tell Secretary Zinke to Protect Western Lands

Jeff Lukas – MWF Elk Campaign Manager

Jeff Lukas

Conservation Director

Jeff Lukas is a passionate conservationist who has been fishing and hunting his entire life. Whether it’s floating a small stream chasing trout, pursuing elk in the high country, or waiting in a blind for ducks to set their wings, Jeff is always trying to bring more people afield to show them what we are trying to protect. He loves being in the arena, and he will never shy away from conversations about the beautiful and unique corners of Big Sky country.