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Guest Profile

Montana Anglers Unite Against Illegal Fish Introductions

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ajaxhelper Photo courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

Jim Vashro has some simple, straightforward advice for anyone considering illegally introducing fish into Montana waters: “Don’t do it! You’ll hurt fishing opportunity and, if caught, there will be a hefty price to pay.”

Vashro, who retired after working 31 years as Region One Fisheries Manager with the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), has taken on the serious issue of illegal fish introductions as a volunteer board member of the Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF), Montana’s oldest and largest conservation organization. He and David Brooks, the Associate Director of Conservation for Montana Trout Unlimited – an organization working to conserve Montana’s coldwater fisheries and watersheds – have been working together to increase awareness and unite Montana anglers in opposition to the harmful practice of illegal fish introductions.

“It’s the biggest fisheries problem no one knows about,” Vashro says. “There have been nearly 600 documented, illegal fish introductions in about 300 waters all across Montana, and in all but 2 cases, existing fisheries were damaged and no better fishery was created.”

Illegal fish introductions displace existing sportfish and native fish; spread fish diseases; can ruin genetics, and can increase management costs through increases in hatchery plants, fisheries surveys, monitoring and treatments and increased enforcement. That takes funding away from fisheries improvements.

“Illegal fish introductions are done with no biological analysis, no public input and with no regard to the public ownership of and public interest in a fishery,” says David Brooks. “Simply put: they reduce fishing opportunity and increase the cost of fishing licenses.”

Vashro and Brooks are circulating a sign-on letter calling for more law enforcement, stricter fines, and other efforts to stop the damage being done to our fisheries and fishing opportunities. Thus far, 30 organizations across the state have signed on. Among them: Montana Pikemasters, Montana B.A.S.S. Federation Nation, International Federation of Fly Fishers, the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, and Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Their goal is to sign on every angling club in the state. They are also asking individual anglers and businesses to sign an online pledge supporting their efforts, available here: https://montanawildlife.org/bucketbiology/

“We hope this effort will raise awareness of this serious problem” Vashro says, “and bring more resources to bear for education, prevention and remedying existing failed fisheries.”

How Can You Help? PLEASE sign our online pledge today, and share and encourage others to sign. Click here: https://montanawildlife.org/bucketbiology/

MWF Lauds Governor’s Plan to Protect Montana’s Public Land Heritage

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mountain-mamas-479 Photo courtesy of Montana Mountain Mamas

Our public lands are crucial to Montana’s heritage and our economy. Montanans hunt, fish, camp, and hike on public lands more than anybody else in the nation. Our access to the outdoors is why we live here, and it’s why tourists from all over the world visit Montana. Just last week, a poll found that 83 percent of Montanans believe that public lands are important for “protecting our culture and heritage.”

Over the last few years, Montanans from across the political spectrum have been working together to fight against proposals to transfer and sell off our public lands. These proposals are being advanced by special interests who believe that our public lands should be developed and sold off instead of protected for future generations. Thanks to the hard work of thousands of Montanans, we have stopped the public land grab dead in its tracks. Not a single bill has made it through the Montana Legislature, and our Congressional delegation is united in opposition to this idea at the federal level.

But fighting bad ideas isn’t enough. We also need to push forward to expand public access the outdoors and protect more lands for future generations. Our heritage, our economy, and our Montana way of life depend on it.

Today, Governor Steve Bullock announced a plan to defend and improve public access to public land in Montana. The Governor has called for:

• Continued vigilance against the transfer and sale of our public lands
• Full funding of Habitat Montana, which uses hunting license fees to open up access and protect habitat
• Creating a new Office of Outdoor Recreation to support outdoor economic development
• Creating a Public Access Specialist who will work to address specific problems with land and water access

These proposals will help Montana’s hunting, fishing, and outdoor heritage and support our economy.  Now we need to work to get our Legislature and other Montana leaders on board.  You can send a message to the Governor about his plan by visiting mtgreatoutdoors.org.

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project: Helping Keep Montana . . . Well, Montana!

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It’s not often you see the Blue Ribbon Coalition – an organization that promotes off-road vehicle use – working with the Montana Wilderness Association and the Montana Wildlife Federation. But the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP) is that kind of project. Hunters, anglers, outfitters, guides, snowmobilers, ranchers, loggers, local businesses, county commissioners and numerous others have joined forces to cut through the contentious divisiveness that hinders public land management today and reach common ground. As Connie Long of Bob Marshall Wilderness Outfitters puts it: “This is a grassroots, made-in-montana, collaborative project.”

For hunters and anglers, that’s good news. The West Fork of the Clearwater River, the North Fork of the Blackfoot, Monture Creek, the Wild Swan Front, Grizzly Basin . . . this beautiful landscape and its rivers sustain wild elk, mule deer, whitetail, bighorn sheep, native westslope cutthroat, bull trout and an abundance and diversity of other wildlife. The BCSP will help ensure it remains that way, protecting and enhancing Montana’s hunting and angling heritage while also helping to maintain and create jobs in the forest and recreation industry and support a healthy, viable community.

The project has already resulted in the creation of 138 jobs, bringing $33 million into the local economy through forest health and restoration efforts, reducing noxious weeds, restoring streams and selective, sustainable logging. It also entails the creation and maintenance of about 2,000 miles of multiple-use trails and the addition of 83,000 acres to the Bob Marshall, Scapegoat and Mission Mountain Wilderness areas. In other words, there’s something for everybody. This cooperative effort will help ensure the Blackfoot Clearwater area remains a good place to live, work, visit, hunt, fish, hike, backpack, snowmobile, and otherwise enjoy. It helps keep Montana . . . well, Montana!

This is why the Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) has supported this effort for nearly a decade and is part of the coalition calling for congressional action to make the BCSP official.

How can you help? We’re asking everyone who supports this effort to contact the Montana Congressional delegation – Senators Jon Tester and Steve Daines, and Congressman Ryan Zinke – and urge them to introduce and support legislation that will implement the BCSP.

“It’s a project we all agree on,” says Loren Rose of Pyramid Lumber. “It’s time to get it done.”

To learn more about the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project and how you can help, please check out: http://www.blackfootclearwater.org

Montanans recognized for their conservation contributions

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At the Montana Wildlife Federation’s Annual Meeting on May 14, 2016, the group recognized several Montanans for their achievements in protecting Montana’s wildlife, habitat, and public access to the outdoors. Awardees included Lorry Thomas (Anaconda), John Borgreen (Great Falls), Alex Diekmann (Bozeman), Laura Lundquist (Bozeman) and Alan Charles (Helena).

“Montana’s unmatched conservation legacy is the result of dedicated people from all walks of life who put in long hours fighting for wildlife, habitat, and access to the outdoors” said Tim Aldrich, past president of the Montana Wildlife Federation. “Future generations will be able to experience the outdoor opportunities we enjoy today because of these conservation leaders.”

Lorry Thomas

Montana Conservation Heritage Award

Lorry Thomas accepts MWF award MWF President Kathy Hadley (left) presents Lorry Thomas (right) with a Montana Conservation Heritage Award.

A resident of Anaconda, Lorry Thomas has spent his entire life leading and helping in protecting our public lands, waters and wildlife and assuring public access to these public trust resources for the benefit of future generations. For decades, Lorry has rallied the Anaconda Sportsmen’s Club to fight – and win – for wildlife and public lands. He was a founder of the Coalition for Stream Access and the Coalition for Access to State Lands and has been an influential voice at the Legislature.

John Borgreen

Montana Conservation Heritage Award

John Borgreen accepts MWF conservation award MWF President Kathy Hadley (left) presents John Borgreen with a Montana Conservation Heritage Award.

John Borgreen has spent a lifetime devoting his knowledge, skills, experience and time to conservation of wildlife, waters, special places and the public’s opportunity to be involved in fair chase hunting and fishing. His obvious appreciation and love of all things wild and free have connected him with a number of organizations whose missions were based on deeply-held conservation values and a commitment to civic engagement.

Alex Diekmann

Les Pengelly Conservation Professional

Alex Diekmann's family accept MWF conservation award

Alex Diekmann is this year’s recipient of the Less Pengelly Conservation Professional Award. Alex passed away last February. MWF resident Kathy Hadley (left) presents Alex’s son Liam and Alex’s wife Lisa with the award.

As a project manager at the Trust for Public Land, Alex was involved with the conservation of 93,351 acres in Montana with a value of over $168 million and donations of nearly $73 million. Alex’s many projects in Montana and the complexities involved in them demonstrate his amazing abilities to identify strategic landscapes and work with entities to achieve outstanding conservation outcomes for all of us for all time. Alex passed away earlier this year.

Laura Lundquist

Conservation Communicator

Laura Lundquist accepts MWF conservation award MWF President Kathy Hadley (left) presents Laura Lundquist with the Conservation Communicator of the Year Award.

A resident of Bozeman, Laura has covered environmental and outdoor issues in Montana as an award-winning newspaper reporter and freelance writer. Laura’s investigation of conservation issues is always thought-provoking and well-documented, educating people about the issues and helping them get involved in the decision-making process.

Alan Charles

Special Achievement in Landowner-Sportsmen Relations

Alan Charles accepts MWF conservation award

MWF Board Member Tim Aldrich (left) and MWF President Kathy Hadley present Alan Charles (right) with a Special Achievement Award for his tireless efforts to improve relations between landowners and hunters and anglers.

Alan works as the landowner-sportsmen coordinator for the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, where he facilitates a variety of programs to bridge the divide between these two important communities. Over the years, Alan has worked tirelessly to help form positive relationships between landowners and hunters and find common ground that facilitates much-needed solutions where problems exist.

Montana Hunters and Anglers Applaud Wildlife Commission’s Endorsement of Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project

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DSC_3205 Photo Credit: David Stalling & son fishing for trout within the proposed recreation area of the BCSP

The Montana Wildlife Federation applauds today’s decision by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission to support the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP). The five-member, governor-appointed citizen committee, which oversees the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, voted unanimously today to approve a resolution endorsing the effort.

“The commission’s support recognizes the value of this cooperative project for Montana’s fish and wildlife, and hunting and angling heritage,” says Kathy Hadley, president of MWF. “It’s a great example of local citizens coming together to reach balanced compromises that protect and enhance healthy forests, fish, wildlife, hunting, angling, other recreation, jobs and traditional Montana values.”

The BCSP is made up of a variety of individuals and organizations of diverse backgrounds – including ranchers, loggers, hunters, anglers, county commissioners, snowmobilers and environmentalists – to shape the management of our public lands in and around the Seeley-Swan Valley. MWF is a partner and strong supporter of the project.

“By working together, we are cutting through much of the divisive, partisan rhetoric that shapes so much of our public lands management today,” says Mack Long, a hunter, guide and owner of Bob Marshall Wilderness Outfitters, “and showing that we, the people on the ground, can achieve workable and viable solutions.”

Project partners are urging Montana’s Congressional delegation to introduce legislation to approve and implement the BCSP.

To learn more, visit the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project

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.