Hunters, Anglers and Montanans Call on Senators Daines and Sheehy to Rally Opposition to White House Budget “Gut-Punch” to American Public Lands
Call 202-224-3121 and ask Senator Daines and Senator Sheehy to Oppose The White House Flip-flop on the Land and Water Conservation Fund & Devastating Cuts to American Public Lands
Late last Friday night, The White House released more details of its federal budget proposal, which would devastate American public lands, National Parks, and public land managers across Montana. Among the most significant concerns is the President’s flip-flop on the Land and Water Conservation Fund, which was permanently authorized in 2020 by Senator Steve Daines’ Great American Outdoors Act (GAOA) and is administered in the state by the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The GAOA, which was signed into law by President Trump during his first term, requires funds to be spent on acquiring new public land, rather than being siphoned for maintenance.
Montana Wildlife Federation Executive Director Frank Szollosi issued the following statement:
“We stood shoulder to shoulder with Senator Daines in his fight to permanently authorize LWCF, which has helped fund nearly 800 projects across Montana over the past 60 years. We stood with Senator Daines at Roosevelt Arch to celebrate when President Trump signed the permanent authorization into law in 2020. And we look forward to standing with him again today in opposition to the White House’s gut-punch to Montana hunters, anglers, and communities. The President can’t go back on his word.”
“Take a look at the Blackfoot River. It has $20 million in current pending projects slated for funding that would be lost, as would critical projects along the Rocky Mountain Front and in the Lolo National Forest. These are among the key wildlife habitats and outdoor recreation areas in the queue for LWCF, providing access for sportsmen and women throughout the state and bolstering our local rural economies, protecting Montana’s way of life. If this proposal goes forward, these vital places will be needlessly damaged.”
Montana hunters & anglers object to ignoring rules & public comment to fast-track oil & gas extraction
Call on Senators Daines & Sheehy & Representatives Zinke & Downing to defend working & public land & public input
Reacting to the announcement of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s “emergency” plan to change permitting processes for mining, oil and gas, and other select minerals and energy sources, the Montana Wildlife Federation issued the following statement, attributable to Executive Director Frank Szollosi.
“The only emergency that Montana’s hunters and anglers can discern is chaotic decision-making by the federal government. Secretary Doug Burgum swore to uphold the Interior Department’s mission to “protect and manage the Nation’s natural resources.” When oil and gas production is already at a record high, it marks an extreme move to cut Montanans from decisions about where industry drills.
This sop to special interests will negatively impact public land, Montana farms and ranches, Montana rivers and streams, and our wildlife. A federal emergency declaration could overrule private property rights and greenlight extractive drilling on private lands where oil and gas resources are federally owned without consulting landowners. Our families, wildlife, and communities deserve a balanced approach that respects responsible development and local expertise.
Montanans know our lands best, and we should maintain our rightful role in determining where and how development occurs on our public lands. We call on our delegation, especially Senator Daines and Senator Sheehy, who supported Burgum’s confirmation earlier this year, to defend public input and working and public lands across Montana.”
Background from the Natural Resources Defense Council:
Under the guise of a “National Energy Emergency,” the department is slashing permitting timelines and overriding safeguards under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Endangered Species Act (ESA), and National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
These changes will sideline the public, short-circuit Tribal consultation, and open public lands and oceans to drilling, mining, and other industrial development with minimal oversight.
No legal basis: The administration’s move to bypass environmental law is unprecedented and legally dubious. It directly conflicts with decades of established policy and practice under NEPA, ESA, and the NHPA.
Rubber-stamp approvals: Projects that once required thorough environmental review and public engagement will now bypass critical protections, reducing permitting to a hollow, rubber-stamp process.
Public silenced: The rule slashes—and in some cases eliminates entirely—public comment windows and short-circuits Tribal consultation processes, minimizing the role of communities, scientists, and local governments.
Endangered species and cultural sites at risk: By gutting Endangered Species Act and National Historic Preservation Act safeguards, the policy leaves wildlife, habitat and sacred cultural sites vulnerable to destruction.
All for extraction: Despite being pitched as energy-neutral, this change overwhelmingly benefits oil, gas, coal, and mining companies—opening public lands and waters to dangerous exploitation under the cover of emergency.
Montana’s public lands define who we are. They’re where we hunt, fish, hike, and pass down our outdoor traditions and way of life to our families. They support our economy, sustain our wildlife, and connect us to the places we love most.
But a new report released today warns that a growing political movement to transfer federal public lands to state control could devastate Montana’s economy, upend public access, and put our outdoor way of life at risk.
The report, authored by longtime state and federal land manager John Tubbs, was developed in partnership with the Montana Wildlife Federation, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, and Mountain Mamas. It offers the most comprehensive look yet at what a federal land transfer would actually cost Montana—and the numbers are staggering.
The Bottom Line: $7.9 Billion
According to the report, if Montana were to take over the responsibility of managing federal public lands currently overseen by agencies like the U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management, it would come with a conservatively estimated $7.9 billion price tag over the next 20 years.
That includes:
$5.5 billion in wildfire suppression and mitigation
$1 billion in abandoned mine cleanup
$623 million in deferred infrastructure maintenance (roads, bridges, trails, campgrounds)
An annual loss of $40 million in federal PILT (Payments in Lieu of Taxes) that counties depend on for schools, emergency services, and road crews
A 1,600% increase in grazing fees for Montana ranchers
These costs would fall squarely on the shoulders of Montana taxpayers—many of whom already live in rural areas with limited tax bases. The state does not currently have the infrastructure, personnel, or budget to manage these lands at the scale and level the federal government provides.
And if the state can’t afford the cost? It would likely be forced to sell those lands off to the highest bidder.
More Than Just Numbers
The report goes beyond dollars and cents. It paints a clear picture of what’s at stake if this movement succeeds: restricted access, lost wildlife habitat, and diminished public oversight of lands that currently belong to every American.
“Montanans should be aware of the staggering financial and economic toll a federal land transfer would take on taxpayers, our state, and our outdoor way of life,” said John Tubbs. “This research shows how the land transfer movement would both send our state’s economy into a tailspin and open the door for privatization of public lands. These impacts would be unsustainable—and irreversible.”
It’s not just the cost of managing the land. It’s the loss of what that land provides: wildlife corridors, hunting opportunities, intact habitat, clean water, and freedom to roam. These are the pillars of Montana’s $5.4 billion outdoor recreation economy and the foundation of our public land heritage.
Why Now?
The land transfer movement is gaining momentum. We’ve seen a renewed push to move federal lands into state hands or open them up for sale.
Recent examples include:
The Department of Housing and Urban Development and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum proposing public land sales as part of affordable housing strategies
Congressional rule changes aimed at expediting development and reducing public oversight on federal lands
State-level resolutions, including in Montana, have attempted to support lawsuits like Utah’s effort to seize federal lands
A wave of federal bills pushing for land transfers or outright liquidation of public assets
This report makes it clear: this isn’t a hypothetical. It’s already underway.
What We Stand to Lose
If Montana were to absorb the management of federal lands without the accompanying federal support, it would quickly face an impossible choice: raise taxes dramatically, cut vital public services, or sell off public lands.
And once they’re gone, we don’t get them back.
Transferring ownership or management of federal public lands would undercut the very systems that have made Montana a leader in wildlife management, public access, and land stewardship. It would undermine generations of work by hunters, anglers, landowners, and conservationists who’ve fought to keep these places open, productive, and wild.
At Montana Wildlife Federation, we believe that public lands should stay in public hands—and that Montanans shouldn’t have to pay more just to lose what’s already ours. We’re proud to stand alongside partners like BHA, Mountain Mamas, and MCV Education Fund in co-releasing this report and sounding the alarm on what’s at stake.
Montana’s wildlife, working lands, and outdoor heritage are central to who we are. The rivers we fish, the ranges we hunt, and the open spaces we roam all require ongoing stewardship. Keeping this land wild, working, and accessible takes funding, coordination, and a long-term strategy.
The Habitat Legacy Account—established by HB 932—delivers just that.
At its core, the Habitat Legacy Account is designed to support and strengthen the very programs that keep Montana’s wildlife habitat healthy, its working lands productive, and its outdoor traditions alive. Here’s how it works, what it funds, and why it matters.
Why It Matters
Montana has many tools to conserve public and private lands, but we lack one critical tool: A robust funding mechanism to restore our land, wildlife and water resources in the face of drought, wildfire, invasive species and deteriorating wildlife habitat conditions.
In 2021, the Montana Legislature passed HB 701, which allocated 20% of the state’s recreational marijuana tax revenue to Fish, Wildlife & Parks’ Habitat Montana program. This was a step forward, but as conservation challenges have grown more complex and more urgent, stakeholders recognized the need to build on that success and create something more flexible with even broader reach.
The Habitat Legacy Account is a historic opportunity to channel Montana’s marijuana tax revenue into a suite of Montana’s most important conservation and access programs—expanding their reach, increasing flexibility, and ensuring long-term funding stability.
Creating the Habitat Legacy Account
The Montana legislature is currently considering two legislative proposals to establish the Habitat Legacy Account, House Bill 932, sponsored by Rep. Ken Walsh, R-Twin Bridges, and Senate Bill 537, sponsored by Sen. Daniel Zolnikov, R-Billings.
The proposals uphold the conservation funding allocated by the Montana Legislature in 2021 and are supported by Montana’s conservation and hunting communities. It would ensure that the Habitat Legacy Account is properly funded, allowing for a more comprehensive and flexible approach to land, wildlife and water conservation.
What the Habitat Legacy Account Would Fund
The Habitat Legacy Account is a long-term commitment to ensuring conservation keeps pace with the demands on our land and water. Key focus areas include the following:
1. Habitat Montana
The Habitat Montana program is one of the most successful tools in the state for wildlife conservation and public access. It funds both short-term and perpetual conservation easements, FWP land acquisitions, and access improvements.
Thanks to Habitat Montana, projects like the Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area—providing access to nearly 100,000 acres of public land—and the Montana Great Outdoors Project in northwest Montana have preserved critical habitat while opening up new ground for hunters, anglers, and other recreationists. The Habitat Legacy Account ensures Habitat Montana has the funding it needs to continue seizing big opportunities as they arise, including habitat leasing and partnerships with willing landowners.
Using funding from the Habitat Montana program, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks secured nearly 6,000 acres of native prairie and foothill habitat at the base of the Big Snowies to create a new Wildlife Management Area. The WMA opens access to nearly 100,000 acres of previously landlocked public land, provides critical year-round range for elk, deer, and antelope, and protects some of the state’s most intact native grassland and conifer woodland ecosystems. Photo from Montana FWP.
2. WHIP Legacy Expansion
The Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) has already played a role in tackling noxious weeds and improving habitat on both public and private land. But the scope of the program has been narrow—until now.
A Habitat Legacy Account would expand WHIP through the new WHIP Legacy initiative, funding landscape-scale restoration and stewardship work across rural Montana. The program would support ranchers, Tribes, conservation districts, local governments, hunters, and nonprofits in their efforts to heal degraded land and improve fish and wildlife habitat.
Eligible projects would include the following:
Rangeland and soil restoration
Invasive species removal
Fence modifications for improved wildlife movement
Water retention and development
Aspen and wetland enhancement
Fish passage and irrigation upgrades
These types of projects directly improve wildlife habitat and water quality, while helping working lands stay productive. Importantly, this program puts funding in the hands of people who know the land best—those who live and work on it.
3. Wildlife Crossings
Montana ranks second in the nation for wildlife-vehicle collisions. Every year, more than 6,000 big game animals are struck and killed on our roads. These crashes cost Montanans more than $119 million annually in vehicle damages, injuries, and emergency services. Worse still, they threaten the health of our big game herds and the safety of our communities.
The Habitat Legacy Account would create a dedicated funding stream for wildlife accommodations—overpasses, underpasses, and fencing that allow animals to safely cross highways and keep drivers safe. According to recent surveys, 77% of Montanans support more investments in wildlife crossings. With this bill, we can turn that public support into action.
Wildlife crossings are also cost-efficient. By helping species like elk, deer, moose, bears and pronghorn move safely across the landscape, these structures improve long-term herd vitality and prevent roadkill-related costs. They’re a win-win for wildlife and public safety.
Why Now?
Montana has many tools for conserving public and private lands, but we lack one essential piece: a robust, reliable funding mechanism for habitat stewardship. With changing climate conditions and growing land-use pressures, we can’t afford to wait.
The Habitat Legacy Account fills that gap by creating a framework that’s flexible, efficient, and grounded in local knowledge. It supports the people who know the land best—ranchers, Tribes, land managers, hunters, and conservationists—and gives us the tools to get the work done.
Take Action
Montanans overwhelmingly support conservation, wildlife, and access. HB 932 proposes strategic, common-sense investments in all three legs of the stool.
Contact your legislators and urge them to support HB 932. It’s how we keep Montana wild, working, and open for the next generation.
To provide testimony and/or written comments, visit https://participate.legmt.gov. You can also send a message to legislators through the public participation portal.
The Montana Wildlife Federation roots trace back to 1936 when hunters, anglers and other conservationists joined landowners to address the loss of Montana’s natural lands, healthy waters and abundant wildlife. Since then, MWF has championed scientific wildlife management and fought to conserve the great natural resources found in this state and wildlife populations have rebounded. This legacy is maintained through our dedicated staff and volunteers, and our steadfast support of wildlife and habitat professionals within both the public and private sectors.
Federal Workforce Under Attack
Earlier this month, the Montana Wildlife Federation sent a letter to our four-person federal delegation, voicing concern for federal workers, especially those who provide valuable services supporting wildlife, habitat and public access.
ince then, thousands of federal employees have been terminated from key agencies, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management, and departments that assist farmers, ranchers, veterans, tribes, and rural communities. These are the people who manage our public lands, protect endangered species, restore habitat, and ensure outdoor access for Montanans—and their absence is already having dire consequences.
Fortunately, the judicial branch has intervened in multiple cases, preventing further erosion of federal law, the U.S. Constitution, and the integrity of our public workforce. However, the damage is already being felt on the ground.
We repeat our call for Montana’s federal legislators to step up, act to protect science and our federal workforce and provide Congressional oversight.
As of February 17—President’s Day—we have only received a response from Senator Steve Daines. His response ignores our concerns about how politicians, unelected billionaires, and their unqualified minions are threatening and bullying federal agencies and federal employees.
MWF’s Four Core Asks of Our Congressional Leadership:
1 Insist that the federal civil service remain non-partisan and that political operatives not be inserted into career civil service positions.
2. Defend the impartiality of public service.
3. Promote a positive work environment where employees are not subject to threats to their employment that have nothing to do with job performance.
4. Conduct appropriate oversight of political or self-dealing tampering with career civil service jobs and hiring and firing of government employees.
Attached is our letter and the Daines response.
We’ll gladly share responses from Senator Sheehy and Representatives Zinke and Downing should we receive them.
It is critically important that every one of us who cares about Montana SPEAK UP TO OUR CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATIVES to help our friends and neighbors who work for agencies and are now being fired and whose careers are at an end. Please call and tell them what you think and ask that they reverse this destruction of our agencies and our Montana way of life.
Senator Steve Daines:202-244-3121 DC or 406-453-0148 Great Falls
Senator Tim Sheehy: 202-224-2644 DC or 406-452-9587 Great Falls
Representative Ryan Zinke: 202-225-5628 DC or 406-413-6720 Bozeman
Representative Troy Downing: 202-225-3211 DC or in-state 406-413-6720
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.
