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Funding to Recover America’s Wildlife

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KingOne of several priorities for the Montana Wildlife Federation is the passage of legislation to increase funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would dramatically increase funding for every state wildlife agency, including $29 million/year for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, to implement on-the-ground projects to conserve fish and wildlife.

The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would be good for wildlife and for people. By supporting early intervention to conserve wildlife before they reach the brink of extinction, it would reduce the cost to taxpayers and the regulatory burdens on farmers, ranchers, and other resource users. The bill enjoys broad support from conservation organizations, the energy industry, businesses, and wildlife managers.

Like the Land and Water Conservation Fund, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act enjoys broad, bipartisan support. The bill has more than a hundred cosponsors, including both Republicans and Democrats, from all over the country.

Federal Rewrite of Sage-Grouse Plans Throws Out Years of Hard Work

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https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/
Photo by Jennifer Strickland, USFWS.

On December 6, the Bureau of Land Management released a proposal to rewrite conservation plans that were intended to conserve the greater sage-grouse. Dave Chadwick, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation, said the following:

“The 2015 sage-grouse conservation plans were the product of years of hard work by wildlife managers, conservationists, hunters, ranchers, local government and the energy industry. It wasn’t easy, but we worked together to find a way to protect sage-grouse habitat, prevent the species from becoming endangered, and maintain all the different ways people use our public lands.

“In Montana, a deal is a deal. Unfortunately, that doesn’t seem to hold true in Washington, DC. Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke has decided to walk away from the bargain that the federal government made with Montanans – and all Westerners. By throwing out local input and multiple-use management in the name of ‘energy dominance’, the federal government is putting the sage-grouse back on the road to extinction, endangering hundreds of other species, and threatening public access to public land.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/usfwsmtnprairie/
Photo by Tom Koerner, USFWS

“The federal government’s reckless move has emboldened some Montana legislators to call for backing out of the sage-grouse conservation at the state-level as well. More than a dozen bills have been unveiled that would repeal hard-negotiated habitat protections at the state level. The ‘not warranted’ decision was predicated largely on the strength of state plans. If we roll those back, on top of the rollbacks we’re seeing from Washington, we leave it up to a judge to decide the fate of not only the sage-grouse, but all Westerners who live, work and recreate on our public lands.”

Clock is Ticking for Congressional Action on Public Lands, Wildlife

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winter capitol The midterm congressional election was bruising in Montana and nationwide.  Fortunately, conservation was one issue that was not a point of contention in these divided political times.  Montana saw the re-election of Senator Jon Tester and Representative Greg Gianforte, both of whom are on record supporting several important Montana conservation priorities. Immediately after the election, Congress returned to Washington for a “lame duck” session that will continue through adjournment in December.  MWF and our conservation partners will be watching closely and working tirelessly to get several Montana priorities enacted in this crucial window of time.

Restoring the Land and Water Conservation Fund

At the end of September, Congress allowed the 50-year old Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF)  to expire. LWCF is one of the nation’s most important programs, funding the acquisition of public land and public access.  In Montana, the program has funded projects in every county of the state, including everything from wilderness lands to local soccer fields.  It has been crucial to our state’s unmatched access to the outdoors and abundant wildlife populations.

Unfortunately, the authorization for LWCF expired at the end of September, endangering future conservation projects.  Senator Jon Tester has long been a champion for permanent authorization and full funding for LWCF, and in recent months he has been joined by both Senator Steve Daines and Representative Greg Gianforte in supporting this important Montana priority. LWCF also enjoys broad, bipartisan support nationwide.

During the closing weeks of the year, MWF will be working with our partners in Montana and across the nation to secure permanent reauthorization and full funding for LWCF.

Join Our Legislative Action Team

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The Montana Wildlife Federation for decades has been a leading voice for protecting and enhancing our public wildlife, lands, and access at the Montana Legislature. We need your help to make that happen in 2019.

MWF’s volunteers and staff are gearing up for the 2019 Legislature, and we need your help. Join our Legislative Action Team to help move forward bills that affect our public lands, wildlife and access for all of us to enjoy them and fight against anti-access, anti-conservation proposals.


Legislative Action Team Members Will:

  • Receive insider updates and breaking news as bills are moving during the session.
  • Get previews of bills that are scheduled for hearings each week.
  • Have opportunities and expert help weighing in with your legislators on wildlife, habitat, and access priorities.
  • Help spread information to other conservation advocates and leverage grassroots action to make our collective voice heard.

In addition to our Legislative Action Team, MWF provides a bill tracker on our website for key wildlife bills and a weekly legislative update for all of our members.

Once again, MWF will be leading the effort to increase access to public land by raising the fine for illegally gating a county road to $500 per day. That’s just the tip of the iceberg of our work. MWF will fight for funding for Habitat Montana, support private landowner habitat and access programs, stand up for sound wildlife management, and defend funding for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. We’ll fight any attempts to privatize our public lands and wildlife or work to impede scientific wildlife management.

MWF has been at the Capitol for more than 50 years, and we have succeeded because our boots-on-the-ground volunteers all over Montana are willing to show up and speak up for what’s important to you.  We can’t do it without you. Sign up to be part of our Legislative Action Team and get engaged. The threats to our shared wildlife and sporting heritage are greater than ever, and we can only win together.

Become a Member of our Legislative Action Team today. 

MWF Gears Up to Fight

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Photo by Marcus Strange.

The 2019 Legislature will, as always, be a busy one for issues that affect wildlife, habitat, and access for sportsmen and sportswomen, as well as recreationists. The session will be dominated by issues surrounding the state budget, Medicaid expansion, infrastructure funding, and education issues. But as always, natural resources bills will be prominent with Montanans.

In the state Senate, Republicans will hold a 30-20 majority, while in the House of Representatives, Republicans will have a 58-42 seat majority. Scott Sales, R-Bozeman, will again serve as Senate President, while Jon Sesso, D-Butte will be the Senate Minority Leader. In the House, Greg Hertz, R-Polson, will serve as Speaker, and Casey Schreiner, D-Great Falls, is Minority Leader.

As the majority party, Republicans will chair committees in both houses. The Senate Fish and Game Committee will be chaired by Senator Jennifer Fielder, R-Thompson Falls and the Senate Natural Resources Committee will be chaired by Sen. Jeff Wellborn, R-Dillon. In the House, the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee will be chaired by Rep. Bob Brown (R-Thompson Falls) and Natural Resources Committee will be chaired by Rep. Kerry White (R-Bozeman). MWF will be working closely with lawmakers of both parties to ensure that FWP’s budget is sound and that key conservation priorities get the staffing and funding needed to manage our public trust resources.

Our ability to give Montanans a voice at the Capitol depends on your support.  Please make a quick donation to help us speak up for wildlife, hunting and fishing, and public access in 2019!”
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.