News

Today, Congressman Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Congressman Raul Grijalva (D-Arizona), along with dozens of co-sponsors from both parties, introduced the Restore Our Parks and Public Lands Act.  The bill would dedicate a portion of existing federal energy revenue to fund maintenance needs on national parks and other public lands managed by the Department of Interior.  Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte is a cosponsor of the bill.

Dave Chadwick, executive director of the Montana Wildlife Federation made the following statement:

“At a time when our political system is so polarized, conservation is one thing that can still bring Republicans and Democrats together.  This bill joins the Land and Water Conservation Fund and the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act in advancing the common-sense idea that a portion of existing federal revenue should be dedicated to protecting our natural heritage.”

“This bill shows that there’s a real opportunity for Congress to make concrete progress this year to fully fund our nation’s land, water, and wildlife, which will be good for Montanans and all Americans.”

Collin O’Mara, CEO of the National Wildlife Federation, said:
“America’s public lands and wildlife are inextricably linked — and require dedicated funding to conserve and protect them. Congressmen Bishop and Grijalva deserve great credit for putting forward a maintenance solution for public lands infrastructure, but any compromise should also include funding for wildlife habitat, as proposed in the bipartisan Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (H.R. 4647).”

Created in 1964, the Land and Water Conservation Fund is funded by a portion of offshore energy revenue.  The program has protected many of Montana’s most important places, even though much of the funding is diverted by Congress every year to cover other government spending.  Pending legislation would reauthorize the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provide permanent, automatic funding for the program.

Alongside the LWCF, the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act was introduced in 2018 to provide funding from existing federal energy revenue to state fish and wildlife agencies in order to conserve at-risk species and prevent Endangered Species Act listings.

Contact: Dave Chadwick, 406-438-6478, dchadwick@mtwf.org

Hunters from the Glendive area gathered to celebrate 20,000 acres of new public hunting access through the Horse Creek Complex conservation easement.

A crowd packed the Cross Country Brewing Company in Glendive to thank the Stenson family for the project, which protects more than 15,000 acres of their cattle ranch near Wibaux. Taken together with the adjoining public lands, the project opens up nearly 20,000 acres that offer prime hunting opportunity for mule deer, antelope, and upland birds.

Conservation easements are one of our most important private land tools to preserve valuable habitat. They restrict subdivision and housing development while allowing a landowner to continue to raise crops or livestock. In addition, easements held by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks include a public hunting access component.

Horse Creek was needlessly held up for months by state Land Board members Matt Rosendale, Corey Stapleton and Elsie Arntzen, but was ultimately approved last month when Gov. Steve Bullock determined that easements do not require board approval. The project was unanimously supported by the state Fish and Wildlife Commission.

Horse Creek was paid for with Habitat Montana dollars. The program uses a small portion of hunting license fees to fund targeted land purchases, conservation easements, and fishing access sites. It has a tremendous record of success in conserving key wildlife habitat and opening more lands to public hunting. The project drew broad support from hunting and conservation groups including the Montana Wildlife Federation, Pheasants Forever, Ducks Unlimited, Montana Mule Deer Foundation, Montana Bowhunters Association, Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Montana Wild Sheep Foundation, Montana Trout Unlimited, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, National Wildlife Federation and the Montana Sportsman’s Alliance.

Last weekend, the Montana Wildlife Federation had the privilege to work with Keep It Public on their Conservation Camp Out on the Charles M. Russell (CMR) Wildlife Refuge. Conservationists from around the state met in Haxby, MT to remove old fence. Unfortunately, budget cuts to the CMR Refuge had to close the local field office in charge of this area. The Keep It Public workday focused on removing dilapidated fence and old abandoned farm equipment.

The specific parcel, once a private inholding, became public via the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). America’s most important conservation and recreation program, LWCF has saved places in nearly every state and every county in the U.S. LWCF will expire on September 30, 2018, without action from Congress.  MWF and Keep It Public are working hard to get LWCF fully funded before the program expires. Montana’s hunters, anglers, and wildlife are depending on it.