News - Montana Wildlife Federation

Resolving Conflicts Between Landowners & Hunters

July 2, 2020January 22, 2018 by Alec Underwood

Montana Wildlife Federation President Bill Geer has been reappointed to the Private Land/Public Wildlife Council for another term. It’s an important group that brings together landowners, hunters, conservation groups and other interests to work on the tough issues surrounding public hunting access to private lands.

Geer, who ran the state of Utah’s wildlife agency during his career as a professional wildlife biologist, brings a wealth of experience to the position. He understands the intricacies of managing a public trust resource – wildlife – that often lives on private land. And he understands the delicate balance that’s needed between hunters and landowners to effectively manage deer, elk and other game species. We’re looking forward to productive discussions within the council, and know that Montana’s hunters will be well represented with Geer serving on it.

Support the Rule of Law and Your Public Land

July 2, 2020January 19, 2018 by Alec Underwood

Today the Montana Wildlife Federation joined the Montana Wilderness Association, Montana Human Rights Network, Montana Conservation Voters, and the National Wildlife Federation in issuing the following statement about the anti-government meeting planned for this weekend in Paradise, Montana:

The rule of law and access to our public lands are integral to how Montanans live, work, and play together as good neighbors.

This weekend, a group of extremists, including Cliven Bundy, are gathering in our backyard to advocate violating both of these core Montana principles.

Cliven Bundy and his colleagues have a record of breaking the law, not taking responsibility for their actions, and not being held responsible. Even though a mistrial was declared against Mr. Bundy for his armed 2014 standoff, he still has a 20+ year record of illegally trespassing on America’s public lands and refusing to comply with court orders to halt his behavior.

Mr. Bundy defends his illegal behavior by proclaiming “I don’t recognize the US government as even existing” and calling the United States a “foreign government.” He has publicly declared “I abide by almost zero federal laws”, which is borne out by his repeated refusal to comply with legal court orders. He holds many other radical views, including the idea that slavery was good for African-Americans.

Mr. Bundy will be joined by several other other anti-government extremists, including Roger Roots. Roots has a long history with white nationalism and advocates radical concepts like “jury nullification”, an eccentric and dangerous theory that juries should ignore the law.

Most troubling, at least one Montana lawmaker has indicated that she intends to attend this event: State Senator Jennifer Fielder (R-Thompson Falls). Senator Fielder is well-known as an extremist within her own party, but standing alongside someone who ignores the law and rejects the American judicial system and the very existence of the federal government is beyond the pale.

The stakes are high in Sanders County. In addition to this weekend’s gathering of extremists, one Bundy militia member found guilty in Oregon is a Plains, Montana, resident due for sentencing on the 24th. Montana lawmakers and law enforcement officials have a duty to protect and uphold the rule of law, not entertain extremists.

We are asking reasonable Montanans to stay away from the Bundy meeting and not fuel the conflict. Instead of playing who-has-a-bigger-gun with these extremists, we are asking people to support the law and public lands by taking three actions:

Contact State Senator Jennifer Fielder and ask her to state her position on the multiple legal rulings against Mr. Bundy and if she believes he should be required to comply with court orders or not.

Contact Sanders County Sheriff Tom Rummel and Montana Attorney General Tim Fox, and ask them to support the peaceful rule of law and hold lawbreakers accountable.

Sign on this statement of support for the rule of law and public access to public land

EQC to Meet in Helena

August 24, 2020January 17, 2018 by Alec Underwood

Montana Capitol. Photo credit: Mark Dostal

The Montana Wildlife Federation will be watching out for the interests of hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts when the state Environmental Quality Council (EQC) holds its quarterly meeting this week in Helena.

EQC is the legislative interim committee that oversees the departments of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP); Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC); and Environmental Quality (DEQ). It conducts studies between legislative sessions and can recommend legislation to address specific issues. What happens at these meetings can have a big impact on the agenda during the 2019 Legislative Session, and MWF staff will be attending and monitoring the issues for the entire meeting.

The agenda for this week’s two-day meeting includes an update on the evaluation of the state parks program by FWP. State parks have been under scrutiny since last session, and several bills would have changed the oversight of state parks, including one that would have moved the program out of FWP.

EQC will also receive an update from FWP of Chronic Wasting Disease CWD), which was first detected in deer last year; and will review options for bills to address large dog training operations in upland game bird areas. Sage grouse conservation is also on the agenda as Montana continues to move forward with a plan to conserve the native upland game bird.

On the second day, EQC will hear from FWP on the review of its funding, including a review of hunting and fishing license fees. That is required every four years based on a bill passed in the 2015 Legislature that revamped and simplified Montana’s license fee structure.

The program to prevent aquatic invasive species is also on the agenda, as well as a report on the options for managing brucellosis in elk. The meeting finishes out with a review of potential management changes by FWP for grizzly bears.

The council, which includes appointed citizen members, will meet this week in room 172 of the Capitol. The meeting begins 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Jan. 17 and 8 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 18. You can see the agenda for more information on specific topics.

Montana Hunters Thank Jon Tester for Action on CWD

August 24, 2020January 17, 2018 by Alec Underwood

Montana's big game and hunting heritage are at risk. — Montana’s big game and hunting heritage are at risk.

Chronic Wasting Disease has been getting a lot of attention in Montana lately, after the disease was first detected in the Treasure State last November in a mule deer buck in Carbon County, and subsequently in more deer around the state. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks responded with two special hunts to get an adequate sample size to determine prevalence and geographic distribution of the disease.

But someone else responded as well – Montana Senator Jon Tester. He has introduced a bill that would allocate $60 million in federal funds nationwide to help fight this disease. The money would go right where it’s most needed – to state and tribal wildlife agencies doing the on-the-ground work to manage wildlife and CWD.

Tester’s bill could help pay for special management hunts, CWD lab testing and for the facilities to help implement a program to monitor and manage the disease. State and tribal agencies have the staffing and expertise to handle the disease. But at a time when they’re dealing with so many other wildlife issues, CWD puts a tremendous strain on their resources. Simply put, it takes time – and that takes money – to address this very complicated and serious wildlife disease.

Eight wildlife conservation and hunting organizations recently sent Senator Tester a letter thanking him for his work on this key issue. The groups included the Montana Wildlife Federation, National Wildlife Federation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Mule Deer Foundation, Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, Montana Bowhunters Association, Traditional Bowhunters of Montana and Wildlife Management Institute.

We hope that Congress can prioritize a response to this issue. Other Senators are looking at cosponsoring Senator Teste’rs bill, and a companion bill has also been introduced in the House of Representatives. Without the federal support to manage the disease, state and tribal wildlife agencies are left with a major burden to get ahead of CWD. Public servants like Jon Tester understand they need the help, and he’s working to get that help to protect our valued native wildlife and our hunting heritage.

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

Want to know more about this issue?

Sign up for MWF email alerts for updates on CWD and other issues.
Join MWF to help support our work to protection wildlife, habitat, and outdoor access!

Preventing Wildlife From Becoming Endangered? It’s Easy.

August 24, 2020January 7, 2018 by Alec Underwood

The Arctic grayling is one of Montana’s native species that would benefit from the new law.

If the last century of wildlife conservation has taught us anything, it is that wildlife management isn’t rocket science. When we provide wildlife managers with adequate resources and the authority to manage wildlife according to the best science, they can recover fish and wildlife populations. That’s how we brought big game like elk, mule deer, and pronghorn back from the brink of extinction to support Montana’s world-class hunting opportunities. It’s why Montana has blue ribbon fishing for abundant wild trout.

We know the same approach works with species that we don’t hunt or fish. From salamanders to prairie dogs to songbirds, the principles are the same: protecting habitat and managing threats according to the best science keeps wildlife abundant. Preventing at-risk species from declining to the brink of extinction has another benefit: it can avoid the need to put species on the federal Endangered Species list, and all the regulatory headaches that come with that law.

For the last 15+ years, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks have implemented a best-in-the-nation program to conserve nongame species that has done exactly that. And, in fact, these efforts have helped keep species abundant and prevent endangered species listings for animals like the Arctic grayling, black-tailed prairie dog, and northern leopard frog.

Unfortunately, current funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered is just a drop in the bucket and varies from year to year depending on the whims of Congress. For every success, there are dozens of more species waiting in the wings.

To address this problem, Representatives Debbie Dingell (D-Michigan) and Jeff Fortenberry (R-Nebraska) and 60 cosponsors from both parties have introduced the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act to dramatically and permanently increase federal funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. The Recovering America’s Wildlife Act would dedicate $1.4 billion in federal funding to the Wildlife Conservation and Restoration Program. This bold legislation is the direct recommendation from a Blue Ribbon Panel that included leaders from conservation groups, wildlife agencies, businesses, and the oil and gas industry. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks would see more than $29 million in new funding as a result of this program.

If conservationists, wildlife managers, the oil and gas industry, and outdoor businesses can find common ground, our political leaders should be able to take action to adopt their recommendations. We need our leaders to act now and pass dedicated funding to prevent wildlife from becoming endangered. It’s good for wildlife and people.

Take Action: Ask Rep. Gianforte to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act!