News - Montana Wildlife Federation

Missouri Breaks Still Worthy of Protection

May 11, 2017May 11, 2017 by Sonya Smith

Upper Missouri Breaks NM - CC License - Bob Wick — Upper Missouri Breaks NM – CC License – Bob Wick

President Trump’s executive order last month to review all national monuments established over the past 21 years is an exercise in government inefficiency.

Over the next six months, the Interior Department is going to review every national monument designated in the last 21 years. This review will find that each one of them is worthy of protection – for the incredible scenic, wildlife and cultural values that they were originally set aside for. In almost every case, these monuments were the result of lengthy discussions by local officials, conservationists, area ranchers and tribal interests as they worked to hammer out agreements to preserve multiple-use public lands and waters in special places around the nation.

That was certainly the case with the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument, an expanse of incredible country in the rugged breaks that rise off of the Missouri River in central Montana. The monument was established in 2001, when President Clinton used the Antiquities Act to protect this remarkable landscape.

It’s a law passed in 1906 and signed by President Theodore Roosevelt, and since then eight Democrats and eight Republicans have used it to protect some of our most treasured cultural and scenic areas. The list includes the Grand Canyon and Zion national parks, as well as cultural sites like the Statute of Liberty and Pompey’s Pillar.

The Breaks monument didn’t happen until there were public meetings, discussions with local interests and a visit from then Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt. And while not everyone supported the monument designation – never is there full agreement – the end product drew broad support from Montanans.

What we’ve seen since then is that the monument works. Hunters have still had access to pursue big game and birds on the monument. Ranchers with grazing leases have maintained those. And floaters who enjoy the river that Lewis and Clark came up two centuries ago still float this waterway. The monument designation kept this important area in the heart of Montana from being altered, developed, or taken away from the public for years.

That is all at risk now. The President’s executive order was shrouded in language about local control and state management, but that’s just a political talking point by anti-monument politicians who have already made up their minds. The Breaks, and all national monuments, are multiple-use public lands, and local voices have always had tremendous say through Resource Advisory Councils and other means.

The Upper Missouri River Breaks shows exactly how a national monument is supposed to work: it keeps our public land as it is: open to hunting and fishing, livestock grazing, and other traditional uses, rather than locking our lands up for large-scale oil and gas, mining, or other development activities that close off public use. That is good for hunters and anglers, good for ranchers, good for our Montana way of life.

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

Habitat Montana Restored, and You’re to Thank

August 2, 2021April 24, 2017 by Guest Profile

Thanks to your hard work, Montana’s premier conservation and access program, Habitat Montana, was fully restored.

HB 5, the state capital improvement budget, passed the House in a final vote on Friday and is heading to Gov. Bullock for his signature. The bill includes Habitat Montana, a program paid for by hunter license dollars that provides funding for conservation projects.

For over two decades Habitat Montana has protected working farms and ranches through conservation easements, and allowed Montana to buy key parcels from willing sellers, securing hunting access and fishing sites. The 2015 Montana Legislature put a rider on the state budget that barred future purchase of land. Thanks to calls and emails from you and many other MWF members, legislators ended that restriction in this year’s budget.

Thank you for responding to all of MWF’s calls-to-action. And we also owe a big thanks to the coalition of hunting and angling organizations that came together this session to make restoring Habitat Montana the top priority in the 2017 Legislature. Working together, we are ensuring that future generations will also experience the hunting, fishing, and other great outdoor recreation we enjoy today.

Hunting Public Lands: The Missouri Breaks

August 2, 2021April 20, 2017 by Marcus Strange

“I was overwhelmed by the beauty of the area where we were hunting. We were in what people who hunt refer to as “big country.” I was blown away by the grandeur of the towering buttes, the serenity of the golden plains, the mystery of the dark coulees, and the overall enormity of the public land we were privileged to hunt.”

While hunters of Montana eagerly await their draw results, here’s the story of MWF board member Marcus Strange on a successful Missouri Breaks archery hunt. This area is under a new BLM planning process, visit montanawildlife.org/lewistownrmp to learn more and get involved.

To read the full story visit http://urbantocountry.com/chasing-memories/

Capitol Wildlife Report: Habitat Montana crosses hurdle, Constitutional Referendum goes down

August 2, 2021April 17, 2017 by Guest Profile

ElkCapitol

We’re down to the final days of the 2017 Legislature, and this past week was a good one for wildlife and habitat in our state.

Habitat Montana on track

Habitat Montana, the state’s premier conservation tool to protect vital habitat and provide access for hunters and anglers, cleared another hurdle last week. The program is included in HB 5, the state’s capital improvements bill, and last week it passed out of the Senate.
HB 5 was amended in the Senate and has to go back to the House for concurrence. If it does, the bill will be heading to the governor for his signature. Montana’s hunters and anglers will again be able to acquire quality wildlife habitat, and will gain access to those lands as well as adjoining public lands for hunting.

Constitutional referendum fails

SB 236 would have put before Montana voters a constitutional amendment that created a right to hunt, fish and trap. While Montanans overwhelmingly support our outdoors traditions, the measure was fraught with legal problems that could have affected private property rights, the ability of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to differentiate between resident and non-resident hunters for license pricing, and the ability for state biologists to manage big game, birds and fish.
The measure requires 100 votes, and earlier in the session received 30 votes in the Senate. It hit the House floor after a 10-9 vote in the Judiciary Committee, but was amended and only received 48 votes for it. A motion to reconsider SB 236 came up on Thursday, but it went down even harder in a 38-62 vote.

Habitat bill amended

A bill that brought together landowners, hunters, counties and others, HB 434, was amended for the worse this week. The bill would have allowed FWP to work on habitat improvement projects on public and private land, including weed treatment. Any project would have to be approved by the Fish and Wildlife Commission, and would have required matching dollars. But the Senate Fish and Game committee amended into the bill large sections of HB 651. That was a bad bill that would have gutted Habitat Montana, and created a redundant access specialist position that already exists. The bill is heading back to the Senate and could go to a conference committee, where it will hopefully be restored to a good bill that benefits habitat.

Deer permits, outfitter check in and more

In other bills, SB 171 that would have limited the ability for FWP to issue unlimited deer permits to manage harvest was table in the House FWP committee. SB 185 that would have allowed an outfitter to report clients’ game animals died in House FWP. Several other bills that have been broad consensus measures are making their way to the governor.

Winding down

The Legislature is taking a four day break over the Easter holiday, and will be back on Tuesday. It will be working to finish the state operating budget (HB 2) and working to get an infrastructure improvement bill passed. It’s close to the finish.

As always, check the Montana Wildlife Federation bill tracker at montanawildlife.org/billtracker for the most up-to-date information on bills and where they’re at in the process. For questions, contact MWF Conservation Director Nick Gevock at ngevock@mtwf.org or by calling 458-0227 ext. 108.

Grant Marsh addition would benefit all Montanans

August 2, 2021April 14, 2017 by Guest Profile

Grant Marsh Addition EA 1-24-2017 (1)

With much of eastern Montana under private ownership, quality public land around the Billings area is highly valued by hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts. Grant Marsh, a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks public Wildlife Management Area located 50 miles southeast of Billings near Hardin, provides public hunting and fishing opportunities to thousands of Montanans.

The wildlife management area, nestled alongside the Big Horn River and surrounded by agricultural lands, provides hunting opportunity for white-tailed deer, pheasant, sharp-tail grouse and waterfowl. On the many occasions I’ve gone searching for a September grouse, I have also come across families taking advantage of the area to introduce their young children to fishing.

Now we have a chance to build on this great area to benefit all Montanans. Montana FWP is proposing to use Habitat Montana dollars to purchase 425 acres to add on to the Grant Marsh WMA. Habitat Montana uses sportsmen’s dollars to acquire conservation easements, leases and select purchases suitable for game, bird, fish restoration, propagation or protections and for public hunting, fishing or trapping areas.

The proposed 425 acres borders the south end of the current 141 acre WMA, creating a large block of wildlife habitat. If approved, the pieced-together parcels would create the largest block of public land along the Bighorn River and provide a boat launch, ponds, hunting opportunities and wildlife habitat for thousands of Montanans to enjoy.

Quality public wildlife habitat that provides hunting and fishing opportunities in eastern Montana is becoming rarer. We have a unique opportunity to increase public land, water and access while providing quality habitat for future generations to enjoy. Having places open to the public where future generations can go to experience the best of what of Montana has to offer is something we can all get behind.

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved the purchase this week, and it goes to the State Land Board for final approval on Monday, April 17. We are hopeful our public officials see the value in adding to our wildlife and public lands heritage and approve this worthy project.

John Bradley is the Eastern Montana Field Representative for the Montana Wildlife Federation. Contact him at jbradley@mtwf.org

Jeff Lukas

Conservation Director