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WHAT’S NEXT FOR OTTER CREEK:

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BONOGOFSKY-7107-140701web Photo Credit: Alexis Bonogofsky

Arch Coal’s announcement last week in regards to suspending its efforts to secure a permit for a mine at Otter Creek is a huge win for the coalition of ranchers, sportsmen, conservationists, tribes and local community members who have fought this project for decades.

While the collaboration between all of these different groups played an important role in defeating this project, what played an even more important role was market forces. As natural gas and new sources of renewable energy become more readily available, the coal markets have declined dramatically. Even though Arch Coal, Inc. still holds the leases and they could change their mind to pursue the project or sell the leases to another company, the longer the coal stays in the ground, the less likely the mining project will happen. The market is driving Montana and the rest of the country away from coal. And while mines that are up to standard will still be mining coal for up to 30 years, new mining sites will not be developed.

Our new job as sportsmen, conservationists and Montanans is to hold the coal companies accountable for the reclamation process of mines that are already developed. Currently, only 10% of the land in the state of Montana that has been mined has been fully reclaimed. Reclamation is critical to restoring the habitat that was lost during the mining process and making sure our water ways are kept clean and pristine. Reclamation will also provide good blue collar jobs for Montanans. It is our duty to hold the mining companies responsible, otherwise they will back out of their obligation to the land and we will be left holding the bill.

John Bradley is the Eastern Field Rep. for Montana Wildlife Federation. You can reach him at jbradley@mtwf.org

Habitat Montana helps traditional farms & ranches as well as hunters & anglers

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Fall Sun
Montana’s incredibly popular Habitat Montana program is a favorite target of state lawmakers because it allows the state to purchase land for wildlife through a fund that hunters pay into.

What’s often left out of the conversation is the contribution that Habitat Montana makes to traditional farm and ranch operations. That’s because Habitat Montana primarily funds conservation easements that protect working agricultural lands – which tremendously benefit wildlife – and can help farmers and ranchers add to their operations and stay on the land.

This month that was well illustrated through four major conservation easements that came before the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission. The proposals total 33,800 acres on four ranches located in central and eastern Montana. These stunning landscapes include key habitat for mule deer, antelope, elk and numerous other game and non-game species.

Among those are sage grouse, a native prairie grouse that was nearly listed as endangered last year. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service opted not to list the bird, thanks to extensive state and federal conservation plans aimed at protecting and restoring crucial sage grouse habitat in sagebrush-steppe environments. One of the projects proposed this month – the Machler Property in Fergus County north of Roy – includes nine sage grouse leks. The easement would protect 2,700 acres of the ranch that is located in core sage grouse habitat.

There’s another key element to these easements. They include a public access component to the properties that allows public hunting. And they also have the potential to improve public access to adjoining public lands, which would create more public hunting opportunity.

Another easement, the Rumney Foothills located near Cascade, would allow the rancher to expand the operation by purchasing more property. The area is comprised of foothill grasslands that provide important winter range for elk and mule deer, as well as riparian and shrub habitats where white-tailed deer thrive. In total the easement would protect 7,512 acres in two areas.

Montana lawmakers who don’t like Habitat Montana sometimes use language that FWP is trying to buy up the whole state. They state that FWP owns too much land, referring to our system of state Wildlife Management Areas that are strategically located in key wildlife corridors or on winter range. And last session, the Legislature through the budget process limited the ability of Habitat Montana to be used for new purchases, with the exception of those that were already in negotiations. Several lawmakers have called on the program to be ended entirely.

That would be bad for Montana’s hunters, anglers and wildlife watchers. It would be bad for the numerous businesses that thrive because of our abundant wildlife and the public lands that support it.

And as these projects demonstrate, it would be bad for our agriculture industry as well.

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

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT:

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Arch Coal, Inc. announced last week that it is suspending efforts to secure a permit for the Otter Creek Coal mine in Southeastern Montana citing restraints related to its recent bankruptcy filing and the declining demand for coal.

The announcement comes after years of opposition from a coalition who would have been the most affected by the project. Hunters and anglers, ranchers and local communities, tribes and conservationists have consistently pointed out the threats to habitat, wildlife, and the local ranching and recreation economies that are the core of the region.

The proposed coal mine would have jeopardize some of the best wildlife habitat in the state and decreased public access and opportunity for sportsmen. This is a region rich in wildlife. Mule deer, white-tail deer, pronghorn antelope, elk, black bear, and hundreds of bird species rely on this intact habitat. Arch’s announcement is an incredible victory for the local ranchers and community members who call this place home, and for sportsmen who utilize this pristine land to chase game each fall.

Habitat Montana project will protect habitat, improve access, and enhance management

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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) has proposed the purchase of about 9500 acres of Montana Department of Natural Resources Conservation (DNRC) inholdings in the Sun River, Beartooth, and Blackleaf Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs). The acquisition would be funded by the Habitat Montana program.

While this sounds like just a bureaucratic exchange of land between two government agencies, it will protect wildlife habitat, improve public access and enhances management efficiency. The project represents yet another example of how Habitat Montana is good for wildlife, good for hunters, and good for all Montanans.

DNRC Trust lands are an important part of many wildlife management areas, and they comprise 17 percent, 17 percent, and 6 percent of the Sun River, Beartooth, and Blackleaf WMAs respectively.

However, DNRC inholdings can challenge long-term management. DNRC is required to maximize revenue from their lands, which means FWP is required to pay lease fees for their use – and DNRC is always under pressure to increase fees in the future. There is also the risk that other bidders could come in with uses of inholding lands that might be inconsistent with habitat values and public hunting opportunities.

These three WMAs are tremendously important for wildlife and Montana’s outdoor heritage. The Sun River Game Preserve was created through bipartisan action of the Montana Legislature in 1913. The Sun River WMA, purchased in 1947, was one of the first WMAs in Montana. The Rocky Mountain Heritage Act, adopted through bipartisan action of Congress in December 2014 culminated years of effort by local landowners and hunters to secure the spectacular Rocky Mountain Front for future generations. The Blackleaf WMA to the north provides important habitat for elk, mule deer and grizzly bears coming off the Front. Continuing to the south, the Beartooth WMA provides core security habitat for a unique collaboration of agencies, hunters and landowners known as the Devils Kitchen Group to manage area wildlife. These WMAs provide key year long and seasonal habitat for a variety of wildlife species. They also provide seasonal grazing habitat to wildlife such as elk and mule deer to relieve depredation on adjacent private lands.

This acquisition is a real investment in protecting habitat and ensuring public hunting opportunity on these iconic wildlife management areas. Montanans are truly lucky to have the Habitat Montana program to preserve our wildlife and hunting heritage for future generations.

Share your support, click here to comment on this project.

MWF Letter of Support for Sun River Beartooth and Blackleaf March 2016

PHIL TAWNEY HUNTERS CONSERVATION ENDOWMENT

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To educate and inform the general public about hunting ethics, fair chase, and values; to perpetuate the sport of the hunt through efforts to conserve habitat and wildlife; and to stimulate the recruitment, mentoring, and involvement of youth in hunting and conservation activities.

The Phil Tawney Hunters Conservation Endowment is especially concerned about the long-term effects of private and public actions on our public resources. The Endowment values organizations that are grounded in democratic principles with memberships that reflect the diversity of their communities.

While recognizing that organizations employ a range of strategies to address public resource issues, the Endowment gives special attention to efforts that organize and involve local citizens. The Endowment also encourages collaboration between local groups and regional or national organizations on projects that promote public education, involvement, and advocacy. In keeping with the spirit of Phil’s legacy, the Phil Tawney Hunters Conservation Endowment offers a one-year grant to a 501(c)(3) organization with a proposed project that exhibits a similar commitment to our outdoor heritage.

The Endowment seeks projects that emphasize one or more of the following:
• The interface between hunting and wildlife management, especially as issues affect children;
• Strategies to promote environmentally healthy wildlife habitat;
• Public policy changes to improve conservation and habitat;
• Strategies to improve and promote hunting ethics, fair chase, values, and safety; and
• Activities to stimulate the recruitment, mentoring and involvement of youth in hunting and conservation activities.

2016 Tawney Grant Application

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.