News - Montana Wildlife Federation

Values of the Breaks: Celebrating One of Montana’s Most Cherished Landscapes

October 21, 2025January 17, 2023 by Guest Profile

Designated on January 17th, 2001 by President Clinton, the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is a place revered by hunters, anglers, and recreationists alike. On the 22nd anniversary of the designation, the Montana Wildlife Federation has released a new video documenting the value of the special landscape.

Featuring diverse viewpoints including a local farmer and rancher, a small business owner and a hunter, the video explores how the national monument designation has enhanced the landscape, increased access, improved ranching, hunting, and outdoor recreation opportunities in the Upper Missouri River Breaks.

Originally deployed by conservation champion, President Teddy Roosevelt, The Antiquities Act has been used by presidents of both parties as a bipartisan tool for protecting precious American landscapes. A recent University of Montana poll showed strong bipartisan support among Montana voters for the use of the Antiquities Act in preserving our public lands.

“Montana’s national monuments are a cornerstone of our outdoor way of life,” said Frank Szollosi, Montana Wildlife Federation executive director. “On the anniversary of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument designation, it’s worth pausing to recognize and celebrate what a great tool the Antiquities Act has been for protecting Montana’s special places for future generations.”

Rick Anderson, a local farmer and rancher says the national monument designation has been integral to his operation.

“The Breaks are important to me because this is where I’ve lived my whole life,” Anderson said. “It’s the backbone of our farm and ranch. Without the river, our ranch would have no water. Prior to the designation, we had more trespass problems. Because of the monument, people are better informed.”

Small business owner, Haley Miller of Upper Missouri River Guides, is also featured in the film explaining how the national monument designation for the area is crucial to her business and way of life.

“The Missouri Breaks is an amazing landscape because of everything it has to offer: hunting, wildlife viewing, recreation,” Miller said. “The hiking is incredible, it’s a very family-friendly adventure. Whether you are a rancher, a canoer, a hunter, we can all only benefit from making sure this landscape only gets healthier. What makes it so important to us is that it’s public lands.”

Garrett Titus, Helena bird hunter, noted how Montana’s rapid population growth adds to the urgency of protecting places like the Upper Missouri River Breaks.

“Once our public lands are gone, they don’t come back,” Titus said. “Montana is growing extremely fast. We need to find a way to identify and protect places like the Missouri River Breaks because it allows us to experience wide open spaces and we need that and our future generations need that.”

Montana Wildlife Federation Comments on Montana Statewide Grizzly Bear Management Plan

January 26, 2023January 12, 2023 by Guest Profile

The Montana Wildlife Federation (MWF) values Montana’s grizzly bears as a unique and valuable resource, and we are dedicated to assuring that grizzly bears remain healthy and well-distributed in Montana. MWF has long supported conservation and management actions that would lead to healthy and robust grizzly bear populations and the delisting of the grizzly bear, a return of grizzly bear management to the state, and the potential of limited fair chase hunting. Unfortunately, MWF believes that the draft FWP grizzly bear management plan does not adequately address the issues facing Montana’s grizzly bear populations and submitted detailed written comments addressing our concerns in a letter that can be viewed HERE.

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is extending the public comment deadline on the draft grizzly bear management plan and associated draft environmental impact statement (EIS) to Feb. 4. The purpose of the draft plan and draft EIS is to guide the long-term management and conservation of grizzly bears across the state.

The new plan would replace two existing plans – those for western Montana and for southwest Montana. The statewide plan will serve as a framework for the management of grizzly bears now and into the future. The draft plan will guide management statewide, with particular focus on areas with documented grizzly bear presence, as well as in those places where they are expected to expand. The draft plan addresses how bears will be managed outside of federal recovery zones, including connectivity areas between the zones. The draft EIS addresses potential environmental impacts of implementing the plan.

To review the plan and comment, go online to https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/public-comment-opportunities/grizzly-bear-management-plan. To comment by mail, send to Wildlife Division, Grizzly Bear Plan and EIS, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620. Comments can also be emailed to fwpwld@mt.gov.

If you’d like support with writing a comment and your messaging, please contact North-Central/Eastern Montana Field Coordinator Morgan Marks at morgan@mtwf.org.

MWF Legislation Toolkit

January 12, 2023January 2, 2023 by Sonya Smith

JOIN OUR LEGISLATIVE ACTION TEAM

To be successful, MWF needs one thing: YOU. It’s important that the voices of parents, grandparents, community members and others are heard by our legislators and the Governor so they know how important Montana’s wildlife and wild places are to you. Together, with your support, we’ll again achieve great things for Montana

You choose how you want us to contact you in moments when it’s important to quickly and collectively respond to emerging opportunities and threats to Montana’s wildlife, habitat, and public access.

THE BASICS

JOIN OUR LEGISLATIVE ACTION TEAM

CAPITOL REPORT 2023: BILLS AND BUDGET

HOW TO LOBBY THE 2023 MONTANA LEGISLATURE

LEGISLATIVE LEADERSHIP & CONTACT INFORMATION

VIEWING AND LISTENING TO LEGISLATIVE MEETINGS

MISSED A LEGISLATIVE ACTION TEAM CALL? VIEW IT HERE

As a Legislative Action Team Member You Will:

-Receive insider updates and breaking news as bills are moving during the session.

-Safely engage in online advocacy using your own social media accounts.

-Build relationships with other conservation advocates.

-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.

-Engage with other Montana conservation advocates and leverage grassroots action to make our collective voice heard.

Check out these strategies to get your lawmaker’s attention and advocate for Montana’s wildlife, habitat, and public access.

BEST PRACTICES

TAG MWF AND USE #MWFSHOWSUP

This helps us to see your stories! By tagging or using our hashtag you’re letting us know which bills, issues, and places matter to you.

MAINTAIN CIVILITY

Always be polite online. Do not use all capital letters to make a point since it may be perceived that you are yelling. Avoid cuss words.

USE PICTURES

When possible, include a photo of you, landscape, wildlife, or live streaming events.

FOLLOW UP

Be persistent and your message will get through. You might not get a response the first time when you Tweet at your decision-makers or leave your elected officials a comment on their Facebook page.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM | YOUTUBE

@MTWildlife https://twitter.com/MTWildlife

@MontanaWildlife https://www.facebook.com/MontanaWildlife/

@MTWildlife https://www.instagram.com/mtwildlife

@MontanaWildlife Federation http://bit.ly/MontanaWildlifeYouTube

TIPS FOR INSTAGRAM

When applicable, tag your elected officials, partners, or supporters of conservation issues in MT in the image to notify them and continue building the relationship.

Make sure to share photos and videos taken in your community.

Use #MWFShowsUP and don’t forget to tag us @mtwildlife.

TIPS FOR FACEBOOK

Tag us @MontanaWildlife! When applicable, tag your elected officials, partners, or supporters of conservation issues in MT in the image to notify them and continue building the relationship.

Comment and share our posts. This will help boost our reach.

TIPS FOR TWITTER

Use #MWFSHOWSUP

Help us create a spike. To demonstrate broad support for an issue, we will be hosting “Day of Action.”

Tag us @mtwildlife!

Creating videos for use on social media is a great way for MWF to share your story. Two powerful ways we can use video are 1) recording testimonials and 2) live-streaming events. Use these tips to create high-quality videos that MWF can use to further protect and preserve Montana’s wildlife, access, and habitat.

BELOW ARE SOME IDEAS FOR YOUR VIDEO:

Respond to the prompt “Why do you advocate for Montana’s wildlife?”

I am calling on you to support bill #___

Respond to one of the following questions:

What impact has public lands had on your life or your community?

What do you want people to know about Montana’s wildlife?

Why do you love the Montana’s public lands?

What would you tell people who want to become supports for MWF?

GUIDE TO WRITING LETTERS TO THE EDITOR:

Pick a timely topic. Newspapers rarely publish letters on topics that are not already being covered in the news.

Research Guidelines. Most paper’s length limit on LTEs is around 250 words. Stick to this so that an editor does not cut out the important points of your letter.

Do not assume that your readers are informed about your topic. Give a concise but informative background before plunging into the main issue.

Also include any relevant credentials that prove you are informed about your topic.

Find a local angle Readers are more interested in an issue when they see how it affects their lives and communities.

QUESTIONS?

Connect with MWF’s Director of State Policy and Government Relations Marcus Strange at mstrange@mtwf.org.

Embracing and celebrating the Winter Solstice

January 3, 2023December 21, 2022 by Guest Profile

Written by Morgan Marks

Photos by Ilona Wilde

Dear Friend,

With magic and mysticism in our hearts, we’re thinking about the meaning of the Winter Solstice in regard to wildlife, habitat, public access, and our work in advocacy.

There are two solstices, winter and summer, and both yield beautiful opportunities to reflect, get outside and think about how the sun “stands still” on these two days of our annual calendar. Each solstice occurs on days that the sun seemingly stalls in its progression around the earth, a movement the sun has been taking since the dawn of our species, since time immemorial.

The light will return as it always does, but only after it becomes the darkest it’s been all year. While the day itself is short and often cold here in Montana, it can be an excellent time of year for wildlife. While all may appear dark and seemingly silent, we’d urge you to get outside and see what creatures are stirring, what noises you hear and what wildlife still abound because of their urgency to feed before deep winter sets in.

The point of Winter Solstice is to celebrate the rebirth of sunlight after the darkest period of the year. What better way to celebrate than to get outside and immerse yourself in the outdoors?

Here are a few ideas to get your mind thinking about celebrating this important day and getting outside:

First and foremost, prepare for dangerous and extreme cold – dress in layers, bring extra water, bring snacks, put blankets in your car, know where you’re going, and make sure someone else knows, too!
Take a local adventure, and put on your winter boots with great traction or fit your Yak-Trax to your sneakers and take a walk around your neighborhood. Check the temperature ahead of time and prepare for a short time outside this week!
Choose an even more local adventure and step barefoot in your own backyard to connect to the earth by grounding through your feet in your own space.
Seek out a new place to access public land or go to your well-trodden stomping grounds and take a hike, check out wildlife tracks and try to identify them. Or, simply stand and witness what you can feel, see, hear, and touch by experiencing a new place for the first time or an old place with new eyes.

No matter what you choose, even if it’s kicking back indoors with a hot beverage of your choice and slippers on, know that we’re rooting for you and celebrating with you.

Stay well and safe, and we’ll see you outside,

The MWF Team

A once-in-a-generation opportunity to help wildlife

December 19, 2022December 19, 2022 by Alec Underwood

Photo credit Montana Audubon

Hunters, anglers and wildlife enthusiasts have long supported robust measures to conserve our nation’s habitat and abundant fish and wildlife. Now, we have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to help restore and conserve at-risk wildlife species in Montana and across the country through the passage of the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act (RAWA).

The legislation would bring nearly $28 million annually to the state of Montana to help at-risk wildlife species through restoration and habitat improvement projects. These key investments will benefit hundreds of species, including the game we love to hunt.

The legislation has already passed the U.S. House of Representatives with broad bipartisan support and now awaits approval in the Senate. With Senator Tester already a champion of the bill, we need YOUR help to urge Senator Daines to support RAWA to help conserve our fish and wildlife for current and future generations.

Take action NOW to tell Senator Daines to support the Recovering America’s Wildlife Act!