In mid-March, the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) announced long-awaited draft updates to the federal management plan for greater sage-grouse habitat across 10 Western states. Without the updates, oil and gas companies will continue to lease land that could be better managed for big game, ranching, fishing, and recreational activities – a longstanding and well-documented problem in southwestern Montana.
This update is an opportunity for a renewed commitment to safeguarding the sagebrush ecosystem, which is essential for more than 350 species of conservation concern, including the Greater sage-grouse and other wildlife species that live in and around the Big Hole, Beaverhead, and Centennial Valleys. Notably, the updates protect Montana’s outdoor recreation economy, farms, ranches, and our communities’ cultural traditions from speculative development. Public comment will open tomorrow, March 15, and end on June 13, 2024. BLM will conduct 13 public meetings, two of which will be virtual.
The economic importance of hunting and fishing in federal oil and gas leasing decisions is critical to Montana. A 2021 report commissioned by MWF and conducted by the Bureau of Business and Economic Research at the University of Montana revealed that hunting and angling in Beaverhead County alone contribute over $167 million yearly to Montana’s economy. These activities also create more than 1,400 jobs, many of which are located in the county, a significant contribution given the county’s population is just over 9,400. Moreover, the county is home to nearly 500 family farms and ranching businesses, which have generated up to $147 million in revenue in recent years.
In response, Frank Szollosi, Executive Director of the Montana Wildlife Federation released the following statement:
“Speculative oil and gas development does not belong alongside family ranches and on our public land in the Big Hole, Beaverhead County, and other places in Montana where there is virtually nothing to drill. Leasing reform benefits will extend beyond improving Greater sage-grouse populations– it promises better habitats for other important species, including pronghorn, elk, mule deer, and trout, by ensuring that oil and gas leasing only occurs where there is real development potential. Montana’s public land and working ranches are critical wildlife habitats and should be managed for conservation, agriculture, recreation, and other uses. Ecology and economics both support taking this step forward.”
