OFFICER REPORTS
Sectretary’s Message
T
his past week the MBA board voted on whether we should sign on to an Op Ed (MWF made the request) announcing that we along with other signing organizations would be forming a coalition to develop a citizens elk management proposal for presentation to FWP the summer of 2022. The vote from our board was 9 to 4 not to sign onto the Op Ed. That is not to say we will not be a part of such a coalition, we will determine that later. It is just to say several board members feel it important to remain silent on this issue currently. I voted to sign on to the Op Ed, but regardless I remain a loyal board member and a staunch advocate of the MBA mission and our volunteer lead fights to preserve bowhunting, conserve the resources we seek to harvest, and obtain or maintain the access to those resources. I am sure all if not most board members and MBA members desire the same. It is simply a matter of differing strategy opinions. I was hoping to compile the legislative voting record for the bills I listed in my last column. Sorry but that will not happen, it is a lot of data to present in a concise manner. But I will provide some data on what I think were critical bills this last session. As criteria I selected bills that either effected equipment, the resources (i.e., licensing and permits), or public access. I came up with what I think were the three critical bills this session, two of which passed and may have long term effects on Montana bowhunters.
Jerry Davis
SB 637 - At the end of the session, the Legislature passed a bill that had language inserted during a last-minute amendment. This bill basically guarantees hunting outfitters licenses. Remember that in 2010 Montana voters passed I-161 which ended the practice of outfitter sponsored licenses. There was no time for public input after this major amendment. They snuck it in, as I said, in the last minute. This bill was originally intended to be a FWP regulations cleanup bill which included an increase for Block Management participants (a good thing) but at the “11th hour of the Legislative session an amendment was added to the bill that creates nonresident outfitter sponsored licenses, a complete slap in the face to the Montana public that voted against such a thing. Other bills carrying similar language died in committee earlier in the session. The process apparently went to a Free Conference Committee where the resulting bill was passed. If you know any of the Senators or Representatives that voted for this bill as it was amended, please talk to them about their vote and please, everyone, remember who voted for this bad bill when election time comes around. Senators that voted for HB 637 are: Sen. Ankney, Duane (R-MT-020) Sen. Brown, Bob (R-MT-007) Sen. Esp, John (R-MT-030) Sen. Gauthier, Terry (R-MT-040) Sen. Hertz, Greg (R-MT-006) Sen. Howard, David (R-MT-029) Sen. Lang, Mike (R-MT-017) Sen. Osmundson, Ryan (R-MT-015) Sen. Smith, Cary (R-MT-027)
Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen.
Blasdel, Mark (R-MT-004) Cuffe, Mike (R-MT-001) Fitzpatrick, Steve (R-MT-010) Gillespie, Bruce (R-MT-009) Hinebauch, Steve (R-MT-018) Kary, Douglas (R-MT-022) Manzella, Theresa (R-MT-044) Regier, Keith (R-MT-003) Vance, Gordon (R-MT-034)
Representatives that voted for HB 637 in the House are: Rep. Anderson, Fred (R-MT-020) Rep. Bartel, Dan (R-MT-029) Rep. Berglee, Seth (R-MT-058) Rep. Bertoglio, Marta (R-MT-075) Rep. Brewster, Larry (R-MT-044) Rep. Buttrey, Edward (R-MT-021) Rep. Dooling, Julie (R-MT-070) Rep. Duram, Neil (R-MT-002) Rep. Fielder, Paul (R-MT-013) Rep. Fitzgerald, Ross (R-MT-017) Rep. Frazer, Gregory (R-MT-078) Rep. Fuller, John (R-MT-008) Rep. Galt, Wylie (R-MT-030) Rep. Garner, Frank (R-MT-007) Rep. Gist, Steve (R-MT-025) Rep. Greef, Sharon (R-MT-088) Rep. Hill, Ed (R-MT-028) Rep. Hinkle, Caleb (R-MT-068) Rep. Holmlund, Kenneth (R-MT-038) Rep. Kassmier, Joshua (R-MT-027) Rep. Knudsen, Casey (R-MT-033) Rep. Knudsen, Rhonda (R-MT-034) Rep. Ler, Brandon (R-MT-035) Rep. Loge, Denley (R-MT-014) Rep. Marshall, Ron (R-MT-087) Rep. McKamey, Wendy (R-MT-019) Rep. Mitchell, Braxton (R-MT-003) Rep. Moore, Terry (R-MT-054) Rep. Noland, Mark (R-MT-010) Rep. Phalen, Bob (R-MT-036) Rep. Read, Joe (R-MT-093) Rep. Regier, Amy (R-MT-006) Rep. Reksten, Linda (R-MT-012) Rep. Ricci, Vince (R-MT-055) Rep. Seekins-Crowe, Kerri (R-MT-043) Rep. Sheldon-Galloway, Lola (R-MT-022) Rep. Stromswold, Mallerie (R-MT-050) Rep. Trebas, Jeremy (R-MT-026) Rep. Usher, Barry (R-MT-040) Rep. Vinton, Sue (R-MT-056) Rep. Welch, Tom (R-MT-072) Rep. Zolnikov, Katie (R-MT-045)
Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen. Sen.
Bogner, Kenneth (R-MT-019) Ellsworth, Jason (R-MT-043) Friedel, Chris (R-MT-026) Glimm, Carl (R-MT-002) Hoven, Brian (R-MT-013) Keenan, Bob (R-MT-005) McGillvray, Tom (R-MT-023) Sales, Walt (R-MT-035) Welborn, Jeffrey (R-MT-036)
Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep. Rep.
Bedey, David (R-MT-086) Binkley, Michele (R-MT-085) Carlson, Jennifer (R-MT-069) Fern, Dave (D-MT-005) Fleming, Frank (R-MT-051) Galloway, Steven (R-MT-024) Gillette, Jane (R-MT-064) Gunderson, Steve (R-MT-001) Hinkle, Jedediah (R-MT-067) Kerns, Scot (R-MT-023) Lenz, Dennis (R-MT-053) Malone, Marty (R-MT-059) Mercer, Bill (R-MT-046) Nave, Fiona (R-MT-057) Putnam, Brian (R-MT-009) Regier, Matt (R-MT-004) Schillinger, Jerry (R-MT-037) Skees, Derek (R-MT-011) Tschida, Brad (R-MT-097) Walsh, Kenneth (R-MT-071)
SB 115 – This bill overturns a previous judgment of the Montana Supreme Court that said the State Land Board was not required to approve a FWP Conservation Easements that are purchased with hunter generated dollars (not with general fund moneys) because that requirement was not in the law. So the Legislature passed a law and though this bill was amended from requiring all FWP conservation easements be approved to only requiring those of $1 million or more to be approved, it still requires State Land Board approval for most FWP conservation easements. Though $1 million sounds like a lot this amount will not cover many larger conservation easements that provide Montana sportsmen access to good private land habitat. The State Land Board’s responsibility is to ensure School Trust Lands generate maximum revenue with still protecting the resources. Their duties should not be dictating how FWP hunter generated Public Access funds are being spent, particularly when the FW Commission and the Montana Environmental Protection Act (MEPA) already require substantial due diligence before FWP enters into agreements for Conservation Easements. Again, If you know any of the Senators or Representatives that voted for this bill, please talk to them about their vote and please, everyone, remember who voted for this bad bill when election time comes around. continued on page 6
Winter 2021
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