KILL HB 96

KILL HB 96

The Montana Sportsmen Alliance opposes House Bill 96. We oppose it because it negates and violates the original intent of the Private Lands/Public Wildlife Council’s hard work and at the same time, opens the door wide for transferable hunting licenses and tags in Montana. We unequivocally oppose this practice.  Honest efforts to help were immediately amended to something intolerable!  Don’t get confused on amendments, JUST KILL THIS BILL!

House Bill 96 was originally developed out of the Public Land/Private Wildlife Council (PLPW) as a means to increase access to private lands that were not previously open to the general public. The PLPW is a collaborative resource advisory group that was created by the Governor in 1995 as a means to bring together different views and develop ideas and solutions in regards to recreation, access, wildlife and private property issues. HB 96 grew from discussions and ultimately, a delicate consensus recommendation from this group.
The original version HB 96 addressed access by suggesting incentives for private landowner participation. Those incentives included licenses tags that landowners would be eligible for if a certain level of public access was attained on their private property. Those tags could be used by family members or full-time employees of the property, in a similar fashion that Landowner Preference is allowed in the application for tags.
Upon reaching the House Fish and Game Committee, the original bill was amended and expanded to allow the tags to be transferred to anyone, regardless of relationship to the property. This establishes a basis and precedent for a formal, wide-open system of transferable hunting licenses in Montana.
MSA cautiously supported the original HB 96. However, the current version goes far beyond the original intent and proposes a Colorado -style system similar to their Ranching for Wildlife programs. That program has been rife with problems, both for the public and in implementation. We cannot allow such a system to gain a foothold in Montana.
The current HB 96 compromises and negates the work, intent and efforts of the PLPW; it sets Montana directly on the path towards the privatization of our public wildlife, with few practical safeguards against abuse. It has become a bad bill.


 The threats this bill embodies are intolerable! 
          With big money Bucks and Bulls on the line there is no effective way to monitor landowners taking cash or goods or services for access. 

Montana Sportsmen Alliance
John Borgreen, Great Falls
Sam Milodragovich, Butte
Steve Schindler, Glasgow
Joe Perry, Conrad
Jeff Herbert, Helena
JW Westman, Park City
Robert Wood, Hamilton