OPPOSE HB 151

HB 151  Ballance:     Appropriation for shooting range development program   OPPOSE


The Montana Sportsmen Alliance recognizes the value of the shooting range development program.  It has helped many Montana communities develop great programs and facilities. 

We are opposing this bill because of fund diversion issues.  Rep. Ballance was not receptive to correcting this problem last session and looks the same this time.

This bill is up Tuesday 2/14/17 at 3pm in House F&G.  Please contact House F&G:  OPPOSE

House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee Email Link

Montana Sportsmen Alliance

OPPOSE SB 225

The Montana Sportsmen Alliance stands with MBA on the issue of codifying lighted nocks or anything else that falls under the FWP Commission authority.  Please contact Sen. Kary and politely ask him to pull this bill.  Then, please also contact Senate F&G members to OPPOSE SB 225!


February 11, 2017
MBA ALERT - SB 225 Lighted Nocks

Members –

Many if not all of you have probably read in today’s paper that Lighted Nocks have now been approved by the FWP Commission for use during the Archery-Only season.

Whether or not if you agree with that decision I think we can all agree that the adoption of this equipment went through a rigorous vetting process with the Commission.   The Commission tentatives process affords the most thorough consideration of equipment regulations as it allows for robust vetting of proposals by the Department and Commission as well as generous public comment opportunities.

Now Senator Kary from SD 22 in Billings is proposing a bill to codify Lighted Nocks, SB 225.  There is no reason to codify hunting equipment; the Legislature gave that responsibility to the FWP Commission and the Commission has taken that responsibility seriously.

SB 225 sets a dangerous precedent.  It has the potential to result in the beginning of codifying all our hunting regulations.  So instead of hunting regulations being set by a Commission made up of hunters and fishers like you and I where there is ample opportunity for public comment, regulations could be set by our Legislature.

I don’t think there are many if any of us that want that.

Please contact Senator Kary and politely ask that he table this bill, and also contact members of the Senate Fish and Game Committee and let them know you think this bill is unnecessary.  See contact information below.  Please be polite.

SB 225 Lighted Nocks is scheduled for hearing before the Senate Fish and Game Committee on Thursday, February 23rd.

Thank You
MBA Board of Directors


Contact:    Sen.Doug.Kary@mt.gov

Senate F&G:
Jill Cohenour <Sen.Jill.Cohenour@mt.gov>, Mike Phillips <mikephillips@montana.net>, Tom Facey <TFacey@mt.gov>, Jeff Welborn <jeffwelborn@hotmail.com>, Edie McClafferty <edie.mcclafferty@gmail.com>, Sen.Steve.Hinebauch@mt.gov, sendavidhoward@gmail.com, "Hinkle, Jedediah" <Sen.Jedediah.Hinkle@mt.gov>, Sen.Cary.Smith@mt.gov, "Sen. Chas Vincent" <cvvincent@hotmail.com>, Sen.Jennifer.Fielder@mt.gov


            

SB 91 Clarify what constitutes as shooting from a vehicle for hunting purposes

Montana Sportsmen Alliance opposes HB 91

SB 91 Hinkle  Clarify what constitutes as shooting from a vehicle for hunting purposes

This bill results from an outfitter getting pinched for a couple clients road hunting and shooting illegally.  While we don’t have a problem with clarification, but there remains no provision for shooting using a vehicle rest.  We are constantly chided by outfitters about shakey ethics from regular hunters.  How about some ethics from outfitters? 

We feel there MUST be separation from the vehicle….a small ask.  Handicapped hunters are already covered by their own legislation.

This bill has passed the Senate and headed for House F&G for a hearing 2/14/17 at 3PM.

House F&G Committee: 

Sharon Stewart-Peregoy <Rep.Sharon.peregoy@mt.gov>, Bridget Smith <repbsmith@gmail.com>, george kipp <Rep.George.Kipp@mt.gov>, tomjacobsonmt@gmail.com, Virginia Court <vcourtforlegislature@yahoo.com>, Zachary Brown <brownformontana@gmail.com>, Jean Price <jeanbigskybigwin@gmail.com>, Rep.Bob.Brown@mt.gov, Rep.Kelly.Flynn@mt.gov, winwithwhite@gmail.com, Rep.Matt.Regier@mt.gov, denleylogehd14 <Denleylogehd14@gmail.com>, Atomicrosie@gmail.com, Rep.Casey.Knudsen@mt.gov, Rep.Sue.Vinton@mt.gov, Twelch1213@gmail.com, Rep.Ray.Shaw@mt.gov

Phone:1-406-444-4800

HB 295 SUPPORT

MONTANA SPORTSMEN ALLIANCE
SUPPORT HB 295

This is a reminder that HB 295 will be up for executive action Monday in House Judiciary.  Please send this as a reminder.  We need to stand tall on this one!  WE want this bill out of committee!   Please support PLWA on this bill.
Joe

HB 295 is dealing with gates on public roads.

Montana is long overdue for better law governing the responsibilities of landowners who claim a right to put gates on disputed public rights of way across their land.
If the road is not public they can establish that fact with due process of law.  If the road is public they must be held accountable for showing contempt for the law if they pre-emptively gate the road with no legal process.
Please pass HB 295.
 The committee vote will come as early as tomorrow.  Please send emails to:





And call the Capital switchboard and leave a message for House Judiciary Committee:  Information Desk, 406-444-4800.

Please be polite.

Joe

All:

HB 295 has been heard in the House Judiciary Committee and we need to support this bill. It increases the fine for blocking a County Road from $10 per day to $500 per day. DO NOT DELAY, The Committee will be making a decision soon (maybe yet today) and we need to voice our support for this bill. It should open a lot of public land which is now inaccesable due to illegally locked gates. Attached is the email addresses of the committee. Just copy and paste or drag and drop.

Rep.Seth.Berglee@mt.gov, Rep.Laurie.Bishop@mt.gov, Rep.Bob.Brown@mt.gov, vcourtforlegislature@yahoo.com,   alandoane@midrivers.com, Rep.Jenny.Eck@mt.gov, Rep.Bill.Harris@mt.gov, elliehillhd94@gmail.com, Rep.Kathy.Kelker@mt.gov,  Rep.Casey.Knudsen@mt.gov,  Rep.Theresa.Manzella@mt.gov,  Rep.Nate.McConnell@mt.gov,  Rep.Shane.Morigeau@mt.gov, Rep.Dale.Mortensen@mt.gov, Rep.Zac.Perry@mt.gov,  Rep.Matt.Regier@mt.gov,   Rep.Lola.Sheldon-Galloway@mt.gov, Rep.Barry.Usher@mt.gov, Rep.Kirk.Wagoner@mt.gov,

John

EMWH Newsletter

Legislative Update Feb. 11, 2017

Thank you fellow literary lovers, who appreciated and replied to the last legislative update with additionally applicable Shakespearean quotes. You put a huge smile on my face. :)

Conservation - "Sir, in my heart there was a kind of fighting, that would not let me sleep."

Next update - Cry havoc, and let slip the dogs of war! Quite appropriate for the details of Sen. Jennifer Fielder's attempt on our Constitution and Rep. Kerry White's attempt to carve up Fish, Wildlife & Parks by removing the "Parks" from FWP, sending our Parks to Commerce! That weighty piracy is over 150 pages already.

Thanks to the public's efforts HB 96 did not pass after it was not restored to its original form, though the sponsor, Rep. Zach Brown tried to remove Rep. Flynn's amendment. The final vote was aye 48 to no 52. Please make time to thank the legislators who voted against this bill, they need to hear our thanks, not just our comments, especially the 12 Republicans who did not make this a partisan issue - it was a Montana issue.

Considering the politics surrounding this bill, I would like to make a correction of a statement I heard during the hearing. Rep. Redfield incorrectly directed Representatives to look at their email comments, that the opposing HB 96 comments were not from landowners, but sportsmen. Yes, emails in opposition were from sportsmen and women from across Montana, but those hunters/anglers that are also landowners correctly identified themselves as FWP license holders, voicing concern about our hunting heritage and Montana's resource ethics. These hunters/anglers did not necessarily identify themselves as private landowners, because this issue should not have been about the "haves versus the have nots". I know a number of landowners that sent in comments of opposition, including Joe Perry, who owns thousands and leases more acreage in north Montana, who also happened to be on the PLPW council. Rep. Redfield's statement is part of the polarizing problem, with artificial boxes and labels, not part of the solution.


Ooops, there were a few mistakes on the block email addresses I received. I have double checked them now. For those of you who saved the emails, please make sure to adjust your lists.

House of Representatives:
Add -   Jbachmeier4hd28@gmail.com

Senate
Add - Sen.Margie.MacDonald@mt.gov
Remove - russtempel@gmail.com


Now here's something we can support...

    Support - HB 295, is being heard in the House Judiciary Committee. To some, the penalty for breaking the law is so small, it is meaningless, like fining a billionaire $10 a day for gating off public access. This bill would increase the current fine, for failure to remove the encroachment, of $10 a day up to $500 a day. Now that may make some think twice about illegally cutting off access.
There are some who intentionally and illegally put up obstructions on public roads, to our public lands, to privatize them. Part of my conservation work involves access and I have personally documented a number of cases, contacting authorities of illegal signs, gates, obstructions, to get access restored. This is a growing problem in Montana.

A recent example of a locked, illegal gate (for about 30 years) is that of the Hughes Creek Road in Ravalli County. Generally the cost to restore access is borne by  individuals, hunting/angling groups and organizations like Public Lands/Water Access Association (contributions). Sometimes it is borne by the Montana taxpayers, as in the Tenderfoot Road case, which under Attorney General Bullock, began legal actions to restore access.

Outdoor recreation and tourism is one of the largest economic drivers in Montana, yet Montana leads the other western states with almost 2 million acres of public lands not accessible, some of which is illegal.

Please support HB 295 (Representative email addresses below)





Support - HB 290, currently in the House, Business and Labor committee. We need better commercial Outfitter reporting laws, not less. At this time, the Board of Outfitters does not have their own investigators/enforcers for their operational plans and records. Basically, they have been unregulated since they dropped the Memorandum of Understanding with FWP Enforcement in 2010 and stopped paying FWP (used to be $60,000, I have the MOU, Outfitting didn't supply my information request, I had to get it from FWP). It was years that the Board of Outfitting would not supply the data to FWP for the Private lands leased to outfitters map and the last year's map produced, 2015, the data was so questionable that FWP put a disclaimer on the map: "FWP assumes no responsibility for the accuracy of the outfitter data (townships, ranges, sections) provided by the MBO (Montana Board of Outfitters). The MBO is the sole steward of outfitter data. Questions related to outfitter data depicted on this map should be directed to the MBO ."

In my 6 year FWP Game Warden Citation research, county dismissals of Outfitter citations is a whopping 43.29%. We have a serious problem here that involves our public trust resources.

This HB 290 requires the cooperation with state agencies,  annual reports that include increased information, including harvest data so that resources are accounted for, whether it is on public or private land, the name and automated licensing system number for each client. Not too much to ask for.

Please email the House Representatives in support of HB 290. (addresses below)


House of Representatives addresses
Rep.Kim.Abbott@mt.gov, Jbachmeier4hd28@gmail.com, nancyballance@aol.com, Danbartel2@gmail.com, becky4hd80@blackfoot.net, bennettforhouse@gmail.com, Rep.Seth.Berglee@mt.gov, Rep.Laurie.Bishop@mt.gov, randybrodehl57@gmail.com, Rep.Bob.Brown@mt.gov, brownformontana@gmail.com, Rep.Tom.Burnett@mt.gov, Rep.Rob.Cook@mt.gov, vcourtforlegislature@yahoo.com, Rep.Mike.Cuffe@mt.gov, Rep.Willis.Curdy@mt.gov, Amanda@amandaformontana.com, Rep.Geraldine.Custer@mt.gov, alandoane@midrivers.com, kimberly.dudik@gmail.com, Rep.MaryAnn.Dunwell@mt.gov, Rep.Jenny.Eck@mt.gov, Rep.Ron.Ehli@mt.gov, Rep.Janet.Ellis@mt.gov, jessmann@mt.gov, Rep.Dave.Fern@mt.gov, Rep.Ross.Fitzgerald@mt.gov, JohnFlemingStIgnatius@gmail.com, Rep.Kelly.Flynn@mt.gov, Rep.Moffie.Funk@mt.gov, wyliegaltformt@gmail.com, frankgarnerhd7@gmail.com, Rep.Carl.Glimm@mt.gov, edgreef@hotmail.com, rep.bruce.grubbs@mt.gov, Rep.Steve.Gunderson@mt.gov, Rep.Jim.Hamilton@mt.gov, Rep.Bradley.Hamlett@mt.gov, Rep.Bill.Harris@mt.gov, Rep.Denise.Hayman@mt.gov, Rep.Adam.Hertz@mt.gov, greghertz11@gmail.com, elliehillhd94@gmail.com, Rep.Ken.Holmlund@mt.gov, Mikeformontana@gmail.com, Rep.Tom.Jacobson@mt.gov, donjonesmt2@gmail.com, Rep.Jessica.Karjala@mt.gov, Rep.Kathy.Kelker@mt.gov, Rep.George.Kipp@mt.gov, Rep.Jon.Knokey@mt.gov, austinforhouse@yahoo.com, Rep.Casey.Knudsen@mt.gov, Rep.Steve.Lavin@mt.gov, Rep.Dennis.Lenz@mt.gov, Denleylogehd14@gmail.com, Rep.Ryan.Lynch@mt.gov, Rep.Forrest.Mandeville@mt.gov, Rep.Theresa.Manzella@mt.gov, kelly@bigskytech.net, Rep.Nate.McConnell@mt.gov, Rep.Wendy.McKamey@mt.gov, Rep.Shane.Morigeau@mt.gov, Rep.Dale.Mortensen@mt.gov, marknolandhd10@gmail.com, Rep.james.ohara@mt.gov, Rep.Andrea.Olsen@mt.gov, Rep.Jimmy.Patelis@mt.gov, Rep.Rae.Peppers@mt.gov, Rep.Zac.Perry@mt.gov, Rep.Gordon.Pierson@mt.gov, jeanbigskybigwin@gmail.com, Rep.Alan.Redfield@mt.gov, Rep.Matt.Regier@mt.gov, Rep.Vince.Ricci@mt.gov, Atomicrosie@gmail.com, Rep.Marilyn.Ryan@mt.gov, Rep.Walt.Sales@mt.gov, Rep.Casey.Schreiner@mt.gov, Rep.Ray.Shaw@mt.gov, Rep.Lola.Sheldon-Galloway@mt.gov, Rep.Derek.Skees@mt.gov, repbsmith@gmail.com, scottstaffanson@gmail.com, Rep.Sharon.Peregoy@mt.gov, Rep.Kathy.Swanson@mt.gov, Rep.Jeremy.Trebas@mt.gov, Rep.Brad.Tschida@mt.gov, Rep.Barry.Usher@mt.gov, Rep.Sue.Vinton@mt.gov, Rep.Kirk.Wagoner@mt.gov, Webb4house@gmail.com, Rep.Susan.Webber@mt.gov, Twelch1213@gmail.com, winwithwhite@gmail.com, tomwoods4mt@gmail.com, Rep.Daniel.Zolnikov@mt.gov,

Senate email addresses
goodwind1.duane@gmail.com, rnewbar@gmail.com, Sen.Mark.Blasdel@mt.gov, Sen.Dee.Brown@mt.gov, ebuttrey@mtsenate.com, marycaferro@gmail.com, Sen.Jill.Cohenour@mt.gov, Sen.Pat.Connell@mt.gov, TFacey@mt.gov, Sen.Jennifer.Fielder@mt.gov, Sen.Steve.Fitzpatrick@mt.gov, Mrmac570@me.com, Sen.Jen.Gross@mt.gov, Sen.Steve.Hinebauch@mt.gov, Sen.Jedediah.Hinkle@mt.gov, brian@hovenequipment.com, sendavidhoward@gmail.com, Sen.Llew.Jones@mt.gov, Sen.Doug.Kary@mt.gov, Sen.Bob.Keenan@mt.gov, Sen.Mike.Lang@mt.gov, suemalek@gmail.com, edie.mcclafferty@gmail.com, Sen.Mary.McNally@mt.gov, moe.mt.senate@gmail.com, Sen.Eric.Moore@mt.gov, Sen.Albert.Olszewski@mt.gov, ryanosmundson@gmail.com, mikephillips@montana.net, Sen.JP@mt.gov, Sen.Keith.Regier@mt.gov, tomrichmondmt@gmail.com, Sen.Scott.Sales@mt.gov, dansalomon12@gmail.com, senatorsands@gmail.com, Sen.Jon.Sesso@mt.gov, Sen.Jason.Small@mt.gov, Sen.Cary.Smith@mt.gov, clairena@hughes.net, Sen.Nels.Swandal@mt.gov, Sen.Margie.MacDonald@mt.gov, sfredthomas@yahoo.com, vancesd34@gmail.com, cvvincent@hotmail.com, Sen.Gene.Vuckovich@mt.gov, webb4mt@hotmail.com, jeffwelborn@hotmail.com, Sen.Lea.Whitford@mt.gov, Sen.Cynthia.Wolken@mt.gov,


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OPPOSE HB 324...A bill to remove Parks from FWP and allow their commission to hire their own director

Montana Sportsmen Alliance strongly OPPOSES HB 324
It was heard in House F&G last Tues.  Executive action is imminent.
Please FLOOD House F&G with comments.

House FWP members:  House Fish, Wildlife & Parks Committee Email Link - Committee Members
Sharon Stewart-Peregoy <Rep.Sharon.peregoy@mt.gov>, Bridget Smith <repbsmith@gmail.com>, george kipp <Rep.George.Kipp@mt.gov>, tomjacobsonmt@gmail.com, Virginia Court <vcourtforlegislature@yahoo.com>, Zachary Brown <brownformontana@gmail.com>, Jean Price <jeanbigskybigwin@gmail.com>, Rep.Bob.Brown@mt.gov, Rep.Kelly.Flynn@mt.gov, winwithwhite@gmail.com, Rep.Matt.Regier@mt.gov, denleylogehd14 <Denleylogehd14@gmail.com>, Atomicrosie@gmail.com, Rep.Casey.Knudsen@mt.gov, Rep.Sue.Vinton@mt.gov, Twelch1213@gmail.com, Rep.Ray.Shaw@mt.gov

Switchboard: Information Office: (406)444-4800



HB 324 is a bill to remove Parks from FWP and let their commission hire their own director.

HOUSE BILL 324

The Montana Sportsmen Alliance appreciates the many and unique recreational
and historical opportunities State Parks provide to both Montanans and
visitors to the state. We believe State Parks are valuable assets as a part
of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. As such, we oppose HB 324. The
continued attempts to remove Parks organization and operation from the state
wildlife agency have been and will continue to be a detriment to the state
as a whole. We believe that legislative intervention to change the means of
selecting the Parks Administrator is a further attempt at this and is
misguided, ill-advised and inappropriate.

.    The bill is a result of the recent removal of the Parks
Administrator. This was an appropriate and necessary action by FWP.
Legislative action to intervene and modify the selection process for a
replacement by taking it away from FWP is short-sighted and unnecessary
intrusion in the filling agency staff positions.
.    In years past, there have been efforts for other commissions or
boards to act as hiring authorities for agency directors or program
managers. It has been proven time and time again that this method is
counter-productive, does not guarantee quality leadership and serves to
further politicize selections.
.    Although Parks' primary focus is general recreation, 29 of the 54
State Parks in Montana are water-based with fishing and, to a lesser extent,
hunting being important side activities of those sites. 22 of those 54 are
on lakes and 7 are on major waterways. As such, hunters and anglers have a
definite interest and stake in State Parks. Any attempt to move Parks or its
operations away from FWP, by either procedure or physical removal will be a
detriment to sportsmen and women as well as the recreating public. We
unequivocally oppose any attempts at lessening the involvement of sportsmen
and women in the operation of State Parks or its removal from the agency.
.    The FWP Director must remain the final authority to coordinate both
work and budget priorities of division work and funding. Not only is it a
much more effective business model, it also ensures good decision-making and
aids in forestalling potential issues of funding diversion and
non-compliance with state policy and funding sources requirements. 
.    This legislation does not address the fundamental and largest, most
critical issue for State Parks-funding. In fact, it serves to only further
divert attention from that basic issue. Time would far better be spent
working to help develop a reliable, sustainable and long-term means of
funding for our State Parks.

    Please OPPOSE

SUPPORT HB 290

Support for this bill is critical if we want some very simple reporting!  Please go Viral! 


HB 290 up in House Business and Labor at 8:30  on Tuesday Feb, 14, 2017                                                                      

14-FEB-17    8:30 AM    172    HB 290   Current Text in .HTML format  Current Text in .PDF format    Revise outfitter reporting laws    Tom Jacobson  (D) HD 21 

Contact Committee Members:  

 marknolandhd10@gmail.com, amanda@amandaformontana.com, Rep.Vince.Ricci@mt.gov, Rep.Willis.Curdy@mt.gov, Rep.Ross.Fitzgerald@mt.gov, Rep.Moffie.Funk@mt.gov, Rep.Steve.Gunderson@mt.gov, Denleylogehd14@gmail.com, Rep.Andrea.Olsen@mt.gov, Rep.Gordon.Pierson@mt.gov, Atomicrosie@gmail.com, Rep.Casey.Schreiner@mt.gov, Rep.Sharon.peregoy@mt.gov, Rep.Jeremy.Trebas@mt.gov, Rep.Sue.Vinton@mt.gov, Rep.Daniel.Zolnikov@mt.gov

An MSA bill revising record keeping by Board of Outfitters (Boo).  MOGA is trying to reduce record keeping to nearly nothing.  We want and need digitalization of data and want it shared between state and federal agencies involved in oversight of outfitters or the critters they harvest.



It is not our intention to interfere with efforts to streamline unnecessary paper reporting.  We want the Board of Outfitters to require digital reporting to be shared “freely” with FWP, DNRC, and other state and federal agencies regulating outfitting activities.  The harvest of public trust critters commercially comes with a responsibility to accurately report data that serves the public in the management of those critters.  High elk numbers, low harvest rates in some areas,  and shoulder seasons make this info critical to both biologists and law enforcement.  Information on the map of outfitted lands is already law.  It is not up to outfitters what they have to report and there is a concerted effort to hide info from both law enforcement and biologists and creating more damage to the industry reputation.

 We have conferred with FWP, legislators, and FOAM.  We have included their respective requests.

      Specifically and very simply, we need to know:

Who.              Name and ALS number

What.             Species and sex of animal harvested

When.            Date of harvest

Where.          Location of harvest, HD specific to private or public land.

  
We need from Fishing outfitters:

   Who.              Outfitter, Guide, Name and ALS number

   Where.          Fishing outfitters operate on public waters.   Board of Outfitters (Boo) needs to require recording of stream and stretch (what put-in and take-out an outfitter uses on any particular stream on any client trip date) in the client log.

 Remember, no other license group uses public trust resources like outfitters!
 
We encourage the reduction in paper reporting but not at the cost of no data.  What little we want is a small price to pay for harvesting public trust critters for free.  The public…the owners….want this info collected. 

Hunter surveys don’t collect the same data and the sample size (statistical significance) is small for outfitters.  Shoulder seasons, harboring, and outfitter leasing of private and public lands require this data in order to successfully manage our big game resources.

It is ludicrous that outfitters think they can minimize all of what they report and thumb their noses at the public.

   ***Note***  MOGA was given a chance to work with us and declined.

PLEASE SUPPORT