Legislative Action Alert: January 25, 2021

SB 115: Establish acquisitions requiring land board consideration

Status: Hearing: 01/21/2021; 3:00 PM, Rm 422

Montana Audubon Position: Oppose

Since the creation of Habitat Montana we have recognized the value of Fish, Wildlife & Parks being able to purchase conservation easements as a critical tool for conserving wildlife habitat on private lands, and their use has been widely supported by Audubon chapters and the public for decades. The Habitat Montana program and process has maintained bipartisan support over time because of mandated requirements that the program be used to conserve wildlife habitat, promote wildlife-friendly agriculture, incentivize private land conservation, and protect open spaces, scenic areas and valuable water resources. 

Now SB 115 would add a layer of government bureaucracy into land owners’, and especially ranchers’ decisions on their private property by requiring state Land Board approval for conservation easements under Habitat Montana. This can kill projects that have taken two years or more to work out after extensive planning, including for public hunting access, and budgeting. This piece of legislation was proposed and vetoed during the 2019 session. 

Contact members of the Senate Fish and Game Committee and tell them to vote NO on SB 115. Tell them to support landowners’ private property rights, our farming and ranching economy, wildlife habitat conservation, and hunters’ access through the Habitat Montana program. 

Call and leave a message for the Senate Fish and Game Committee at 406-444-4800.

Contact the Senate Fish and Game Committee HERE 

• Fill out the form provided
• Select Committees (You may have to scroll down to find this)
• Select (S) Fish and Game
• Select Bill Type (SB) and Bill Number 115
• Select Against
• Provide your message

Or Contact your local Senator individually:

Hinebauch, Steve (R) ‑ (406) 365-7967, [email protected]

Chair Brown, Bob (R) ‑ (406) 242-0141, [email protected]

Vice Chair Jacobson, Tom (D) ‑ (406) 868-9814, [email protected]

Vice Chair Blasdel, Mark (R)  – (406) 261-3269, [email protected]

Cohenour, Jill (D) – (406) 227-1144, [email protected]

Ellsworth, Jason (R) – (406) 360-0009, [email protected]

Flowers, Pat (D) – (406) 580-0035, [email protected]

Hertz, Greg (R) – (406) 253-9505, [email protected]

Howard, David (R) – (406) 633-2762, [email protected]

Keenan, Bob (R) – (406) 250-4111, [email protected]

McClafferty, Edie (D) – (406) 490-5873, [email protected]

SB 98: Revising laws related to grizzly bear take in defense of persons and livestock

Status: Hearing 01/21/2021; 3:00 PM, Rm 335

Montana Audubon Position: Oppose

This bill would redefine when a grizzly bear can be killed to include threatening livestock. The language would replace language approved by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to assure adequate mechanisms to maintain grizzly bears post delisting from the endangered species list, and ensure that grizzlies are never delisted in Montana.

This bill would allow anyone to kill any grizzly bear at any time if livestock were in the area, resulting in the unregulated killing of grizzly bears in Montana. If this bill is passed, there would be no regulatory mechanism for FWP to monitor and limit grizzly mortality, and thus the Fish and Wildlife Service could not delist grizzly bears in Montana. Contact members of the Senate Agricultural, Livestock and Irrigation Committee and tell them to vote NO on SB 98

Call and leave a message for the Senate Agricultural, Livestock and Irrigation Committee at 406-444-4315.

Contact the Senate Agricultural, Livestock and Irrigation Committee HERE.

• Fill out the form provided.
• Select Committees (You may have to scroll down to find this)
• Select (S) Agricultural, Livestock and Irrigation
• Select Bill Type (SB) and Bill Number 98
• Select Against
• Provide your message

Or Contact your local Senator individually:

Lang, Mike (R) ‑ (406) 654-7357, [email protected]

Chair Bogner, Kenneth (R) ‑ (406) 916-9690, [email protected]

Vice Chair Webber, Susan (D) ‑ (406) 450-1894, [email protected]

Vice Chair Boldman, Ellie (D) – (406) 218-9608, [email protected]

Ellis, Janet (D) – (406) 431-9157, [email protected]

Gillespie, Bruce (R) – (406) 949-4453, [email protected]

Hoven, Brian (R) – (406) 761-8533, [email protected]

O’Brien, Shannon (D) – (406) 274-3805, [email protected]

Osmundson, Ryan (R) – (406) 949-3715, [email protected]

Sales, Walt (R) – (406) 282-7435, [email protected]

Salomon, Daniel (R) – (406) 253-9724, [email protected]

Secretary: Olivia Hopkins, Rm 321, 444‑4315 

Staff: Jason Mohr, Rm 171D, 444‑1640