News

Tell your legislator and House and Senate Natural Resource Committee members to SUPPORT HB411, which funds the state’s Aquatic Invasive Species program

by Bill Pfeiffer

On Friday, February 22, at 3pm in Room 172 the House Natural Resources Committee of the Montana Legislature will be hearing a bill sponsored by Rep Willis Curdy (D-Missoula).  We have reviewed and commented on this critical appropriations bill extensively.  We are advocating that the $13 million it appropriates to prevent and contain the spread of aquatic invasive species in our rivers and lakes be funded by the diverse community of stakeholders that are affected by the negative impacts of AIS. Last month the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation estimated that invasive mussels alone could cost Montana $234 million annual mitigation and lost-revenue costs.  The three economic sectors that are at greatest risk are recreation, agriculture, and water infrastructure such as hydroelectric facilities.  At a minimum, the bill should require funding from the following sources:

  • Anglers have and should continue to help pay for Montana’s AIS program. In the previous funding bill, resident and non-resident anglers contributed through an AIS license that was required to hold a fishing license in the state. That provision should remain in the new funding bill.
  • Because boats are both a vector for transporting AIS and are at risk of damage because of some AIS, like invasive mussels, boaters should also contribute to this fund. The current version of the bill includes a range of fees assessed on boats depending on whether they are motorized or non-motorized and size. We support this source of funding.
  • Hydroelectric facilities face some of the greatest financial risks with the potential spread of AIS, especially invasive mussels. Hydroelectric facilities contributed to the 2017 version of the AIS funding mechanism and should remain in any bill the 2019 Legislature considers. DNRC’s study showed that infrastructure could suffer an estimated $47 million/year impact from invasive mussels.
  • According to the same DNRC study, “the direct impact of invasive mussels to agriculture is estimated to be $5.75 per acre foot or $61 million per year.” Investing in the prevention of this risk should be a priority for the agricultural economy and community in Montana.

Tell Legislators that HB411 is critical to containing and preventing the spread of AIS in Montana and ensuring the future health of our fisheries, agriculture, hydropower, property values, recreation, and way of life.  Fully funding the AIS program should include investment from anglers, boaters, hydroelectric facilities, and the agricultural community, at the least. 

Contact members of the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees about this bill now and ask for their support.  You can leave a message for legislators by clicking here or at the Capitol switchboard: 444-4800.   If you use the website link, you will need to fill out the form with general contact information, select the appropriate committee, select “for” HB411, and write a short comment.  The contact form will only allow you to send the message to one recipient at a time.  Please copy your message and submit it to both the House and Senate Natural Resources Committees.

If you have questions or thoughts on this or any other legislative priority, please feel free to contact MTU’s full-time Government Affairs Coordinator, Clayton Elliot, [email protected]

News

MTU Applauds Public Lands Bill Passing the Senate

by Bill Pfeiffer

The United States Senate has voted to advance S. 47, the Natural Resources Management Act. Important to Montana, the bipartisan legislation would restore the Land and Water Conservation Fund and enact a mineral withdrawal to prevent new mining claims in the headwaters of the Yellowstone River. The legislation now goes to the House of Representatives where sportsmen and women are urging quick passage.

“This bill is the product of members of Congress on both sides of the aisle working together. Montana’s entire Congressional delegation have been strong supporters of LWCF and Senator Tester and Senator Daines deserve our thanks for helping to finish the job and advance this legislation through the Senate,” said David Brooks, Executive Director of Montana Trout Unlimited. “We will still need to fully fund the program, but permanent LWCF authorization will benefit hunters and anglers for generations to come.”  

The Land and Water Conservation Fund is our country’s premier conservation, fishing and hunting access program, helping to secure fishing access sites across Montana and funding willing-seller public land acquisitions such as in the Tenderfoot drainage, an important tributary to the Smith River in central Montana. Also included in the package is the Yellowstone Gateway Protection Act, which would prohibit new mining claims on the doorstep of Yellowstone National Park, including the North Fork of Sixmile Creek drainage, which supports an important population of native Yellowstone Cutthroat Trout.

“Montanans benefit greatly from this legislation, but sportsmen and women around the country are also winners,” continued Brooks. “Dozens of provisions create new wilderness areas, wild and scenic river sections, national conservation areas and minerals withdrawals, making this one of the most important pieces of public lands legislation in a generation. The strong bipartisan support for this proposal from Montana’s delegation and throughout the country is noteworthy and we urge the House of Representatives to act quickly to send the package to President Trump’s desk.”

News

MTU Gov’t Affairs Director, Clayton Elliott, speaks out on AIS funding

by Bill Pfeiffer

The Montana State Legislature is grappling with funding mechanisms to support aquatic invasive species prevention.  Anglers should be eager to pay their share in fighting AIS. Clayton Elliott states,“Outdoor recreation and the angling community is a significant industry in Montana that stands to lose a lot, just like agriculture, our municipalities, etc, etc. The difference is we’re the only ones being asked to pay. The burden can’t just be on anglers and recreationalists.”

Check out MTPR’s coverage of AIS funding.

News

MTU’s Grassroots Warriors Help Get I-186 on the November Ballot

by Bill Pfeiffer

It takes more than 25,000 valid signatures from registered voters in Montana to qualify an initiative for the ballot.  A minimum number of those signatures have to come from at least 34 of the House Districts in Montana.  Never before has HD29, which includes Lewistown, produced enough signatures to help an initiative get on the ballot.  That changed with I-186 and our Snowy Mountain chapter.  After training to be signature gatherers about half a dozen Snowy Mountain chapter volunteers gathered about 150% of the necessary signatures in HD29.  That success is an example of the great effort many chapter members put in to bring our campaign total to more than 45,000 signatures and easily qualifying I-186 for the November 6, 2018 ballot. 

Now that MTU, participating TU chapters, members, and our many partners have cleared this major hurdle, it’s time to inform and turn out voters.  We don’t have space in a single newsletter to let you know about all the events and ways there are to get involved.  So here’s how to keep apace of what’s happening and how you can help make a difference:  Visit the campaign website (https://www.yeson186.org/) to learn more, volunteer, and donate.  Visit, share, like, and comment on the campaign Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/yeson186/).  Or, contact us directly anytime ([email protected]; i[email protected]).

Most of all, remember, MTU is supporting I-186 because it brings a much-needed, common-sense change to hard-rock mine permitting in Montana that will better protect the clean water our native and wild trout depend on.  It will also reduce the taxpayer burden of cleaning up and paying for permanent treatment of polluted water.  That money is yours and mine and could, and should, be spent elsewhere on the many programs statewide that ensure we have clean, cold, healthy streams, rivers, lakes, and wetlands for generations to come.