Montana On The Ground

Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.

Montanans start movement to support Missouri Breaks monument

June 12, 2017 by Laura Lundquist

Worried about losing parts of Montana’s historic and ecological legacy, a grassroots group has sprung up to fight Trump administration attacks on the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.

On Monday, Hold Our Ground, a campaign sponsored by the Montana Wilderness Association, was launched in Fort Benton, the gateway to the 146-mile float down the Wild and Scenic Missouri River. Three spokesmen detailed the different reasons they oppose efforts by the Trump administration to rescind or diminish the 378,000-acre Missouri River Breaks monument.

State study would reveal jobs benefit of outdoor recreation

February 16, 2017 by Laura Lundquist

While some Republicans continue to push for the transfer of public lands, one Montana bill is quietly making its way through the Legislature that could show how much local economies might suffer if public lands are lost.

House Joint Resolution 7, sponsored by Rep. Ellie Hill Smith, D-Missoula, asks that the Legislature conduct a study of the economic impacts of outdoor recreation in Montana. The study would take place during the legislative off-year.

Thousands rally in Helena for Montana public lands

January 30, 2017 by Laura Lundquist

If anyone doubts whether Montanans treasure public lands, they should have stood in the Capitol rotunda on Monday as more than 1,000 chanted the modern Montana mantra: "Keep public lands in public hands."

For the second Legislature in a row, conservation groups organized a public-lands rally to rattle the halls of the Legislature with the full-throat roar of those opposed to any bills furthering public-land transfer. And for the second Legislature in a row, Gov. Steve Bullock whipped the crowd into a fervor, shouting his tumbling words so those standing in the vaulted arches two floors above could hear. He once again vowed to veto any land transfer bills.

Bill would remove outfitter exclusivity on state lands

January 26, 2017 by Laura Lundquist

A state legislator wants public hunters to have the same access as outfitters to isolated state-trust lands, but no one knows how much land that actually would affect.

On Thursday, Rep. Tom Jacobson, D-Great Falls, used a familiar justification for his bill, House Bill 243, which would prevent hunting outfitters from having sole access to landlocked parcels of state-trust land.

Poll finds Montanans shifting to renewable energy, more public access

September 22, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

While polls repeatedly show that a majority of Montanans value open lands for recreation, hunting and fishing, some have assumed that those in the east - where private property predominates - cared less. Now a new poll finds that eastern Montanans don’t think too differently from those in the rest of the state.

A bipartisan team of pollsters asked the opinions of more than 500 Montanans on everything from energy sources to public land issues between Sept. 1 and Sept. 8. They found that overall, a majority supports renewable energy; phasing out Colstrip instead of fighting to keep it open; funding public-land access programs; and protecting rivers with federal designations.

Hunters to BLM: Protect the habitat, protect the economy

September 19, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

It’s no secret that public-land opportunities attract millions of in- and out-of-state visitors and dollars to Montana. Now, a new study shows that a subset of users – hunters – are critical to preserving businesses in sparsely populated parts of the state where few others stray. But they’ll keep coming back only if public land habitat is preserved.

On Monday, Bozeman-based Headwaters Economics released an economic analysis showing that deer and elk hunting in four districts north of Lewistown brought in almost $4 million in 2015. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks calculated the total for the four hunting districts – 410, 412, 417 and 426 - that sit just south of the Missouri River in Fergus and Petroleum counties.

Bullock promotes public-land support, tourism

July 11, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s largest economic driver – agriculture – has an entire state department dedicated to it. Now, Montana’s governor wants to add a new state office to promote part of the second largest: recreational tourism.

On Monday, in front an audience of about 40 sportsmen, outdoors enthusiasts and parents, Gov. Steve Bullock continued his statewide tour promoting the need for Montana to be more active in maintaining and improving public lands and public access. Not only does public land recreation contribute billions to the state economy but it makes Montanans happy.

Polls get opposite results on federal land transfer question

March 29, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Groups have seized upon a recent poll that appears to show that Montanans favor federal-land transfer. But with other polls showing the opposite, the issue isn’t cut and dried.

FWP commission: Send Idaho sheep home

February 18, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission joins other organizations in calling for the end of federally-funded sheep grazing in the Centennial Mountains.

After last week’s marathon FWP commission meeting, the commissioner sent letters to Montana’s Congressional delegation asking them to remove Montana lands from the area managed by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Experimental Sheep Station.

Report: NPS amenities are crumbling due to minimal funding

February 05, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The combination of the recession of a few years ago and repeated Congressional budget cuts have left national parks in poor shape headed into the National Park Service’s centennial, according to a new report.

On Friday, the National Park Service released its annual report on the deferred maintenance that has piled up over a number of years and the huge sums of money needed to overcome the backlog.

Texas oil field sale illustrates value of public land management

October 26, 2015 by Laura Lundquist

While some continue to push for state control of federal land, Chinese control of U.S. oil and gas illustrates why it might be better for Americans to keep public lands in public hands.

On Friday, a Chinese company, Yantai Xinchao Industry Co. Ltd., said it would pay $1.3 billion for oil fields in Howard and Borden counties in Texas, according to the Associated Press.