Candidate for lieutenant governor Lesley Robinson’s recent opinion piece (April 13 Beacon) has inconsistencies with her public record that deserve discussion.
Lesley has been participating in the stakeholder meetings for bison restoration along with representatives from the major agricultural groups and legislators who farm and/or ranch. This undermines her argument that landowners weren’t being listened too when it comes to bison management. Establishing a viable wild bison population in Montana is a worthy project. Lesley is arrogant to imply this legitimate effort with a wide variety of stakeholders should be stopped before an honest evaluation has been completed.
Commissioner Robinson has opposed new wildlife management areas as well as the Habitat Montana program. In 2013, she testified in support of a “No Net Gain” bill that would have hamstrung the popular program and forced the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to sell off any land in equal acreage to land acquired, making suspect her claim that “no one wants to see public land sold off.”
As the chairwoman of both the Montana and the National Association of Counties Public Lands Committees, she advocated and voted for the transfer of public lands. This makes her proclamation that she and gubernatorial candidate Greg Gianforte are opposed to transfer of public lands unbelievable.
Lesley Robinson also says that landowners didn’t have enough say in sage grouse management decisions, yet she testified in support of SB 261, the Montana Sage Grouse Stewardship Act of 2015, which passed with overwhelming support from urban and rural legislators, the agricultural industry, the Montana Association of Counties, sportsmen, conservationists and the energy industry. This effort is credited with ensuring state management of sage grouse and avoiding an Endangered Species listing.
Montanans deserve an honest dialogue when it comes to sportsmen/landowner relations. It’s clear the past positions and policies advocated by Robinson are counter to her opinion piece.
Wildlife management and land management is complex work. Gov. Steve Bullock has worked diligently to bring diverse groups together to develop responsible changes in the management of wildlife and public land. That model has led to successes like HB 140 in 2015, which ensures funding for our game agency. It has led to a better understanding of our stream access slaw under the Bridge Access Bill of 2009. Common ground provided the state better management of wolves under HB 73 in 2013 and it’s what brought organizations across the political spectrum together in defeating bad legislation such as the transfer of public land onslaught of 2015.
I applaud Robinson for joining Mr. Gianforte to present voters a choice in leadership for our state. To show leadership in the conservation arena she must move beyond the narrow localized positions she articulated in the past and demonstrate an ability to bring public and private interests together to solve the challenges of wildlife management, public access, and landowner relationships. The Bullock administration has demonstrated successes in this arena despite partisan politics. How the Gianforte/Robinson team propose to solve the remaining challenges remains as clear as mud.
Chris Marchion lives in Anaconda.