On Nov.4, Gov. Greg Gianforte said he was committed to improving access to public lands at an event in Missoula. Then, a few weeks later, he proposed to permanently slash taxpayer funding to Montana’s premier public access program – Habitat Montana.
Gianforte’s budget proposal, released in mid-November, proposes to permanently cut voter-approved revenue that is used to protect wildlife and improve hunting, fishing, camping, and hiking. As a former chair of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission and a business owner who relies on access to public land and water, I’m disappointed.
Public access fuels our way of life. But it’s getting harder to protect this access as more people discover Montana. That’s why in 2020, a strong majority of us voted to set aside a portion of revenue from recreational marijuana sales to expand hunting and fishing access and protect small farms and ranches from development.
That initiative was easily the most popular thing on the ballot that year, uniting Republicans and Democrats. But ever since, some lawmakers have unsuccessfully tried to take those funds away. Unfortunately, the list now appears to include the governor.
Gianforte is specifically targeting the Habitat Montana program for a permanent change in revenue allocations. For those unfamiliar, the Habitat Montana program is our state’s best tool to protect public access and wildlife habitat. It has protected hundreds of thousands of acres in Montana since it was established in the 80’s. When I was at FWP, we used it to protect critical winter range for elk and deer, unlock access for hunters by acquiring easements, and create more fishing access sites on rivers and lakes.
Gianforte’s office says that permanently defunding Habitat Montana is needed because public access funding is currently “healthy and bountiful.” Really? Has the governor tried to find a place to hunt elk or deer lately? Most Montanans do not have Gianforte’s personal wealth, and we depend upon public lands for our recreation. A permanent change today robs our kids of opportunities to hunt and fish and, equally importantly, goes against the wishes of Montana voters from Ekalaka to Libby.
The effort to stop any permanent changes to the Habitat Montana program will take place during the upcoming legislative session, which begins in January. That’s when the governor will have another opportunity to demonstrate his public access commitment to the people of Montana.
Join me in asking Gianforte to protect our critical public access dollars. Being pro-family in Montana means being pro-access. Being pro-jobs in Montana means being pro-access. Being pro-access in Montana means that hunters and anglers should not be asked to subsidize a billion dollars’ worth of tax cuts with our hard-earned public access dollars. Request Governor Gianforte restore taxpayer funding to Habitat Montana.
Dan Vermillion is a fishing outfitter and former chair of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission.