Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is going broke. The sole reason FWP exists is to guarantees in the Montana Constitution regarding our wildlife. Hunting and fishing are guaranteed Constitutional rights to all citizens of Montana; “The opportunity to harvest wild fish and game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state”. Unfortunately, FWP has been infiltrated by left-wing, green people to the extent that they are supporting anti-hunting organizations and agendas.
The following is a letter from Ravalli County Commissioner, Suzy Foss. At the end of this article is a Take Action button. Please, take the time to use this feature and contact your Representatives. It only takes a few clicks and your voice will be heard loud and clear. Pass this Action Alert on to all your friends. The time for action is upon us. Apathy is no longer acceptable.
This year legislation will likely be drafted to add new funding to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks as they are going broke. This agency has gone from self sustaining to in the tank for one simple reason. The entire purpose and mission statement of this agency has been abandoned for a progressive environmental policy that has nothing to do with fish and wildlife preservation and everything to do with “biological diversity” and other green platitudes. When our ungulate populations were healthy and numerous, hunter fees paid the way. No ungulates to hunt, no hunter fees. Pretty simple situation but difficult to correct.
Now the agency is going for ask for your tax dollars to keep them continuing the same failed management principles that have brought them this low. There are suggestions for new fees for every person who enters a state park, be it to walk your dog or ride your mountain bike, you want to access the State forests that our taxes pay for and you will pay again through a user fee. Just do not expect to view deer, elk or moose during your visit as their numbers are dropping like stones.
Recently an email was sent out with a link to an article in the Bozeman Chronicle quoting several reasons for the agencies economic woes including “a national economic downturn, a severe winter that reduced the number of licenses for sale in much of Eastern Montana, high water in the spring that cut the number of fishing licenses sold, high fuel costs, the perception of a statewide decline in game numbers from wolf depredation, high unemployment and a decrease in the number of nonresident license sales. Perhaps most important, there are fewer hunters and anglers buying licenses in Montana and nationally.”
Well DUHH! Every regional and national sportsmen’s magazine has run articles and letters bemoaning the loss of wild game in Montana for the past three years or more and long ago started begging Montana’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks to change their management policies to return to protecting our ungulate herds instead of adding to their declines.
I urge every reader to go the Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative and look at the list of supporters from A to Z. FWP is one of them. Then read the goals, mission statement, and what this project supports and DOES NOT support. One item they do not support is any management of numbers of large predators. Notice “the perception of a statewide decline in game numbers from wolf depredation”. This agency plays word games from one side of the state to the other and from one local talk to another, always contradicting what was said previously. In western Montana we have had the same FWP agents deny predation as an issue, then acknowledge the wolf pressure and predation and then change their mind again the next time they speak in public. I do not know if they talk to the crowd and play the word games on purpose or if they are simply that confused about the situation. I do believe we much always remember the folks of the ground are a valued part of our community and they take their direction from Helena. Explain a lot about confusion since Helena is showing little or no concern for nor grasp of the ungulate population decline and the impacts of that decline. Explains the nonsense that comes from the statements they make.
Article 9, section 7 of the Montana State Constitution reads “The opportunity to harvest wild fish and game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state”. As Gary Marbut stated in his recent article “If the overall FWP attitude had not been so Hell-bent on “ecosystem management,” “biological diversity,” “natural balance” and other similar catchy but terminal “green” ideas destined to end hunting, FWP managers could have projected the current crisis years ago.
The Duties of MTFWP is ” 87-1-201. Powers and duties. (1) Except as provided in subsection (11), the department shall supervise all the wildlife, fish, game, game and non-game birds, waterfowl, and the game and fur-bearing animals of the state and may implement voluntary programs that encourage hunting access on private lands and that promote harmonious relations between landowners and the hunting public. The department possesses all powers necessary to fulfill the duties prescribed by law and to bring actions in the proper courts of this state for the enforcement of the fish and game laws and the rules adopted by the department.
(2) Except as provided in subsection (11), the department shall enforce all the laws of the state regarding the protection, preservation, management, and propagation of fish, game, fur-bearing animals, and game and non-game birds within the state.
(3) The department has the exclusive power to spend for the protection, preservation, management, and propagation of fish, game, fur-bearing animals, and game and non-game birds all state funds collected or acquired for that purpose, whether arising from state appropriation, licenses, fines, gifts, or otherwise. Money collected or received from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses or permits, from the sale of seized game or hides, from fines or damages collected for violations of the fish and game laws, or from appropriations or received by the department from any other sources is under the control of the department and is available for appropriation to the department.”The sole existence of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is to ensure those constitutional guarantees. It is clear that the agency has been led down the garden path, along with the University of Montana, another tax payer entity gone wild for Y2Y, and that the responsibilities to all tax payers and residents of Montana have literally been fed to the wolves.
Contact your state representatives about this issue and make it clear to them your displeasure of their management policies, their active participation with the anti human organization Y2Y and demand accountability for their failure to follow Montana Code Annotated and the Constitution. In this election year I would make sure I know exactly the position and possible solutions of every candidate at every level regarding Y2Y and the FWP’s economic and policy problems.
This is a huge economic issue, a historic use and cultural loss of citizens rights issue, a private property rights issue (Y2Y wants your land and the Natures Conservancy is there to help this happen) and a huge tax implication for us all.
The Ravalli County Commission has taken on the wildlife issues impacting our county as it is apparent the state and federal government policies have not given any consideration to the impacts those policies have had our our community and the rights of our citizens.
Suzy Foss
Ravalli County Commissioner, District 5
Take Action NOW!
Use the form below to sign the petition and let Montana Legislators know your displeasure with the direction of FWP.
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{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
As a lifelong resident of Ravalli County, MT, I am deeply disappointed in what has become of our state and our geographical area as a whole. Though I was not even old enough to vote when the Canadian gray wolves were introduced, I know that I would have been against it – as I’m sure a majority of voters and citizens were. Many “improvements” have gone into effect despite the peoples’ opinions, (i.e. the hundreds of subdivisions recently approved in the outskirts of Hamilton), but none is more harmful than the effects of the wolves. During my research in college, I have learned that evolution is not possible without extinction – a new, probably better, species or subspecies cannot come about without the extinction of a species to fill the niche. Human beings are quickly and meaninglessly upsetting that balance by forbidding species such as panda bears and the native Northwest American timber wolves to become extinct. After all, we are a part of the ecosystem and we happened to have adapted ourselves beyond the means of any other species. I hope this is making sense. Since the gray wolves were introduced (NOT REINTRODUCED, THEY ARE NOT NATIVE), our ungulate herds have suffered more than any time in recorded history. That’s scary, but for some the more fearsome fact is that they have to live in fear of letting their children play outside or letting their household pets outside when nature calls. I’m sorry, I almost forgot our farming communities, the remnants of what was once a completely pastoral society, losing thousands of dollars a day in meaningless, wasteful, depredation by wolves. The facts are they’ve grown far beyond their means. Your yearly “seasons” are pointless, even if they keep getting extended. People are afraid to shoot a wolf hanging out in their front yard if they don’t have a tag. Well, I’ll tell you what, I’m not. Regardless, it would be more beneficial to the citizens of Montana and to the simple idea of “controlling” these varmints if you would label them correctly. They are ten times worse than coyotes both in their habits and, now, their prevalence; they should be considered predators in Montana, legal to shoot year-round on sight. Guaranteed, this will not hurt their numbers enough within the next few years to endanger them, but it might give the elk and deer we still have and hold dear a fighting chance! Heck, if the numbers of wolves drop too low, just “endanger” them again. Better still, you could fight along with all the people of Montana; farmers, hunters, and citizens alike, to fix the mistake and the environmental rape brought on us by biologists who knew nothing better than, ‘there were wolves here 100 years ago, so let’s just put some more in!’… So I beg of you, as a citizen, a friend, a lover of my beautiful state, a voter, a mother, and a Montana National Guard soldier… Take a stand and do your job in properly protecting the wildlife that should be here and does not harm thousands of peoples’ ways of life for an unknown “green” agenda!
Michelle Andrews
I couldn’t have said it better myself. Your pain and frustration come through loud and clear. Now, we have to watch the one State Agency (FWP) that is required, by law, to look out for the best interests of sportsmen. Sportsmen have been the most effective conservation group of the last century. Without our advocacy and dollars, there wouldn’t be any habitat left or any wildlife. Well, enough is enough. Let FWP look to the “green” organizations, like Y2Y, for their shortfall in funding. Sportsmen have paid their fair share. And most of our efforts have been undone, in a few short years, by the introduction of wolves.
Keep up the fight Michelle!
Bob
I agree with Michelle. The quota alone is not enough to regulate these illegal wolves, and stop with all these regulations while having a quota to fill. Gee wheeze grow up.
Loren
http://oathkeepers.org/oath/2012/01/27/fanning-baldwin-2012-a-manifesto-a-political-platform-a-declaration/
check this out for the REAL Deal.
http://fanning-baldwin.com/
Robert Fanning will fix this problem and so many others in our state. Go to the site, donate, volunteer, tell your friends and co-workers. Lets take our state back!
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