Calling All Billionaires! Book The Hunt of A Lifetime!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MONDAY, May 23rd, 2022

CONTACT
press@montanademocrats.org

Calling All Billionaires! Book The Hunt of A Lifetime!

An exciting hunting opportunity from Governor Gianforte!

Helena, MT –

Governor Gianforte and his administration have engaged in a full scale, systematic effort to remake Montana’s rich heritage of hunting and fishing, to benefit the wealthy and the well-connected. 

The 2021 legislative session was just the beginning; nearly every wildlife law passed by the Republican legislature and signed into law by the Governor was at the direct expense of Montana resident sportsmen. Their end goal became clear as the session drew to a close: they were trying to rewrite our public land rules to allow wealthy landowners to personally profit off our public resources. 

For example, HB 637 was passed at the 11th hour with little public comment, weakening our equal opportunity to hunt in Montana by giving special treatment to wealthy, out-of-state tags. Further, HB 637 advantaged big-game outfitters and their clients by giving non-resident hunters extra preference for acquiring big-game combination licenses. A similar bill– SB 143– died earlier in session because of well-organized opposition from hunters. Knowing the new amendment would be equally unpopular, Republicans passed HB 637 out of committee within 12 hours, before sportsmen caught wind.

Following the session, the Governor’s Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) Director has continued to push for rule changes that would make it easier for private landowners to sell commercial bull elk hunts, allowing monied interests to exploit bull elk for their personal gain, at the expense of resident hunters. A diverse group of advocates have organized in opposition to these rule changes, and in some cases, have been successful. But, the troubling reality is that Gianforte’s FWP will not stop. Their campaign will continue.  

“Gianforte and his administration have put our public land access in their crosshairs, and they won’t stop until they’ve remade the state into a playground for the wealthy and the well-connected,” says Sheila Hogan, executive director of the Montana Democratic Party. “It’s no exaggeration to say that Montana’s hunting, fishing, and conservation legacy depends on your vote,” 

To learn more: SellingOffMontana.com

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