Serving Proudly As The Voice Of Valley County Since 1913

Federal Land Transfer: Bad for Sportsmen and Ranchers

There has been a recent push from a group named the American Lands Council led by Montana’s own Jennifer Fielder (SD 7) of Thompson Falls. On March 15th another complaint was filed against Fielder’s predecessor and mentor, Rep. Ken Ivory. Ivory allegedly used his official legislative email to conduct business for the ALC, which in Utah amounts to a legal and ethical violation. This complaint is just the most recent complaint of fraud against the American Lands Council. During the last session, Senator Fielder’s aide was ejected from the legislature when it became known that he was also lobbying for the ALC while employed by the state. Where there is smoke there is fire.

What the proponents of eliminating public land don’t say is this: if these lands were to be transferred over to state control, the State of Montana would be forced to sell the lands to private parties due to the rising costs of managing the infrastructure, public access, and wildfire. Outside interests would be more than willing to take these lands off the State’s hands and in turn block the people of Montana from hunting on the lands that we hold so close to our heart.

They also won’t tell you what the repercussions for ranching are. The grazing fees on BLM land for 2016 is set at $2.11 AUM (animal unit month). The Montana DNRC has grazing fees set for 2016 at $19.57 AUM. Montana’s ranchers cannot handle, nor should they have to face an increase in fees of that magnitude. The writing is on the wall for the people of Montana.

I urge voters to see through these federal land transfer claims for what they truly are, an attack on Montana’s greatest resource.

 

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