Environment

signed · Montana · House Sep 29, 2025

HB 259: Revise fish and wildlife commission techniques for gray wolf management

HB 259 revises Montana's gray wolf management rules to give the Fish and Wildlife Commission more flexibility in controlling wolf populations. It allows landowners to kill wolves threatening livestock or safety without a hunting license (subject to reporting and annual quotas), expands hunting/trapping on private land at night using thermal/infrared scopes, and permits unlimited wolf harvest in high-population areas. The bill directly affects landowners, hunters, and the Fish and Wildlife Commission, which must implement these changes. Key provisions include new landowner take rules, modified hunting seasons based on regional wolf numbers, and immediate implementation upon enactment.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentAllows unrestricted wolf killing and weakens conservation protections, prioritizing livestock over ecosystem health and biodiversity conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 24, 2025

LC 655: Create a pollinator health task force

Montana's LC 655 creates a 14-member Pollinator Health Task Force to develop a statewide strategy for protecting bees, butterflies, and other pollinators. The task force includes representatives from agriculture (fruit, seed, berry industries), conservation groups, Montana tribes, universities, beekeepers, and pesticide distributors, with specific requirements for membership composition. It must produce a report detailing research plans, public education initiatives, habitat improvement strategies, and recommendations for legislative or budgetary changes to support pollinators. The bill appropriates $50,000 from the general fund for the task force's work during the 2025-2027 biennium, requiring the final report to be submitted to the 70th Legislature. This bill directly affects Montana's agricultural economy (which relies on pollinators for crops valued at $34 billion nationally) and ecosystems dependent on pollinator health.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentCreates task force to develop pollinator protection strategy, habitat improvement, and conservation initiatives, directly advancing environmental conservation efforts.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 27, 2025

LC 2568: Joint resolution protecting public lands.

This joint resolution expresses Montana's legislative support for maintaining federal management of national public lands, including parks, forests, and wildlife refuges. It specifically opposes efforts to sell, transfer, or dispose of these lands to private entities or state governments. The resolution directs Montana's Governor, Attorney General, and Congressional delegation to take action against such proposals, citing the economic and recreational value of public lands to Montanans (noting $5.8 billion in tourism revenue and 82% public support for monument protections). As a non-binding statement, it does not create new laws but formally aligns the state with federal land stewardship.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill protects public lands (parks, forests, wildlife refuges) from sale/transfer, directly conserving natural resources and supporting environmental protection per summary.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Parks & Recreation Public Lands

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 27, 2025

LC 2199: Joint resolution urging changes to federal wildfire policy

This Montana joint resolution (LC 2199) urges the U.S. President, Agriculture Secretary, Forest Service Chief, and Congress to modify federal wildfire and land management policies. It requests five key changes: requiring aggressive initial fire attacks to protect communities and air quality; keeping forest roads open for access and suppression; adding wildfire smoke to EPA air quality standards; ending "let it burn" policies that avoid environmental reviews; and enabling state/local involvement in federal land management. The resolution directly affects Montana communities facing wildfire risks, federal land management practices, and air quality standards. As a non-binding resolution, it seeks to address concerns about current federal approaches that contribute to larger fires, hazardous smoke, and high suppression costs.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly adds wildfire smoke to EPA air quality standards and ends 'let it burn' policies avoiding environmental reviews, directly strengthening pollution control and regulatory protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Air Quality Forestry Public Lands

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 29, 2025

LC 1155: Revise categorical exclusions from nondegradation authorization

This Montana bill (LC 1155) requires the Department of Environmental Quality to amend a rule by January 2026, creating a new pathway for counties to exclude certain land uses from water quality review. Specifically, counties must demonstrate two conditions: (1) no drinking water wells in the area, and (2) absorption trenches (e.g., septic systems) located at least 1,000 feet from high-quality surface waters. The bill appropriates $10,000 from the general fund to support this rule change and provides guidance for the exclusion process. It takes effect upon passage, with the funding provision starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentCreates exemptions from water quality reviews for counties meeting minimal conditions, weakening regulatory oversight of land uses near water sources.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Drinking Water Water Quality

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introduced · Montana · Legislature Mar 30, 2025

LC 1608: Generally revise conservation financing laws

Montana's LC 1608 establishes a Habitat Legacy Account funded by marijuana revenue to support wildlife conservation. It allocates 75% of annual funds to the Land and Wildlife Stewardship Account for habitat acquisition, 20% to the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Account for projects, and 5% to the Big Game Highway Crossings Account for wildlife crossing infrastructure. If the Stewardship Account exceeds $50 million in unused funds, allocations shift to 80% for improvement projects and 20% for crossings. The Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks administers all accounts, with funds restricted to specific conservation purposes like habitat protection, wildlife projects, and highway crossing design.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesFunds wildlife conservation via dedicated marijuana tax revenue, creating new appropriations for environmental programs per bill's allocation structure.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds wildlife conservation via dedicated accounts for habitat acquisition, improvement, and infrastructure, directly advancing environmental protection through specific allocations.95% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationAllocates 5% of funds to Big Game Highway Crossings Account for wildlife crossing infrastructure, directly funding transportation safety projects.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife Roads & Highways

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died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 4168: Revise laws related to tire disposal

This bill (LC 4168) aimed to revise state laws governing tire disposal, which would have directly affected tire retailers, waste management companies, and municipal recycling programs. The proposed legislation would have updated regulations for tire collection, recycling requirements, and disposal fees, though specific mechanisms were never finalized. However, the bill was placed on hold in February 2025 and ultimately died in the legislative process by May 2025, meaning no policy changes were enacted. As it never advanced beyond the drafting stage, no concrete provisions were implemented.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentUpdates tire recycling requirements and disposal fees to improve waste management, reducing environmental impact from improper tire disposal per bill's environmental protection focus.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Recycling Waste Management

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died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 2205: Clarify state's position on global warming and greenhouse gases

This bill (LC 2205) is a declarative statement by the Montana Legislature asserting the state's position on climate science, directly challenging the Montana Supreme Court's ruling in *Held v. Montana*. It disputes specific findings from the court case, including claims about human-caused warming, greenhouse gas accumulation, and climate impacts, arguing scientific consensus is irrelevant to climate science. The bill does not establish new environmental regulations, reporting requirements, or policy changes - it solely aims to formally reject the court's scientific conclusions. It addresses the legal context of the *Held* case but contains no concrete policy mechanisms or affected parties beyond the state's official stance.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentDisputes court findings on human-caused climate science, undermining legal basis for environmental protections without establishing new regulations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Climate Change

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died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 3975: Provide exemption from air quality requirements on controlled burns

LC 3975 was a legislative draft titled "Provide exemption from air quality requirements on controlled burns." Based solely on its title, the bill aimed to create an exception for controlled burns from existing air quality regulations, which would directly affect individuals and entities conducting such burns. However, the draft bill died in process and its specific provisions are not detailed in the provided information.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentExempting controlled burns from air quality requirements would weaken environmental regulations by allowing unregulated emissions during burns, directly contradicting pollution control objectives.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Air Quality

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died · Montana · Legislature May 20, 2025

LC 1373: Provide removal of structures in streambeds

This bill requires property owners or entities with structures (like dams or bridges) in natural, perennial streams to either remove them within one year after stopping use or pay a $5,000 fee plus provide a bond covering removal and stream restoration costs. It directly affects anyone maintaining structures in Montana's streams, including landowners, developers, or businesses. The key mechanism sets a clear deadline for removal or mandates financial security ($5,000 fee + bond) to ensure stream restoration. The law defines "stream" as natural, perennial waterways, their beds, and immediate banks, and directs its implementation under Montana's existing water code.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentMandates removal of stream structures or financial security for restoration, directly protecting waterways and environmental health per Environmental Protection subject.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Water Quality

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