Environment

died · Montana · Legislature May 22, 2025

LC 536: Transfer sage grouse oversight to DNRC

This bill (LC 536) proposed transferring responsibility for managing sage grouse populations from its current agency to the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC). If enacted, it would have directly affected state wildlife management practices and the agencies involved in conserving sage grouse habitat. The key provision was shifting oversight authority and management duties to DNRC. However, the bill was canceled in December 2024 and ultimately died in the legislative process on May 22, 2025, so it never became law.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentTransferring sage grouse management to DNRC (natural resources agency) directly advances habitat conservation under Environmental Protection, aligning with conservation-focused intent per bill subjects and summary.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife

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signed · Montana · House Apr 7, 2025

HB 146: Revise hunting license fees to include cranes and swans

HB 146 establishes new hunting license fees for sandhill cranes and swans in Montana. It adds $10 for resident and $50 for nonresident application fees for these species, plus $10 resident/$75 nonresident licenses for cranes and swans (requiring also a $5.50 migratory game bird license). All fees collected for these licenses and applications will fund Montana's wetland conservation efforts through the state special revenue account. The law takes effect March 1, 2026, after being signed by the Governor on April 7, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesNew fees establish dedicated revenue stream for wetland conservation, directly funding a state program through special revenue account.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly directs fees to fund wetland conservation, directly advancing environmental protection through dedicated revenue.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation

died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 71: Revise special license requirements allowing second lion license and removing Tendoy sheep reporting

HB 71 revises Montana hunting rules by allowing hunters to obtain more than one mountain lion license in a single license year, removing a previous restriction that limited hunters to one lion license per year. It also eliminates mandatory reporting requirements for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks regarding harvests and tissue sampling from the Tendoy mountain sheep herd. These changes directly affect hunters seeking mountain lion licenses and the wildlife department’s reporting obligations. The bill amends Section 87-2-702 of Montana law to reflect these policy adjustments, focusing on simplifying licensing and reducing administrative reporting burdens.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves mandatory wildlife harvest reporting, weakening data-driven conservation for mountain lions and Tendoy sheep populations.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 782: Revise local planning board laws

HB 782 revises the membership requirements for county planning boards. This bill changes a provision that currently mandates at least one member of a county planning board must also be a member of a conservation district or a state cooperative grazing district. If enacted, county planning boards would instead have the option to include such a member, rather than being required to. This directly affects how county planning boards are constituted and who serves on them.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentRemoves mandatory conservation district representation on planning boards, weakening environmental input in local land-use decisions.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Public Lands

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died · Montana · House May 22, 2025

HB 57: Designate quail as upland game bird

HB 57 would amend Montana law to officially include California quail and Gambel's quail in the state's definition of "upland game birds" under Section 87-2-101, MCA. This change would directly affect hunters and wildlife managers by adding these quail species to the list of birds subject to regulated hunting seasons, bag limits, and conservation practices already applied to birds like pheasants and grouse. The bill specifically updates the legal definition without altering hunting seasons or regulations, ensuring these quail would be managed under existing upland game bird frameworks. The bill was introduced by request of the Environmental Quality Council but died in process on May 22, 2025.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill formalizes quail conservation under existing wildlife management, aligning with conservation practices for upland game birds like pheasants and grouse.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife

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signed · Montana · House May 13, 2025

HB 717: Revise transfer of mining operator to successor

HB 717 revises the process for transferring mining operation permits to successor operators, especially when an original operator has a forfeited bond and fails to complete reclamation. It grants the state's Department the power of eminent domain to acquire surface, mineral, or other property interests within a mining permit boundary under specific conditions. This power can be exercised if the department finds it is in the public interest for taxpayers and environmental protection, and a successor operator is available to take over the permit and complete reclamation. The bill also outlines how compensation is determined in these eminent domain cases, considering factors like reclamation costs and existing liabilities.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill explicitly authorizes state use of eminent domain for environmental protection when mining reclamation is incomplete, strengthening enforcement of post-mining environmental restoration.90% confidence

died · Montana · Legislature May 20, 2025

LC 3345: Eliminate reimbursements for hunting or trapping wolves

This bill eliminates reimbursements for costs incurred while hunting or trapping wolves in Montana. It amends Montana Code Annotated 87-6-214 by removing subsection (1)(d), which previously allowed licensed hunters and trappers to be reimbursed for expenses related to wolf hunting or trapping. The change directly affects licensed wolf hunters and trappers by ending state-funded reimbursement for their operational costs. The policy shift aligns with Montana's adherence to wildlife conservation principles that prohibit commercial exchange for harvested wildlife. The amendment takes effect immediately upon passage.

Topics ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill eliminates state reimbursements for wolf hunting/trapping, directly aligning with wildlife conservation policies to protect wolf populations under Montana's conservation framework.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Wildlife

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died · Montana · House May 20, 2025

HB 847: Provide funding for grizzly bear management

HB 847 proposed to provide funding for grizzly bear management in Montana. The bill aimed to appropriate $210,000 annually from the general license account to the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) for the biennium starting July 1, 2025. This funding was specifically designated to create and support two new full-time bear technician positions within FWP Region 3, located in Southwest Montana. These technicians would assist in managing human-wildlife interactions and conflicts as grizzly bear populations expand in the region. The legislature intended for this appropriation to become part of FWP's ongoing base funding.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill appropriates $210,000 annually from general license account for bear management positions, advancing state budget allocation for wildlife services.95% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentFunds bear management positions to conserve grizzly habitat and reduce human-wildlife conflict, directly advancing wildlife conservation within environmental protection.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

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signed · Montana · Senate May 13, 2025

SB 257: Generally revise Smith River permit laws

Senate Bill 257 revises the permit laws for the Smith River waterway. It increases the cost for nonresidents to purchase a bonus point for the Smith River permit lottery from $50 to $125. This change directly affects nonresidents applying for permits to float and camp on the Smith River. The additional revenue generated from these bonus points will be deposited into the Smith River corridor enhancement account, which funds projects to protect and improve the river's natural beauty, recreational values, fisheries, and wildlife habitat.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill increases nonresident permit fees (tax-like revenue) to fund Smith River corridor projects, directly allocating new revenue to a specific enhancement account.90% confidence ✓ EnvironmentSupports EnvironmentBill directs increased permit fees to Smith River corridor enhancement account funding projects to protect and improve river's natural beauty and recreation, directly advancing environmental conservation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Wildlife

died · Montana · Senate May 23, 2025

SJ 14: Resolution to release federal wilderness study areas

Montana's SJ 14 is a state legislative resolution requesting the federal government release over 660,000 acres of designated wilderness study areas from consideration for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System. It specifically targets seven Montana wilderness study areas (including West Pioneer, Sapphire, and Big Snowies) and 37 Bureau of Land Management wilderness study areas that have remained in legal limbo since the 1977 Montana Wilderness Study Act. The resolution argues these lands are hindering multiple-use management (like timber harvesting and agriculture) and causing federal management uncertainty, and asks for their formal release to allow standard federal land management under the National Forest Management Act. The resolution was tabled in committee and died in process in 2025, so it has not become law.

Topics ✗ EnvironmentOpposes EnvironmentBill seeks to release wilderness study areas from federal preservation, removing conservation protections and enabling potential development on protected lands.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Conservation Forestry Public Lands

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