EMWH Newsletter

Putting the "Public" Back In "Public Trust"

"I don't care what party you're in, this things volatile!"
~ Sen. Bradley Hamlett

Heads Up! EMWH is hosting a celebration of Public Trust fundraiser dinner and mixed media art sale/auction on Sept. 5, 6-9 PM in Bozeman. The dinner will be a breaking of bread - honoring habitat, wildlife, the gifts of the land - conservation hunters and non-consumptive conservationists alike. There will be wild game and vegetarian/vegan dishes (I am an excellent organic/ethnic/gourmet cook). So please save the date on your calendars, details and menu coming soon. If you are an artist that would like to contribute a piece to the fundraiser, please contact me, we would love to showcase your work (graphic, sculptor, ceramics, jewelry, literary, etc.). A night to celebrate and enjoy our Public Trust.

For those new to EMWH Newsletter, we have an Archive link on the right side, addressing Public Trust issues in Montana. I am slowly getting more of the older updates online.

Montana Republican Party - Resolution Supporting Granting Federally Managed Public Lands To The States
At the 2014 Montana Republican Platform Convention this last week, the GOP unanimously passed a resolution in favor of shifting public land management away from Washington DC control.
Amongst the many other "Whereas" in the Resolution, the bottom of page 4 lists the Coalition of Montana Chambers as passing policies supporting Transfer of Public Lands.

Are cleaner state restrooms a basis for transferring our Federal Public Lands?
Joint Position/Policy Papers - Coalition of Montana Chambers 2012-2013, Did you know our Montana Chambers of Commerce collectively want to steal your Federal Public Access ownership from you? Endorsing Chambers: Billings, Bozeman, Butte, Great Falls, Helena, Kalispell, and Missoula. On page 4 of this document, about the middle, it states, "The Chambers encourage the State of Montana to adopt a policy requesting the transfer and management of Federal Lands, where appropriate, to the state of Montana."

I called our Bozeman Chamber of Commerce and spoke with CEO Daryl Schliem who advocated the transfer of Federal Public Lands to the States and did not understand why I had a problem with it. He then explained that when he has been camping on MT State lands that the restrooms have been so much cleaner than Federal BLM lands restrooms! I am still appalled by this reasoning for state management of Federal Public Lands transfer. Preferring wildness/wilderness, bathrooms dont even enter into the Public Lands equation for me - habitat, wildlife, clean water, healthy ecosystems and public access to our awesome lands do.

Sen. Jennifer Fielders Doublespeak
A lie by any other name..."So I don't see this bill as a movement to transfer lands." Bovine Blossoms! Documentation to prove otherwise. These are our Federal Public Lands - not the corporations who sell resources to the highest bidder, not to the highest bidder to privatize for own personal use and definitely not for cronyism - they belong to the Public Trust.

Televised debate for MT US House Representative Seat - question Transferring Federal Public lands to the States. This segment is just about Federal Public Lands. Dem. John Lewis spoke of outdoor heritage, costs to maintain, tourism dollars brought in to the state and access - AGAINST. Rep. Ryan Zinke spoke for resource extraction, ending environmental litigation that would protects lands and wildlife, increased jobs within resource extraction, as well as people outside Montana having a say in those lands (note: these Fed. Public Lands belong to all the US Public) - FOR. Lib. Mike Fellows spoke of federal deficit and selling off some of those assets - FOR. 8 minute Youtube clip. Please vote for the Public Trust

One step closer to transferring Federal Public Lands to the States - transferring ADMINISTRATIVE AUTHORITY to the States - H.R. 1526 (includes presentation by Montana hunter, angler and public lands advocate Art Canfield (thank you Art for taking your personal time to help protect the Public Trust).

Statewide Elk Brucellosis Working Group to meet in Bozeman on July 8 to review the results of last winter's activities. 8:30 a.m. at the Montana Fish,Wildlife and Parks’ office in Bozeman at 1400 S. 19th St. The meeting is open to the public and includes time for public comment. For more information on the Elk Brucellosis situation. At last years meeting, they also worked on the 2014 Work Plan, so they may be working on the 2015 at this meeting. As I have stated before, FWP has not conducted an independent review of MT cattle infections to see if elk were actually responsible for those infections and my public information requests to DOL have not been fulfilled. The research involving genetics, as well as information directly associated to each infection case is telling a different story, which is why FWP needs to manage our elk by science, not politics.

Dont forget the link at the bottom for the FWP Elk Brucellosis lawsuit from the Skyline Sportsmen and Anaconda Sportsmen who are doing a great service towards elk conservation in Montana. Thank you again guys.

Dismissing the Governors Order - The face of Private Property Trespassing in Montana - Video footage of the June 23rd encounter at the bottom of the page.

FWP To Host Bison Discussion In Billings July 14-15
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a two-day discussion in Billings, July 14-15, at the Big Horn Resort, 1801 Majestic Lane. The meeting, which is open to the public, will begin at 10 a.m. on July 14 and end at 4 p.m. on July 15, on issues related to a bison conservation and management plan for Montana.

Great Old Broads - Gallatin Wilderness Broadwalk
August 14-18, Great Old Broad Nancy Ostlie has been active in protecting this Wilderness Study Act, a member of the Science Team, trying to make sure that laws and science are at the forefront of this process, instead of being swept under the "collaborative" rug.

"The Gallatin Collaborative, a controversial effort, was initiated in 2012 to bring together the various stakeholders to help determine the future of the Hyalite Porcupine Buffalo Horn Wilderness Study Area and adjacent lands. This is a slippery slope that could diminish the Wilderness that the Forest Service is supposed to be protecting by bypassing the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process and taking a 'false consensus' plan directly to Congress. This will be the focus of our Broadwalk weekend."

In ‘Grand Rescue,’ a wilder Teton arises by Todd Wilkinson
Interviewing Rick Reese, Bozeman Conservationist "The historic August 1967 drama on the Grand’s North Face involved seven key figures whose reputations are legendary in local mountaineering lore: Reese, Pete Sinclair, Leigh Ortenburger, Bob Irvine, Mike Ermarth, Ralph Tingey and Ted Wilson. Five were childhood climbing buddies from Utah."

I would like to thank the following contributors for supporting EMWH. Your gift is very much appreciated.
Had a surprising anonymous contribution. Thank you "Montana Anonymous" contributor.

Skyline/Anaconda Elk Litigation Fund
PO Box 173, Butte, MT 59701
Skyline Sportsmen and Anaconda Sportsmens Associations lawsuit against FWP & the FWP Commission

Skyline/Anaconda Elk Litigation Fund
PO Box 173, Butte, MT 59701
Skyline Sportsmen and Anaconda Sportsmens Associations lawsuit against FWP & the FWP Commission

Thank you,
Kathryn QannaYahu
406-579-7748
www.emwh.org