TRAPPING related 2021 BILLS
HB 225 – Lengthen wolf trapping season by a month, forbid closing districts by nat’l parks to trapping
Fielder. Passed House, hearing in Senate Fish and Game Committee 2.18.21
HB 224 – Allow snaring of wolves
Fielder. Passed House, hearing in Senate Fish and Game Committee 2.18.21
HB 163 – add 2 Commissioners to F&G Commission – passed House, transmitted to Senate.
Fielder. Senate Fish and Game Committee Hearing was 2/2/21. Amendments.
HB 138 – trapping on private land, no written permission, no phone number on tag
Fielder. Passed House. Passed Senate Fish and Game Committee 2/12
HB 367 – Revise Constitutional language regarding harvest heritage. Establishing that hunting, fish and trapping is the preferred manner of managing wild fish and wildlife. …amendment to the Montana Constitution solely to protect hunting, fishing, and trapping from undue bans or restrictions…”
Fielder. Referred to House Judiciary Committee 2.12.21. Hearing cancelled.
SB 267– authorize reimbursement for wolf trapping and hunting, a bounty on wolves
Sen. Bob Brown. Bill introduced
LC 3112 – classify wolves as predators to be killed year round with no license, no reporting
Sen. Bob Brown. Draft ready for delivery.
LC 1910 – Add wolves to Big Game Combo Licenses
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery.
LC 3033 -- Allowing hound hunting and chase seasons for black bears
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery.
LC 3033 – Allowing hound hunting and chase seasons for black bears
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery 2.15.21
SB 98 – Revise laws related to grizzly bear take in defense of persons and livestock.
Sen. Gillespie. Passed Senate. Transmitted to House.
LC 1907 – increase individual wolf harvest quota
Fielder. Draft on hold.
LC 3034 – Revising laws related to trapping reciprocity with other states.
Fielder. Draft on Hold.
LC 1912 – Revise definitions of certain wildlife (probably reclassify wolves as predators)
Fielder. Draft on Hold.
LC 1915 – Allow for hunting of wolves at night
Fielder. Draft On Hold.
LC 3034 – Revising laws related to trapping reciprocity with other states (make it cheap to trap for out of staters)
Fielder. Draft On Hold.
Fielder has several LCs to revise fish and wildlife laws, state land laws, and environmental protection laws on hold.
Fielder. Passed House, hearing in Senate Fish and Game Committee 2.18.21
HB 224 – Allow snaring of wolves
Fielder. Passed House, hearing in Senate Fish and Game Committee 2.18.21
HB 163 – add 2 Commissioners to F&G Commission – passed House, transmitted to Senate.
Fielder. Senate Fish and Game Committee Hearing was 2/2/21. Amendments.
HB 138 – trapping on private land, no written permission, no phone number on tag
Fielder. Passed House. Passed Senate Fish and Game Committee 2/12
HB 367 – Revise Constitutional language regarding harvest heritage. Establishing that hunting, fish and trapping is the preferred manner of managing wild fish and wildlife. …amendment to the Montana Constitution solely to protect hunting, fishing, and trapping from undue bans or restrictions…”
Fielder. Referred to House Judiciary Committee 2.12.21. Hearing cancelled.
SB 267– authorize reimbursement for wolf trapping and hunting, a bounty on wolves
Sen. Bob Brown. Bill introduced
LC 3112 – classify wolves as predators to be killed year round with no license, no reporting
Sen. Bob Brown. Draft ready for delivery.
LC 1910 – Add wolves to Big Game Combo Licenses
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery.
LC 3033 -- Allowing hound hunting and chase seasons for black bears
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery.
LC 3033 – Allowing hound hunting and chase seasons for black bears
Fielder. Draft Ready for Delivery 2.15.21
SB 98 – Revise laws related to grizzly bear take in defense of persons and livestock.
Sen. Gillespie. Passed Senate. Transmitted to House.
LC 1907 – increase individual wolf harvest quota
Fielder. Draft on hold.
LC 3034 – Revising laws related to trapping reciprocity with other states.
Fielder. Draft on Hold.
LC 1912 – Revise definitions of certain wildlife (probably reclassify wolves as predators)
Fielder. Draft on Hold.
LC 1915 – Allow for hunting of wolves at night
Fielder. Draft On Hold.
LC 3034 – Revising laws related to trapping reciprocity with other states (make it cheap to trap for out of staters)
Fielder. Draft On Hold.
Fielder has several LCs to revise fish and wildlife laws, state land laws, and environmental protection laws on hold.
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02/02/21 Legislative Action Alert
CITIZENS TESTIFY AGAINST PAUL FIELDER'S WOLF SNARING BILL TODAY! 02/01/21 Legislative Action Alert Please Oppose HB 224 and HB 163 Montana House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee Sponsor: Rep. Paul Fielder HB 224 • Allow snaring of wolves Senate Fish and Game Committee HB 163 • Expand Fish and Game Commission from 5 to 7 people, the extra two appointed by the governor Please speak out against these bills! Call/email committee members and your representatives (info below). Please spread the word. Wolves need you now. Thank you for your help. Both will have hearings Tuesday, Feb. 2, 3 p.m. Best to testify on HB 224, and write testimony for HB 138. It’s easy! Just go here. Remember, you must sign up to testify by noon Monday. Tell your story, use your words. Here are some points: HB 224 – Allow snaring of wolves House FWP Committee • HB 224 would exponentially increase the number of snares on Montana’s lands. Sold by the dozen, wolf snares cost less than $3.00 each. The bycatch will be horses, hunting hounds, working dogs, livestock, and wildlife, especially elk, deer and mountain lions. • Based on science, we know wolves evolved as a self-regulating apex predator with intricate social structures and breeding behaviors that are disrupted by killing the wrong wolves which can lead to more wolves, increased depredation, and exacerbate the problems the hate-based management is intended to resolve. • Public safety is at high risk with wolf snares added to all the snares and traps on the land. • Wolves are the best defense against highly contagious Chronic Wasting Disease. Wolves take out the sick animals, reducing the spread. Wolf scat cannot spread the disease. Extra hunts have no effect on containing CWD. Wolves contain CWD. Exterminating wolves advances CWD. • This bill further eradicates the wolf population. Montana is revered for its diverse wildlife population, a source of important revenue from wildlife watching. A diversity of species helps a natural balance. The wolf is a keystone species, essential for predator prey balance. Killing off wolves allows rodent and coyote populations to multiply quickly. We should be protecting wolves for the health and welfare of our land and water. • Wolves are a minor player in the reduced elk population in western Montana. Weather and too many outfitters in the same drainages reduced the elk population. Wolves have not driven elk down from the high country to private lands Elk go to the haystacks on private land for food. • Ranchers know that healthy riparian zones mean healthy land and water for livestock and farming. Wolves restore riparian zones. Without them, erosion and grazing by cattle and game animals desiccate the landscape, resulting in less food, less water. HB 163 Expand Fish and Game Commission from 5 to 7 Senate Fish and Game Committee • HB 163 gives more power to western Montana which means the commission would no longer represent Montana’s population distribution fairly. • The reason for HB 163 is to concentrate power with the majority of trappers and those who want to see wolves down to the bare minimum required number. • A trapper will most likely be appointed to the commission if this bill passes. Please speak out against these bills! Call/email committee members and your representatives (info below). Please spread the word. Wolves need you now. Thank you for your help. Both will have hearings Tuesday, Feb. 2, 3 p.m. Best to testify on HB 224, and write testimony for HB 138. It’s easy! Just go here. Remember, you must sign up to testify by noon Monday. Your voice counts. Thank you for speaking out for Montana wolves and wildlife! How to contact your legislators: https://leg.mt.gov/legislator-lookup/ How to contact members of the Committees: The most effective way to reach the committee is by calling several individual members or emailing them (see below), and testifying in person or by phone at the hearing. 1. To call in to speak at the hearing: https://leg.mt.gov/public-testimony/. You must do this by noon the day before the hearing. 2. You can call and leave a message for a legislator or ommittee anytime: 406-444-4800. 3. Show up at the hearing. You can find out when and where here: http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/law0203w$.startup?P_SESS=20211 4. Email committee members TO SEND A DETAILED MESSAGE TO ENTIRE COMMITTEE • Go to leg.mt.gov • Scroll down and click on “Send A Web Message to a Legislator/Committee” Letters to the Editor are so valuable. Please take time to write. Thank You! Montana HOUSE FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS COMMITTEE Fitzgerald, Ross (R) – Chair 406-467-2032 Ross.fitzgerald@mtleg.gov Duram, Neil (R) ‑ Vice Chair 406-471-2356 Neil.duram@mtleg.gov Farris‑Olsen, Robert (D) ‑ Vice Chair 406-794-4780 Robformontana@gmail.com Berglee, Seth (R) 406-690-9329 Seth.berglee@mtleg.gov Fielder, Paul (R) 406-210-5943 Paulfielder@blackfoot.net France, Tom (D) 406-396-5085 Tom.france@mtleg.gov Hinkle, Jedediah (R) 406-585-0782 Jedediah.hinkle@mtleg.gov Knudsen, Rhonda (R) 406-489-5253 Rhonda.knudsen@mtleg.gov Loge, Denley (R) 406-649-2368 Denleylogehd14@gmail.com Marler, Marilyn (D) 406-544-7189 Marilyn.marler@mtleg.gov Mitchell, Braxton (R) 406-314-9474 braxtonmmitchell@gmail.com Novak, Sara (D) 406-691-0069 Novak4hd77@gmail.com Phalen, Bob (R) 406-939-1187 Bob.phalen@mtleg.gov Putnam, Brian (R) 406-233-9463 Brian.putnam@mtleg.gov Reksten, Linda (R) 406-471-8359 Reksten4mthouse@gmail.com Running Wolf, Tyson (D) 406-845-2115 trwolves@gmail.com Seekins‑Crowe, Kerri (R) 406-208-6587 Kerri4mt@gmail.com Weatherwax, Marvin (D) 406-338-7741 repmarvinwwaxjr@gmail.com Montana SENATE FISH AND GAME COMMITTEE Hinebauch, Steve (R) – Chair 406-365-7967 Steve.hinebauch@mtleg.gov Brown, Bob (R) ‑ Vice Chair 406-242-0141 Bob.brown@mtleg.gov Jacobson, Tom (D) ‑ Vice Chair (406) 868-9814 Tom.jacobson@mtleg.gov Blasdel, Mark (R) 406-261-3269 Mark.blasdel@mtleg.gov Cohenour, Jill (D) 406-227-1144 Jill.cohenour@mtleg.gov Ellsworth, Jason (R) 406-360-0009 Jason.ellsworth@mtleg.gov Flowers, Pat (D) 406-580-0035 Pat.flowers@mtleg.gov Hertz, Greg (R) 406-253-9505 Greg.hertz@mtleg.gov Howard, David (R) 406-633-2762 David.howard@mtleg.gov Keenan, Bob (R) 406-250-4111 Bob.keenan@mtleg.gov McClafferty, Edie (D) 406-490-5873 Edie.mcclafferty@mtleg.gov 01/27/21 Legislative Action Alert
The House Fish and Wildlife committee will be having a hearing on Thursday the 28th at 3 pm to consider Paul Fielder’s latest attack on wolves. The bill No. 225 would expand the trapping season on wolves. This bill is yet another tool Fielder is using to destroy the balance of nature in Montana. This bill would open the season earlier and allow it to March 15th or longer in Western Montana. We are asking that you sign up to testify via Zoom. To do these simply go to the Montana legislature website. Click on upcoming bills, and you will see House Bill 225 “An act revising wolf trapping season" There is a link on the home page to testify. Fill in your name and info and they will make you part of the testimony during the hearing. I will be there to testify in person. We need more voices to testify! It is easy and you will be a powerful voice for wolves. The opposition always has people testifying via zoom, we need more! Your presence has real power. Email me if you have questions: Stephen@footloosemontana.org. The deadline to signup is noon today! Talking points:
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02/01/21 Commentary
Montana Legislature What Planet are we on? Stephen Capra This past Thursday I was once again at the capitol to testify on HB-225 introduced by Rep. Paul Fielder, spokesman for the Montana Trapping Association, in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee. Fielder plays the role of teacher and science fiction expert. His stories of science always weave in cherry-picked info from Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Fielder pressed ahead but resembled a boiling caldron as more and more citizens spoke on zoom to oppose HB 225, which would lengthen wolf trapping season by a month, and forbid closure of trapping in districts bordering national parks, like Yellowstone. Many conservation groups spoke out to oppose the bill, including the Montana Wildlife Federation. Many people testified that extending the trapping season to March 15 would in fact kill pregnant female wolves. Republicans on the committee noted that wolves kill other pregnant animals like moose or elk, thus condemning natural survival to sweep away the point about humans killing pregnant wolves for recreation. Trapping is managed solely as recreation. When the discussion turned to the issue of grizzlies being caught in traps, several members smiled or looked at their cell phones. The issue of pets being killed by traps was countered by, how many pets are killed by wolves? (14 dogs have been killed by wolves in past 35 years according to Defenders of Wildlife.) Are your pets on leashes at all times? (Leashes are not required on public lands.) One important point brought up by a Zoom participant was the fact that Alaska is the gold standard for trapping, with signage and flags on traps. That testimony prompted Rep. Tom France (D) of Missoula to ask Fish, Wildlife and Parks to create a summary of what Alaska is doing for the committee to review. Historically, trappers have adamantly resisted signage or flagging because they themselves say trappers steal each other’s traps. Committee members questioned the issue of chronic wasting disease brought up by many of us. I handed out an article by Montana author Jim Robbins, Using Wolves as First Responders Against A Deadly Brain Disease. Rep. Hinkle said, “Well, it comes from the New York Times. Sooo….” Some committee members laughed, nodding their approval of ridiculing the source. They asked Quentin Kujala of Fish, Wildlife and Parks to come to their rescue. He made unsourced comments that gave Fielder room to question scientific data and keep his bill moving forward, based on cherry –picked information. Despite all the testimony from a broad cross-section of people, the majority of the committee appeared set on expanding wolf trapping, pushed hard by the Montana Trappers Association and Fielder, who seems obsessed with trapping and killing wolves; he has a dozen bills on the issue. Rep. Fielder and his wife Jennifer have not made friends across the spectrum in Helena. Many see them as part of the radical fringe. Senator Bob Brown (R) spoke to a few of us during the hearing. Sen. Brown had drafted a bill to allow the wolves to be classified as predators – LC 3112 – so they could be killed year round without a license. He said that the Governor had been feeling a lot of heat on this and asked him to table the bill. However, the bill draft is still ready for delivery. However, the bill to allow the killing of grizzlies by ranchers has been tabled, so our voices do have a real impact! Senator Brown also introduced a good bill designed to stop transportation of illegal taken wildlife with fines and loss of hunting/trapping license. On Tuesday, February 2, 3 p.m. the Fish and Wildlife Committee will hear Fielder’s HB 224 to allow snaring wolves. This disgraceful bill will result in not only unnecessary torture and killing of wolves, but also companion animals, non-target wildlife, and people will be at risk of being caught in snares. It is vital that you sign up to zoom testify before noon on Monday to the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee. Please sign up here. You can also send emails to the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee, and call 406-444-4800 to leave a message for committee members to oppose this bill. Also On Tuesday, February 2, 3 p.m., there will be a hearing in the Senate Fish and Game Committee on HB 163. This bill has passed the House. HB 163 expands the number of members of the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission from 5 to 7 members. Expanding the commission means a trapper will be appointed by the governor, a trapper. You can send emails to committee members (below) and call 406-444-4800. The more we speak, the less time Fielder and his cronies have to contest our voices. We will send an alert if more is planned for Thursday. Please take some time to send an email to the Governor to let him know you are not happy with Representative Fielder and his overwhelming number of bills to destroy wildlife in Montana, especially when we sorely need bills that restore wildlife and public lands, not bills that further degrade them. It’s worth noting Rep. Fielder also has bills asking for revisions of environmental protection laws (LC 1930-32), but we have not seen any drafts yet. Fielder must be called out! Talking Points:
Wildlife remains the spirit of the lands of Montana. Wildlife and wolves in particular are targets of trappers to appease misplaced fear and hatred. Trappers threaten and try to silence the voices of those who object to this destructive and cruel recreation. They are less than .5% of our state and we must continue to work trapping is restricted and we can enjoy our public lands without the threat of hidden, baited traps and snares. These are tough days in Helena, but our commitment now will open the door for a future of co-existence with wildlife and brighter days for the land we call home. Finally, I would ask you to consider a donation to help us in Helena and make sure your voice is amplified in this critical time! 01/26/21 Legislative Action Alert
Dear Friends, Please speak out against these bills! Write letters to the editor, call House Committee members and your representatives (info below), spread the word. Hearings will be scheduled shortly. Wolves need you now. Thank you for your help. Please Oppose HB 224 and HB 225 Montana House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee - Sponsor: Rep. Paul Fielder HB 224 Allows snaring of wolves and HB 225 will lengthen the wolf-trapping season by a month, with adjustments based on regional recommendations; Forbids Fish and Wildlife Commission to prohibit hunting or trapping of wolves adjacent to national parks unless quota met. Tell your story, use your words. Here are main points: HB 224 Allows snaring of wolves 1. HB 224 would exponentially increase the number of snares on Montana’s lands. Sold by the dozen, wolf snares cost less than $3.00 each. The bycatch will be horses, hunting hounds, working dogs, livestock, and wildlife, especially elk, deer and mountain lions. 2. If HB 224 passes, the state of Montana will be liable for human injury, injury and consequent death of horses, livestock, working dogs and hounds caused by wolf snares. 3. Public safety is at highly elevated risk with wolf snares. People already fear going on public lands because of traps and snares. Wolf snares threaten to kill companion animals and harm children, effectively privatizing our public lands for a fraction of a percent of the population. This hurts our economy and undermines our right to access our public lands without the threat of injury and death from snares. 4. Wolves are the best defense against highly contagious Chronic Wasting Disease. Wolves can smell CWD prions and take the sick animals, reducing the spread of this epidemic disease. Arguments that wolf scat can spread the disease are false: ungulates do not go near wolf scat. Extra hunts to reduce game populations are random and have no known effect on containing CWD. Wolves contain CWD. Exterminating wolves advances CWD. 5. The purpose of this bill is to eradicate the wolf population and turn Montana into a game farm for trophy hunters. Montana is revered for its diverse wildlife population, a source of important revenue from wildlife watching, the number one reason people visit our great state. A diversity of species helps a natural balance and keeps rodent populations in check. The wolf is a keystone species, essential for this balance. Killing off wolves allows rodent and coyote populations to multiply quickly. 6. Wolves are a minor player in the reduced elk population in the mountains of western Montana. Two recent deep snowfall winters and too many outfitters in the same drainages reduced the elk population. Hunters expect a convenience store, this is nature. The claim that wolves have driven elk down from the high country to private lands is a fairy tale. Wolves can’t maneuver in high country deep snow. Elk go to the haystacks on private land for food. The same claim was made in the Bitterroot, and a study revealed that mountain lions, not wolves, took more elk (still, less than 20). More importantly, the reduction in elk was due to 5 years of shoulder hunting seasons of elk to appease the ranchers who complained that elk were eating all their hay. 7. Ranchers know that healthy riparian zones mean healthy land and water for livestock and farming. Wolves restore riparian zones. Without them, erosion and grazing by cattle and game animals desiccate the landscape, resulting in less food, less water. PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU! HB 225 Lengthen wolf trapping season by a month, allowing for adjustments based on regional recommendations. Disallow closing of wolf hunting and trapping adjacent to national parks unless quota is met. 1. Wolf trapping season is already 2.5 months long, Dec.15 – Feb 28. HB 255 would make it 3.5 months, Nov. 26 – March 15. There is no reason given for this; it is simply to eradicate wolves for special interest groups: trappers, ranchers and trophy hunters. Wolves belong to everybody; laws should reflect this. 2. Allowing “adjustments based on regional recommendations” means anything goes, particularly advantageous to Region 1, where the Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials are outspoken about hating wolves and loving trapping. With this caveat, there is no limit on wolf trapping, it can be year round. This undermines any wildlife management. It is only about killing all the wolves, based on no proven reason. 3. Wolf traps are indiscriminate. They maim and kill many other species, particularly mountain lions, whose feet and toes are commonly found in wolf traps. There is no way to know how many mountain lions starve to death because of trap injuries. If wildlife management is mandated to err on the side of wildlife protection, how can wolf trapping and snaring be acceptable? 4. There were 109,500 elk in MT when wolves were reintroduced in 1995. Today there are more than 134,557 elk in MT, 25% over objective. Killing wolves for the sake of killing is unethical, destructive to conservation and unacceptable. 5. In areas adjacent to national parks, forbidding the Fish and Wildlife Commission to prohibit hunting or trapping of wolves, and prohibit closing wolf trapping and hunting areas is the Montana Trappers Association’s self-serving attempt to ban any reasonable protections for our wildlife. It’s a backlash against the Commission’s reduction of wolf trapping next to Yellowstone in 2020. Trappers ring Yellowstone and Glacier Parks with traps. Yellowstone wolves, famous the world over, should have a buffer zone by the boundary. HB 225 is akin to fishing in a barrel, except wolves are our keystone species who have revitalized Yellowstone Park, allowing the return of beavers, birds and healthy riparian areas for all wildlife. They can do the same for Montana if we have the sense and decency to let them. 6. All these wolf-killing bills, there are more to come, are about destruction of our wildlife. There is no respect for wolves’ critically important place in our natural world, no consideration for the majority of Montanans who embrace the return of wolves, no interest in reducing unnecessary suffering and death of our wildlife, and a complete disregard for Montana’s economy. 7. Talking points 4-7 for HB 224 above apply to HB 225, and all the wolf bills coming that have the same goals: eradicate wolves and take over Fish, Wildlife and Parks. These bills have not been scheduled for a hearing but that comes up fast. It is urgent to write letters to the editor now (please see attachment for contact info), and to contact members of the legislature. Your voice counts. Thank you for speaking out for Montana wolves and wildlife! How to contact your legislators: https://leg.mt.gov/legislator-lookup/ How to contact members of the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee: The most effective way to reach the committee is by calling several individual members or emailing them, and testifying in person or by phone at the hearing. 1. To call in to speak at the hearing: https://leg.mt.gov/public-testimony/. You must do this by noon the day before the hearing. 2. You can call and leave a message for a legislator or entire committee anytime: 406-444-4800. 3. Show up at the hearing. You can find out when and where here: http://laws.leg.mt.gov/legprd/law0203w$.startup?P_SESS=20211 TO SEND A DETAILED MESSAGE TO ENTIRE COMMITTEE • Go to leg.mt.gov • Scroll down and click on “Send A Web Message to a Legislator/Committee” • Fill out the form and click the committee button, then choose House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee |
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Montana House
FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS COMMITTEE 2021 Fitzgerald, Ross (R) – Chair 406-467-2032 Ross.fitzgerald@mtleg.gov Duram, Neil (R) ‑ Vice Chair 406-471-2356 Neil.duram@mtleg.gov Farris‑Olsen, Robert (D) ‑ Vice Chair 406-794-4780 Robformontana@gmail.com Berglee, Seth (R) 406-690-9329 Seth.berglee@mtleg.gov Fielder, Paul (R) 406-210-5943 Paulfielder@blackfoot.net France, Tom (D) 406-396-5085 Tom.france@mtleg.gov Hinkle, Jedediah (R) 406-585-0782 Jedediah.hinkle@mtleg.gov Knudsen, Rhonda (R) 406-489-5253 Rhonda.knudsen@mtleg.gov |
Loge, Denley (R)
406-649-2368 Denleylogehd14@gmail.com Marler, Marilyn (D) 406-544-7189 Marilyn.marler@mtleg.gov Mitchell, Braxton (R) 406-314-9474 braxtonmmitchell@gmail.com Novak, Sara (D) 406-691-0069 Novak4hd77@gmail.com Phalen, Bob (R) 406-939-1187 Bob.phalen@mtleg.gov Putnam, Brian (R) 406-233-9463 Brian.putnam@mtleg.gov Reksten, Linda (R) 406-471-8359 Reksten4mthouse@gmail.com Running Wolf, Tyson (D) 406-845-2115 trwolves@gmail.com Seekins‑Crowe, Kerri (R) 406-208-6587 Kerri4mt@gmail.com Weatherwax, Marvin (D) 406-338-7741 repmarvinwwaxjr@gmail.co |
01/24/21 Sunday Sermon
Where is the Love?
Stephen Capra
For the past few weeks our legislative session has been in motion. The pace began slowly, but now it is catching steam. Spending time at the legislature is both important and incredibly depressing. Paul Fielder is our version of the grim reaper, man dedicated to destroying wildlife in Montana. What is striking is the love affair many have with this man.
In committee meetings Representative Jedediah Hinkle, a taxidermist by trade, played the role of bootlicker, in a much orchestrated hearing, Rep. Hinkle was always there to ask the pre-planned soft ball questions designed to fortify Fielders positions.
Testimony on both the expansion of the Game Commission and snaring and trapping on private lands raised serious questions, but Democrats choose to not raise any questions of substance, instead after a few statements on the expansion of the Commission, said they supported the action and thanked Fielder. Then the vote out of committee was unanimous.
What is so striking in these meetings is no one is willing to speak of wildlife in any other form then a commodity. Dogs are simply animals that should avoid traps. Wildlife is something that trappers are saving the state millions of dollars by trapping them. “Trapping is a real science” declares Fielder and everyone seems to think that statement should go unchallenged. No legislature dares to say that animals of sentient beings, with emotions, feelings and an acute ability to feel pain. No one will say trapping is sadistic and outdated; rather they fall in line to a man without mercy.
This man continues his personal war on wildlife and republicans continue to genuflect before him. The Governor remains committed to this wolf and grizzly killing spree that is being given the stamp of state government approval, yet there is no dissension to be heard except from all of us, the non-political entities.
Where is the love of all species? Where the concern for our family pets? As more traps are going to be laid. Where are the adults in the room when imperiled species, that simply want a chance to co-exist, are being legally set for torture and violence to appease livestock and the radical rights obsession with controlling nature?
No the expansion of the Commission will now have three members from Western Montana, the very heart of trappers power base. The bills are now being pumped out and the stage is being set for the transfer of sanity into the hands of those like Fielder that live to trap and do so with arrogance and power.
So where do we go in this sad chapter of legalized cruelty? The overreach is clear and focused. Democrats for their part should begin to object to some of these bills loudly and with courage. Their voice will be a marker for future efforts to remove these bills.
As the bills come before the full house and senate we need to push lawmakers to reject them despite the odds. They are hearing from us and made that clear at committee meetings. Keep up the heat.
We will need to work with federal authorities to push back on some of the most egregious efforts. That means endangered protections for wolves and a clear line to protect grizzlies.
With Joe Biden’s daughter being very active on animal rights and protections we now have a friend in the White House. But most important is to educate the urban population of our state. To get them to see what is happening with less than 1 % of our state now will control the fate of our public lands, wildlife and our freedom.
Finally, we will marshal our efforts at the right time to end trapping in Montana once and for all, Rep. Fielder is enjoying his moment, but like many things in politics it is fading. His blatant overplay will be our rallying call to the public and to those that understand the value of wildlife alive and thriving.
Those who live to hear the cry of the wolf and seek out a grizzly in the wild, not to kill, but to feel the connection when just people and wildlife come together and share the greatness of connection and the beauty of the love that comes from respect and a place of harmony.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
Where is the Love?
Stephen Capra
For the past few weeks our legislative session has been in motion. The pace began slowly, but now it is catching steam. Spending time at the legislature is both important and incredibly depressing. Paul Fielder is our version of the grim reaper, man dedicated to destroying wildlife in Montana. What is striking is the love affair many have with this man.
In committee meetings Representative Jedediah Hinkle, a taxidermist by trade, played the role of bootlicker, in a much orchestrated hearing, Rep. Hinkle was always there to ask the pre-planned soft ball questions designed to fortify Fielders positions.
Testimony on both the expansion of the Game Commission and snaring and trapping on private lands raised serious questions, but Democrats choose to not raise any questions of substance, instead after a few statements on the expansion of the Commission, said they supported the action and thanked Fielder. Then the vote out of committee was unanimous.
What is so striking in these meetings is no one is willing to speak of wildlife in any other form then a commodity. Dogs are simply animals that should avoid traps. Wildlife is something that trappers are saving the state millions of dollars by trapping them. “Trapping is a real science” declares Fielder and everyone seems to think that statement should go unchallenged. No legislature dares to say that animals of sentient beings, with emotions, feelings and an acute ability to feel pain. No one will say trapping is sadistic and outdated; rather they fall in line to a man without mercy.
This man continues his personal war on wildlife and republicans continue to genuflect before him. The Governor remains committed to this wolf and grizzly killing spree that is being given the stamp of state government approval, yet there is no dissension to be heard except from all of us, the non-political entities.
Where is the love of all species? Where the concern for our family pets? As more traps are going to be laid. Where are the adults in the room when imperiled species, that simply want a chance to co-exist, are being legally set for torture and violence to appease livestock and the radical rights obsession with controlling nature?
No the expansion of the Commission will now have three members from Western Montana, the very heart of trappers power base. The bills are now being pumped out and the stage is being set for the transfer of sanity into the hands of those like Fielder that live to trap and do so with arrogance and power.
So where do we go in this sad chapter of legalized cruelty? The overreach is clear and focused. Democrats for their part should begin to object to some of these bills loudly and with courage. Their voice will be a marker for future efforts to remove these bills.
As the bills come before the full house and senate we need to push lawmakers to reject them despite the odds. They are hearing from us and made that clear at committee meetings. Keep up the heat.
We will need to work with federal authorities to push back on some of the most egregious efforts. That means endangered protections for wolves and a clear line to protect grizzlies.
With Joe Biden’s daughter being very active on animal rights and protections we now have a friend in the White House. But most important is to educate the urban population of our state. To get them to see what is happening with less than 1 % of our state now will control the fate of our public lands, wildlife and our freedom.
Finally, we will marshal our efforts at the right time to end trapping in Montana once and for all, Rep. Fielder is enjoying his moment, but like many things in politics it is fading. His blatant overplay will be our rallying call to the public and to those that understand the value of wildlife alive and thriving.
Those who live to hear the cry of the wolf and seek out a grizzly in the wild, not to kill, but to feel the connection when just people and wildlife come together and share the greatness of connection and the beauty of the love that comes from respect and a place of harmony.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
01/17/21 Sunday Sermon
Three White Men
Stephen Capra & Connie Poten
As the legislature gets going, it’s worth noting the pace and number of bills moving forward. The super spreader is Rep. Paul Fielder with 41 bills, many aimed at destroying wolves in the wild, torturing black bears with hounds, expanding trapping and weakening environmental protection laws.
On the Senate side, his partner in crime Sen. Bob Brown launched his wolf extermination plan by introducing a bounty on wolves and reclassifying wolves as predators so they can be hunted and trapped year-round without license or reporting necessary.
These two virulent men see publicly owned wildlife as targets for destroying. They see laws and regulations as inconveniences, like the masks they refuse to wear during a pandemic that has killed 2 million people worldwide.
The third white man in this triumvirate is of course Gov. Gianforte, a trapper who enjoys shooting endangered prairie dogs with Donald Trump Jr. These three amigos are a serious threat to wildlife.
The bills we are facing span the range of cruelty and violence against wildlife. From Senate Bill 98 that will allow landowners to kill grizzly bears to snaring wolves and wolf hunting at night to expanding the Game Commission to seven members, which would put Thompson Falls—where Fielder and Brown live—in Region 1, famous for hating wolves and loving trapping. This latest effort, which will have a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 19, 3 pm, is also geared to getting trappers on the commission (details above).
Meanwhile, among the three new members Gianforte has nominated to the current Fish and Game Commission is Brian Cebull, a natural Gianforte choice. Cebull is a director of the Montana chapter of Safari Club International, a powerful trophy hunting organization that supports trapping. Owner of the 20,000-acre Grove Creek Ranch, Cebull is president of GTUIT, and Nance resources, both private oil and gas exploration and production companies. He is a board member and former president of the Montana Petroleum Association which is fighting listing the wolverine as endangered.
Cebull will need senate confirmation. We will keep you posted – it’s important to speak out against this nomination. We must push for conservation-focused members to be on the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
Three White Men
Stephen Capra & Connie Poten
As the legislature gets going, it’s worth noting the pace and number of bills moving forward. The super spreader is Rep. Paul Fielder with 41 bills, many aimed at destroying wolves in the wild, torturing black bears with hounds, expanding trapping and weakening environmental protection laws.
On the Senate side, his partner in crime Sen. Bob Brown launched his wolf extermination plan by introducing a bounty on wolves and reclassifying wolves as predators so they can be hunted and trapped year-round without license or reporting necessary.
These two virulent men see publicly owned wildlife as targets for destroying. They see laws and regulations as inconveniences, like the masks they refuse to wear during a pandemic that has killed 2 million people worldwide.
The third white man in this triumvirate is of course Gov. Gianforte, a trapper who enjoys shooting endangered prairie dogs with Donald Trump Jr. These three amigos are a serious threat to wildlife.
The bills we are facing span the range of cruelty and violence against wildlife. From Senate Bill 98 that will allow landowners to kill grizzly bears to snaring wolves and wolf hunting at night to expanding the Game Commission to seven members, which would put Thompson Falls—where Fielder and Brown live—in Region 1, famous for hating wolves and loving trapping. This latest effort, which will have a hearing Tuesday, Jan. 19, 3 pm, is also geared to getting trappers on the commission (details above).
Meanwhile, among the three new members Gianforte has nominated to the current Fish and Game Commission is Brian Cebull, a natural Gianforte choice. Cebull is a director of the Montana chapter of Safari Club International, a powerful trophy hunting organization that supports trapping. Owner of the 20,000-acre Grove Creek Ranch, Cebull is president of GTUIT, and Nance resources, both private oil and gas exploration and production companies. He is a board member and former president of the Montana Petroleum Association which is fighting listing the wolverine as endangered.
Cebull will need senate confirmation. We will keep you posted – it’s important to speak out against this nomination. We must push for conservation-focused members to be on the Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
01/10/21 Sunday Sermon
The Session has Begun
Stephen Capra
We now have a new governor and a legislature gearing up to exploit wildlife and the environment precious to us all. With a number of conservation organizations helping, Footloose Montana is concentrating on bills affecting trapping, wildlife and changes to Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Below is the first trapping bill, still in draft form (LC), to go before the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.
Rep. Paul Fielder, R, an official of the Montana Trappers Association, led the fight against 1-177, our 2016 initiative to ban trapping on public lands. He is pushing a fistful of bills to exterminate wolves and expand trapping.
He just introduced bill draft LC 1906: “An Act revising what constitutes Trapping or Snaring Offense; Revising Tagging requirements; and Amending Section 87-6-601. You can see the bill’s suggested changes to existing law here: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billhtml/HB0138.htm
In essence, the bill makes it easier to trap on private property, and harder to identify the trapper. The bill also makes a conservation license optional. A Conservation License is a prerequisite for all resident and nonresident licenses to hunt, trap and fish, costing only $8. A conservation license has an I.D. number for Fish, Wildlife and Parks to find the user.
This is designed to keep trappers free of liability and culpability, with access to lands they have no right to be on.
Please take time to write your opposition to LC 1906 to legislators on the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee, especially any who may represent your district. Contact info below.
Talking points:
Many disturbing bills are coming up, from wolf snaring, to night hunting and a bounty on wolves to allowing hound hunting of bears, which would allow the deadly chases that destroy bears in Wisconsin on a regular basis. This bill is a disgrace and will open the door to further savagery of wildlife in our state.
We are watching these bills and working with many conservation groups to spotlight the issue. We will keep you posted. Your voice is needed like few times before.
During this session we will ask you to contact representatives on specific bills. But before many of these bills come up for vote, we need you engaged with the members of the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife and Parks by writing them your opposition to expanding trapping and wolf slaughter, and to hound hunting of bears.
This Legislative session poses great risk to wildlife and to our connection to wildlife now, in an extinction crisis. Many legislators on the Republican side dismiss the acceleration of climate change and even Covid. We thank you for your work. It will take all of us to protect the precious wildlife that is Montana’s true legacy and belongs to us all.
I will be going over to the legislature on Tuesday of this week to meet with representatives and let them know where we stand on these important issues.
Lets get to work. Thank you!
Talking Points on Wolves and this Legislative Session
The incoming legislature and the new Governor are out to slaughter wolves and bears, as well as expand trapping and limit the powers of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. This is a blatant attempt to turn Montana into a for-profit trophy game farm and appease ranchers.
Writing any letter is personal, any story you can tell is powerful. Wolves were released in Montana starting in 1995 in Yellowstone. We cannot allow a few elected officials with personal records of trapping and anti-predator records dictate a radical anti-wolf agenda.
KEY POINTS to oppose expanded killing of wolves
• Wolves revitalize landscapes, recovering areas from overgrazing and allowing wildlife to return, including beavers who create wetlands that nurture all species, from fish to game to birds. Wolves keep populations of rodents and coyotes in check. Wolves are vital to the health of our public lands.
• Chronic wasting disease is spreading; wolves are our best defense against it by taking out the weak and sick. Wolves can smell CWD prions and go after infected deer, elk and moose. Hunting is random and ineffective.
• There were 109,500 elk in MT when wolves were reintroduced in 1995. Today there are more than 134,557 elk in MT, 25% over objective. Killing wildlife for the sake of killing is unacceptable.
• These wolf-killing proposals ignore the economic power of wolves on the land. Wildlife tourism and recreation are Montana’s tops revenue producers; they are vital to Montana’s economic sustainability.
• Several of these proposals endanger public safety. Public lands belong to everyone. People should not be locked out by the threat of more wolf traps on the ground, hidden wolf super snares and the danger of night hunting.
• I am a recreational user and I want to see wolves and a diversity of wildlife on my public lands.
• These proposals are not based in science, but rather the political influence of special interests. They are the mismanagement of wildlife, which belongs to us all.
• These proposals disregard the health of ecosystems and wildlife habitat. Instead, the purpose is to turn Montana into a for-profit game farm for the trophy hunting industry as well as making a feed lot of our public lands for livestock producers at giveaway prices, no matter what the destruction this causes to the environment.
• At a critical time, when many species face multiple threats to their survival, from climate change to habitat destruction and human pressure, we should be doing all we can to protect keystone species like wolves for the health and welfare of our land and water.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
The Session has Begun
Stephen Capra
We now have a new governor and a legislature gearing up to exploit wildlife and the environment precious to us all. With a number of conservation organizations helping, Footloose Montana is concentrating on bills affecting trapping, wildlife and changes to Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Below is the first trapping bill, still in draft form (LC), to go before the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee.
Rep. Paul Fielder, R, an official of the Montana Trappers Association, led the fight against 1-177, our 2016 initiative to ban trapping on public lands. He is pushing a fistful of bills to exterminate wolves and expand trapping.
He just introduced bill draft LC 1906: “An Act revising what constitutes Trapping or Snaring Offense; Revising Tagging requirements; and Amending Section 87-6-601. You can see the bill’s suggested changes to existing law here: https://leg.mt.gov/bills/2021/billhtml/HB0138.htm
In essence, the bill makes it easier to trap on private property, and harder to identify the trapper. The bill also makes a conservation license optional. A Conservation License is a prerequisite for all resident and nonresident licenses to hunt, trap and fish, costing only $8. A conservation license has an I.D. number for Fish, Wildlife and Parks to find the user.
- Fielder wants to eliminate a conservation license for trappers on private lands. He also wants to remove the trapper’s phone number from required I.D. information, so someone finding the trap cannot quickly call the trapper if livestock has been trapped.
- LC 1906 also removes the need for “written permission to trap” and replaces it with simply “permission”. On a large ranch a trapper can simply say he spoke to ‘someone’ who gave him permission. No proof necessary.
This is designed to keep trappers free of liability and culpability, with access to lands they have no right to be on.
Please take time to write your opposition to LC 1906 to legislators on the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee, especially any who may represent your district. Contact info below.
Talking points:
- This bill undermines private property rights by removing the requirement for written permission to trap on private land. Written permission is easy—it can be a text.
- This bill undermines state law regulating trapping by removing the conservation license requirement.
- This bill is designed to cover illegal trapping on private property.
- This bill protects trappers from paying for destroying livestock and property.
Many disturbing bills are coming up, from wolf snaring, to night hunting and a bounty on wolves to allowing hound hunting of bears, which would allow the deadly chases that destroy bears in Wisconsin on a regular basis. This bill is a disgrace and will open the door to further savagery of wildlife in our state.
We are watching these bills and working with many conservation groups to spotlight the issue. We will keep you posted. Your voice is needed like few times before.
During this session we will ask you to contact representatives on specific bills. But before many of these bills come up for vote, we need you engaged with the members of the House Committee on Fish, Wildlife and Parks by writing them your opposition to expanding trapping and wolf slaughter, and to hound hunting of bears.
This Legislative session poses great risk to wildlife and to our connection to wildlife now, in an extinction crisis. Many legislators on the Republican side dismiss the acceleration of climate change and even Covid. We thank you for your work. It will take all of us to protect the precious wildlife that is Montana’s true legacy and belongs to us all.
I will be going over to the legislature on Tuesday of this week to meet with representatives and let them know where we stand on these important issues.
Lets get to work. Thank you!
Talking Points on Wolves and this Legislative Session
The incoming legislature and the new Governor are out to slaughter wolves and bears, as well as expand trapping and limit the powers of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. This is a blatant attempt to turn Montana into a for-profit trophy game farm and appease ranchers.
Writing any letter is personal, any story you can tell is powerful. Wolves were released in Montana starting in 1995 in Yellowstone. We cannot allow a few elected officials with personal records of trapping and anti-predator records dictate a radical anti-wolf agenda.
KEY POINTS to oppose expanded killing of wolves
• Wolves revitalize landscapes, recovering areas from overgrazing and allowing wildlife to return, including beavers who create wetlands that nurture all species, from fish to game to birds. Wolves keep populations of rodents and coyotes in check. Wolves are vital to the health of our public lands.
• Chronic wasting disease is spreading; wolves are our best defense against it by taking out the weak and sick. Wolves can smell CWD prions and go after infected deer, elk and moose. Hunting is random and ineffective.
• There were 109,500 elk in MT when wolves were reintroduced in 1995. Today there are more than 134,557 elk in MT, 25% over objective. Killing wildlife for the sake of killing is unacceptable.
• These wolf-killing proposals ignore the economic power of wolves on the land. Wildlife tourism and recreation are Montana’s tops revenue producers; they are vital to Montana’s economic sustainability.
• Several of these proposals endanger public safety. Public lands belong to everyone. People should not be locked out by the threat of more wolf traps on the ground, hidden wolf super snares and the danger of night hunting.
• I am a recreational user and I want to see wolves and a diversity of wildlife on my public lands.
• These proposals are not based in science, but rather the political influence of special interests. They are the mismanagement of wildlife, which belongs to us all.
• These proposals disregard the health of ecosystems and wildlife habitat. Instead, the purpose is to turn Montana into a for-profit game farm for the trophy hunting industry as well as making a feed lot of our public lands for livestock producers at giveaway prices, no matter what the destruction this causes to the environment.
• At a critical time, when many species face multiple threats to their survival, from climate change to habitat destruction and human pressure, we should be doing all we can to protect keystone species like wolves for the health and welfare of our land and water.
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO HELP OFFSET THE COSTS RELATED TO LOBBYING IN THE CAPITOL. THANK YOU!
