Lets support the montana trappers by contacting legislators and supporting a bill to keep TRAPPING
Please email the legislators below in support of this bill
Denise.Baum@legmt.gov
x DEMING LEE R HD 55 522 FAIRWAY VIEW DR LAUREL MT 59044-9718 Lee.Deming@legmt.gov
x DURAM NEIL R HD 2 PO BOX 1226 EUREKA MT 59917-1226 Neil.Duram@legmt.gov
x FIELDER PAUL R HD 13 PO BOX 2558
THOMPSON FALLS
MT 59873-2558 Paul.Fielder@legmt.gov
x FITZGERALD ROSS R HD 17 PO BOX 207 POWER MT 59468-0207 Ross.Fitzgerald@legmt.gov
x FLAMENT DOUG R HD 29 PO BOX 1082 LEWISTOWN MT 59457-1082 Doug.Flament@legmt.gov
x FRANCE TOM D HD 94 5900 THORNBIRD LN MISSOULA MT 59808-9010 Thomas.France@legmt.gov
x HINKLE JEDEDIAH R HD 67 1700 DRUMMOND BLVD BELGRADE MT 59714-3564 Jedediah.Hinkle@legmt.gov
x KARLEN JONATHAN D HD 96 PO BOX 2960 MISSOULA MT 59806-2960 Jonathan.Karlen@legmt.gov
x LER BRANDON R HD 35 11313 COUNTY RD 338 SAVAGE MT 59262-9460 Brandon.Ler@legmt.gov
x LOGE DENLEY R HD 14 1296 4 MILE RD ST REGIS MT 59866-9610 Denley.Loge@legmt.gov
x MARLER MARILYN D HD 90 1750 S 8TH ST W MISSOULA MT 59801 Marilyn.Marler@legmt.gov
x MATTHEWS ERIC D HD 66 MT Eric.Matthews@legmt.gov
x MINER RUSS R HD 19 1350 55TH AVE S
GREAT FALLS
MT 59405-8268 Russel.Miner@legmt.gov
x PARRY GARY R HD 39 PO BOX 455 COLSTRIP MT 59323-0455 Gary.Parry@legmt.gov
x PHALEN BOB R HD 36 444 RD 222 LINDSAY MT 59339-9505 Bobby.Phalen@legmt.gov
x RUNNING WOLF TYSON D HD 16 PO BOX 377 BROWNING MT 59417-0377 Tyson.RunningWolf@legmt.gov
x SMITH TANNER R HD 11 PO BOX 921 LAKESIDE MT 59922-0921 Tanner.Smith@legmt.gov
x VINTON SUE R HD 56 PO BOX 236 BILLINGS MT 59103-0236 Sue.Vinton@legmt.gov
LastName FirstName
PartyAbbrev
Districts Addr_Ln_1 City
StateProvince
PostalCode EMAIL
BROCKMAN TONY R HD 9 PO BOX 10016 KALISPELL MT 59904-3016 Tony.Brockman@legmt.gov
BROWN BOB R SD 7
309 LITTLE BEAVER CREEK RD
TROUT CREEK
MT 59874-9604 Bob.Brown@legmt.gov
CURDY WILLIS D SD 49 11280 KONA RANCH RD MISSOULA MT 59804-9790 Willis.Curdy@legmt.gov
ELLSWORTH JASON R SD 43 1073 GOLF COURSE RD HAMILTON MT 59840-9230 Jason.Ellsworth@legmt.gov
EMRICH DANIEL R SD 11 2112 6TH AVE N
GREAT FALLS
MT 59401-1802 Daniel.Emrich@legmt.gov
FLOWERS PAT D SD 32 11832 GEE NORMAN RD BELGRADE MT 59714-8416 Pat.Flowers@legmt.gov
FOX MIKE D SD 16 PO BOX 442 HAYS MT 59527-0442 Michael.Fox@legmt.gov
FULLER JOHN R SD 4 PO BOX 7002 KALISPELL MT 59904-7002 John.Fuller@legmt.gov
HERTZ GREG R SD 6 PO BOX 1747 POLSON MT 59860-1747 Greg.Hertz@legmt.gov
HINEBAUCH STEVE R SD 18 610 RD 118 WIBAUX MT 59353-9058 Steve.Hinebauch@legmt.gov
MCCLAFFERTY EDIE D SD 38 1311 STUART BUTTE MT 59701-5014 Edie.McClafferty@legmt.gov
NOLAND MARK R SD 5 PO BOX 1852 BIGFORK MT 59911-1852 Mark.Noland@legmt.gov
VERMEIRE TERRY R SD 39 1217 W 4TH ST ANACONDA MT 59711-1807 Terry.Vermeire@legmt.gov
From montana trappers association
Montana Residents
*******HB372*******
Contact your House representatives and ask them to support it.
Don’t buy into the lies from the Antis that this is a trapping bill. Hunting, fishing, and trapping are all currently protected under the Montana constitution. Means and methods, however, are not. The MTA supports all consumptive user groups, therefore we’re behind this bill 100%.
Love to run lions with hounds? That could be at risk. As long as lions can still be hunted an attempt to remove hounds from the equation is possible.
Love Archery hunting? A lot of Animal rights groups don’t.
Love catch and release fishing? Yep, that could be a thing of the past too.
Although trapping is protected under the constitution an initiative made it to the ballot in 2016 attempting to remove it from public lands.
This bill eliminates the risk of us losing one single ounce of what Montana’s love.
PLEASE look up your representatives and let them know how you feel. the link to do so is in the pinned post on my personal page. Reach on posts with links in them is terrible, so I won’t put it in this post.
Let me know if you have any questions. I’ll personally send you the link to look up your representatives if you’d like.
The bill
INTRODUCED BY _________________________________________________ (Primary Sponsor)
A BILL FOR AN ACT ENTITLED: “AN ACT SUBMITTING TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF MONTANA AN AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE IX, SECTION 7, OF THE MONTANA CONSTITUTION ESTABLISHING THE RIGHTS OF MONTANA CITIZENS TO HUNT, FISH, TRAP, AND HARVEST WILD FISH AND WILDLIFE; ESTABLISHING THAT HUNTING, FISHING, AND TRAPPING IS THE PREFERRED MANNER OF MANAGING WILD FISH AND WILDLIFE; ALLOWING FOR NECESSARY MANAGEMENT STATUTES AND REGULATIONS; MAINTAINING THAT THIS RIGHT DOES NOT CREATE A RIGHT TO TRESPASS ON PRIVATE PROPERTY OR DIMINISH OTHER PRIVATE RIGHTS; AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.”
WHEREAS, hunting, fishing, and trapping are a valued part of Montana's harvest heritage; and
WHEREAS, the people of Montana find it necessary to enact this amendment to the Montana Constitution solely to protect hunting, fishing, and trapping from undue bans or restrictions; and
WHEREAS, contemporary hunting, fishing, and trapping practices play a crucial, cost-effective role in sound wildlife management and conservation; and
WHEREAS, hunting, fishing, and trapping provide subsistence, life skills, health, and self-reliance central to the well-being of thousands of Montanans; and
WHEREAS, hunting, fishing, and trapping aid significantly in controlling wildlife populations, reducing wildlife-related conflicts, and preventing harm caused by wildlife to persons, property, crops, and livestock; and
WHEREAS, conservation fees paid by hunters, anglers, and trappers support wildlife management, conservation, and enforcement programs that are beneficial to all wildlife species in Montana; and
WHEREAS, in addition to all of the above, hunting, fishing, and trapping provide meaningful outdoor recreation opportunities that connect people to the environment unlike any other activity; and
WHEREAS, this amendment to the Montana Constitution is intended to confirm all vested private property rights and in no way creates a public right of trespass on private property for hunting, fishing, trapping, or the harvest of wild fish and wildlife; and
WHEREAS, this amendment to the Montana Constitution is intended to preserve current means and
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Unofficial Draft Copy
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Legislature 2023 LC 3404
methods of hunting, fishing, and trapping and allows for necessary management laws and regulations; and WHEREAS, this amendment to the Montana Constitution is not intended to provide a right to impede or
supersede other uses of land or water, such as farming, ranching, logging, irrigation, public works, or development; and
WHEREAS, this amendment to the Montana Constitution is not intended to require the state to offer the same rights and licensing structure to nonresidents as it does to residents; and
WHEREAS, this amendment to the Montana Constitution is not intended to delay or thwart existing wildlife control measures, such as those employed by game wardens and wildlife services to immediately or effectively protect persons or property from harm caused by wildlife.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MONTANA:
Section 1. Article IX, section 7, of The Constitution of the State of Montana is amended to read:
"Section 7. Preservation of harvest heritage. The opportunity to harvest wild fish and wild game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state and does not create a right to trespass on private property or diminution of other private rights The citizens of Montana have the right to hunt, fish, trap, and harvest wild fish and wildlife, including the right to use current means and methods, which does not create or imply any right of public trespass on private property or diminish in any way vested private property rights. The state shall give preference to hunting, fishing, and trapping by citizens as the primary but not exclusive means of the state's management of wild fish and wildlife populations for the benefit of all Montanans. This right is subject to the necessary management statutes enacted by the legislature and regulatory authority delegated by the legislature to a designated public agency or commission."
NEW SECTION. Section 2. Two-thirds vote required. Because [section 1] is a legislative proposal to amend the constitution, Article XIV, section 8, of the Montana constitution requires an affirmative roll call vote of two-thirds of all the members of the legislature, whether one or more bodies, for passage.
NEW SECTION. Section 3. Effective Date. [This act] is effective on approval by the electorate.
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Unofficial Draft Copy
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Legislature 2023 LC 3404
NEW SECTION. Section 4. Submission to electorate. [This act] shall be submitted to the qualified electors of Montana at the general election to be held in November 2024 by printing on the ballot the full title of [this act] and the following:
[] []
YES on Constitutional Amendment ____. NO on Constitutional Amendment ____.
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