Helena Hunters and Anglers Association

Elk Refuge disease discovery calls for talk of reducing nation’s largest herd The discovery of chronic wasting disease on the National Elk Refuge adds urgency to a 2021 plan to reexamine the size of the 11,000-strong Jackson Elk Herd, the nation’s largest migratory herd.

FWP overhauls warden division after poor audits After almost a decade of internal unrest, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is reorganizing the wardens’ division to address employee issues of trust and morale.

Lawsuit aims to 'cement legality' of corner-crossing in Montana A group of conservation advocacy organizations are suing the State of Montana to “cement the legality of corner crossing” in Montana.

PLWA & BHA File Legal Complaint Against MT FWP
After generations of legal grayness, PLWA and Backcountry Hunters &
Anglers (BHA) have joined forces to seek clarity through Montana courts. Together, on behalf of our collective memberships, and for all Montanans, we filed a lawsuit challenging MT FWP’s new agency guidance to seek confirmation that corner crossing in Montana is lawful.
https://static1.squarespace.com/static/6002236795a3752c3a5420f6/t/6a0deaf33226e44c4dffcedb/1779297011183/Important+Update+Corner+Crossing.pdf

FWP Seeks citizen input on Corner Crossing. "The June 1 and June 2 PL/PW meeting will be held at the FWP Region 6 office in Glasgow and virtually through Zoom. The meeting will run from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. on June 1 and 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on June 2."

Montana FWP seeks citizen input on 'corner crossing' The topic of corner crossing has been a hotly discussed issue in Big Sky Country in recent months. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is hoping to get more citizen input on the topic to find solutions.

On BLM Land, Sacred Cows Given Precedence Over America's National Land Mammal - Yellowstonian American Prairie has seven leases yanked where it was allowed to graze bison on public land. A free-market economist, who sides with prairie restoration, says BLM made a bad move. Read our interview with Holly Fretwell

Utah’s new study aims to kill ‘as many cougars as possible’ - High Country News Critics say the state's attempt to boost ungulate populations lacks scientific grounding and transparency.

THIS IS IMPORTANT: "In testimony before the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, Trout Unlimited President and CEO Chris Wood opposed H.R. 7695, a bill that would nullify the 2001 Roadless Rule nationwide and prevent similar rules from being created and administered in the future."

Chris Wood Cautions Congress: Eliminating The Roadless Rule Would Upend 25 Years Of Balanced Public Land Management - Trout Unlimited “The Roadless Rule strikes a common-sense balance: the rule allows forest health projects and

I’ve been reliably informed that Montana’s governor and lieutenant governor have both seen my posts, so I just wanted to say hi. And since you’re apparently reading, here’s an open invitation. Come do a public interview with me and explain why I’m wrong on corner crossing. Explain why the average Montana hunter should not be able to step from public land to public land without touching private property. Explain who you think public land actually belongs to. Unless, of course, it is easier to hide from this issue, hope it goes away, and avoid answering tough questions from regular hunters who are tired of watching public land become private playgrounds for the well-connected outfitters and landowners. I understand. Politicians usually prefer controlled rooms, softball questions, and friendly audiences. Maybe Montana’s governor is different. Maybe he has a backbone. I guess we’ll find out.

But this issue is not just me making noise on Facebook. Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the Public Land & Water Access Association have filed a lawsuit in Montana to try to cement the legality of corner crossing and open access to roughly 871,000 acres of corner-locked public land in that state. onX deserves a ton of credit too, because they put real mapping and real money behind this fight and showed there are 8.3 million acres of corner-locked public land across the West, blocked by more than 27,000 land-locking corners. This is not about stealing private land. This is about stealing public land, and whether it only belongs to people with the money, lawyers, outfitters, and political connections to the governor to keep everybody else out. So Governor, Lieutenant Governor, the invitation is open. Come explain your position to regular hunters in public. They vote!

— Stephen Ziegler
Outdoor writer | Owner, DeLong Lures

Survey: Montanans increasingly concerned over public land access, sales • Daily Montanan Survey shows concerns over funding and cuts for public lands, negative impressions of data centers, desire for preserving public lands