Is MOGA a front group for oil, gas, and anti public land groups?

[Schaaf]

Montana Outfitters and Guides Association recently finished their 4th Annual Property Rights Conference.

They trotted out the likes of Will Coggin, from Richard Berman's Dark Money group Green Decoys. They also featured Kristen Juras, former candidate for Montana Supreme Court that famously wrote an opinion against Montana's Stream Access Law, as well as featuring Brian Yablonski, Executive Director for PERC.

That's quite the star studded cast.

Maybe someone on here can enlighten us on the reasoning behind bringing this group in, or even why MOGA hosts a property rights conference in the first place.

 

[NoWiser]

Did they also not try to prevent Randy (among the most vocal public land supporters) from becoming a board member for RMEF?

It definitely seems sketchy to me.

 

[MThuntr]

UPOM is probably on that same list

 

[Nameless Range]

I don't know if they are a front group for Oil and Gas, but they are no friend of the public land hunter, and thus are bad for hunting.

 

[scubohuntr]

Given the choice, how many guides and outfitters would work on public land? Of COURSE they will have anti-access buddies. Every time we lose access to public land, they gain clients. They have property rights conferences to support Ted Turner, Wilks Brothers, and the like. The ones who own the transfer politicians. Notice it's not called a "Public property rights conference". This sort of thing is why it gets so difficult to tell who our friends are. I'm sure those guys are staunch supporters of hunting, but they would purely love to see all public land go private, because then the only people who could hunt it would be their clients. It's very shortsighted of them, but that's human nature.

 

[JLS]

Did they also not try to prevent Randy (among the most vocal public land supporters) from becoming a board member for RMEF?

It definitely seems sketchy to me.

Pretty sure that was some folks from the Wyoming OGA.

 

[Topgun 30-06]

Excellent post scubohuntr!!! I believe JLS is correct on it being Sy and his Wyoming buddies in WYOGA that were vocal against Randy, but not 100% positive.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Their new lobbyist is the same guy who fought against the game farm ban.

Looks like 2019 is gonna be sporty in the Legislature!

 

[Straight Arrow]

UPOM is probably on that same list

UPOM (United Property Owners of Montana) may have put the agenda together and hosted the event from the sounds of it.

MOGA appears to have gone off the deep end!

 

[Eric Albus]

MOGA is most certainly not a front for oil and gas production. MOGA is certainly pro-property rights, as most of the membership is landowning outfitters. MOGA is also certainly pro-public lands and pro-public access, as there are a good number of public land only outfitters on the MOGA membership list as well.

MOGA is a business organization, pure and simple. We are not a save the trees, hug the bunnies, pat each other on the ass, feel good bunch. We believe in providing a good and quality service for clients served and seeing the tradition of outfitting in Montana continue(on private lands as well as public).

UPOM did put the meeting together as I understood it.

 

[Straight Arrow]

MOGA is also certainly pro-public lands and pro-public access ....

MOGA is a business organization, pure and simple.

The array of presenters with a distinct political bent and ideological persuasion reflects a completely different picture.

Eric , I believe you to be pure and honest, not simple. I think you are fortunately able to see MOGA for what you wish it to be. Others have a different perspective, a perspective too often validated by actions and rhetoric of MOGA leadership.

 

[Eric Albus]

Straight..... MOGA has a job, and that job is to keep the outfitting industry viable in Montana. We are pro-public lands and access.

 

[Schaaf]

Does UPOM share MOGA’s belief in being pro public land and access?

 

[mtmiller]

...............

 

[Eric Albus]

I don't know for sure what UPOM's stance is, but I would be surprised if they were against public access where legal.