Outstanding Opinion Piece by MT WSF Pres.

[BigHornRam]

http://www.bitterrootstar.com/2016/04/12/domestic-and-wild-sheep-both-important-to-state/

Great example of why I'm proud to be a member.

 

[Oak]

I saw that a couple of days ago. Good for them for sitting down at the table together. It is long overdue.

I think the following quote ignores the fact that domestic sheep producers would not be "at the table" now if not for lawsuits in the past. Just my personal opinion.

Both the MWGA and MTWSF are troubled by the growing trend of environmental groups using lawsuits as the means to push wildlife management agendas that neither promote multiple use of public lands nor allow Montana sportsmen to have a say in the management of wildlife species they fund through purchase of hunting licenses.

I had a meeting a couple of weeks ago to start this very discussion with a very influential domestic sheep producer in Colorado. After he got done hollering (literally, in the state Capitol building) about how we were "just getting paid to put him out of business," and stopped pounding his fist on the map on the wall and pointing his finger at my chest, he said that he would see us in court before sitting down to discuss alternatives to grazing his domestic sheep adjacent to one of the most important bighorn herds in the state. Glad to see the MWGA considering other alternatives.

 

[BuzzH]

Sorry to hear that Oak, lots of "my way or the highway" crowd to deal with these days...

Thanks for your work on Colorado Bighorn issues...thankless job sometimes.

 

[Ben Lamb]

I saw that a couple of days ago. Good for them for sitting down at the table together. It is long overdue.

I think the following quote ignores the fact that domestic sheep producers would not be "at the table" now if not for lawsuits in the past. Just my personal opinion.

Agreed.

I'm hopeful this keeps MWGA from endorsing bad legislation as they have in the past or pursuing means to take hunter dollars for sheep depredation control. My concern is that it won't stop the lobbyist employed by MWGA from continuing to write the bad bills that he gets others to introduce, or the other organizations that he is employed by to continue their assault on wildlife and wildlife advocates.

It is a step in the right direction, kudos to MWSF for initiating and taking it.

 

[Oak]

My concern is that it won't stop the lobbyist employed by MWGA from continuing to write the bad bills that he gets others to introduce, or the other organizations that he is employed by to continue their assault on wildlife and wildlife advocates.

If you don't know the history, this is exactly what happened in ID prior to the Payette decision. While sitting down to the collaboration table in "good faith," the ID domestic sheep industry wrote and ran a bill that harpooned wild sheep management in areas of domestic sheep grazing.

 

[Ben Lamb]

If you don't know the history, this is exactly what happened in ID prior to the Payette decision. While sitting down to the collaboration table in "good faith," the ID domestic sheep industry wrote and ran a bill that harpooned wild sheep management in areas of domestic sheep grazing.

We're a eight months out from the Legislature here. More than likely, it will be a barn burner.

It will certainly be a test of this truce.

 

[SixPoint]

It is so refreshing to see these two groups sitting at the same table and finding common ground. I have faith that if they can get rid of the shoot from the hip radicals from both sides of the issue they will be successful. Montana's can work together on tough issues, so long as they keep the mud slinging to a minimum.

In my opinion folks from both sides would be more likely to sit down together and have a civil discussion if there weren't the threat of frivolous lawsuits that result in all of your collaborative effort being thrown to the wayside because of some "non-profit" (puke) manipulating the Equal Access to Justice Act because their coffers were getting a little low and here's a good shot at making a buck at the taxpayers expense. - emotional run-on sentence rant over-

Oak- I'm sorry to hear about the interaction you had in your home state. Tempers and screaming accomplish nothing. Maybe Montana can take a different approach and get past the emotional reactions that are so common with these types of issues.

 

[shoots-straight]

Cautiously optimistic. I'm hopeful that there can be some movement, but actions will speak volumes over words.