Sportsmen's Advisory Panel - Friday

[Ben Lamb]

There's a Sportsmen's Advisory Panel meeting this Friday, from 2 to 3:30 pm at the Bozeman Library. The panel is made up of diverse interests across Montana, and consists of landowners, hunters, anglers, county commissioners.

The Panel advises Senator Jon Tester on issues related to wildlife management, public lands management and access issues that the average sportsman and woman face. This panel was instrumental in helping secure funding for projects like the Tenderfoot, and many others in MT which have added public access to threatened areas.

This is a great opportunity to ask the Senator questions, and bring forward issues that hunters and anglers feel need addressed.

Randy serves on the panel, as do I, and a number of other solid folks like John Gibson of PLWA and Joelle Selk, president of the Montana Bowhunters Association. It's a good crew and there's usually a great discussion afterwards.

If you're in the neighborhood, stop by and check it out.

 

[Wapiti Warrior]

thanks to all of you for participating! Sportsman need to be heard and this is one way.

John Grimstad

 

[shoots-straight]

We appreciate the work you fellas do.

 

[Ben Lamb]

If you guys have questions let me know and we'll get 'em asked and hopefully answered.

 

[Ben Lamb]

Some great discussion today at the Sportsmen's Advisory panel. Lots of talk of HR 4089 and the concerns that folks have with it, as well as funding for the farm bill programs, a general consensus that all programs should get modest hair cuts, but keep the revenue generators moving forward.

Good discussion on wolves, and the need to maintain the state wolf management plan so that delisting sticks. Access continues to dominate time at the panels as well.

Lots of talk of the need to maintain public lands, and the agencies that are supposed to manage them. Good discussions on budgets, priorities and the need to manage land, as well as legislation like the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, and Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act.

Three of us brought up the 2012 rider to forbid the forest service to spend any money on restricting sheep grazing.

That's Ryan Busse of Kimber Firearms between Senator Tester and Randy.