Latest news with #Montanan
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Banana Lake fire near Plains expands to 850 acres
The Banana Lake Fire is pictured on Saturday, May 31, 2025. (Inciweb photo) An 850-acre wildfire exploded in size on Sunday about four miles north of Plains. The Banana Lake fire was discovered on Saturday and prompted a significant response from firefighting officials. As of Monday, 17 engines, two helicopters, two hand crews, a hotshot crew and three bulldozers are all assigned to the fire. The Western Montana Type 3 Incident Management Team, led by Ken Parks — the deputy director of the Missoula County Emergency Management Department — assumed command of the incident on Monday. Firefighters were busy over the weekend with structure protection. (Information on what structures were being protected was not immediately available.) The fire started near Locust Hill in Plains and is burning along Highway 28 near Rainbow Lake. Fueling the fire is open timber, and a 'full suppression response' is being implemented per the fire's Inciweb situation report. Fire officials asked the public to stay away from the area. The state's Department of Natural Resources and Conservation media liaison listed for the fire did not immediately return a request for comment. Montana could be gearing up for a long fire season. National Interagency Fire Center maps predict 'greater than usual' likelihood of significant wildfires for half of the state by July and nearly all of it come August. 'Wildfires are a reality in Montana each year, but thanks to increased funding and innovative technology, DNRC is more prepared than ever before to respond quickly and effectively,' Gov. Greg Gianforte said in a press release last week. 'While our teams are equipped and ready to protect homes and communities in the event of wildfire, we also need every Montanan to take simple steps to join us in our efforts to keep our state safe.' Gianforte signed two wildfire bills earlier this month, while vetoing two others that would have impacted local fire departments. How wildfires are to be fought is also a major topic both at the federal level and in the court system. The state has already had several early season wildfires, including one near Wisdom that ended up burning more than 2,000 acres. According to Montana Fire Info, nearly 350 fires have burned in the state this year so far. Rural firefighters throughout the state are starting to see things dry out. That includes Missoula Rural Fire District Lt. Phillip Mediate during an interview with the Daily Montanan regarding unseasonably warm temperatures over the weekend. 'We've had a pretty good wet spring,' Mediate said on Saturday morning. 'We're starting to see the spike in temperatures now. I think the fire danger has moved to moderate, just in the last couple of days, so we're starting to see those grasses dry out … we're starting to head into that season.'
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Governor vetoes ‘river census' bill, sponsor pushes for override
A Montanan cools off in a shallow stretch of the Clearwater River. (Keila Szpaller/The Daily Montanan) Gov. Greg Gianforte vetoed a 'river census' bill, arguing the work to collect data can be done in a 'more cost effective manner,' but the sponsor said a special revenue account has the money, and Montana needs clarity about river use. House Bill 762 would require Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to produce a report of all watercraft, from rafts to inflatable flamingoes, along 966 miles of 16 rivers in the state. Rep. Joshua Seckinger, a river guide, said the legislation is necessary because rivers are busy, and attempts have been made to regulate them, but with only anecdotal evidence, not hard data. In his veto letter, however, Gianforte argued the cost of the river census was much too high, and the project too large, although he said the bill is 'well intended.' 'House Bill 762 drains $2.6 million from the state parks account, which would otherwise be used to address important infrastructure projects at our state parks, including maintenance backlogs,' Gianforte said in his veto letter. The bill had bipartisan sponsorship. It earned 102 approvals altogether in its final votes in both chambers — 29 in the Senate and 73 in the House. Support from two thirds of the Montana Legislature triggers an automatic veto override poll from the Secretary of State. Friday, a spokesperson for the Secretary of State's office could not be reached via email about the status of polling. Friday, the bill wasn't among the list of those currently being polled. However, in a letter to his colleagues, Seckinger, D-Bozeman, said he hopes they consider overriding the veto. He said he respectfully disagrees with the governor's assessment the bill 'took too big a bite at the apple.' 'First, there is no additional cost to taxpayers,' Seckinger wrote. 'The bill would have been funded entirely from a special revenue account within FWP, which is supported by vehicle registration fees, the cannabis excise tax, and state park registrations. 'Even with HB 762, this fund would have had a $6 million ending balance. Without the bill, the fund's balance will now grow to $8.6 million — unused, and continuing to expand.' In a phone call with the Daily Montanan, Seckinger said he agreed the cost 'was not insignificant.' But if fiscal conservatism is the goal, he said, he would advocate for lowering license plate fees, cannabis taxes, and the other sources of funds for the account. In his letter, Seckinger also said the bill would have provided a 'comprehensive understanding of river use,' and objective, baseline data is needed — 'and we need it soon.' (A separate study out of Montana State University will review popular river stretches not included in the bill.) In his veto letter, Gianforte, a Republican, agreed that river usage 'has increased dramatically in recent years.' However, he said he believes the state can achieve the same goal over a longer period, potentially using a pilot program to study a portion of the river stretches in the bill. 'The idea of a pilot program is just an example, and over the course of the interim, I look forward to working with the bill sponsor, members of the Legislature, and FWP officials to find a more cost effective way of addressing this important need,' Gianforte said in the letter.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GOP Strips Public Land Sell-Off From Trump Budget Bill, Narrowly Passes House Vote
Supporters of outdoor recreation scored a major victory Wednesday. For 2 weeks, public land advocates had sounded the alarm over a budget amendment from House Republicans that aimed to sell about half a million acres of federal land in Utah and Nevada. Representatives Mark Amodei (R-NV) and Celeste Maloy (R-UT) added the controversial proposal on May 7, arguing that the land sell-off would help President Trump fund his budget. The move quickly drew the ire of both local representatives and a large coalition of outdoor brands and organizations. Now, those same outdoor groups are applauding the efforts of Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-MT), who successfully spearheaded efforts to remove the provision late Wednesday evening. Zinke, who served as Trump's Secretary of the Interior during the president's first term, said it's 'folly' to sell public land to 'get out of debt.' 'This was my San Juan Hill,' Zinke said in a news release Wednesday, referring to a key battle of the Spanish-American War. 'I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn't creating more land. Public access, sportsmanship, grazing, tourism… our entire Montanan way of life is connected to our public lands.' Zinke's efforts were crucial, as no House Democrats voted to pass the reconciliation bill — which squeaked through by a single vote (215-214). The bill now heads to the Senate. On Thursday, outdoor organizations were quick to praise Rep. Zinke as one of the only House Republicans to support Democrats' efforts to prevent the sale of public lands. Outdoor Recreation Roundtable (ORR) and Backcountry Hunters and Anglers both issued statements applauding the political victory. Approving land sell-offs to fund the federal budget would set a 'dangerous precedent,' according to ORR. 'Over the last week, the entire outdoor recreation has been diligent about putting the word out,' Outdoor Alliance spokesperson Nicole Brown said Wednesday in a meeting that brought together many outdoor organizations. 'We have sent 80,000 letters to lawmakers over this. The outdoor recreation community is paying attention …This is a very unpopular thing for these lawmakers to be doing.' However, both groups also said that the public land sell-off was merely the most egregious of several proposals that threaten Americans' access to the outdoors. Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' which refers to Trump's budget as it moves through the House, has several other provisions that still worry advocates for land access. Those include: Reinstating Twin Metals' mining leases in the Superior National Forest in Minnesota, which would threaten the health of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness Requiring oil and gas leasing in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge over the next 10 years and reinstating previously canceled leases, exempted from judicial review, as well as rescinding previous environmental reviews Rescinding Bureau of Land Management (BLM) funding allocated for conservation, ecosystem, and habitat restoration projects Cutting $100 million from the Forest Legacy Program, which adds protections on rural, private 'working forests' that support hunting and recreation access, Moreover, Trump is planning even more cuts to the federal agencies that manage public lands. After massive layoffs, spending freezes, and other measures, the president's budget now proposes another $1 billion cut to the National Park Service. Many of the nation's parks still lack the majority of the seasonal staff that would normally be in place for the busy summer season. 'Most parks, including Yosemite, are lacking 50-70% of their seasonal staff,' Jesse Chakrin, executive director of The Fund for People in Parks, said in a Wednesday meeting of outdoor groups. 'I live right outside Yosemite … I was cleaning bathrooms with my friends a few weeks ago.' While the removal of language that would have allowed public land sell-offs marks a win for outdoor access advocates, the bill itself still faces an uncertain future. Senate Republicans have already signaled lackluster support for various provisions in the bill. 'Unprecedented Threat': Outdoor Brands to Raise Prices If Trump Tariffs Continue
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Zinke leads push to strip public lands sale from federal budget bill
Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke speaks at a press conference announcing the launch of the bipartisan Public Lands Caucus on May 7, 2025. (Courtesy photo) Calling it his 'San Juan Hill,' a reference to a Spanish-American War battle victory by Teddy Roosevelt's Rough Riders, Montana U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke announced Wednesday he had successfully led a bipartisan charge to remove a provision to sell public lands from the federal budget bill. The provision to sell off roughly 450,000 acres of federal land in Utah and Nevada passed out of the House Natural Resources Committee in early May, but met opposition from conservation groups and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. The proposed sale and exchanges of land involved areas near Las Vegas, Reno and St. George, Utah, aimed at allowing for affordable housing developments on Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management Land. Zinke, a Republican and former Interior Secretary who formed the new bipartisan Public Lands Caucus the day after the provision was adopted in committee, has been a strong opponent to the sale of federal public land. 'I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn't creating more land,' Zinke said in a press release on Wednesday. 'Public access, sportsmanship, grazing, tourism… our entire Montanan way of life is connected to our public lands.' The House Rules Committee removed the provision from the budget bill after opposition from several Western Republicans, including Zinke, Rep. Troy Downing, R-Montana, and Public Lands Caucus Vice Chairman Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho. The opposition to public lands sale threatened to derail President Donald Trump's 'One Big Beautiful Bill Act,' a sweeping 1,116-page bill that contains the administration's spending priorities. With the federal land transfer portion struck from the reconciliation package, Zinke and Downing both endorsed the 'Big Beautiful Bill,' which includes extending the Trump Administration's tax cuts from 2017, increasing funding for the border wall, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and temporarily eliminates taxes on overtime work and tips. The bill could also cut funding from programs such as Medicaid and SNAP benefits, which states may have to fund in order to keep service levels intact. It also includes implementing work requirements for Medicaid within two years and accelerates the phase-out of clean energy tax credits enacted by former President Joe Biden. The bill, which passed an initial House vote by a single vote, still faces opposition for its price tag. The Nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates it would add nearly $4 trillion to the nation's debt. Multiple conservation groups released statements praising the work done by Zinke, and thousands of constituents nationwide, to remove the public lands sale amendment from the bill. 'Tens of thousands of Montana hunters, anglers, and other outdoor enthusiasts have been flooding the Capitol switchboard, attending weekend rallies, and writing letters and postcards to Congress, asking that the public lands transfer amendment be killed,' said Mike Mershon, board chair and president of the Montana Wildlife Federation, in a statement. . 'Selling our shared public lands to pay for tax cuts for the rich was and is an awful, un-American idea, and we appreciate Rep Zinke's work to keep it out of the bill. His colleagues never should have considered it in the first place,' Lydia Weiss, senior director for government relations at The Wilderness Society, said in a statement. Montana Conservation Voters, Trout Unlimited, the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, Outdoor Recreation Roundtable, MeatEater and other groups also released statements. The success in appealing to Republican leaders to make the change marked a strong win for the new members of the Public Lands Caucus. Downing said in a statement that he was pleased the bill removed the public lands sale, and that it includes keeping the Bull Mountains Mine in Musselshell County operational. 'Our legislation delivers historic tax cuts, secures our borders, strengthens key programs for future generations, eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse, and sets the country on a path toward fiscal responsibility,' Downing said. 'Our work is not done, but Republicans will not rest until this once-in-a-generation legislation is signed by the President.'
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
House Republicans Kill Provision to Sell Public Lands
Republican House leaders have pulled a controversial provision from the federal budget bill that would have required the sale or transfer of some 500,000 acres of federal public land in the West. Late this afternoon, leadership of the House Rules Committee removed the provision through a mechanism called a 'manager's amendment' after being pressured by maverick House Republicans. 'This was my San Juan Hill,' said Montana Republican Ryan Zinke in a press release. 'I do not support the widespread sale or transfer of public lands. Once the land is sold, we will never get it back. God isn't creating more land. Public access, sportsmanship, grazing, tourism… our entire Montanan way of life is connected to our public lands.' The land-sale amendment to the House Natural Resources budget has inflamed conservationists and threatened to be a motivating election issue for hunters, anglers, and outdoor recreationists. The provision was stripped after at least six Western Republicans, led by Zinke, said they wouldn't support the budget if it contained the land-sale amendment. The amendment from Nevada Republican Mark Amodei and Utah Republican Celeste Maloy, slipped into the budget at the last minute earlier this month, at first seemed to call for selling about 11,000 acres in southern Utah. Then details emerged that it also included a requirement to sell or trade another 500,000 acres in Nevada. Conservationists and public land advocates worried that if Congress established a precedent for selling federal lands with no public process or clear understanding of the acreages involved, the pattern could continue with wholesale sales of public lands elsewhere. 'I think every hunter in America was calling their [Congress] member with a note that said 10 days ago this was 11,000 acres for housing. Then it was 350,000 acres. Then 500,000 acres,' says David Willms, vice president for public lands for the National Wildlife Federation. 'They were saying maybe we shouldn't be including something in [budget] reconciliation at the eleventh hour if no one actually knows how much land is at stake, and that blindsided the public. They were telling their congressmen, 'Pull it.'' The land-sale provision threatened to derail The One Big, Beautiful Bill Act, the mega-bill that contains President Trump's spending priorities and a permanent tax cut. The bill is projected to increase the national deficit by up to $4 trillion while reorienting many federal agencies missions and capabilities. While the toxic land-sale amendment is out of the budget bill, which will go to the full House for a floor vote later this week, it could be inserted back into the bill when it goes to the Senate. Utah Republican Mike Lee, the chairman of the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee and a staunch champion of selling or transferring federal land to the states, is among several senators who could revive the amendment. Congressional leaders have said they want to pass the budget by Memorial Day. Any substantive revision on the Senate side would require concurrence from the House, and that might push passage past the holiday. 'We extend our deep appreciation to Representative Ryan Zinke and Representative Mike Simpson for publicly opposing language in the House budget reconciliation bill that would sell off and sell out our public lands legacy,' said Kaden McArthur, Backcountry Hunters & Anglers director of policy and government relations, in a prepared statement. 'As the Senate considers a budget reconciliation bill, hunters and anglers across the nation must continue the groundswell of opposition to public land sales so it is understood that this issue is a line in the sand that we will not allow to be crossed.' Editor's Note: A previous Outdoor Life story referenced a report from onX stating that approximately 1.5 million acres would be sold if the budget amendment were passed. However that report was inaccurate. The true number of acres that were up for disposal was approximately 500,000.
