[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6621348,"mediaKeyId","2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c","parentId",2803017,"title","Bill would let landowners transfer surplus preference tags to people with disabilities","audioSeconds",412,"startMs",5284000,"endMs",5696000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c&start=5284&end=5696","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c/thumbnail_5284000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6621348/Montana/Bill-would-let-landowners-transfer-surplus-preference-tags-to-people-with-disabilities","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621348-822b4e654714b7598a82b90727272ce9/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154154&Signature=D6pgBM-joJHt6rHTau4tIRT9iz~rD-w95igeAVwriFY30mV1orjPgyvW-SdDBsWBj~lSRn~1IPxVf~kelpuBUabZkMBWrpU33frWlDhipoeT1yzONdS8CIojluJhG-WL~rHHukXrhEEb-o3ZIyNnmL9SkGv-kX9Fv-rDZLVinGlS0KR86s00fOXLajCLEhrrL90OfG3xik1ZiwyjmkHHb6iayP3--rDvTyq0z-V1bzb6ZXzhTo4fHRuoCDjoEIMFok~pXQoGPLJwapdJWQeJn5qN48dtlCoDvk6RGxTSkZkGvdRIXZg0o2~iZillVPKuVfoUF~j1UdceiVJQfLxtKA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Montana Legislature","date","2025-03-27T00:00:00Z","article","Senator Logie introduced Senate Bill 148 to allow landowners who receive a landowner preference tag or a free tag under block-management or other programs to transfer that tag to a person with a developmental or physical disability.

Logie told the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee the bill “opens up the option” for a landowner to give an already-allocated tag to a disabled person instead of a family member or employee. He said the proposal does not create an additional tag or change the overall licensing pool — it simply authorizes a different eligible recipient for a tag the landowner already holds.

There were no proponents or opponents who signed up to testify in the hearing transcript; Ron Howell, FWP Chief of Law Enforcement, appeared as an informational witness and answered procedural questions about how landowner-preference tags are allocated and used. Howell explained that acreage thresholds and existing residency/ownership rules for landowner tags would still apply and that some ranches can receive multiple tags depending on how land and ownership entities are arranged.

Committee members asked whether the bill required purchase of a license (it does not) and how many tags a landowner might be eligible to receive; FWP said eligibility rules remain unchanged and that some ranches divide ownership to obtain multiple entitlements under current statute. Sponsor Logie pointed the committee to the bill’s definitions (noted in transcript as being on page 7) that clarify who is eligible for those tags.

Ending: The hearing closed with no recorded opposition and questions focused on how existing landowner-preference rules would apply to transfers to persons with disabilities.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","House Fish, Wildlife, and Parks - Mar 27, 2025 16:00 - 19:00","oneSentenceSummary","Senate Bill 148 would allow landowners who receive free or preference hunting tags to transfer those tags to a person with a developmental or physical disability; sponsor said the bill does not add tags to the pool and informational testimony clarified landowner-preference mechanics.","taxTitle","2025 Legislature MT, Montana","taxId",77694,"location","Montana","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6621353,"Committee hears bill to limit aircraft-based locating and same-day hunting; includes agricultural exception for herding elk",2755,2476000,5231000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c&start=2476&end=5231","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c/thumbnail_2476000.jpg","/articles/6621353/Montana/Committee-hears-bill-to-limit-aircraft-based-locating-and-same-day-hunting-includes-agricultural-exception-for-herding-elk","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621353-2cccf49656ecf4c5b140debce9cd5c67/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154154&Signature=iQK7Dm8LJNkKfOinz3M134mNL6FikgHxe0dBTJwrz9p9P-ZaiPGGd3jkfjVE1wz6YDljJUgrtbuXSeDjmRVWDYkhZXsz9yKhzKvm6bNuunFO604aQSvYkJgbcX3TfFJFXgUVdZjWM1-hfZ-3oGkNi8rtpdYITZbs4NpTr0i0V5OLvh8pePVFXFPhsvU94dZwn~HOX8iWgZmm~Fm76UDDx3dAyPVWvoX6k6mlrDYEQ8drFn56Sr0SUdy1BNjuiBjqy71HSzyIdXx-Pzz3jUrZONzl1ntDEIYZE2M-fu9ujjboiC~SI~Purtr8X3efxBDHF6LDgaUU8hA0Zg57DgCJ8w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 106 drew a lengthy hearing in the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee, where supporters from ranching, hunting and conservation groups urged new restrictions on aircraft- and drone-assisted locating and hunting, and the sponsor included a narrowly drawn exception so agricultural operators can use aircraft to herd elk off pastures.

Sponsor Senator Logie opened the hearing saying the bill responds to complaints about aircraft and helicopter operators using flight to locate, bunch or harass elk and then land where they do not have permission to hunt. He also said some agricultural operations want the ability to use aircraft or drones to herd elk off irrigated hay fields or pastures to reduce crop losses.

Proponents from a multi-stakeholder “Devil’s Kitchen Management Team” described decades of local cooperation among hunters, ranchers and agency staff to manage elk populations, but said recent helicopter and aircraft activity has changed hunting ethics and harmed landowners’ ability to protect forage. Chase Hibbard, speaking for Seben Livestock Company, said the group drafted the bill to “clarify and strengthen current law” and to provide “new tools” for law enforcement.

Ranch witnesses described large elk herds well above objectives and told the committee that nonlethal measures—propane cannons, night herding and supplemental hunts—failed to stop crop damage. One ranch manager said thermal-imaging drones used by FWP technicians reduced elk use of hay fields for several days and estimated annual hay losses at roughly $105,000 before drones were incorporated into mitigation efforts.

Hunters’ groups urged the committee to protect “fair chase.” George Golley said, “If you have to have a drone or an airplane or a helicopter to spot your game for you, then you land and go shoot something like that…is it really fair chase?” Backcountry Hunters and Anglers and the Montana Wildlife Federation testified in support of the bill; the latter noted FWP had offered permitting clarifications for overlapping seasons.

FWP Chief of Law Enforcement Ron Howell testified as an informational witness and described enforcement challenges. He said the bill’s insertion of the word “spot” helps prosecutors by clarifying intent compared with prior language, and that some existing statutory provisions already address aircraft interference and hunter harassment (the transcript references MCA sections in the 87-6 series). Howell recommended evidence such as flight-tracking data could help establish intent in prosecutions.

Key drafting issues discussed included whether the bill should require a 24-hour delay between use of aircraft and hunting (sponsors and staff discussed same-calendar-day language versus an explicit 24-hour period), how the bill would interact with existing federal land-use rules (BLM landing restrictions), and how to avoid unintended impacts on legitimate flights. Sponsor Logie emphasized the bill’s agricultural exception allowing the use of manned and unmanned aircraft for herding elk during shoulder seasons to protect crops.

Ending: The committee heard significant testimony and detailed questions about enforcement and drafting; no committee vote or amendment was recorded in the transcript.","Senate Bill 106 would strengthen restrictions on aircraft and unmanned aircraft use to locate and hunt game, add enforcement language and a same-day hunting prohibition, and carve an exception for agricultural herding of elk; proponents said the bill protects fair chase and landowners, while enforcement and drafting details were discussed.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6621358,"Montana lawmaker proposes 10% surtax on leased hunting access to fund block management",1806,565000,2371000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c&start=565&end=2371","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2803017-c27b4c7df0e5272cca6eced32e8a5f0c/thumbnail_565000.jpg","/articles/6621358/Montana/Montana-lawmaker-proposes-10-surtax-on-leased-hunting-access-to-fund-block-management","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6621358-2f4bc6754edfb96577d0705f88afd62c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771154154&Signature=Gw91Q9ArJpZcc8j~dNknY18Dwe5rV9RDFAg3m4kd5qyISq17mzQzO2Z6gOyPirE3dTO0eTrckBZCPLFYIlW6AnarooT7cKOYFffOeX2BxHqa38hmFyg8nGxP24Q2-JoLjzeuBk9NKlnD6nENiLHFxTH8l3J7KMZWwSW4TjZlH0UT~bpNcbIv~ExDoniEUg9PGVJg6AQDfTEAVQIyqpxUYKcmGaE4M77RfVX4MEL4TPyJR-CHzCnMYCa4Zkj5ynQ9XqsXJe-BkXllj01p3HXUHcDn4Kg3pwZHUcYeWjbZKK7mc-3MKenGH5e5hfv9OBnyNXgjQQWnzhhG30xn5K2CzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Representative Tom France introduced House Bill 857 on the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee’s agenda, proposing a new surcharge on leases of private land used for hunting that would fund the state’s Block Management Program.

France, sponsor of the bill, told the committee the measure is “not a finished product” but is intended to address two related concerns: the rise in leasing of private land for exclusive hunting and the rising cost of the Block Management Program. “It’s a bedrock principle of wildlife management that wildlife belongs to the people. It’s a public resource,” France said, arguing that leasing can effectively privatize public wildlife and diminish hunting opportunity for the broader public.

France said the bill would add a checkbox to the Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) conservation license form for license-holders to declare whether they lease land for hunting. If they indicate they lease land, they would report the lease amount and remit a 10% surtax that would be deposited directly into Block Management funding.

The sponsor cited recent Block Management cost increases, saying the program’s annual cost rose by roughly $4 million between 2022 and 2023 after FWP increased per-day landowner payments from $13 to $17. France said the state currently pays about 30% of Block Management program costs and that continued growth in lease activity threatens long-term funding and public access.

FWP representative Lina Havron testified in opposition, saying that “as written, House Bill 857 creates a surcharge that’s attached to the purchase of a conservation license,” and that treating the charge as a license fee would create a new earmark that federal and state rules prohibit. Havron described that effect as a “diversion” from the general license account and said FWP must oppose the bill as drafted.

Industry witnesses and landowner groups also opposed the bill. Charles Denowh of United Property Owners of Montana said the draft does not distinguish clearly between lessees and lessors and could unintentionally apply the fee to both parties. Will Israel of the Montana Outfitters and Guides Association said the measure “forces disclosure of private lease details and adds government tax to confidential agreements,” and warned it could make access less affordable and spur landowners to stop leasing. Fishing outfitter Scott Vollmer described the bill as “punitive” toward people who pay one-day rod or access fees and said higher costs would push more hunters onto public land.

Committee members asked questions about who the bill would target (long-season leases versus daily access or per-hunter fees), how to draft exemptions for outfitters, and whether the proposal could be amended to avoid federal diversion rules. FWP said it had not provided a revenue estimate because it lacks the records to determine the number of leases and that the mechanism would largely operate on an honor system with no easy way to verify compliance.

France closed by saying the bill was a starting point for committee discussion and that the diversion concerns are “fixable” by amendment.

Ending: The committee held a hearing and received public testimony for and against HB 857; no committee action or vote was recorded in the transcript.","Representative Tom France introduced HB 857 to require hunters who lease private land to report lease payments and pay a 10% surcharge to the state's Block Management Program; Fish, Wildlife & Parks and hunting industry groups opposed the bill citing diversion, privacy and compliance concerns.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Bill would let landowners transfer surplus preference tags to people with disabilities

Committee hears bill to limit aircraft-based locating and same-day hunting; includes agricultural exception for herding elk

Montana lawmaker proposes 10% surtax on leased hunting access to fund block management