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Lawmakers consider redirecting marijuana‑tax conservation funds into new habitat legacy account
Summary
House Bill 932 would create a Habitat Legacy account and reframe the 20% conservation allocation of marijuana excise tax into a new structure that funds a Land and Wildlife Stewardship account, expands the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program and creates a wildlife crossings account. Conservation groups, sportsmen and landowner organizations
Representative Ken Walsh told the committee House Bill 932 would revise the 2021 allocation of marijuana tax revenue to create a Habitat Legacy account that funds multiple conservation priorities. The bill redirects the portion of tax receipts currently dedicated under prior law into a master account, then allocates the proceeds among a Land and Wildlife Stewardship account (for projects similar to Habitat Montana), an expanded Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WIP) to support landowner‑driven conservation, and a Big Game and Wildlife Crossings and Accommodations account to help match federal grants for crossing infrastructure and reduce wildlife‑vehicle collisions.
Tom Jacobson of the Montana Wildlife Federation and a coalition of conservation and hunting organizations supported the bill, arguing it preserves and expands on the intent of the earlier law while adding flexibility to do habitat restoration, conifer encroachment work, riparian and watershed projects, and private‑land conservation that benefits both wildlife and agricultural producers. Proponents said administrative fees would be capped (the bill sets a 15% administrative cap on total expenditures) to ensure most revenue goes to on‑the‑ground work.
Proponents highlighted the wildlife‑vehicle collision problem: witnesses cited tens of thousands of collisions and material repair costs per incident, and urged that a standing account for crossings would make Montana more competitive for federal grants. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership and other groups supported the measure; the Nature Conservancy emphasized forest and watershed management needs that the program could fund.
FWP’s chief financial officer Lena Havron appeared as an informational witness. She did not oppose the overall conservation intent but the department explores how to administer new accounts and changes in allocation. Committee members asked whether the bill alters the original 2021 choices; sponsor and proponents said HB932 preserves the prior allocations in aggregate while creating a different flow and adding new programmatic flexibility and governance adjustments to the WIP advisory council.
No opponents appeared on the record for this hearing. The sponsor closed asking for the committee’s support.
