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Bill expands anti-harassment law to all wild animals and explicitly names snowmobiles; livestock-protection carve-out requested
Summary
Representative Debo Powers told the committee House Bill 661 would expand the state prohibition on harassing wildlife with vehicles and devices to include all "wild animals" and explicitly reference snowmobiles.
Representative Debo Powers presented House Bill 661, which would replace the current statutory phrase "game animals and game birds" with "wild animals except alternative livestock," and add "and snowmobiles" to the statutory list of motorized devices prohibited from harassing wildlife.
"Some people ... find some kind of pleasure and excitement in chasing and harassing wildlife on their snowmobiles," Powers said, adding that chasing animals in winter can deplete energy needed for survival and may indirectly cause deaths. Proponents included Montana Audubon, Bold Visions Conservation, and…
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