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Bill removes acreage cap and some requirements for shooting preserves; agency says it reduces red tape
Summary
House Bill 106 eliminates the 2,600-acre contiguous limit on shooting preserves, sets a standard fee instead of formula-based fees, changes tagging and release/harvest requirements and moves to a five-year permit; the department and conservation groups supported the cleanup measure while one online opponent could not be heard.
Representative Elvis presented HB 106 as a cleanup bill for shooting preserves, saying the bill "clarifies that shooting preserves are to be located on private property" and removes the 2,600-acre contiguous-acre limit to give landowners more flexibility. The presenter said the bill also establishes a standard fee for shooting preserves, removes some minimum-release and harvest percentage requirements, replaces a self-sealing tag requirement with a department form, and moves to a five-year permit.
Phil Kilbreath (commercial wildlife program manager, Fish, Wildlife & Parks) testified the changes reduce administrative burden. Peter Dudley of Montana Audubon supported the bill's removal of minimum release and harvest restrictions but expressed concern about the lack of a fiscal note; he said the fee structure "does change pretty drastically based on acreage" and referenced a flat $250 fee over five years at the high end of the scale. Ben Lamb also voiced support. An opponent identified as "Mister Munther" appeared online but was inaudible and unable to make substantive remarks.
The sponsor closed by calling HB 106 an "easy housekeeping bill for FWP" and urged the committee to pass it. The committee concluded the hearing with proponents recommending passage and no recorded committee vote in the transcript.
