Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Wildlife Data Privacy topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Montana lawmaker seeks three-year limit on public release of precise wildlife location data
Summary
Rep. Jonathan Karlen told the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee HB264 would bar disclosure of exact GPS or telemetry locations collected within three years to protect animals, landowners and researchers; Fish, Wildlife and Parks and partners urged clarifying language to preserve necessary interagency sharing.
Representative Jonathan Karlen introduced House Bill 264 on Jan. 30, saying the measure would stop near–real-time disclosure of precise wildlife GPS and telemetry coordinates that can be used to locate animals. "I could make an information request with FWP and say I would like all location data ... and I would be getting exact GPS coordinates," Karlen said, arguing that ready access to recent coordinates creates "fair chase" concerns and risks for cooperating landowners.
The bill would prohibit release of exact wildlife location coordinates collected within the past three years except for narrowly defined, permitted uses such as environmental permitting or approved research. Karlen said the three-year buffer is intended to prevent mapping or modeling that would reveal where animals are likely to be during upcoming seasons.
Proponents who testified said the change would protect ethical hunting standards, landowner trust and the intellectual investments of researchers. Joshua Millspaugh, director of the Boone and Crockett program at the University of Montana, told the committee the bill would "prevent public record requests resulting in the nearly real time release of wildlife location data," which he said could be used to hunt animals or to publish competing analyses before project collaborators.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ informational witness gave committee members data intended to show the scale of requests. "In 2024 we received 112 requests, including requests for grizzly bear locations and elk and pronghorn collar information," Quentin Kujala said, noting the department lacks a robust follow-up to confirm how requesters use the data.
Opponents and some conservation groups voiced concern that a statutory ban could unintentionally impede interagency projects — for example, highway or wildlife-transportation work that depends on timely location information — and that data purchased or collected with public funds may need public access. Helena Edelson of the Large Carnivore Fund asked for explicit carve-outs for sensitive den or pack-location data while preserving partner access.
Karlen said an amendment is forthcoming to clarify allowed interagency collaboration and researcher access while maintaining the proposed three-year restriction on exact coordinates. The committee closed the hearing on HB264 without taking immediate action; no vote was recorded during this meeting.
