Issues

The Gallatin Wildlife Association feels that a number of State and Federal government agencies are not prioritizing wildlife habitat in their management strategies on public lands.Both the USFS and the BLM are undertaking very important Land Use Planning Processes that will affect more than 2 million acres of critical wildlife habitat . GWA intends to actively participate in these planning processes, both physically on the ground and through scientifically based comments and advocacy.

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• Antelope Basin Allotment Plan EA
• Montana Elk Management Plan
• Sage Grouse Management Plan
• BLM, Beaverhead-Deerlodge and Gallatin N.F. Plans
• Horse Prairie Coordinated Resource Planning
• Upper Horse Prairie EA Protest

Gallatin and Beaverhead National Forest Travel Planning

• Montana hunters and fisherman, and in particular GWA members, have always stood up to protect backcountry habitat. Interestingly, backcountry habitat may prove the savior of our Montana public hunting and fishing traditions.
• We support a Gallatin Forest Travel Plan that protects wildlife habitat while providing opportunities for quality hunting and fishing experiences.
• We hope to see a Gallatin Forest Travel Plan that will improve upon Montana’s Fairchase, backcountry hunting and fishing tradition.
• Hunters and fisherman work hard to protect habitat, so hunting and fishing opportunities can be conserved for this and future generations. We want to pass this tradition onto our kids.
• Too many roads can lead to reduced hunter opportunity and the loss of quality hunting experiences. Consider the Targhee NF in Idaho where federal government road construction lead to the general elk hunting season being slashed from 44 to 5 days between 1969 and 1989.
• A specific and important example where travel planning matters is within the Porcupine Wilderness Study Area (PWSA) in the Gallatin Canyon. This is an incredible piece of public land wildlife habitat that should be managed as a backcountry roadless area to secure quality hunting and recreational opportunities.
  

Muddy Creek Grazing Appeal and Settlement Offer

• GWA is working to protect bighorn sheep, sage grouse and westslope cutthroat trout habitat from conflicts with domestic livestock grazing.
• GWA is working to have this watershed and the Hidden Pasture Wilderness Study Area designated as an Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC).

Dillon Resource Area BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) Lawsuit

• GWA in cooperation with the National Wildlife Federation held BLM accountable to the public by requiring BLM to initiate their long overdue NEPA Process for this incredible wildlife resource.
• GWA is participating in the BLM RMP Process and will urge the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) on the adjacent Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest to coordinate its Forest Planning efforts with BLM.
• GWA will contribute significant time and resources to these two very important Land Use Planning Processes in the year 2002 and beyond. GWA will be a local grassroots force for wildlife both in the field and through scientifically based comments and advocacy.

Horse Butte USFS Allotment and Bison Conflict

• GWA is cooperating in a legal effort to ensure the Gallatin National Forest considers the needs of wild bison migrating from Yellowstone National Park to critical bison winter range on adjacent USFS lands.

East Pioneers Grazing Appeal (BLM/USFS Joint Effort)

• GWA has appealed a BLM grazing decision to ensure riparian and upland rangeland monitoring data is collected so that the needs of sage grouse, westslope cutthroat trout, beaver, elk, moose and mule deer are met.
• The East Pioneers are historic, currently unoccupied, bighorn sheep habitat. GWA believes this mountain range would make an excellent bighorn sheep reintroduction site.