Committee: Environmental Quality Council
Author: Joe Kolman
Posted on April 4, 2018
The Environmental Quality Council is looking to revise a little-known law that governs bird hunting dog training and field trials.
Current law allows training in open fields anytime if game birds are not killed or captured and the training is conducted a mile or more from a bird nesting area, management area, or game preserve. Last year, the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) said rules are needed because trainers are running as many as 60 dogs at a time, to the detriment of game birds. However, the agency scuttled proposed regulations in lieu of further EQC discussion. Proposals the council will review in May would dump the distance requirement and revamp the other provisions.
The EQC is also on the hunt for new funding sources for several programs and will examine options over the next several months.
At its March meeting, the EQC debated charging fees for different types of watercraft to fund the fight against aquatic invasive species. The 2017 Legislature sent the bill for those efforts to hydroelectric facilities and anglers, but those revenues are set to expire in the next two years. That means continuing the program entails funding approval by the next legislature. The EQC saw what other states charge for watercraft fees and what those fees could generate in Montana. In May, the council will look at bill drafts that could implement fees in Montana.
The council also will look at bill drafts that would rev the amount of gas tax revenue directed to snowmobile and off-highway vehicle (OHV) programs at FWP. According to a 2014 report, the snowmobile program receives about 65% of the estimated gas tax revenue that snowmobile use generates in Montana. The OHV program receives about 30% of revenue generated by OHV use. The proposed bill drafts seek to give all of the revenue to those programs.
The EQC also will discuss legislation related to funding the Natural Heritage Program within the state library. The program collects data for flora, fauna, and biological communities in the state. The information is widely used by government agencies and others for environmental reviews required by law. The council wants to explore funding the program with a fee on applicants for environmental permits, a fee on state agencies that use the information, and a portion of the bed tax. Usage statistics for the program’s field guide show a large portion of the users are from out of state, although it isn’t known exactly who is using the guide.
The EQC continues its work on fees used to pay for fire preparedness. Fees now are paid by only certain landowners in forested areas of the state.
Archived video of the meeting is available at http://leg.mt.gov. For more information contact Joe Kolman, committee staff, at 406.444.3747 or jkolman@mt.gov
