Better public land management is possible; An update from Sen. Fielder

People who prefer federal control are trying to convince everyone that Montanans would sell all the public lands if we are put in charge of them.  No chance. Popularity for transferring control of federal public lands to the state is growing because of the inability of the federal government to manage these lands, or much of anything else, responsibly.

Placing decision making powers in the hands of people who live here will allow us to better protect public access, improve the health of our forests and range lands, and restore a reasonable balance of economic productivity in alignment with Montana values.

We have already proven we are capable. For decades Montana has actively managed millions of acres of state public lands in a manner that protects the environment, enhances wildlife, generates revenues for our state, and provides a variety of recreational opportunities and beneficial public uses.

On federal lands, lack of active management has resulted in too many over-crowded forests extremely vulnerable to fire and insects. Catastrophic wildfires rage in these dense timber stands, wasting valuable resources and utterly destroying millions of acres of our forests, watersheds, and wildlife, as well as threatening communities and polluting our air and water. These are but a few of the serious problems that we can prevent through state management.

Many people, including myself, have tried to work with the federal agencies or reform the myriad of confounding federal policies. But still conditions continue to worsen. In recent decades we have seen less public access, less health, less multiple use, and less economic productivity on federal lands in every western state. It’s time for a real change.

That is why so many people are becoming increasingly supportive of a more sensible, localized system of land management. The transfer of public lands discussion is occurring in nearly every state at every level of government, and in Canada too.

Last month the State of Nevada’s Task Force on Transfer of Public Lands finalized an economic report showing Nevada would see a positive net gain of $1.5 billion per year when they take over management of their federal public lands. Defenders of federal control are trying to keep that report from seeing the light of day. Similar efforts are in play to suppress or distort information in Montana, but I do not believe this is a conversation opponents can hold back, no matter how much they try to make it sound impossible.

In fact the Government of the Northwest Territories successfully assumed control of the federal public lands within their province in April. They also hired 132 transferring federal employees who were welcomed by Premier Bob McLeod in a public event the day after the transfer was finalized.

Premier McLeod said, “Our government is committed to the responsible management and development of all of our resources to create sustainable benefits for our people. We are now in control of our own future. We have worked hard to prepare for this day, and we will be guided by the Water Stewardship Strategy, the Land Use and Sustainability Framework, the Economic Opportunities Strategy, and the Aboriginal Engagement Strategy, among many others. I am proud of the work we have done: it gave us a solid foundation for developing our economy and protecting our environment according to northern priorities.”

Preparing for successful state management will be a big job, requiring bold leadership. This won’t happen overnight and it shouldn’t. There are many details to work out to ensure Montana is properly equipped. We need to create a plan for a smooth and orderly transition customized to Montana’s desires, capabilities, and time frames.

If the Governor, the Legislature, industry, public land users, and conservationists are willing to work together, we can develop a win-win scenario that keeps more public land open to the public, protects the environment, revives our economy, and is good for Montana and our nation as a whole. If the this is what the majority of Montanans want, I have faith we can get it done.

You can reach me by email at sen.jfielder@legmt.gov, by phone at 406 210-5944, or sign in and leave your comments on my web site at www.jenniferfielder.us