Schweitzer touts hunting plan

By WALT WILLIAMS, Chronicle Staff Writer

Democratic candidate for governor Brian Schweitzer is proposing giving bison more breathing room in their wanderings outside Yellowstone National Park, although he stopped far short of endorsing free-ranging herds.

Schweitzer was at the Holiday Inn Monday for a town hall meeting attended by local hunting and wildlife advocates. At the meeting he unveiled a nine-point plan to protect hunting and fishing access in Montana, which he said has been threatened by recent legislative actions.

As a case in point he used the Legislature's attempt in 2003 to overturn a voter-approved ban on game farms. The effort died after it proved unpopular with the public.

"The last time I checked, the game in Montana belonged to you, the public," Schweitzer said.

After a short speech, the candidate opened the meeting to questions from the crowd. More often than not, those questions came back to the issue of bison management.

Schweitzer, responding to a question from Will Patrick of the Greater Yellowstone Coalition, said it was important for Montana's cattle industry not to lose its brucellosis-free status.

But he said there were things the state could do to give bison a little more room when leaving the park. It could buy out the grazing rights from the single cattle rancher at Horse Butte north of West Yellowstone, for instance.

He also proposed seeking private donations to purchase ranch land immediately north of the park, while still allowing ranchers to graze their non-reproductive cattle and horses on the land.

Still, Schweitzer didn't support letting bison wander north of Yankee Jim Canyon, or the idea of free-ranging bison throughout the state.

When he wasn't fielding bison questions, Schweitzer usually was talking about his plans to preserve hunting and fishing access in the state. Schweitzer did most of the speaking while his running mate, Sen. John Bohlinger, R-Billings, sat in the front row taking notes.

Schweitzer promised that as governor he would enforce and strengthen Montana's stream-access law. He promised to preserve access to public lands and oppose efforts by the Montana Stockgrowers Association to establish a program that would provide wildlife permits to landowners for resale.

"If we make it all permits we're just Texas, that's what they've done," he said.

Another part of his plan is to renew the state block management program, which will sunset next year. Schweitzer wants to make the program permanent. He also wants to renew Habitat Montana, a habitat preservation program funded by hunter license fees.

Many of his ideas will need legislative support and several local Democratic candidates showed up at the meeting to remind hunters that they will be electing more than just a governor this November.

"We need your help to get to Helena," House candidate Brady Wiseman said. "The policy changes don't start in the governor's office, they start in the Legislature."

Walt Williams is at wwilliams@dailychronicle.com

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