Helena Public Lands Rally planned

Montana’s conservationists are planning to gather at the Legislature in Helena on Feb. 19 for a public lands rally organized by Montana Conservation Voters. We encourage all Montanans to turn out in support of the public lands that have provided us places to hunt, fish and recreate. We must ensure they remain protected for future generations to do the same.

The Montana Legislature has been in session for a week, and while no bad wildlife or lands bills have popped up yet, the session is young. In the meantime, the state of Utah is pushing a lawsuit to force the federal government to transfer all federal lands to the state. The lawsuit has little legal basis, and Utah Republicans have tried similar ploys before. But there are always concerns that the conservative majority of the U.S. Supreme Court might uphold certain aspects of the lawsuit, which could have ramifications for the nation’s public lands.

To counter that possibility, Montana conservationists have created a petition urging Montana’s elected officials to stand firm against the Utah lawsuit challenging federal public land management. The goal is to get 1,000 signatures before the public lands rally, when the petition will be delivered to the Legislature, the governor and Montana’s Congressional delegation.

As the petition says, “We will not stand idly by while our public lands are threatened. We urge you to take a bold stance in defense of Montana's public lands, now and always.”

Montana conservationists rally for public lands in front of the Montana Legislature in February 2023.