Defending Access to Public Lands

Click here to print this page as a handout (Adobe .pdf)

Positions on Public Lands Access:

  • I support the right of all Montanans to responsibly access public lands for all forms ofresponsible recreation.
  • I believe the Attorney General should actively intervene in land management decisions and initiate, or intervene in, court proceedings where Montana’s vital interests are at stake.
  • I believe the Attorney General should be active in voicing his opinion in land management decisions, and should seek balanced decisions and plans that responsibly develop Montana’s natural resources, protect our environment, provide for reasonable and responsible access, and that bolster our economy and preserve our Montana values in the process.
  • I support state and local government in joint management with the Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management.
  • I believe that Federal land managers must work closely with local and county officials before closing roads or restricting public access in areas where citizens have traditionally traveled for legitimate personal or commercial purposes.

Tim on HorsebackI’m concerned about the growing trend away from responsible management of public land—we’re seeing an alarming move toward shutting off more and more access to public lands for regular Montanans.  Nearly 30 percent of the state is owned by the federal government and, in recent years, federal agencies and special interest groups have increasingly threatened access to public land and hampered our ability to manage the resources on these lands.

The Attorney General has a tremendous amount of power to defend your right to access public lands for all forms of recreation.  We also must protect our heritage of active management, rather than allowing Montana to turn into an unmanaged tinder box.  I intend to use the office of the Attorney General to protect Montana’s interests from a federal government that is increasingly less interested in its mandate of managing lands for multiple use and is more interested in appeasing the legions of special interest groups that challenge its actions in court on a daily basis. 

At every turn, I will first ask whether public lands are being used in a manner that responsibly preserves them for future generations, but also allows the current generation to access them and to manage them for Montana’s benefit.  If your interests are not being upheld, I will step in and be your advocate.