Via the Montana TU – HB 309, Rep. Jeff Wellborn (R-Dillon). Radically changes Montana stream access laws so that natural channels modified in part by irrigation structures, or whose flows are augmented by water returned by irrigation, would be defined as “ditches,” and thus off limits to recreation without permission. FWP and MTU analysis indicates […]
Damn!
Tidbits of helpful news continue to cross the bow. Here’s a couple. From the Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana comes a transcript of FWP chief legal counsel Bob Lane’s testimony during the House Ag Sub-committee hearing of HB 309. Yeah, it’s long, but Mr. Lane knocks it out of the park as he details what’s […]
We’ve been pestering Michael Gibson, Montana TU’s Outreach Director, over the past several days for TU’s spin on several issues related to the ongoing assault on Montana’s Stream Access Laws via HB 309. Yesterday he very graciously answered 10 questions we posed about HB 309 and several other topics. Untampered and uncensored responses follow, along […]
We should have a couple of updates up today that will shed further light on the Montana Stream Access Law / HB 309 issue at hand. Hopefully some time this afternoon we’ll have up interview responses from Montana Senator Kendall Van Dyk and Michael Gibson, the Outreach Director for Montana TU. The bill is currently […]
After ashamedly cruising through the Montana House last week (third reading Thursday) the increasingly infamous HB 309 has been assigned to the MT Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation committee. For those interested in watching the wheels of government spin (I’m intentionally leaving that alone for now), here’s a link to the committee’s web page listing […]
Yep, it stinks. HB 309 has cleared the house with the third reading today. The measure even picked up a few votes along the way. <sarcasm> Impressive <\sarcasm>. The issue is far from resolved though frankly I’m encouraged after getting back in the office and chatting (email) with some folks today. By the way, if […]
If you’re following the issue, you’ve probably heard by now that the assault on Montana’s historically generous stream and river access regs took a step forward yesterday. The bill passed on second reading 55-44 (largely along party lines); the third reading is scheduled for today’s session. This link will take you to today’s house agenda […]
HB 309 is on the Montana House Agenda for this afternoon……. You can see the vote outcome on the house agenda record (link here) seen above. Calls and emails still needed this morning, contact info at the bottom of this post.
Renaissance man –noun 1. a cultured man of the renaissance who was knowledgeable, educated, or proficient in a wide range of fields. 2. (sometimes lowercase as in renaissance man) a present-day man who has acquired profound knowledge or proficiency in more than one field. 3. Michael Gracie and his 957 vise. (Just as you don’t […]
Montana’s cartoon character of a governor, Brian Schweitzer, has recently let his forked tongue wiggle yet again. (In the interest of full disclosure, we knew Schweitzer was a typical schizoid, lying bastard politician before he was elected to the governor’s office during our days living in the Flathead. I hate to say anything bad about […]
Yesterday, I finally went down to the bank to update the address on my bank account. For the past six months its still said Bozeman, Montana. I thought its probably time to get that changed. The banker was very friendly, and went on and on about what a great city San Antonio was, and how […]
No matter where I went yesterday I either imagined I was on the Madison (to make it even more painful that pic was shot between the lakes a few weeks ago) or scouting the pools at Snowflake Springs. Damn.
Stumbled across this bit of sardonic humor yesterday on Barry Ritholtz’s blog yesterday – a set of pics from a recent New Yorker article / post reviewing travel related cartoons they’d published over the years. Ritholtz also thoughtfully provided contact information to report inappropriate behavior on the part of the TSA. I would guess the […]
Without a doubt one of the niftiest rewards we’ve received from scratching out our thoughts digitally here at Chi Wulff has been meeting intrepid fly fisher folk from around the world. You don’t need me to remind you that the greater world of fly fishing has assimilated some astoundingly interesting and gifted folks into its […]
