By John B. Sullivan III - July 14, 2019 - Originally published in the Billings Gazette In June, a coalition of Montana-based conservation groups, including the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, filed suit against the U.S. Forest Service for failing to enforce public access rights in the Crazy Mountains. This was no easy decision. As chair of MT BHA, I felt compelled to explain our legal action against a longstanding partner in a letter to this paper. After an apparently ...

By John Sullivan III - June 16, 2019 - Originally published in the Montana Standard. As Americans, we should be passionate about property rights – for both private land owners and public land owners. Our U.S. public lands are property owned by all American citizens, and a number of federal agencies, including the U.S. Forest Service, are charged with managing these lands on our behalf. If the Forest Service or another management agency falls short in upholding its duty as our public land ...

By John Sullivan - December 11, 2018 - Originally published in the Billings Gazette. Earlier this month, George H.W. Bush was laid to rest beside his wife of 73 years, Barbara. The legacy of our 41st president is defined in part by Bush’s role as an avid sportsman who enthusiastically enjoyed hunting and fishing. Like Bush, most American sportsmen and women realize that conservation should be a unifying force rather than something that divides us. Bush understood the solace and connectivity ...

August 22nd, 2018 Attn: Tom BarrettNatural Resource SpecialistNorth Central Montana District Division of Oil and Gas1220 38th Street NorthGreat Falls, MT 59405406-791-7766tjbarrett@blm.gov   Dear Tom Barrett, Thank you for reviewing the following comment on the Environmental Assessment December 11 2018 Lease Sale (DOI-BLM-MT-0000-2018-0002-EA ) from the Montana Chapter of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Our members include 2,500 Montana hunters, anglers and others who adamantly champion North ...

There is a public access battle raging in the Crazy Mountains and we need to hear from you.Have you or your family ever ventured into Crazy Mountains? Whether it is was for hunting, fishing, camping, hiking, horseback riding or for work, it doesn’t matter: we want to know. Please take a minute to let us know which trail(s) you used, what access point(s), when and why. Historical and current public user information is very important to protect and preserve historical prescriptive access to ...