Keep Feds out of sage grouse plan

With the federal government declaring sage grouse “warranted” for listing as an endangered species, Montana must act before the feds yet again interfere with the management of our state. Bureaucrats in D.C. and Helena all too often ignore the voices of citizens who live and work on the land each day, but a true Montana sage grouse solution simply cannot overlook the property rights of local landowners when coming up with an acceptable plan. Tying up land in bureaucratic red tape and permits only does a disservice to landowners and job creators, while doing nothing to proactively improve sage grouse numbers. A Montana-made solution can strike the right balance between supporting economic and natural resource activity, private property rights, and a healthy sage grouse population.

Sen. Elsie Arntzen

SD 27, Billings