Newsroom

The storied Missouri River Breaks of Central Montana

  • Seen, unseen costs of stream access
    Missoulian - January 28, 2010
    The invisible costs generated by Montana’s ever-expanding Stream Access Law vastly outweigh the visible benefits. Nowhere better is this demonstrated than on the Mitchell Slough.... more

  • Montana property rights, traditions need protection
    New West - May 21, 2009
    GovMontana has long had some admirable traditions concerning property rights. Most of us grew up asking before we went hunting or fishing, and most property owners were eager to allow their neighbors recreational access. We got along pretty well with each other based on the principle of what’s mine is mine, and what’s yours is yours... more

  • Listen to the interview on our 2009 Legislative Scorecard
    Northern Ag Network - May 19, 2009
    Early last year, several concerned property owners established United Property Owners of Montana, Inc. with the goal of preserving the unique agricultural heritage that makes Montana such a great place to live, work, and recreate. more

  • UPOM Releases Legislative Report and Scorecard
    May 19, 2009
    Click here for the full report
    State and local government, and certain special interest groups, are having an unprecedented impact on our rights to possess, protect, and use private property in Montana, but a coalition of landowners, sportsmen, and small businesses are fighting back to protect property rights for future generations. more

  • Governor signs stream access bill
    Helena Independent Record - April 14, 2009
    Gov. Brian Schweitzer signed a bill Monday that reinforces anglers' guaranteed access to public streams, while allowing owners of private property to attach fences to bridges so livestock don't wander onto roads... more

  • FWP shortchanging hunters, legislative auditors find
    Billings Gazette - April 2, 2009
    Despite collecting more than $3 million in hunting fees for developing bird habitat, state wildlife officials haven't spent the money, according to legislative auditors... more

  • Consensus seems near on river access bill
    Billings Gazette - March 20, 2009
    Opponents of a bridge access bill raised some concerns at a Senate hearing Thursday, but the bill's sponsor said he's confident these differences can be ironed out... more

  • UPOM Opinion - Legislative forecast gloomy for hunting opportunity, property damage mitigation efforts
    By Chuck Denowh
    Published in the Missoulian - March 4, 2009
    This year's Legislature has taken a few important steps toward addressing some of the emerging issues in fish and game managmeent, but overall they're not keeping pace with the biggest problems we face... more

  • Harboring bill killed by panel
    Billings Gazette - February 26, 2009
    House Bill 314 would have allowed Fish, Wildlife and Parks to disperse wildlife harbored on private property after surrounding neighbors complained of problems...But Jack Ross, a retired representative from Absarokee, disagreed. He said the bill allowed the state to invade private property and allowed the landowner no rebuttal process for being billed for such measures...more

  • UPOM OPINION - Limiting hunting seasons bad for sportsmen, landowners
    By Toby Dahl, Mark Robbins, and Deanna Robbins
    Billings Gazette - February 6, 2009
    The contentious issue of hunting regulation has seemed especially prickly in the last year, arguably a result of recent decisions by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Park Commission to arbitrarily limit hunting access in what it deems "problem areas." Failure to reach consensus on hunting regulations means everybody loses, particularly because it widens the gap between landowners and sportsmen...more

  • Landowners decry limits on hunting permits
    Billings Gazette - January 28, 2009
    Some Montana landowners appeared before lawmakers Tuesday, urging them to pass two bills that would curb the state wildlife commission's authority to control the number of hunting permits issued...more

  • Lawmaker wants landowner on panel
    Billings Gazette - December 20, 2008
    Because their grazing land feeds 75 percent of Montana's wildlife and because stream access debates play out on their borders, large landowners deserve a spot on the state Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission, an Eastern Montana lawmaker said...more

  • Working Ranch Magazine article on UPOM and property rights
    September 2008
    Not long ago, ranchers like Toby Dahl were called innovators. They were praised for adopting resource mangement practices that improved natural habitat and enhanced wildlife populations on their privately owned land. They diversifed their ranching operations to include carefully managed fee-hunting enterprises. In many cases, that diversity lent greater and economic sustainability to struggling ranching operations, and helped bolster rural communities... more

  • Rehberg Opposes Schweitzer-backed Legislation to Expand Federal Regulation of Montana’s Water
    May 21, 2008
    WASHINGTON – Montana's Congressman, Denny Rehberg, in a letter to Governor Brian Schweitzer, announced his strong opposition to legislation Schweitzer is pushing that would expand federal control over Montana’s water... more

  • UPOM Participates in Water Rights Networking Conference
    May 9, 2008
    (Butte) – Unwarranted government intrusion into water use, a drastic decrease in recreational opportunities, and the further erosion of private property rights were the primary concerns aired at a grassroots...more

  • Private property rights threatened by FWP panel
    February 29, 2008, Great Falls Tribune
    The Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission recently elected to limit archery elk hunters in 31 hunting districts, primarily in Central and Eastern Montana. Keep in mind that archery elk hunting is a recreational sport; the harvest rate is generally accepted to be around 6 percent. The FWP Commission...more

  • Ranchers upset over new FWP Regulations
    March 4, 2008, Northern Ag Network
    Montana landowners are hopping mad at Montana’s Fish, Wildlife, and Parks Commission this week. Over 100 of them from all over a large part of central Montana, gathered in Roundup on March 3 to discuss what they can do to fight the newly-announced big game regulations.
    Toby Dahl, who...more

  • Elk Summit
    December 13, 2007
    I attended the Elk Summit on December 8th, 2007 in Bozeman. The summit was sponsored by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks, Montana Bow Hunters, Montana Outfitters and Guides, Montana Wildlife Federation, and the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation. The focus of the meeting was to address the over population of Elk in 64% of the 44 Elk Management Units...more

    • Winter blankets the Judith Mountains

  • Ranchers and Landowner Concerns Ignored in Fish Wildlife & Parks Commission Decision
    February 22, 2008, Montana Stockgrowers Association
    HELENA – The Montana Stockgrowers Association (MSGA) is asking Montana’s ranchers, landowners, outfitters, and sportsmen to denounce the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks (FWP) Commission’s recently adopted archery elk permit proposal. Despite overwhelming...more