1. What is your view of the 2004 Attorney General Opinion regarding access to streams from county road bridges ?
I fish myself and like most when I want to fish I have to find a place or go to a fishing access. The issue of river access from a bridge that is located on a public road is at best a tough issue especially to address as a one-fit-all deal. I know several bridges that would fit very well into a public access scenario, but I also know of some that would cause an unsafe situation. I would like to address this situation on a per-bridge access deal.
2. In your opinion are public property rights important - often as important as private property rights?
Public property rights are important, but cannot over-ride the rights of private property. A land owner has paid for their right to be considered above the public interests. With land purchase prices, taxes and maintenance of fences, ditches, gates, roads and whatever the land owner has paid and continues to pay for his rights as a private property owner.
3. Do you believe the state should be allowed to acquire water rights sufficient to allow major streams to function as natural aquatic systems?
If I understand the question that would be fine but there should be some form of compensation to who ever owns the land the stream flows through.
4. Are you familiar with and do you support the Public Trust Doctrine?
No I am not.
5. Should we consider the sale of water in Montana’s rivers to be moved out of state?
I would need to know more information on that before I could really make an intelligent answer. On the basis of the face value of the question I would have to say no.
6. Should the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks remain the sole decision maker for the allocation of licenses and permits that determine who may legally hunt and harvest Montana wildlife ?
Yes, I am not a Wildlife Biologist and even though I question some things the FWP does I do believe they are the best qualified to make those decisions.
7. What should be done to reduce elk populations that exceed optimum numbers as defined in current management plans?
Once again I hesitate to run a program I am unqualified to, but I would say we would need to open up some more cow tags. Reducing the number of bulls will not produce the end result as one bull can breed a large number of cows.
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