1. What is your view of the 2004 Attorney General Opinion regarding access to streams from county road bridges ?
This is an issue where Democrats and Republicans, landowners and sportsmen, must all work together to arrive at consensus. As a general principle, I support preserving historical access patterns to public lands and Montana’s streams and rivers. Our public lands are based on the principle of “multiple use”. One of the most important of these multiple uses is sportsmen’s ability to access public lands for recreational purposes. Private property rights shouldn’t be used to restrict access to public lands that historically have been available to the Montana public. Historical boating access to navigable rivers should be preserved.
2. In your opinion are public property rights important - often as important as private property rights?
The guarding of both public property rights and private property rights is guaranteed by the Montana Constitution. Laws that clarify the balance of both, giving full consideration to the rights of both sportsmen and landowners are needed. I will support laws that preserve public access to public lands and streams, guard the harvest heritage of the state for private citizens, and compensate landowners for losses incurred as a result of providing access for Montanans. Again, this should be non-partisan issue.
3. Do you believe the state should be allowed to acquire water rights sufficient to allow major streams to function as natural aquatic systems?
I support clean water that is healthy for all its uses. The protection and preservation of the natural aquatic systems of Montana’s major streams is the duty of the state. I am open to legislation that will assist in fulfilling this obligation, and would not limit the state’s options to the purchasing of water rights, but would consider this along with other solutions to determine which would be most effective in answering all the complex issues of maintaining clean water healthy for the environment.
4. Are you familiar with and do you support the Public Trust Doctrine?
I am familiar with the Public Trust doctrine and do support it.
5. Should we consider the sale of water in Montana’s rivers to be moved out of state?
No. I see no reason to do so and can think of many reasons it could be detrimental to the state. We should not sell our water in Montana’s rivers for export.
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 ?
It is helpful to have a single agency tasked with the responsibility of implementing the laws passed by the state legislature, which should work to provide free and fair access for all Montanans.
7. What should be done to reduce elk populations that exceed optimum numbers as defined in current management plans?
Increase the number of tags issued for elk during a given hunting season or seasons until the population is controlled.
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