2023 Montana Public Lands Festival

Thank you for Your Support at PLWA’s first annual Montana Public Lands Festival!

PLWA’s 2023 Montana Public Lands Festival was August 19th from 4-8 PM

This year PLWA will be hosting its first ever Montana Public Lands Festival this summer in Bozeman, MT. The event will be held at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds on the Treasure State Lawn & Stage.

We have some great content planned:

  • A panel discussion at 5:30 PM with leaders in public access from around the state. Learn more about our panelists below.

  • Live music, food, drinks, and games.

  • A silent auction to raise money for access work.

  • Partner organization and sponsor booths.

  • Opportunities to learn about public access issues and programs.

We’re excited to have some great partners attending and supporting the Festival this year including:

  • Montana Wildlife Federation

  • Montana Backcountry Hungers & Anglers

  • Madison Gallatin Trout Unlimited

  • Bureau of Land Management

  • The Fallen Outdoors - Montana Chapter

  • Wild Montana

  • Yellow Dog Community & Conservation Foundation

  • and more!

Our Public Lands Panel will run on the Treasure State Stage from 5:30 - 6:30 PM, moderated by Executive Director Drewry Hanes. PLWA is thrilled to welcome the following panelists to discuss topics on public access to our Montana public lands and waters:

  • Jory Ruggiero’s law practice focuses on environmental protection, insurance bad faith and personal injury litigation. Formerly a partner at the Bozeman law firm of Beck, Amsden and Ruggiero, Jory formed the Western Justice Associates Law Firm in 2008.

    Jory has served as President of the Montana Trial Lawyers Association and sits on the national board of directors of the American Association for Justice (AAJ). He is listed in Best Lawyers in America. Jory has also served on the board of directors for the Montana Trial Lawyers Association and as the Western Montana Representative of the Natural Resources Section of the Montana Bar Association. He is a member of numerous professional organizations and the bars of the State of Montana, the U.S. District Courts in Montana and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

    Jory earned his Juris Doctorate from the University of Montana where he served as Editor of the Public Land and Resources Law Review and as a member of the law school’s competitive negotiation team. Before beginning his civil litigation practice, he did legal work for the United Nations Environmental Programme in Nairobi, Kenya; for the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation in Missoula, Montana; and for a host of non-profit, environmental protection groups throughout the west.

    Prior to studying law, Jory worked as a biologist for the U.S. Forest Service, as a backcountry ranger for the National Park Service and as an ethnographer in northwest Alaska. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree with high honors in Biology from the University of Wyoming and Master of Science degree with high honors and an emphasis in Aquatic Ecology from the University of Montana. Jory has published natural history writing, ethnographic essays and natural resource law articles.

    Jory chooses to make his home in Bozeman, Montana for the skiing, backpacking, boating, fly fishing and other wilderness recreation opportunities.

  • Don Thomas has spent his whole life outdoors. He worked for years as a physician (internal medicine) in rural settings but has also been a hunting guide, commercial fisherman and pilot.

    He now writes full time for a number of magazines including Gray’s Sporting Journal, Traditional Bowhunter, Tail, Retriever Journal, Strung, Big Sky Journal and many other magazines that cover wing-shooting, flyfishing, bowhunting, dogs, and other aspects of the outdoors.

    Although most familiar with outdoor experience in Montana and Alaska, where he has spent his adult life, he also traveled extensively in places as diverse as Africa, Latin America, the Caribbean, Siberia, and all around the Pacific.

    Above all he enjoys spending time in the outdoors working with his wife Lori, an accomplished outdoors woman and photographer. He also enjoys working and hunting with his dogs.

  • Matthew MaCoy is a Montana based photographer working in Bozeman. Prior to moving to Bozeman to study photography and philosophy Matt lived day to day incorporating photography into his routine and schedule. This routine and unceasing passion for photography have come to play a major role in his life. Growing up in Denver, Colorado Matt was raised to appreciate the nature that surrounded him. His continued affection for the outdoors influence his involvement in outdoor actions sport such as skiing, biking, and backpacking. Macoy’s undying love for nature is evident in his art, both subjectively and conceptually. The aesthetic aspect of his landscape and documentary images is paramount, but the focus on aesthetic often gives way to social commentary on man’s relation to nature. As an environmental photographer Matt depicts, indirectly, issues facing our society and its relationship to the outdoors. As a fine art artist Matthew’s primary goal is to communicate the principle of unity between man and nature. Living in Bozeman, the surrounding areas of Montana wilderness allow Matt to capture this unity and interact with nature in a positive way. Exploring many moods in his work Macoy utilizes both medium format film and digital media to capture scenes in both black and white and color, depending on intended moods. Continuing forward Matthew intends to travel, discovering new places and lifestyles to photograph. He is also currently teaching upper level photography at Montana State. In adventuring he seeks a balance between his fine art and outdoor commercial photography, advertising not just outdoor product but the outdoor lifestyle he lives and loves.

  • Haley grew up in Northern Michigan surrounded by the Great Lakes, invoking a passion for water conservation at a young age. Through fishing and recreating on Lake Michigan and Superior’s numerous tributaries, she developed an understanding for the importance of preservation of fisheries and wild spaces. After exploring an education in graphic design as a young adult, she headed west at the first opportunity to chase the Rockies.

    While residing on the front range of Colorado and pursuing various career opportunities in

    design and customer service, she obtained a degree in environmental science from Metropolitan State University in Denver. Her degree included a strong focus in water quality and municipal operations, as well as research opportunities surrounding the 2015 Gold King Mine spill into the Las Animas River. After graduation, she was employed at a local water and sanitation district performing GIS and asset management-related work. Haley lived, worked, and recreated on the front range for almost a decade before relocating to Montana to work for the Department of Environmental Quality. Throughout her career with the state, she developed a passion for working collaboratively with stakeholders to achieve the goal of protecting Montana’s state waters.

    After several years working in public service at both a state and local level, Haley is excited to now serve as the public access investigator for PLWA. She currently lives in Butte, where she regularly takes full advantage of Montana’s public access to hike, camp, climb, fish and explore. Her favorite pastime involves a fly rod, her two pups, and a flowing river.

  • Drewry is the Executive Director of PLWA. Growing up as the daughter of a cattle farmer who served on committees for both the National Cattleman’s Association and the National Audobon Society, Drew formed an appreciation for the complexities and importance of the role lands and waters play in our lives.

    Drew began her career with a focus on Africa – pursuing wildlife management research and conservation program design in East Africa before completing degrees in African Studies and Social Anthropology at SOAS in

    the UK. Returning to the States to study, she pursued graduate degrees at Columbia University as a Family Nurse Practitioner and in public health with a focus on Population and Family Health. After thirteen years in the health field, Drew has returned to her roots in conservation and access joining PLWA’s staff in 2020.

    An avid hunter, angler, mountain biker and forager, Drew values every day she spends on Montana’s public lands. After seven years of involvement with PLWA as a supporter, member, and Board Member, she is proud to now serve the organization as its Executive Director.

PLWA 2023 ANNUAL MEETING

PLWA’s Annual Meeting will be held from 3-4 PM at the Gallatin County Fairgrounds, in Building 3. The meeting is open to members and the general public.

You will hear from PLWA Staff and Board Members about accomplishments during the past year, future goals, learn about current work on access issues, and vote on new Board of Directors candidates and a bylaws update. Hear from our candidates below.

UPDATE: The following Board of Directors Candidates were elected for 3 year terms from 2023-2026:

Beth Brennan; Bozeman, MT

Thank you for this opportunity to stand for election to serve on the PLWA Board. My name is Beth Brennan and I run TREAD Agency, a marketing and PR agency based in Bozeman, Montana. My marketing focus is in the outdoor recreation industry. I am also an advocate for conservation, public lands and public land access. I am involved in Backcountry Hunters &

Anglers, Tread Lightly and also service on the board on the Specialty Equipment Manufacturing Association Board as part of the SEMA Business Women’s Select Committee.

I believe that my marketing and PR background can help spread the word and assist greatly in the promotional side of PLWA whether it be publicizing events or seeking media placements that will help cast a wider net in telling the PLWA story. I am also able to help in other marketing arenas such as branding and messaging. I am passionate about public land access and how I might contribute my skills and background to help further PLWA’s mission.

Dylan Pininich; Butte, MT

My name is Dylan Pipinich, and I was born and raised in Anaconda, MT; on the edge of the Pintler Wilderness. By high school age, there were very few lakes in the Pintlers and Pioneers that I hadn’t fished, very few drainages that I hadn’t hunted, and very few peaks that I hadn’t climbed. I completed my undergraduate degree in Bozeman, MT, and later moved to Butte, MT where I still reside.

I’ve managed $20 Million heavy civil construction projects, including access negotiations for EPA directed Superfund Projects, and have also supervised and directed land records and data systems, planning and building codes, and many citizen advisory boards for Butte-Silver Bow County. The last fifteen years have given me an extensive and very unique knowledge of private property rights, public property rights, and relationships with land management agencies such as the Forest Service, BLM, FWP, MDT, as well as others. I believe this is all very applicable to PLWA’s mission and programs.

More importantly, my dedication and resolve to recreating on public lands and waters is much more of an asset. To be honest, I believe the ability to hunt, hike, and fish on public lands has had more of an impact on who I am today than anything else. It has taught me community, camaraderie, self-worth and drive, and many other virtues. It’s a place to find one’s self, and without it, I would be a very different person. I’ve experienced an access issue myself, and lost a very close friend to cancer during the process. It was eye opening to see how fast you can lose something and how hard it is to get it back. One of my biggest regrets in life is that I didn’t do more to advocate for public lands until I was forced to. I won’t have that regret again.

Its very important to me that my two children have the same opportunities in life that I have, and for me that starts with public lands. I’ve worked with Drew and Haley on an access issue and couldn’t be any more excited about the accomplishments PLWA has made and where its heading. In my mind, there are few endeavors more righteous.

Codi Hanson; Toston, MT

As a passionate native Montanan, I am inspired by the organization's mission and the critical work it undertakes to educate and advocate to protect access to our public lands. I am Codi Hanson, and with a background in business management, I bring years of experience that aligns to support the goals of PLWA. I recently completed PLWA's Access Investigation Certificate program this spring and look forward to utilizing that knowledge to support the mission. I have experienced firsthand the frustration of being intimidated off public land not knowing what resources were available to address the situation. Now more than ever with Montana's growth there is a need for education and awareness surrounding rights and access to public lands.

I am particularly drawn to the collaborative spirit that PLWA embodies. In my current role as a business owner in the outdoor industry, I have the opportunity to collaborate with several like-minded organizations and individuals to share PLWA's message. Furthermore, I am impressed by the positive impact that PLWA has achieved in the past, and I am eager to be part of the team that will guide the organization toward even greater success in the future. Though I have not served in this type of capacity previously, I firmly believe that my combination of professional experience, leadership qualities, and a genuine passion for Montana's public lands will enable me to make meaningful contributions to the board's efforts and help shape the direction of PLWA.


Auction Items

PLWA has some great auction items lined up for the Festival. Come bid on outdoor gear, experiences, and loads of great things. All funds will go towards supporting our work to protect access to your Montana public lands and waters!


PLWA PROGRAMMING

A lot has happened in the past year.

Learn about our PLWA Programs, Community Engagement Initiatives, and Sponsors below.

Reach out if you would like to be a Sponsor for the 2023 Montana Public Lands Festival, and help us protect access in Montana.

PLWA ACCESS & OFFICER ELECTIONS

Access complaints have gone up 30% during the past year! Our organization and its supporters, along with Partner Organizations and passionate activists are working tirelessly to preserve access.

If you would like to be a part of this movement, join PLWA today. Members vote in elections and help protect Montana’s access heritage. If you would like to learn about leadership, visit our About Us page below.

We will be voting in person this year on Board of Directors candidates. Voting on Bylaws and Articles of Incorporation updates will occur in the Fall.

 

A huge thank you to our silent auction donors! Please patronize these businesses and thank these individuals - they are great supporters of public access in Montana!

  • Pizza Campania

  • Matt MaCoy Photography

  • Bozeman Wine Gallery

  • Broken Oar Outfitters

  • Trail Head - Missoula

  • Jim Klug Outdoor Photography

  • RiflesandRecipes.com

  • George Anderson's Yellowstone Angler

  • Montucky Cold Snacks

  • The Base Camp

  • Allegra Marketing - Print - Mail Bozeman

  • Kevin League

  • Teton Gravity Research - Bozeman

  • REI - Bozeman

  • Sweetwater Fly Shop

  • Dan Bailey's

  • Ceremony Salon & Spa

  • Blackbird Kitchen

  • Spire Climbing Center

  • Brothers Tapworks

  • Yellow Dog Fly Fishing

  • East Rosebud Fly & Tackle

  • Madison River Fishing Company

  • Plonk Wine