Montana's state parks, fishing access sites, and wildlife management areas belong to all of us — not just to people who can afford rising entry fees. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is proposing the first major fee overhaul in years, and while I understand the agency needs resources to maintain these places, I'm worried about who gets left behind when prices go up without a plan to protect working families, seniors, and kids who depend on free or low-cost outdoor access.
Our public lands are part of what makes Montana, Montana. Families camp, fish, and hunt on FWP sites because they're affordable. Local businesses — outfitters, gear shops, campground suppliers — depend on Montanans and visitors actually using these places. Pricing people out doesn't just hurt families; it hollows out rural communities that count on recreation dollars. And if FWP genuinely needs more funding, the answer shouldn't automatically be higher fees on the people who use these lands the most. There are other tools — dedicated funding streams, legislative appropriations, and partnerships — that deserve a real look before costs are passed entirely to the public.
I'm asking you to push FWP and the legislature to ensure any approved fee changes include hardship waivers, discounts for Montana residents, and a transparent accounting of exactly where the new revenue goes — and to reject any fee structure that treats public land access as a luxury.
---
