Stop House Bill 309 and protect Montana's Stream Access Law

I would be remiss if I did not mention Montana House Bill 309 and it's potential to limit the public's access to Montana's great rivers. While the genius Dillon Republican Jeff Welborn says it would just clarify the definition of an irrigation ditch, there is worry that it the definition may include any stream or river that relies on the return flow of irrigation water, which would include a great deal of Montana's great trout streams.

The bill has made it through the House and is on it's way to the Senate. If it passes, it would then fall to the big G.O.V. (Brian Schweitzer). I am late to the blogging party with regards to this issue, so I will instead refer you to those who have been covering it from the beginning. Check out Chi Wulff, Trout Bugs, Will Fish for Work, and the Missoulian (an excellent editorial by Bruce Farling of Montana TU) for some great coverage of the apparent attack on access to public waters.

Many people have made the connection between this year's attack on public access to streams to past attacks on public access like the recent Mitchell Slough case (damn you Huey Lewis and your crappy 80s music). If HB 309 makes it through the senate, I can only hope that history repeats itself and Gov. Schweitzer vetoes this bill like he did with the Mitchell Slough case. And I quote (from the NY Times):

“If you want to buy a big ranch and you want to have a river and you want privacy, don’t buy in Montana. The rivers belong to the people of Montana.” - Brian Schweitzer