A legislator in Helena recently made a perplexing argument why lawmakers should gut Montana’s dedicated funding for public access, state parks and conservation priorities.

“If they want more money, then charge a fee for trails. Charge a fee for parks,” said Senate Majority leader Tom McGillvray during a recent committee hearing. “Charge the fee. Let the user pay.”

McGillvray’s take highlights the dangerous idea that Montanans should be directly charged to access our shared public lands and waters instead of utilizing the funding we've already set aside to manage our lands, wildlife and access to them. 

Unfortunately, this bizarre argument is already convincing a few other lawmakers in Helena.

McGillvray's bill, SB 307, would permanently redirect a portion of Montana’s marijuana tax, which lawmakers previously dedicated to state parks, wildlife protection, trails and public land access. It would funnel these resources instead into the state’s general slush fund and to health and drug prevention programs. The bill would strip as much as $32 million over the next two years from critical programs like Habitat Montana, state parks and trail stewardship.

Nobody is against drug prevention programs. Unfortunately, Sen. McGillvray has tried to frame this bill as a necessary trade-off between conservation and public health. 

But that’s a false choice. Under no scenario do we need to rob Peter to pay Paul. The fact is this: Montana has the resources to support robust public health programs without having to ransack investments in our outdoors (or charge our citizens for the right to access our shared land and waters).

Montana is enjoying a historic budget surplus, with billions in new revenue expected over the next biennium. This surplus, combined with marijuana tax revenue, offers ample resources to support both conservation and other important priorities. The suggestion that we must choose between the two is not only fiscally irresponsible – it’s completely unnecessary.

Worse, suggesting we make up for those lost funds by charging Montanans more to access our lands, as Sen. McGillvray has argued, is as out of touch as it is shortsighted. This would encourage a pay-to-play approach at a time when Montana is already struggling to maintain public access as wealth pours into the state and open space is developed.

Montanans want common-sense solutions that improve wildlife management, create more outdoor opportunities and preserve the way of life that defines our state. Lawmakers should pursue these solutions, not try to eliminate the investments that sustain our outdoors.

We don’t have to choose between protecting our outdoor heritage and funding other new priorities. Montana’s budget surplus means we can – and should – do both. 

This bill fails to recognize that our outdoor way of life doesn’t need to come at the expense of improving public health. It also fails to recognize that trails, parks, and wildlife are vital resources that contribute to the health and economic well-being of our communities.

Despite opposition from Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and Montanans across the state, Senate Bill 307 advanced to the Montana Senate floor. It may have passed to the House by the time you’re reading this.

We can stop this pay-to-play bill. Join me in calling our state senators and representatives today and asking them to vote no on SB 307. Tell them this: it’s time to stop framing this as an either/or scenario. We can invest in our public lands and support other programs like drug prevention. We have the resources. It’s time to use them wisely.

Jim Klug is CEO of Yellow Dog Fly Fishing based in Bozeman and is a founding member of Business for Montana’s Outdoors.