Montana Chapter Access Solutions Leader
This position is tasked with a) improving opportunities to access public and private land; b) raising awareness to both threats and opportunities related to public access; and c) helping support, improve or create new or existing access tools.
Lead efforts to bring awareness to and support new access opportunities (writing letters of support, flagging for membership, etc).
Assist with legislative engagement on bills that deal with loss or gain of public access (fines for illegally blocking public roads; attempts to increase payouts to landowners who allow access; efforts to improve hunter ethics; defending stream access; etc). ‘Assist’ is to mean help track these efforts, digest and interpret bill language and intent, craft testimony and position statements, etc.
Identify and lead at least one boots-on-the-ground project aimed at improving relations with landowners and/or land-management agencies enrolled in some sort of public access program.
Analyzes data regarding public access programs to highlight success and failures.
Help educate the public on BHA’s illegal motorized use and illegal dumping rewards funds; elevate BHA’s poaching reward match, if that comes to fruition and the poaching case is on private land.
Develop relationships with FWP’s access coordinators across the state and serves as the liaison between FWP and MT BHA on access issues.
Secure a Montana BHA presence at least one landowner appreciation event, working with the Chapter’s Treasurer to allocate the budget to purchase item(s) of appreciation, and making sure that these stories are told on social and/or traditional media.
Our Access Solutions Board Member can live anywhere in Montana.
Members of the Chapter Board shall be conservation-minded individuals who will commit to actively uphold our hunting and fishing heritage and the ecological health of our wild public lands, waters and wildlife. Board members can expect to pledge a minimum of 5 hours / week toward BHA activities with some larger events (such as North American Rendezvous, Montana state legislative session or regional events) requiring more substantial short term time commitments. Chapter Officers must be at least 18 years of age and active members of Backcountry Hunters & Anglers. Board terms are three years. All Chapter Board Members shall act in good faith and in a manner that the Chapter Board Member believes to be in the best interest of BHA and consistent with BHA’s mission and priorities. All Chapter Board Members shall sign a Chapter Leader Service Agreement that includes a conflict of interest disclosure, position description, privacy policy and code of conduct. Candidates will be reviewed by MT BHA's Executive Committee before a two-thirds Board vote is required for final approval.
To Apply:
Send a resume and a letter of interest outlining your conservation involvement, skillset and familiarity with Backcountry Hunters & Anglers and the work we do in Montana. Though not a requirement, strong preference will be given for active members with a track record of engagement with the Montana Chapter of BHA. Please include any relevant experiences - either paid or volunteer - as well.
Please email your application materials to [email protected] with the subject line "Montana Chapter Access Solutions Leader" by May 24. Our Executive Committee will review applications and get back to you.