As the final gavel dropped and Montana’s 2025 legislative session came to a close, the dedicated members and volunteers from the Montana Chapter of BHA took a deep breath—and then a moment to celebrate. “Sine Die” is Latin for “without a day,” signaling the end of the session, and this year it also marks the culmination of months of hard work, strategic advocacy, and grassroots activism from BHA members across the state.

The Chapter is proud to report that three of Montana BHA’s top-priority bills made it through the legislature and now await the governor’s signature. These bills represent meaningful progress for Montana hunters, anglers, and anyone who values the state’s wild places and wildlife. The Chapter weighed in on countless other bills this year and will provide a full legislative recap of the session in a future blog.

HB 283 – A Smarter, More Equitable Approach to Wildlife Conservation Funding

Introduced by Rep. Tyson Running Wolf, HB 283 would allow Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) to raise funds for wildlife conservation through both raffles and auctions. This bill gives the Fish and Wildlife Commission the flexibility to choose the method—raffle or auction—that will generate the most revenue for each species, ensuring financial efficiency and broader access for the hunting public.

Just like any business diversifies strategies to manage risk, Montana can now diversify its wildlife funding approaches. With 90% of the revenue directly supporting projects that benefit the species—like habitat enhancements and research—this bill ensures that our most iconic wildlife receive the targeted investment they deserve.

This isn’t just good for conservation—it’s a step forward for fairness, opportunity, and long-term sustainability. Read about Montana BHA's record-setting mule deer tag raffle that raised $56,620 for conservation, which exceeded the previous Montana mule deer auction record of $41,000 by 38%!

HB 763 – Unlocking Public Lands, the Montana Way

Introduced by Rep. Joshua Seckinger, HB 763 is a commonsense, Montana-grown solution to one of our state’s longest-standing outdoor challenges: landlocked public lands. The bill builds on the already-successful Block Management Program by compensating private landowners who voluntarily allow walk-in access across their land to reach public parcels. Importantly, landowners do not need to allow hunting on their property—just permission to cross it.

HB 763 streamlines this process by offering a simple agreement and a set fee (up to $25,000) based on the size and type of public land being accessed. It’s a practical, respectful approach that honors private property rights while expanding public access to the lands we all own.

HB 932 / SB 537 – Permanent Conservation Funding for Montana’s Future

In 2021, Montana became the first state in the nation to reinvest taxes from the sale of marijuana into sustaining Montana’s outdoor heritage, and the resulting tax revenue has since provided millions of dollars annually to the Habitat Montana Program. Most notably this included opening the new Big Snowy Mountain Wildlife Management Area which vastly improved access to nearly 100,000 acres of federal public lands.

This tax revenue has been fought over every legislative session since its inception, including this year, where BHA members helped to kill SB307, a bill which would have siphoned money away from the Habitat Montana program. Now, two nearly identical pro-conservation bills that maintain this existing conservation funding and expand how it can be allocated to make the greatest impact on the ground await the governor's signature.

BHA applauds the legislature for passing these bills and is optimistic the Governor will sign HB 932 which would uphold and strengthen conservation funding by creating a Habitat Legacy Account, safeguarding the conservation funding Montanans fought for while expanding its impact. The bill ensures funding would continue to prioritize conservation and public access while expanding funding for habitat restoration, wildlife crossings, conservation easements, and programs like the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP) that benefit both wildlife and working lands.

These legislative wins didn’t happen by accident. They are the product of months of collaboration, countless hours of testimony, and the power of a committed community that knows how to speak up and show up. To every member who emailed a legislator, came to Helena, or spread the word—you helped make this possible.

As we await the governor’s signature on these game-changing bills, we’re taking a moment to celebrate. But we’re also looking ahead—to implementation, oversight, and building on this momentum for the next session and beyond.

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