(HELENA) – Governor Brian Schweitzer today announced he intends to propose legislation in the 2007 Session for state park acquisition, fishing access sites and a “Families Fish for Free” program. “It’s part of my square deal with Montanans,” said Governor Schweitzer. “Our hunting, fishing and outdoor recreation heritage is what makes us who we are in Montana – it is our way of life and it should be preserved for generations to come.”
The Governor’s proposals:
State Park Acquisition: The proposed program would identify and acquire new state parks in all regions of the state. “Many state parks get crowded at certain times of the year. We don’t need anything fancy, but we need places for families to camp and recreate without having to make reservations far in advance. With ever increasing land prices, now is the time to do this.”
Fishing Access Sites: The same urgency applies to fishing access sites. “Some floaters are waiting on the river for extended periods because some stretches are too crowded. Other stretches have great fishing, but they remain inaccessible. Many of these sites also offer excellent family recreational and camping opportunities.”
The Square Deal proposal would allocate $15 million for the acquisition of state parks and fishing access sites.
“I want families to celebrate the new state parks and fishing access sites,” said Governor Schweitzer. “I want grandma or grandpa to be able to take their grandkids to these new areas to fish. I want grandkids to have a first memory of fishing with their grandparents at a new state park.”
Families Fish for Free: Under this proposal, kids under 15 will fish for free, as will adults 62 and over. A conservation license will still be required, but will cost nothing for those Montanans who fit the “Fish for Free” category. There are about 18,000 Montanans who bought licenses last year that would qualify. The cost to fund the program would be about $140,000 per year. “Kids and grandparents make great fishing partners,” said Governor Schweitzer. “Let’s make sure this Montana tradition is carried from generation to generation.”
The Governor has already announced his proposal for rebating Montana homeowners $100 million of one time money or $400 per homeowner and for suspending the water tax (HB22). The Governor’s proposal would give all the money to homeowners not to big corporations.
The Schweitzer administration has not raised taxes and does not support raising taxes. Governor Schweitzer advanced legislation that eliminated the business equipment tax for 13,000 small businesses. Recently Montana was ranked number 9 in best tax code for business and 12th best in state and local tax burden by The Tax Foundation. The state has the third fastest growing economy.
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