Busse earns endorsement of montana sportsmen’s alliance

“Ryan shares our values,” said Joe Perry of the Montana Sportsmen’s Alliance. “He has our confidence and full support.” Busse is an avid, lifelong public lands enthusiast with a self-described “bird hunting addiction” who chases big game and upland birds an average 50-70 days per year.

Gianforte, who suffers from a dismal 37 percent approval rating, unsuccessfully sued the people of Montana to block the public’s right to access the publicly owned East Gallatin River. As governor, Gianforte has upended the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), and supports transferring the management of federally owned public land to the State of Montana–the first step in selling off public lands to the highest bidder.

“Gianforte has been anti-resident sportsmen and has done everything he can to commercialize Montana’s wildlife,” Perry said. “He has loaded every group with MOGA (Montana Outfitter and Guides Association) and commercial interests. He has demolished the FWP, and forced the brain drain we’ve seen in a once respected agency. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is a joke.”

As governor Busse, along with lieutenant governor running mate Raph Graybill, vowed to uphold the Public Trust Doctrine, Habitat Montana and Montana’s overwhelmingly popular stream access laws. Unlike Gianforte, Busse “vehemently opposes” transferring big game licenses to private landowners.

“The Montana Legislature should stay out of wildlife management,” Busse told the Sportsmen’s Alliance. “And the Fish and Wildlife Commission should make decisions based upon sound biological science. Commercialization should be strictly prohibited from any wildlife decision.”

Busse added that as governor, he will roll back all recent big game commercialization, legalize “corner crossing” access to publicly owned land, and rebuild the beleaguered FWP.