Montana Governor Fields Calls from Across the State
Unlike the last governor of Montana, Governor Greg Gianforte (R-MT) isn't afraid to take unscripted phone calls from Montanans all across the state. He covered a range of topics, from the Northern and Southern borders, to supply chain challenges across the country, and of course COVID-19.
On the borders:
Gov Gianforte: We did get some progress on the Northern border this week. The Biden administration- long, long overdue- they're starting to reopen the border. But they still have all these crazy rules. I'll continue to urge the Biden Administration to fully reopen this Northern border. And what is so tragically ironic is our northern border continues to have restrictions whereas our southern border is wide open.
One caller asked about the federal Bureau of Land Management looking to grant year- round grazing to the foreign funded American Prairie Reserve, which is working to kick the ranchers off the land in Central and Eastern Montana. The caller also referenced sage grouse:
Gov. Gianforte: I don't think the BLM is following the law. I don't think they have the authority to make the decision. They certainly don't have the authority to proceed without the state of Montana completing the environmental assessment. It's still underway. And on top of that, to add insult to injury, BLM refused to have public listening sessions. I asked for them to do it in each one of the counties that are affected by this grazing change. They did one zoom call remotely while everybody was putting up hay and out in the tractor....So we'll continue to push back on that. You mentioned sage grouse as well. This is a real concern, the Biden administration's been putting forward their 30 by 30 plan, which basically they're trying to put 30% of the acreage in the United States under, quote, 'conservation' by the year 2030. They're weaponizing the Endangered Species Act. They are using expansion in CRP regulations. I think we're gonna see a reinstatement of waters of the US. All of these are attempt to confiscate property rights and I'll continue to defend our producer rights in their land.
Full audio is above.