The nominations of Ravalli County Commissioner Jeff Burrows and Bozeman-based campground owner Susan Kirby Brooke have been officially confirmed by the Montana Senate. They will now join the Fish and Wildlife Commission, a governor-appointed body responsible for establishing hunting and fishing regulations and reviewing land acquisitions by Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. Additionally, two sitting commissioners have been reappointed.
Burrows is taking over the role that was previously occupied by Jana Waller, who is relocating out of state and chose not to reapply for another term. Burrows, an environmental engineering graduate from Montana Tech, has a background in civilian engineering with the U.S. Air Force in Colorado Springs. He has been a member of the Ravalli County Commission since 2012 and recently began another four-year term in January. In addition, Burrows actively participates in the Montana Forest Action Advisory Council and the Ravalli County Collaborative, both of which focus on natural resource management matters.
Brooke, who grew up on a Madison Valley ranch, is set to assume the seat previously occupied by Pat Byorth. Prior to this, she had served on the Board of Environmental Review, a quasi-judicial entity responsible for resolving conflicts between the Montana Department of Environmental Quality and regulated industries. Additionally, she had also been a part of the Reserved Water Rights Compact Commission, which played a crucial role in negotiating water rights compacts with tribes possessing federally reserved water rights for the state.
During a Tuesday hearing, committee members posed questions to Burrows and Brooke regarding their approaches to their positions on the commission. This shed some light on their strategies for dealing with the commission, which is primarily composed of volunteers and often receives passionate public feedback. Matt Lumley from the National Trappers Association and the Outdoor Heritage Coalition, who commented during the hearing, stated that south-central Montana is one of the most contentious wildlife areas in the country due to the existence of bison, wolves, and grizzlies, all of which are connected to the Endangered Species Act in some manner.
When committee members inquired about how he plans to address the competing interests of private property owners, the outfitting industry, and non-outfitted hunters and anglers, Burrows responded that he would prioritize the rights of landowners while acknowledging the significance of hunting and fishing on public lands.
Sen. Pat Flowers, D-Belgrade, asked Brooke about her understanding of Madison River recreation management, one of the hot-button issues Region 3 has grappled with for years. She said she thinks of it as an overcrowding issue, not a matter of fishery health. She added that she expects the state will eventually address crowding on its most popular rivers by moving to a daily permitted or ticketed system similar to what Glacier National Park instated in 2021.
The Senate also approved the reappointments of Phillips County rancher and current commission chair Lesley Robinson and Ismay rancher Bill Lane, but not without a bit of scrutiny from Sen. Brad Molnar, R-Laurel. Molnar, who’s sponsoring a bill that would make commission appointments nonpartisan, paid and elected rather than appointed, criticized Robinson’s recent handling of elk tag allocations.
The commission was accused by Molnar of arranging an unscheduled work session specifically to allocate bull elk tags to the Wilks brothers, Dan and Farris. These brothers are involved in an FWP program that provides bull elk tags to a small number of prominent landowners, in return for allowing public elk hunting. (The Wilks brothers possess numerous ranchlands throughout Montana, a significant portion of which are utilized for trophy hunting.)
Molnar expressed his skepticism about the leadership’s direction, stating that it does not align with his desired path.
Molnar was the lone Republican to vote against Senate Resolution 3, the measure advancing the appointees’ nominations. He was joined by all but three of the Senate’s Democrats.
The appointees will serve four-year terms.
