Montana Governor Signs Bill to Expand Conservation Funding from Recreational Marijuana Sales
Montana Governor Greg Gianforte has signed House Bill 932, a proposal that will expand the uses of conservation-dedicated tax revenues generated from recreational marijuana sales. The bill will take effect on July 1 and will allocate the roughly $10 million in funding into three separate accounts.
The majority of the funding, 75%, will support Habitat Montana and state water projects. A further 20% will be directed towards the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program (WHIP), which aims to improve wildlife habitats and reduce the impact of human activities on wildlife. The remaining 5% will be allocated to a new wildlife crossings account, which aims to reduce the number of wildlife-vehicle collisions on Montana’s highways and interstates.
Prior to the passage of HB 932, the conservation-dedicated funding was solely allocated to Habitat Montana, a program that purchases new Wildlife Management Areas and secures conservation easements and leases. With the new law, individual landowners, tribal governments, conservation districts, and other entities will be able to apply for funding to support various habitat improvement projects on private land.
The bill’s sponsor, Representative Ken Walsh, praised the legislation, stating that it will “get rid of some of the bureaucracy” associated with implementing conservation projects. Conservation organizations, including Wild Montana and the Montana Conservation Voters Education Fund, also voiced their support for the bill, calling it a “long-overdue win for conservation, access, landowners, and wildlife.”
The bill passed with broad margins, receiving 126 votes in the state’s 150-member legislature. While a competing measure, Senate Bill 537, also passed, it differs from HB 932 in that it does not include water storage-specific funding and redistributes other portions of the tax revenue.
Governor Gianforte’s signature on HB 932 improves its prospects, but the bill’s path is not without twists. Senate Bill 537 has a provision that would take precedence if both bills are approved, meaning that a successful legislative veto override of Zolnikov’s bill could nullify his proposal.
