Montana Trout Unlimited recently unveiled a new online map of Fishing Access Sites all across the state. Although the state already has a map of FAS, Montana TU felt that the map did not adequately depict the condition of the sites nor pinpoint locations where additional sites might be helpful.
Montana TU Executive Director David Brooks said that the real point is to illustrate that there is a need for improvement in fishing access across the state, and that the Land and Water Conservation Fund has been and could continue to be one way of filling that need.
The Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) uses revenues from offshore drilling to fund conservation and recreation projects on public lands throughout the United States. In March 2019, Congress permanently authorized the LWCF and is currently considering $900 million per year of permanent funding, the full amount prescribed by Congress in 1965.
Montana Trout Unlimited is advocating for a permanent, dedicated, and fully-funded LWCF because it has been critical to protecting important cold water habitat and securing public access to our land and water. You can access the map at montanatu.org