A constitutional amendment in Montana that would protect the rights of citizens to hunt and fish goes to the voters on the state ballot this November. CA-41 would add this sentence to the Montana Constitution: "The opportunity to harvest wild fish and wild game animals is a heritage that shall forever be preserved to the individual citizens of the state and does not create a right to trespass on private property or diminution of other private rights." The proponents say that hunting and fishing opportunities in other states are being eroded by efforts of "anti-hunting, anti-fishing animal rights extremists" and those challenges eventually will reach Montana. Opponents of the action argue that creating such an amendment is reactionary and unnecessary, since there is no threat to the ability of people to hunt and fish in Montana. Over the past six or so years, a wave of so-called "right to hunt" legislative and constitutional provisions has been sweeping through state legislatures. The movement is sponsored by the U.S. Sportsmen's Alliance, formerly known as the Wildlife Legislative Fund of America, the same group which co-authored the Animal and Ecological Terrorism Act with the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC). At least 21 states have considered these provisions, and they have passed in at least six states. The provisions are a radical response of some members of the hunting community to new initiatives regulating certain types of hunting and trapping, and other perceived "threats" to the sport.

Ran 7/26/04