Category: News Article

BILLINGS, Mont. — Senator Steve Daines is making a trip to China next week to represent Montana in trade negotiations.  Senator Daines says there is great potential for Montana Ag to break into the Chinese market. “With 95% of the world’s consumer’s outside of the United States, when you think about the future of Montana agriculture, it is in these export markets, says Senator Daines, “China represents a tremendous opportunity for Montana agriculture.  It’s the world’s second largest beef market.  Our ability to get access to that market — which we are able to get access now thanks to what

On Tuesday, dozens of people gathered on the Rocky Mountain Front to celebrate a new addition to Montana’s public lands. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation held a ceremony to mark the official opening of the Falls Creek property to the public. The foundation purchased the 442-acre property, just off Dearborn Canyon Road southwest of Augusta, and transferred it to the Helena-Lewis and Clark National Forest. Leaders say the agreement permanently protects important wildlife habitat and provides much improved access to an additional 26,000 acres of public land beyond the property. “It’s one of those iconic things that I think the

A disembodied cockpit and set of screens at Helena’s Fire Training Center simulate the world’s most advanced fighter jet.  The Lockheed-Martin F-35 Lightning II is a state-of-the-art aircraft intended for use by the United States military and by partners overseas. A stealth fighter, bomber and all-round world-beater, the F-35 is intended give America long-term air superiority. “I grew up under President Ronald Reagan and he always talked about ‘peace through strength,’” U.S. Sen. Steve Daines said. “This is a great example of the technology we need, the F-35, for air superiority.”  Sen. Daines and U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte were in Helena

HELENA, Mont. (AP) — Republican U.S. Sen. Steve Daines of Montana says he’s traveling to China next week to continue agricultural trade discussions. In 2017, Daines announced a tentative agreement with one of China’s largest retailers to import $200 million of beef raised by members of the Montana Stockgrowers Association. That effort has stalled amid the escalating trade dispute between the U.S. and China. Daines said his trip is meant to bring Montana agriculture to the forefront of ongoing negotiations between the countries. He’ll be travelling with Republican U.S. Sen. David Perdue of Georgia.  A spokeswoman says Daines supports President Donald

Sen. Steve Daines toured Montana’s northern border with Canada on Thursday and said he saw new technology and new methods being used to increase security.    Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials showed Daines the latest in aerial and terrestrial technologies — including small unmanned aircraft systems, ground sensors and autonomous towers.  They said these will help to better protect our border while enhancing the safety of the CBP.  “This is a great example of how we are using technology to be a force multiplier here for the men and women who serve protecting us at the northern border,” the Montana Republican said in a

MISSOULA — Fire officials are confident a wildfire north of Missoula will not grow significantly even though the weather is supposed to get hotter. However, they have a plan in place in case that does happen. Senator Steve Daines attended a briefing at the incident base on Wednesday to receive an update on firefighting progress and what to expect in the near future. “We’ve got excellent leadership working together. And consequently that combined with — we have had a few breaks here in the weather the rain that we had a few days ago — means that this fire could

While Congress is in recess, Sen. Steve Daines is traveling the state discussing topics from wildfires to the Endangered Species Act to gun violence. At Bridger Aerospace in Belgrade on Tuesday, Daines, a Bozeman Republican, spoke about a bill he plans to introduce this fall aimed at reducing wildfire risk. The legislation, which he will cosponsor with Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a California Democrat, will include efforts like more aggressively thinning trees near roads and trails because he said most human-caused wildfires start within a half mile of roads or trails. “Either we need to better manage our forests or our

Sen. Steve Daines this week defended his environmental voting record by expressing support for funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund at its full amount while opposing the transfer of federal lands back to the states. But he remained noncommittal on the appointment of William Pendley to lead the Bureau of Land Management. Pendley has advocated for transferring or selling public lands and is viewed by some as an ideological extremist on the issue. “You have a director in Interior Secretary David Bernhardt who has been adamant in his opposition to the transfer of federal lands to the states,” Daines

Montana’s Republican lawmaker in the U.S. Senate touted Monday his bipartisan work to a crowd in one of the state’s most Democrat-voting cities. Sen. Steve Daines spoke at City Club Missoula’s monthly luncheon at the DoubleTree Hotel about everything from gun control to public land ownership to the federal deficit to Mexican meth during a question-and-answer session. He was met with protesters outside the building who want him to work toward funding the Land and Water Conservation Fund fully with $900 million instead of just $600 million, and he was asked by a local high school student who endured a

NORTH HILLS — Standing yards above the makeshift range where a person shooting exploding targets sparked a wildfire last month, Tri-Lakes Fire Chief Bob Drake grabbed the top of one of the 3 ½-foot tall Ponderosa pine saplings populating the area that he said presented a huge problem when trying to fight the fire. “It was a really difficult initial attack,” Drake said. “ … (Firefighters were) doing everything they can, and this is what they’re dealing with and they can’t even get through that. You can’t stop it in this. I don’t care what you’ve got.” The North Hills fire grew to