Helena Independent Record: Fire experts warn Daines of worst wildfire season in years
BILLINGS — Montana is bracing for its worst wildfire season in years, officials told U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont. Speaking to Daines during a Thursday fire briefing in Billings, federal and state agencies said that extremely early snowmelt in western Montana and increasing thunderstorms in the east are setting the state up for a tough wildfire season. Western wildfire conditions are as bad as they’ve been in years. Eastern Montana, still green from spring rains, is now beginning to dry out with thunderstorms expected to deliver more lightning than soaking rain in coming weeks. “We’re now in July. June, May,
KULR8: Senator Daines: It’s Time To Start Classifying Wildfires As Natural Disasters
Why isn’t a wildfire classified as a natural disaster? That’s one question Senator Steve Daines asked the crowd at Thursday’s Eastern Montana Fire Briefing. The conference was held with the Department of Natural Resources and Fire Conservation (DNRC) outside of the Southern Lands Office in Billings to address current and future wildfire activity. There, Daines expressed his support for a bill that would classify wildfires as natural disasters, and respond to them accordingly. “Like a tornado, or a hurricane. The reason that’s important is then the Forest Service can receive funding through a different avenue than having to take dollars
Helena Independent Record: Daines lauds Ten Mile efforts, calls for forest management reforms
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines toured timber projects in the Ten Mile drainage Tuesday, saying he wanted to see firsthand the combined efforts of state and federal agencies to provide jobs while managing the forest and reducing the risk of wildfire to the watershed. Daines toured the active Red Mountain Flume-Chessman Reservoir project and the proposed Tenmile-South Helena project with officials from the U.S. Forest Service, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and the city of Helena. The trip was a chance to see the Forest Service and DNRC working together under a joint stewardship agreement to actively manage the
Daines Statement on AG Lawsuit to Rein in EPA Overreach
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on Montana Attorney General Tim Fox and 12 other states’ lawsuit against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) over the new regulation broadly expanding the definition of the Waters of the United States rule (WOTUS). “I applaud Attorney General Tim Fox for standing up for Montana farmers, ranchers and small businesses against another egregious power grab by the Obama administration. This rule has the capability to cripple Montana agriculture and natural resources, hurt Montana jobs and threaten Montanans’ property rights. As
KBZK: Senator Daines tours Montana Forest projects
BOZEMAN – Montana Senator Steve Daines got to step out of his Washington DC office to take in the sights and sounds of his hometown Monday morning. Senator Daines is touring parts of Montana and looking at several Montana Forest management projects in the Treasure State. Today Senator Daines hiked the Chestnut Mountain Trailhead near Bozeman pass, which was the first conservation easement secured by the Land And Water Conservation Fund in 1990. The project allows trail access to public land crossing private land with access all the way to Yellowstone National Park without crossing a road. “That’s what this
Daines Statement on Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA et. al.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement on the Supreme Court’s ruling in Utility Air Regulatory Group v. EPA et. al.: “The Court took an important step today to help ensure the EPA takes into account the true cost of excessive regulations on the American people, their jobs and their livelihoods. This rule is just one of the numerous burdensome regulations the Obama administration has cooked up that has the potential to eliminate good paying jobs and devastate the livelihoods of hardworking American families. “But while today’s ruling is welcome news, Montanans have already seen the real
Daines Honors Montanans of the Week: Crow Tribe Code Talkers
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Steve Daines today honored Samson Birdinground, Cyril Not Afraid, Barney Old Coyote and Henry Old Coyote of the Crow Indian Nation for their exceptional service to our country during World War II. These four men were awarded the Congressional Gold Medal for serving in our armed forces as “code talkers,” speaking their native Apsaalooké (Crow) language during wartime in order to transmit and receive military intelligence and successfully avoid disclosing information to enemy forces. Through his “Montanan of the Week” initiative, Daines each week will highlight a Montanan by submitting a statement of recognition in the official
Daines Recognizes PTSD Awareness Day on Senate Floor
To mark National Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) Awareness Day, this Saturday, June 27, Senator Steve Daines took to the Senate floor to raise awareness about the prevalence of mental illnesses like PTSD among service members and veterans. Below are key excerpts from Daines’ floor speech: “PTSD is a serious problem affecting too many of our country’s bravest individuals. We must do more to help our heroes. “There is no greater honor or responsibility than fighting for our veterans. We owe them our freedom. We owe them nothing but our best. Anything less is unacceptable. “We need to have the same
Daines Statement on Supreme Court Ruling
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Senator Steve Daines today released the following statement after the Supreme Court ruled in Obergefell v. Hodges et al.: “The Court is overriding the will of the people of Montana and numerous other states that have defined marriage as between one man and one woman. I believe marriage is between one man and one woman.” In 2004, Montana voters approved Initiative 96 that amended the Montana Constitution to define marriage as between one man and one woman. ###