Montana
Montana Viewpoint: Turkeys & Tourists
I don’t know when the Merriam turkey was introduced to Western Montana, but it was and they have prospered. I can vouch for it.
In the 1980s and ’90s I broke out about 65 acres of timberland into cropland and I planted a lot of oats to “tame the soil.” I put up a lot of the oats as hay and word spread fast in turkey-dom. In short-order my haystacks began to look like the rear end of a threshing machine because the turkeys scratched the bales to get at the oat kernels and popped all the strings. This meant that I had to use a pitchfork to load the hay onto a wagon.
I shall be forever grateful to Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, whose staff netted some 400 of them and relocated them to the Flathead where I am sure they were welcomed. To me, it was “good riddance.”
So, when a neighbor of mine asked me, years later, “Jim, how do you get rid of these turkeys?” my advice was simple and straightforward. “Stop feeding them.”
Which leads me from turkeys to tourists.
Two Montana County Commissioners, Josh Slotnick, a Democrat from Missoula County, and Joe Briggs, a Republican from Cascade County, have been working together to come up with a way to mitigate the hardships imposed on Montanans by the historic increase in residential property taxes.
One of the first considerations in collecting taxes is what are the political repercussions going to be. And the best way to avoid repercussions in that regard is to tax people who can’t vote for you. Enter the tourist, like the turkey, ripe for the plucking.
To tax the tourists and use the receipts to offset residential property tax increases is not a terribly new idea and has been used successfully in several small taxing jurisdictions in Montana.
A tourist economy is not entirely beneficial. There are costs associated with tourism that residents, not tourists, have to bear, and the argument is that tourists should pay their share of those costs. There are such things as the need for water and septic infrastructure improvements to address the increased use brought on by tourism.
Places like West Yellowstone and the St Regis Resort Area did not have the tax base to make improvements on the shoulders of residents alone, and the “Resort Tax”, first put into use by West Yellowstone in 1987, I believe, has helped the town immensely.
Almost every town in the Mountain West has seen its economy change from one of industry to what the local governments see as their last best chance, tourism. So, we now have tourism as a major industry in Montana.
One of the reasons that that has occurred is due to the implementation in 1987 of the Lodging Facility Use Tax which was expressly designed to market Montana to out-of-state tourists.
In the last fiscal year (2023) the 4% tax brought in $59 million dollars of which 82.8% ($48.8 million) went to promote tourism in Montana. Some 60.3% went to the Brand Montana program administered by the Department of Commerce and 22.5% to regional tourism bureaus (see https://brand.mt.gov/Programs/Office-Of-Tourism/Lodging-Facility-Use-Tax).
At one time I suggested to the Legislature that it would be simpler to tax tourists at the border. Years ago, there used to be actual gates on the highways leading into Montana which, except when snow closed the roads, were kept symbolically in the open position with a sign nearby which said, “Welcome to Montana, the gate is open.”
An effort to revive them in the 1989 Legislature failed, but today it might be tempting to re-invent the quaint and simple wooden bars with a tollgate and a sign that says “Welcome to Montana, insert credit card to open gate.”
Conservatives who are not in favor of government subsidies might ask why the State of Montana is subsidizing a particular industry. Surely an industry which brings in an estimated $5.4 billion in income revenue to Montana should be, by now, big enough to stand on its own.
Could that $48 million in tourism promotion be used to lower property taxes? Sure, but it won’t be because the industry is too vested in the subsidy to permit it to be diverted.
Still, at some point you’ve got to stop feeding the turkeys.
Montana Viewpoint has appeared in weekly and online newspapers across Montana for over 25 years. Jim Elliott served 16 years in the Montana Legislature as a state representative and state senator. He lives on his ranch in Trout Creek.
MISSOULA — Sam Forstag edged out Ryan Busse to secure the Democratic nomination in Montana’s 1st Congressional District.
Busse conceded the race to Forstag on Wednesday morning. Forstag had trailed behind Busse Tuesday evening, but he made up ground as the votes were counted into the early hours of Wednesday morning. The other two candidates in the race, Russl Cleveland and Matt Rains, are sitting at third and fourth, respectively.
Forstag leads in close race for Montana’s 1st Congressional District
Forstag spent eight years as a wildland firefighter, including four as a smokejumper, and he’s been vice president of the local National Federation of Federal Employees union. Last week, U.S. House of Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York, held a rally in Missoula to support Forstag’s campaign.
He told MTN on Tuesday that his campaign has been for the working class.
“We got a whole lot of people here that have been working their tail off to finally get some working-class representation in Washington,” Forstag noted. “So proud of everything we’ve done and so grateful.”
Forstag further noted he wants Montanans to be able to afford groceries, have universal free childcare and restore and expand Affordable Health Care Act subsidies.
“Hearing people’s stories and struggles and commonalities in the ways that we’re all fighting in the system that does not serve us so often, and the government serves corporations and the richest people in this country more than working people. It has been frustrating and saddening, but it has also inspired so much hope in me, like the fixes we can actually make,” he told MTN.
The 1st Congressional District covers much of western Montana, including Kalispell, Missoula, Butte and Bozeman. It is currently held by Rep. Ryan Zinke, R-Montana, who chose not to seek reelection.
By securing the nomination, Forstag is slated tol face off against Libertarian candidate Nick Sheedy and Republican candidate Aaron Flint in November.
Brian Miller won the Democratic primary Tuesday for the U.S. House seat in Montana’s eastern district.
The Associated Press called the race for Miller, an attorney in Helena, who fended off a challenge from state Sen. Jonathan Windy Boy, a longtime legislator from Box Elder, and Sam Lux, a farrier from Great Falls.
In the Republican and rural eastern district, any Democrat will be an underdog, and Miller will face off against incumbent Republican U.S. Rep. Troy Downing, who was unopposed Tuesday.
Libertarian Patrick McCracken is also running.
In the primary, Miller took 58% of the vote. Lux took 27% and Windy Boy took 16%, according to the Montana Secretary of State’s website.
In April, Windy Boy paused his campaign amid “serious sexual abuse” allegations raised by the Montana Democratic Party — but Windy Boy restarted his campaign and later called the allegations “political attacks.”
Miller is representing the victim of the alleged abuse and her mother, although he said he didn’t take on the role until after Windy Boy initially suspended his campaign.
The Western Montana Food and Farm Trail, a new agritourism initiative led by Farm Connect Montana, launches May 30, offering locals and visitors a new kind of food and farm adventure across Western Montana.
Running June 1 through October 31, the self-guided Trail spans more than 200 miles and features more than 100 farms, ranches, farmers markets, restaurants, breweries and food businesses across the Missoula, Bitterroot, Flathead and Mission Valleys. Along the way, participants are invited to meet growers and makers, taste what’s in season and experience the culture and care behind Western Montana’s local food community.
At the center of the experience is the passport-style Trail Field Guide, illustrated by Missoula-based artist Courtney Blazon. The guide features illustrated maps, curated itineraries, seasonal highlights and more than 100 local food destinations throughout the region. The guide also includes more than $130 in special offers from participating farms and businesses.
Participants can collect stamps at Trail stops along the way to qualify for prizes, giveaways, or simply as a way to document their journey. End-of-season prizes include raffles for three CSA memberships valued at over $600 each, as well as local food and farm gift certificates, product bundles and Courtney Blazon-designed market totes.
The Trail is a regional collaboration led by Farm Connect Montana in partnership with Land to Hand Montana, The O’Hara Commons and Sustainability Center and Abundant Montana, organizations working to strengthen local food systems across Western Montana. The project aims to support local farms and food businesses through expanded visibility and agritourism opportunities while reconnecting locals and visitors with the people, places and stories behind their food.
“In creating the Western Montana Food & Farm Trail, we hope to inspire both residents and travelers to discover the stories behind their food and connect with the people cultivating a more vibrant, resilient and locally rooted food community,” said Bonnie Buckingham, Executive Director of Farm Connect Montana. “Participation in the Trail is a win for everyone. It creates new opportunities for farms and local food businesses to reach wider audiences while encouraging participants to explore new places, support local producers and experience Western Montana in a more meaningful way.”
“Land to Hand is thrilled to partner with Farm Connect on the Food and Farm Trail to highlight the robust agricultural heritage of Western Montana,” said Gretchen Boyer, Executive Director of Land to Hand Montana. “This initiative is more than just a guide – it’s an invitation to celebrate and support the local farmers who nourish our communities every day. By connecting residents and visitors directly to the source, we’re strengthening our local food system and honoring the people and landscapes that sustain the Flathead Valley.”
To celebrate the launch, regional Trail launch parties will take place in Missoula, the Bitterroot Valley and the Flathead Valley throughout early June, featuring Field Guide distribution, local food vendors, giveaways and opportunities to learn more about the Trail.
Trail Field Guides ($10) will be available for purchase beginning May 30 both online and at participating businesses, farmers markets and community locations throughout the region. A full list of Field Guide purchase locations and details, as well as a digital map and Trail listings, special events and more information is available at farmconnectmontana.org/trail.
Funding for this project was made possible through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Regional launch events
• Missoula Launch Party — LaLonde Ranch, Sun., June 7, 1-4 p.m.
• Bitterroot Launch Party — O’Hara Commons Market, Wed., June 10, 4-6 p.m.
• Flathead Launch Party — Backslope Brewing, Tue., June 16, 4-7:30 p.m.
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