Montana
Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import Argentina beef
HELENA — When President Donald Trump announced a plan last week to import more beef from Argentina, it drew quick criticism from ranchers in Montana. Now, Montana’s members of Congress say they’re pushing the administration to change course.
U.S. Sen. Steve Daines told MTN he quickly began hearing from Montanans in the cattle business after reports came out about Trump’s plan.
“The word I would describe is they feel betrayed,” he said.
(Watch the video to hear more reaction from Montana’s congressional delegation.)
Montana’s congressional delegation pushing back on plan to import beef from Argentina
Daines said Montana beef producers have already been under pressure from drought and market forces. He said this step was “an unforced error” by the administration.
All four members of Montana’s congressional delegation are Republicans. They all say the Republican president’s plan was the wrong direction and that they’ve made that case when speaking with administration leaders.
U.S. Rep. Ryan Zinke, who represents Montana’s western congressional district, says he understands why Trump wanted to tackle high beef prices, but that this wasn’t the right way for him to do it.
“Having a healthy cattle industry, having a healthy poultry industry and having a healthy supply chain for food is really national security,” he told MTN. “So he understands that, and I think we’re going to see some action in making sure or calming a lot of the fears from the cattlemen out there.”
Earlier this year, Daines visited Argentina and met with its conservative president, Javier Milei, during a South American tour advocating for Trump’s trade policies. He said his opinions on the country and its government don’t play any role in his feelings on this proposed deal.
“I don’t care if this is Argentinian beef or beef coming from anywhere else in the world,” he said. “The answer for what’s going on right now in the markets is not to import more beef – bottom line. It doesn’t matter where it comes from; it happens to be Argentina.”
Daines said it would be better for Montana’s cattle industry for the U.S. to focus on opening export markets rather than import markets. In 2017, Daines celebrated an agreement that led to China buying millions of dollars in Montana beef – but he said Thursday that the country has shut the doors to American beef during the ongoing trade dispute with the Trump administration.
“We were shipping over $1 billion a year in beef last year, and now it’s gone to zero,” he said.
In a statement to MTN, Sen. Tim Sheehy said he’s been talking with Trump and his team, looking for a path forward.
“Empowering hardworking ranchers who feed America and lowering prices for American families at the grocery store are not mutually exclusive,” he said. “Both can be accomplished by lowering input costs and providing a reliable, pro-growth environment for producers so ranchers can grow their operation, capture more of the value they create, and feed the nation with affordable, healthy, high-quality beef.”
Zinke and Daines say they also see areas where the federal government can make moves that will benefit both Montana ranchers and Montana consumers. Daines wants Congress to do more to tackle the huge market share four large packing companies have in the beef industry – a situation he calls a “monopoly.”
“Our ranchers don’t set the price; that price is set for them,” he said.
Zinke wants to put additional emphasis on country-of-origin labeling for beef.
“In Montana, we have a brand and that brand has value,” he said. “When it’s made in Montana, you know it’s at the top, the quality is there. And our ranchers sell premium product – that’s important.”
Daines said he supports country-of-origin labeling also, though he wants to make sure any additional steps the U.S. takes doesn’t lead to unintended consequences or retribution from countries like Canada.
The journey toward longer days continues as we move from the spring equinox to the summer solstice. Due to the Earth’s tilt, the Northern Hemisphere is now experiencing more direct sunlight, allowing many areas across western Montana to see light well past 9 p.m.
We’re also not far from 9 p.m. sunsets, with the Flathead Valley expected to see them as early as later this week.
Daylight Tracker – Kalispell, Mont.
While March and April saw larger increases in daylight, May still packs a punch. Many areas will continue to gain more than an hour of extra light by the end of the month, with sunsets between 9:30 and 10 p.m. by May 31.
Daylight Gained – Western Montana
Don’t think I forgot our early birds, though. Bozeman will enjoy extra sunlight in the early morning hours, with twilight beginning as early as 5 a.m. and sunrises around 5:45 in the Garden City.
Twilight/Sunrise Times – May 31
It’s quite beautiful to see Montana waking up from winter, and the extra sunlight certainly adds to the energy. Whether it’s taking a walk or having dinner on the patio, enjoy the extra daylight this month!
HAMILTON, Mont. — By the turn of the 20th century elk populations in North America were at desperately low levels.
Years of unregulated hunting had decimated elk numbers.
But there was a healthy population of elk in Yellowstone National Park.
In 1912, a herd of elk from Yellowstone were transported to Hamilton.
Now mounts believed to be from the original Yellowstone elk are being celebrated at the new fire hall.
Taxidermist Kurt Kohn has restored the mounts of two of Hamilton’s most famous bull elk.
NBC Montana met the taxidermist at his shop where he showed us his work.
He restored one of the trophies in 1998.
He just completed the restoration of the second one.
Both bulls are believed to be important touchstones in modern elk populations.
“The elk were hunted to near extinction at the turn of the century,” said Kurt. “I had the rare privilege to restore one of the most historic elk in the United States, certainly in Montana but probably the United States as well. This is believed to be one of the original elk that were reintroduced to the Bitterroot Valley in 1912.”
To restock elk numbers in the valley, sportsmen and supporters initiated an ambitious effort in 1912 to transport dozens of elk from the park to Hamilton by train.
The first transport ended tragically when curious crowds stressed the already nervous elk.
“The first one was a failure,” said Kurt. ” A lot of the elk were killed due to a stampede and a crowd that was in Hamilton, Montana. It became a public spectacle.”
The next transport was successful.
“They let them go in the middle of the night,” said Kurt. ” Nobody else knew that it was happening other than the people involved in the reintroduction.”
The elk were held in an enclosure at the Bitter Root Stock Farm to become acclimated,” said Kurt, “before being released into the wild.”
The animals dispersed to the east in the Sapphire Mountains and propagated new generations of elk.
Kurt said it’s believed the elk he remounted are likely forebears of the elk we see today.
Pointing to the new mount he said, “this elk is important because it’s a piece of history. Generally, all the elk in Montana are probably related to this elk in some way.”
“There’s likely to be a strong connection to this elk,” he said,” and the elk introduced in the Bitterroot to all of the elk in Montana, and around the United States.”
The trophies had been mounted at Hamilton’s old fire hall for as long as anyone can remember.
Those mounts were treasured by generations of firefighters.
But the force outgrew the historic building downtown, and moved to a new location across town.
Since then, both mounts have been in Kurt’s taxidermy shop, waiting for transport to the new fire hall.
Hamilton Fire Captain Travis Walker helped Kurt move the mounts from Kurt’s shop to their new home in the new fire hall.
Travis calls the mounts a “memento to the fire department.”
Moving the bulls from the taxidermy shop was a delicate process.
The men had to be careful to make sure the elk’s racks were protected.
They loaded both mounts into the pickup, securing the elk so they wouldn’t be jarred on the trip.
After arriving at the hall, Kurt wrote a dedication on the back of a mount.
“That will be here for the next hundred years,” he said.
The mounts were installed on the kitchen wall, where crews spend a lot of time.
The elk have been mascots to fire crews for well over a hundred years.
“The Bitterroot is known for its big game species of hunting and most of the guys on the fire department are big hunters as well,” said Travis. “They would be our mascots. They’re part of our heritage of being firemen and the hunting part of the Bitterroot. “
Kurt said we don’t know exactly what happened to these elk, whether they were harvested in a hunt or died by other means.
The only parts of the mount that are original are the antlers and the skull plate.
Kurt’s son Kameron Kohn provided the cape for one of the elk.
It came from his successful bow hunting trip.
“I think it’s a really cool way to be able to honor the history of elk in the Bitterroot Valley,” said Kameron. ” It’s a great way to honor the memory of that hunt with me and my wife. It came from a similar sized bull and it’s a beautiful cape.”
“I think they needed to move with their fire people,” said Travis of the mounts, “They were lonely.”
Now, the Yellowstone bull elk are finally home, to be cherished at Hamilton Fire Department headquarters.
Imagine a long expanse of pristine sand slipping into calm, lapping, crystal-clear waters. The occasional chunk of driftwood juts out as mountains cut an elegant outline in the distance. Forced to guess which state you’re in, you might draw a blank — the mountains are a bit of an anomaly. Yet such a place exists in Montana. It’s called Somers Beach State Park, an underrated gem sitting on the northwest shore of Flathead Lake. Its sandy shorelines and wide-open space provide plenty of room for swimming, birding, and a few trails.
The 106-acre beach rests along Flathead Lake, one of the largest freshwater lakes in the U.S. The 200-square-mile blue gem has been lauded by visitors and sites like Lake.com as being the 10th-cleanest lake in the country, earning a spot on the list of U.S. lakes that are unbelievably clean and clear. The surroundings aren’t that bad either. Visitors who hit the beach often relish its view of the Swan Mountains stretching across the horizon. The park is still evolving: Montana acquired the property in 2021, opened the beach a year later, and has been building up its facilities and amenities ever since.
The key to visiting Somers Beach State Park is timing. Because its size changes with Flathead Lake’s water levels, many visitors have come away confused, underwhelmed, or plain old angry to find a rocky, windy stretch of shoreline. Fair enough, since Somers Beach’s sandy shores have a knack for disappearing in the summer. Instead, they emerge when Flathead Lake’s water dips between fall and spring, only to rise up with the temperatures.
Swim, hike, bird, and scope out the surroundings
For those looking to take a dip in Somers Beach’s waters, there comes a compromise. You can have warm waters — or you can have a sandy shore. You can’t have both. How much swimming you actually get done while there will depend on when you visit. During the summer, the shallow portion of the beach can stretch for several hundred yards, leaving you wading through waist-deep water for an interminably long time. “It’s fun because the lake isn’t as high and there’s quite a long stretch of beach to play in the water or just bask in the sun,” one local wrote in a Google review. “It’s a beautiful place to see Flathead Lake and the mountains.” Visiting outside the summer carries its own set of issues, as Flathead Lake’s water temperature tends to plummet. Bring hiking boots and binoculars instead.
As a relatively young state park, Somers Beach doesn’t have a formal trail system. All the better, as you then have a chance to just wander about. The nearby town of Somers contains plenty to see to the west, while to the east are wetlands and a grassy area north of the shore. Birders will have plenty to enjoy as well. The Flathead Lake Waterfowl Production Area east of the beach provides habitat for over 200 species of birds. (Authorities close off access to the area during nesting season, between March and July.) If you time your visit right, you can spend a day with sand between your toes. The drop in water level creates a half-mile expanse of sandy shoreline worthy of a peaceful stroll.
The logistics of visiting Somers Beach State Park
Flathead Lake’s proximity to Glacier National Park makes Somers Beach accessible by several modes of transportation. Glacier Park International Airport is only half an hour’s drive away. While the beach alone may not justify a long-haul flight, it pairs well with other destinations around the lake. That includes Yellow Bay State Park, a crowd-free paradise surrounded by cherry orchards. Together, they can fill an entire weekend with adventure.
Unfortunately, you can’t pitch a tent right on the beach; the state park is day-use only. Fortunately, finding a place to sleep nearby isn’t much of a hassle. A ring of accommodations orbits Flathead Lake, including luxury cabins costing several hundred dollars per night. The highly-rated Somers Bay Cabin Lodging is minutes away as well, with log cabins that have lake views, ranging in size from studios to two-bedroom units. Despite the rustic exterior, the interiors still have all the modern conveniences you’d expect, from Wi-Fi to heating.
The beach’s home alongside Flathead Lake makes it adjacent to several must-see areas, chief among them Flathead Valley. The unexpectedly up-and-coming wine region — yes, a wine region in Montana — with its excellent wineries and nearby orchards, provides an ideal bookend for a trip to Somers Beach. If you visit during the warmer months, be sure to bring bug spray to keep the mosquitoes at bay. If you plan on hauling a boatload of supplies with you — inflatables, coolers, or chairs — bring a wagon. The jaunt from the parking area to the beach can be longer than it looks.
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