02/20/2025
Dear Becky Edwards,
I recently came across your campaign statement, in which you highlight your experience as a small-business owner, a conservation leader, and a working mother who understands the struggles of Bozeman families. You emphasize the importance of affordability, education, healthcare, and protecting public lands—issues that resonate deeply with many of us in the community.
However, I was disappointed to learn that you are supporting a bill that directly harms Montana’s guiding and outfitting industry—an industry that not only supports small businesses and families but also plays a key role in conservation and responsible recreation. Given your background and stated values, I have several questions:
1. Impact on Local Businesses and Families
As a small-business owner yourself, why would you support a bill that negatively impacts guides, outfitters, and the broader outdoor tourism economy?
Have you considered how this will hurt not just guides, but also hotels, restaurants, fly shops, and other small businesses that depend on visiting anglers?
How do you justify limiting guiding when outdoor recreation is one of Montana’s biggest economic drivers?
2. Lack of Stakeholder Consultation
You mention in your campaign that you want to listen to the community—why didn’t you reach out to guides and outfitters before taking a stance on this bill?
Who in the guiding industry did you consult before supporting this legislation?
Would you be willing to meet with guides, outfitters, and other affected business owners to discuss alternative solutions?
3. Conservation and Resource Management
Guides and outfitters are often the strongest advocates for responsible fisheries management. Why target them instead of working with them on sustainable solutions?
Do you believe that limiting guides will actually solve perceived overcrowding issues, or will it just shift pressure to other waterways or encourage unregulated fishing?
Instead of restricting guiding, why not explore better enforcement of existing regulations or conservation strategies that don’t unfairly harm small businesses?
4. Local Economic Consequences
You mention that affordability is a major concern—how do you reconcile that with supporting a policy that threatens the livelihoods of hardworking Montanans?
Have you considered the tax revenue loss and broader economic impact of reducing guided fishing opportunities?
Can you provide an economic analysis showing how this bill would benefit, rather than harm, local communities?
5. Transparency and Representation
Your campaign is based on representing working families. How does this bill align with that mission when it directly hurts working guides, outfitters, and related businesses?
Would you be willing to hold a public forum so that those of us in the guiding industry and tourism sector can voice our concerns?
You ask what keeps Bozeman residents up at night—well, for many of us, it's the fear of losing our businesses and livelihoods due to misguided policies. How do you respond to that?
I appreciate your time and hope you will genuinely engage with those of us who depend on Montana’s rivers for our living. We would welcome the opportunity to discuss this further and find solutions that protect both our fisheries and the economic well-being of Montana families.
Sincerely,
Dane Huzarski
, https://www.beckyformontana.com,
[email protected].,[email protected],[email protected], FOAM.com
Hi neighbors. I’m Becky Edwards, a farm kid turned 26-year resident of Bozeman. I’m also a working mom of three amazing daughters, a local small-business owner, and an executive director of a national conservation organization.
