Wildlife Protection Gaps in Montana: What’s Missing?

It probably shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone that lives in Montana that we care about wildlife in our state. Living alongside wild animals is nothing new here. It doesn't matter if you are out in the woods or just driving around town.

There is always a chance you can spot deer, mountain lions or even a bear every once in a while. There have been cases where bears even take in a concert.

Read More: In Montana Even the Bears Love a Good Concert

When it comes to the protection of Montana's wildlife there could be more done. SmileHub.org has released a study on the best states for wildlife protection and Montana ranks just out of the top ten, coming in at number eleven.

Montana ranks very high in some categories and low in others. I reached out to SmileHub and spoke with Luke Powers, business manager, about Montana's numbers and where we can improve. The ranking looked at seventeen metrics over three categories. One category in particular where Montana scores very high is community and government support, we ranked second.

It seems that the public and the government can agree on the same thing especially when it comes to wildlife. Where Montana can greatly improve is the legal protection of wildlife. Montana ranks forty-six. According to Powers:

There's room to improve for things like state internet hunting laws, which Montana is without a law as of yet. As of the time we collected the data. Endangered species legislation, they have not currently considered endangered species legislation. So maybe that would maybe that would protect some of the animals like the black footed ferret. Or the presence of wildlife corridor legislation.

 

When it comes to community support Montana ranks third when it comes to environmental protection charities and the number of state conservation and programs initiatives. We also get quite a few state wildlife grants per capita where we also rank third in the country.

The states with the best ranking for wildlife protection are Vermont, Wyoming, Colorado, Oregon, and California. The states that rank the lowest are Nevada, Mississippi, and South Carolina.

Montana is one of the best states for protecting our wildlife but there are still areas where we can improve. For other stories like this one or if you are looking for charities to help you can find more at SmileHub.org