The Senate has advanced a plan to use marijuana tax revenue to pay for habitat purchases and restoration. It will likely need to be reconciled with a House bill that has other plans for the money.
The Senate bill keeps marijuana sales tax funds going to conservation programs like Habitat Montana, while adding an allocation for maintenance on county roads.
Senator Jeff Welborn, from Dillon, spoke in support of the bill.
“It’s definitely good for wildlife, because it's all about habitat and enhancing habitat, but it's also, you know, it's also a big win for rural Montana for farmers and ranchers and land managers,” Dillon said.
The Senate bill also establishes the Montana Legacy Trust Fund, a concept created by a citizen working group representing hunters, outfitters, and landowners, that would fund habitat restoration projects.
The marijuana spending plan in the House would remove habitat funding and place the majority of marijuana tax revenue into the state’s general fund.
Provided they both get another vote of support, the differences between the bills will need to be reconciled before a final policy could be sent to the governor.