Senior Kylie Bute is painting a section of wall on the second floor of Gallatin High School. Spanning a massive painter's tape rectangle is a scene of a highway running through a valley. A sprawling bridge arcs over the road, offering animals safe passage across.
"I feel like it’s kind of not very known and it’s something that definitely needs more attention brought to it," Bute says.
The mural is part of Bute’s senior project. She hopes to bring awareness to solutions that help wildlife move through the state safely.
That’s something lawmakers have been focused on, too. The state Legislature this session created a special account to fund the construction of crossings – like the one depicted in the mural – with the sale of a new license plate design.
Another new law puts a portion of marijuana sales tax revenue into that crossing account.
Noah Marion is the state policy director for Wild Montana, one of the groups that advocated for the bill.
"It increases the flexibility of the spending and ensures long term funding stability for conservation projects of all different types all across Montana," Marion says.
It’s part of a much bigger policy that divides up the nearly $60 million the state earns every year from marijuana sales. Gov. Greg Gianforte signed House Bill 932 into law late last week.
Under the bill, roughly $12 million will be used for a “habitat legacy account” funding wildlife and habitat conservation projects on public and private lands.
"Conservation of our public lands and private lands and restoration of these places that we all love is a bipartisan issue in this state," Marion says.
The money will fund things like purchasing land for conservation easements, removing invasive species, improving public access and building crossings. It was endorsed by a wide array of wildlife groups as well as Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks. It will go into effect on July 1.
