A Bozeman man on Tuesday sued Montana Governor Steve Bullock and some top administration officials, accusing them of violating the state Constitution by nominating 5.1 million acres of U.S. Forest Service land for restoration without giving the public a chance to participate.
The proposed Montana forest restoration program could include some logging, but by no means is all logging, the Bullock administration said.
Steve Kelly, a Bozeman artist and former congressional candidate, filed the complaint in Gallatin County District Court. He also named Bullock’s natural resources adviser Tim Baker, state Natural Resources and Conservation Director John Tubbs and state forester Bob Harrington in the lawsuit. He contended that Bullock and the other officials violated the public’s right to know and the public’s right to participate in the Montana Constitution.
“I have a responsibility to vigorously defend the rights of citizens protected by the Montana Constitution,” Kelly said. “When government officials forget to follow their oath of office, or simply choose to act in a way that tramples the constitutional rights of all Montanans, individual citizens must be vigilant. It’s what citizenship is all about.”
Kelly asked the court to set aside Bullock’s recommendation and declare it void. He also asked the court to send the recommendations back to Bullock and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation and order officials to conduct properly noticed public meetings that meet the constitutional standards.
From The Missoulian: https://missoulian.com/news/local/bozeman-man-sues-governor-over-proposed-logging/article_b71064ec-cfdc-11e3-a97e-0019bb2963f4.html