Stream Access Law News Today

where the sky goes on forever... where everyone must bend to the land... where to hunt, to fish, to sleep under that big sky arent activities, but a way of life. - it was between here and those mountains that cheyenne and crow battle took place. but i like it. its very peaceful, huh? - what was it like 100 years ago, 200 years ago? - oh, not much different. this was never forested. this is the dry side of the river, cause the primary winds come from the west. and rain tends to blow ove...

>> mount view on three. one, two, three! >> mount view! >> some people must live in great spaces, where the sky goes on forever, where everyone must bend to the land. where to hunt, to fish, to sleep under that big sky arent activities, but a way of life. >> it was right here in those mountains that the cheyenne and crow battle took place. but i like it. its very peaceful. >> what was it like a hundred years ago? two hundred years ago? >> oh, not much different. this was never forested...

For just about everybody around here-- is the 1985 stream access law. [rousing music] - anybody that could access a stream via a public means could, in fact, use the stream, even if it was on private ground as long as they stayed within the ordinary high-water mark of the stream. bourdain: widely heralded by sportsmen and outdoor enthusiasts, the law did not go down well with land owners like bill. - oh! got him. something took a bite. - yep. you still got a fish right in there too. - oh, i see ...

So you hold an opposing view, is that correct, on access? - the idea behind the stream access law that if you stay in water, its public-- i agree with that concept. - but where do you draw the line for private-property rights? if the state were to pass a law that your restroom was public because the public needed it, in your house-- - right! - oh, just because this isnt my backyard doesnt mean its any less mine than your toilet is yours. we still pay taxes on every foot of it. - im an old-school...

The nation's first climate trial will open Monday. It promises to have implications far beyond Montana's borders.

The nation’s first climate trial, led by kids, will open on Monday in Montana but could have ramifications outside the state’s borders

What proposals dealing with wildlife habitat, grizzly management and the Montana Stream Access Law suggest about natural resource lawmaking.

>> all right. go ahead. snap that tip high, straight up in the air. good. perfect! >> bills a fifth-generation montanan whose principal business is raising cattle. hes no weekend cowboy. this is work, and he pays a lot of attention to his land. and a big issue for him -- for just about everybody around here -- is the 1985 stream access law. >> anybody that could access a stream via a public means could, in fact, use the stream, even if it was on private ground, as long as they stayed within the ...

Friend. not today. >> for lunch, a modest protein-centric repast of steak. a wagyu-angus hybrid bred and raised right here on bills ranch. >> theres the marbling on the wagyu steak. thats what makes them good. >> oh, thats nice. >> and its pretty damn tasty, i can tell you. >> so you hold an opposing view, is that correct, on access? >> the idea behind the stream access law is that if you stay in the water, its public. i agree with that concept. >> but where do you draw the line for private prop...

In Montana we have a unique law that says anybody can fish or recreate on the state's streams and rivers below the high-water mark — regardless of who owns the land beneath them. How did Montana end up with this exceptional level of stream access, and what does the law's future look like? Find out now on The Big Why.