Protecting Public Access in Montana
Since 1985
PLWA works every day to make sure access to your public lands and waters is safe for tomorrow.
The mission of PLWA is to maintain, restore, and perpetuate public access to the boundaries of all Montana’s public lands and waters.
Our BIGGEST Newsletter to Date!
Our legal advisor, Katelyn Hepburn, explains what this means for Montana — click to read!
Click For Details!
Report an access complaint or join the AIRS program as a business partner by clicking the button above.
LET PEOPLE KNOW YOU’RE AN ACCESS ADVOCATE
For only $25 you can partner with PLWA and put a Public Land Water Access Association Plate on your vehicle, camper, or trailer. Proceeds from our nonprofit plate help safeguard access to Montana's public lands and waters, protecting Montana recreation for generations to come. If you are a dealership, partner with us for free by letting folks know about the plate and we’ll send you materials and one of our program stickers to display!
Share the news and get your plate today!
Know your access rights.
When public access is threatened, we work with the public to investigate.
Our team receives daily messages and calls requesting information about public access rights, newly closed off access to public waters and lands, and complaints about Montanans and visitors unable to recreate on their public lands. Learn about your access rights, how to report closures, and how we approach public access research.
Public Access Issues
From landmark legislation like the Stream Access Law to working with landowners to open access to incredible public lands, to fighting in court when long-standing public access routes are illegally closed, PLWA will always advocate for your public access rights. Learn more about current and past access issues in Montana, and how you can help safeguard access.
Support PLWA’s Access Work
PLWA is successful because we have great volunteers. Join our efforts to safeguard access by becoming a part of our team. Take our Access Investigation Certificate course, become an outreach volunteer with our AIRS or Plate Program, host events to educate about our work and reacreationists’ access rights, or become a board member. There are a multitude of ways you can support public access in Montana.
Community Engagement Programs
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Traditional Bowhunters of Montana
PLWA PARTNER ORGANIZATION
The Traditional Bowhunters of Montana (TBM) is dedicated to the preservation and advancement of traditional bowhunting values in Montana. “We promote high ethical standards for the hunting and taking of wild game by means of bow and arrow. The TBM provides fellowship to those who wish to pursue a traditional bowhunting lifestyle and is dedicated to continuing Montana's traditional bowhunting heritage.” Reach out to TBM to join, get involved, or donate today. Visit their website to learn more.
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Dennis Cates
PLWA ACCESS ADVOCATE
At August 2023’s Annual Meeting, PLWA member and PAIC graduate Dennis Cates was awarded the Public Access Champion Award. This award is given to someone whose work, day in and day out, has helped PLWA thrive and grow as an organization of service. The Public Access Champion Award recognizes individuals who commit their time without fanfare or ego, and who make it possible for our initiatives to succeed. These award winners are the heart of our organization. Dennis exemplifies all these qualities and has been assisting PLWA for over a decade.
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PLWA's Legends
BERNIE LEA
Bernie Lea has been assisting PLWA for decades through numerous roles with the organization, from access investigator, to board member and long time board-president. PLWA just wouldn’t be the organization we are today without his leadership and expertise! Bernie spent most of his career with the US Forest Service working as a Realty Specialist involved in land acquisitions and transfers.
“There are some wild places across our nation's public lands that physically move you, creating a tightening in the chest, a loss of breath, or a tingling along the spine.”
― Mark Kenyon,
That Wild Country: An Epic Journey through the Past, Present, and Future of America's Public Lands
