Some conservative voters in rural Montana have regrets after recent Trump administration actions involving public lands.
One of the biggest concerns has been staffing cuts to public land management agencies.
Terry Zink, a third-generation bowhunter and houndsman, owns an archery target business in Marion, near the Flathead National Forest in the northern part of the state. He voted for President Donald Trump but strongly disagrees with the administration's U.S. Forest Service cuts, especially because of this year's intense wildfires.
"Getting rid of our trail crews, getting rid of a lot of our firefighters wasn't the right thing to do. Did we need to cut some stuff in there with DOGE? Yes, I believe so. But not cut those crucial agencies down to nothing, and then look what happens," Zink pointed out.
The Trump administration has cut nearly 6,000 jobs at the U.S. Forest Service and is consolidating its firefighting agencies. The Forest Service reported it had nearly 12,000 wildland firefighters as of mid-August, exceeding its goal. Even so, its website acknowledged "this isn't enough to meet the needs of the continuing wildfire crisis." It added with current infrastructure and funding, the agency cannot support additional staffing.
Another hot issue is the administration's plan to repeal the Roadless Rule, which bans road construction in certain areas on federal forest land. Repeal supporters said it will help wildfire mitigation by allowing easier access to remote areas.
Frank Vitale, a backcountry horseback tour guide near Whitefish and former U.S. Forest Service firefighter, said the last thing road crews need to do is disrupt pristine mountain forests, many of which are too rugged for timber harvest. While he did not vote for Trump, he noted many colleagues and neighbors who did feel betrayed.
"We have an administration – and we even have a state delegation that is supporting this – and I think a lot of people are about tired of having to fight this war all over again," Vitale stressed.
Zink wants to see sound forest management policies made by people who live in Montana and other western states, not by government officials from Washington, D.C., or the East Coast. He feels the Democratic and Republican parties have become too extreme on many different issues. For the sake of future generations, he hopes things can change.
"I've been saying it for years now. We're either too far to the left or we're too far to the right. Why don't (we) have some common sense left in the middle?" Zink asked.
Trump won more than 58% of the vote in Montana in 2024, defeating Democratic candidate Kamala Harris by more than 20%.