While PLWA’s mission is to maintain, restore, and perpetuate public access to the boundaries of all Montana public land and waters, our older website had fallen behind in being able to properly represent that mission to the public. With the growing internet technology tools available, we needed a new platform to provide information and resources to our members, journalists, law students, lawyers, historians and the public at large, about public land and stream access issues in Montana.

With that in mind, PLWA hired Tyler Cross of Reciprocity Industries to redesign an entirely new platform. Kathryn QannaYahu has been working on content and media to flesh out the framework. Our new interactive website provides a clear message of who we are, what we stand for and where our public access values lie. While we still have some content editing from the old site to finish, we are excited to unveil PLWA’s new website to you now!

Let’s take a tour of what is available at our new PLWA website:

At the top of the page you will see our main menu tabs with drop down menus (we’ll explore this shortly). At the far right you will notice a magnifying glass icon which enables the user to type in a subject or name, searching the entire site. You will also see 3 AAAs of varying sizes. By clicking this icon you can enlarge the font size on the page for easier reading.

To the right of the Home Page video there are 3 buttons:

The Donate Page has various ways you can contribute to PLWA; Sign Up for our PLWA Constant Contact Newsletter, and Join PLWA.

Below the Home Page video is an Access Issue Locations map. Click on a pin to see the location. In the description box for each location, clicking on the Issue location title takes you to that Issue page. If you click on the + sign at the bottom right corner of the map, you can enlarge it, which reveals more locations that are stacked in the smaller view.

The main Home page also features the 8 most recent Articles published.

Now back to the Menu tabs at the top of the page:

We have created a whole Know Your Rights section which includes subsections on Research; Montana Access Guide; Public Roads; River, Stream & Spring Creek Access; Public Roads; Hunting & Angling and Conservation. There is also a new & improved Keep Out Gallery available – click on an image thumbnail for the full size pic.

section which includes subsections on Research; Montana Access Guide; Public Roads; River, Stream & Spring Creek Access; Public Roads; Hunting & Angling and Conservation. There is also a new & improved available – click on an image thumbnail for the full size pic. The Issues page is a launch pad for access issues that have been accomplished and some still unresolved. Scroll through the pages to find an Issue you are interested in, then click on the tile and it will take you to the Summary page. There you will find a location map to the right; an image gallery, including maps (click on each to enlarge); any associated legal cases in PDF for download (cases are still being added); audio and video links; a Summary/chronology of the Issue; and links to related news coverage articles.

page is a launch pad for access issues that have been accomplished and some still unresolved. Scroll through the pages to find an Issue you are interested in, then click on the tile and it will take you to the Summary page. There you will find a location map to the right; an image gallery, including maps (click on each to enlarge); any associated legal cases in PDF for download (cases are still being added); audio and video links; a Summary/chronology of the Issue; and links to related news coverage articles. Our News section includes our Articles and the subsections of Hot Topic, Letters From Directors, Take Action, PLWA Business and PLWA Videos.

section includes our Articles and the subsections of Hot Topic, Letters From Directors, Take Action, PLWA Business and PLWA Videos. Newsletters houses the current KEY issue and an archive of past Key issues in PDF, which can be downloaded or printed.

houses the current KEY issue and an archive of past Key issues in PDF, which can be downloaded or printed. The About Us page gives an overview of the current PLWA Directors, some basic PLWA history, the founding Directors in 1985, our Mission Statement and Objectives. In the About Us drop down menu you will find Contact, an excerpt with a link to the full version of Our Vanishing Roads article written by founding director Perry Nelson, a listing of each years PLWA Board of Directors since 1985, Our Supporters (under construction), and a PLWA Positions page (more to be posted).

This isn’t just a new look, it is a totally new vehicle, with interactive resources for public lands and water access awareness and activism in Montana – a vehicle that will grow with us and go with us into the future, as we continue pursuing our mission of maintaining, restoring, and perpetuating public access to the boundaries of all Montana public land and waters.

As you explore our new site, which we hope you will be inspired by, feel free to let us know your thoughts.