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The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a
government agency A government agency or state agency, sometimes an appointed commission, is a permanent or semi-permanent organization in the machinery of government (bureaucracy) that is responsible for the oversight and administration of specific functions, s ...
in the
executive Executive ( exe., exec., execu.) may refer to: Role or title * Executive, a senior management role in an organization ** Chief executive officer (CEO), one of the highest-ranking corporate officers (executives) or administrators ** Executive dir ...
branch state of
Montana Montana ( ) is a landlocked U.S. state, state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota to the east, South Dakota to the southeast, Wyoming to the south, an ...
in the
United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...
with responsibility for protecting sustainable
fish A fish (: fish or fishes) is an aquatic animal, aquatic, Anamniotes, anamniotic, gill-bearing vertebrate animal with swimming fish fin, fins and craniate, a hard skull, but lacking limb (anatomy), limbs with digit (anatomy), digits. Fish can ...
,
wildlife Wildlife refers to domestication, undomesticated animals and uncultivated plant species which can exist in their natural habitat, but has come to include all organisms that grow or live wilderness, wild in an area without being species, introdu ...
, and state-owned
park A park is an area of natural, semi-natural or planted space set aside for human enjoyment and recreation or for the protection of wildlife or natural habitats. Urban parks are urban green space, green spaces set aside for recreation inside t ...
resources in Montana for the purpose of providing recreational activities. The agency engages in
law enforcement Law enforcement is the activity of some members of the government or other social institutions who act in an organized manner to enforce the law by investigating, deterring, rehabilitating, or punishing people who violate the rules and norms gove ...
activities to enforce laws and regulations regarding fish, wildlife, and state parks, and encourages safe recreational use of these resources (such as safety courses for boaters, hunters, snowmobilers, and others).


History

The Montana Territorial Legislature enacted the first fish or wildlife law (it limited fishing methods to rods and lines) in 1854.''Now You Know: A Collection of Facts and Figures About... Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks,'' December 2007, p. 20.''Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy,'' 2005, p. 15. The first game bird hunting laws were passed in 1869, and hunting seasons for antelope, buffalo, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, and rabbits set in 1872.''Now You Know: A Collection of Facts and Figures About... Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks,'' December 2007, p. 34. Fur trapping and bird hunting seasons followed in 1876. In 1885, the territorial legislature established the Montana territorial Fish and Game Commission. The state's first state
game warden A conservation officer is a law enforcement officer who protects wildlife and the environment. A conservation officer may also be referred to as an environmental technician/technologist, game warden, park ranger, forest watcher, forest guar ...
was hired in 1889, the same year that Montana became a state. Under Montana state law, each county was also authorized to hire one game warden, but a lack of funds and interest led to no wardens being hired. By 1900, only four of Montana's then-24 counties had game wardens. The Montana State Legislature established the state Fish and Game Board in 1895. Governor John E. Rickards appointed the first Fish and Game Commissioners on March 4, 1895. The Fish and Game Board hired its first state game warden, R.A. Wagner, in July 1898. Hunting and fishing licenses were imposed on out-of-state residents in 1901. The funds from sale of licenses and fines imposed on violators partially funded the state's court system, and in its first year more than 300 justices of the peace were supported by the law. The Fish and Game commissioners recommended the establishment of a Fish and Game Department, and the legislature created this agency on April 1, 1901. The game warden and his deputies were all authorized law enforcement officers.''Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy,'' 2005, p. 16. Fish and game districts were created and eight deputy game wardens authorized for each district. Hunting and fishing licenses for in-state residents were required in 1905. The state reorganized its fish and wildlife management structure in 1913, creating the first state Fish and Game Commission.''Now You Know: A Collection of Facts and Figures About... Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks,'' December 2007, p. 35. In 1921, the state legislature reorganized the Commission: A board of five Commissioners was established, with the power to create fish and game districts, open and close hunting seasons, and more. The state's first game management area opened in 1926, and by 1936 the state had 46 areas (now called "game preserves") in operation.''Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy,'' 2005, p. 17. The first three preservation areas to be set aside were at Snow Creek (along the
Missouri River The Missouri River is a river in the Central United States, Central and Mountain states, Mountain West regions of the United States. The nation's longest, it rises in the eastern Centennial Mountains of the Bitterroot Range of the Rocky Moun ...
in northern Garfield County), Pryor Mountain (now the Pryor Mountains Wild Horse Range), and the Gallatin River (in Gallatin County). On September 2, 1937,
President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...
Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), also known as FDR, was the 32nd president of the United States, serving from 1933 until his death in 1945. He is the longest-serving U.S. president, and the only one to have served ...
signed into law the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act (commonly known as the Pittman-Robertson Act for its two key sponsors, Representative Absalom Willis Robertson D-Virginia">Va.">Democratic_Party_(United.html" ;"title="Democratic_Party_(United_States).html" ;"title="/nowiki>Democratic Party (United States)">D-Virginia">Va./nowiki> and United States Senate">Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...
Key Pittman D-Nevada, Nev.]).Sanderson and Moulton, ''Wildlife Issues in a Changing World,'' 1998, p. 43. The law created an
excise file:Lincoln Beer Stamp 1871.JPG, upright=1.2, 1871 U.S. Revenue stamp for 1/6 barrel of beer. Brewers would receive the stamp sheets, cut them into individual stamps, cancel them, and paste them over the Bunghole, bung of the beer barrel so when ...
tax on ammunition, archery equipment, handguns, and hunting firearms, and apportioned the revenue among state wildlife agencies on a
matching funds Matching funds are funds that are set to be paid in proportion to funds available from other sources. Matching fund payments usually arise in situations of charity or public good. The terms cost sharing, in-kind, and matching can be used inter ...
basis (with the provision that each state ban the diversion of hunting and fishing license revenue to other uses). Montana used these funds to purchase its first wildlife management area in 1938 (as of 2005 it had 84).''Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy,'' 2005, p. 18. The state used these funds to hire its first wildlife biologist in 1940. Congress passed the Federal Aid in Sport Fish Restoration Act in 1950 (which was almost identical to the 1937 act, funding its activities through excise taxes on fishing gear and equipment), allowing the Montana Fish and Game Commission to hire fisheries biologists, establish its first fisheries management projects, and initiate the first studies of problems affecting fisheries (such as logging and dams). In 1941, the state legislature gave the Fish and Game Commission the power to engage in rulemaking, and gave it additional power to open and close seasons, set bag limits, and create game preserves. That same year, the Fish and Game Commission established a program to collect data and conduct research on wildlife management so that a more rational wildlife management program might be established. Montana adopted a new state constitution in 1972. Article IX, Section 1 of the new constitution provided for the protection and improvement of the environment. Subsection 3 of Section 1 declared that the state legislature "shall provide adequate remedies for the protection of the environmental life support system from degradation and provide adequate remedies to prevent unreasonable depletion and degradation of natural resources." On July 1, 1973, the state adopted model legislation known as the Nongame and Endangered Species Conservation Act (Montana Code Ann. 87-5-101-132), which required the state Fish and Game Commission to identify and protect threatened and endangered wildlife, conduct research on non-
game A game is a structured type of play usually undertaken for entertainment or fun, and sometimes used as an educational tool. Many games are also considered to be work (such as professional players of spectator sports or video games) or art ...
and endangered species, and acquire and manage habitat for their use. The state legislature changed the name of the Montana Fish and Game Commission to the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Commission in 1991.''Now You Know: A Collection of Facts and Figures About... Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks,'' December 2007, p. 38.


Structure


Commission

The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Commission is a
quasi-judicial body A quasi-judicial body is a non-judicial body which can interpret law. It is an entity such as an arbitration panel or tribunal board, which can be a public administrative agency (not part of the judicial branch of government) but also a contra ...
which is authorized to engage in
rulemaking In administrative law, rulemaking is the process that executive and independent agencies use to create, or ''promulgate'', regulations. In general, legislatures first set broad policy mandates by passing statutes, then agencies create more de ...
for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, approves the purchase of land for use by the department, and approves certain activities of the department."About Us: Commission." Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. No date.
Accessed 2010-06-19. There are five members of the commission, all of whom must be citizens of the state and each one of whom represents one of the department's five geographical regions (Northcentral, Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest). Members serve for four years. Members are appointed by the Governor, with three members appointed at the beginning of the Governor's term and two appointed two years after the Governor's term begins. Appointments are
nonpartisan Nonpartisan or non-partisan may refer to: __NOTOC__ General political concepts * Nonpartisanship, also known as Nonpartisanism, co-operation without reference to political parties * Non-partisan democracy, an election with no official recognition ...
, but at least one of the Commissioners must have experience in the breeding and management of
domesticated Domestication is a multi-generational mutualistic relationship in which an animal species, such as humans or leafcutter ants, takes over control and care of another species, such as sheep or fungi, to obtain from them a steady supply of reso ...
livestock Livestock are the Domestication, domesticated animals that are raised in an Agriculture, agricultural setting to provide labour and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, Egg as food, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The t ...
. The commission is independent, but issues reports to and works closely with the Governor and the Director of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.


Department

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is led by a Director, who reports directly to the Governor of the State of Montana."Organizational Structure." Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. No date.
Accessed 2010-06-19. The department has four managerial offices: Human Resources, Lands/Outreach, Legal, and deputy director. The Technology Services Bureau is another managerial office, but reports directly to the deputy director. The department has three programmatic divisions: Finance, Fish and Wildlife, and Parks. There are five administrative bureaus within the Fish and Wildlife division: Communication and Education, Enforcement, Fisheries, Strategic Planning and Data Services, and Wildlife. In the 1950s, the department established seven administrative regions in the state through which these five bureaus implement their programs.
Accessed 2010-06-19. Each administration region is led by a Regional Administrator, who reports to the director. The Parks division has three bureaus: Business Operations, Capital and Recreation, and Field Operations. The Finance division has four bureaus, which includes the Licensing bureau. Each division head is nominated by the Governor and confirmed by the Montana Senate.


Budget, personnel, and operations


Budget and personnel

The State of Montana has a biannual budget cycle, with state agencies on a two-year budget cycle. The state's constitution requires a balanced budget. In 2009, the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks had annual revenues of $87,080,733.''FWP Annual Report 2009.'' Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 2009, p. 14. The state legislature appropriated $1,895,500 (2.2 percent of all revenues), with other state revenues (largely from dedicated taxes and fees) amounting to $10,563,367 (12.1 percent of all revenues). Federal funds account for $17,457,006 in 2009 revenues (20.0 of all revenues), while hunting and fishing licenses accounted for $57,164,860, or 65.7 percent of the Department's 2009 revenues. In 2021, the revenue generated by hunting and fishing licenses (General Licenses) has grown to $71,641,621 and now accounts for 71.3% of total state special revenue and 54.4% of total funding for the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks had total expenditures of $87,080,733 in 2009, of which $13,040,700 were
capital expenditures Capital expenditure or capital expense (abbreviated capex, CAPEX, or CapEx) is the money an organization or corporate entity spends to buy, maintain, or improve its fixed assets, such as buildings, vehicles, equipment, or land. It is considered ...
and $74,040,033 were operational expenditures.''FWP Annual Report 2009.'' Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, 2009, p. 15. When expenditures are broken down by divisional costs rather than capital vs. operating budget, the Fish and Wildlife Division spent $57,880,940 (66.5 percent of all expenditures), the Parks Division spent $15,104,493 (17.3 of all expenditures), and the Management and Finance Division spent $14,095,300 (or 16.2 percent of all expenditures) in 2009. The operational budget for the Parks Division was about $8 million in 2008, and came from more than 18 different sources.Babcock, "FWP Launches Web Page for State Parks," ''Great Falls Tribune,'' April 10, 2008. The department had 693
full-time equivalent Full-time equivalent (FTE), or whole time equivalent (WTE), is a unit of measurement that indicates the workload of an employed person (or student) in a way that makes workloads or class loads comparable across various contexts. FTE is often use ...
employees in May 2009, of which 197 were seasonal or temporary.Gallagher, "Fish, Wildlife and Parks Reorganizing," ''Associated Press,'' May 31, 2009. These include 74 field game wardens, six uniformed investigators, and three covert investigators in addition to a number of game sergeants and game captains.Babcock, "Montana Losing Wardens," ''Great Falls Tribune,'' March 12, 2009. In April 2010, Governor Brian Schweitzer asked state agencies for a 4 percent across-the-board reduction in personnel. However, the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks was exempt from the personnel reductions since most of its revenues came from hunting and fishing licenses."Agencies Asked for 4 Percent Cut in Personnel," ''Associated Press,'' April 14, 2010.Gouras, "Hunters Eyeing New No. 2 at Fish, Wildlife Agency," ''Associated Press,'' July 16, 2009.


Operations

The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks launched a new Web page for the state parks system in April 2008 to help promote tourism. The department acknowledged in March 2009 that it had trouble retaining its game wardens. Pay for an entry-level game warden was $16.72 per hour, one of the lowest in the nation and much lower than a number of private and public security and law enforcement-related positions in the state. Half the state's game wardens had less than five years of experience. The Fish, Wildlife and Parks department underwent a significant restructuring in the spring of 2009. Joe Maurier, a long-time friend of Governor Schweitzer's, was hired to lead the department's Parks Division in 2006 allegedly after Schweitzer asked that he be hired (an allegation the governor denied).McKee, "Agency Revamp Raises Concerns," ''The Missoulian,'' August 2, 2009. In November 2008, Schweitzer dismissed the long-time head of the MFWP and replaced him with Maurier. Maurier reassigned the department's Deputy Director, Chris Smith, to work on special projects and hired Art Noonan (a state legislator from
Butte In geomorphology, a butte ( ) is an isolated hill with steep, often vertical sides and a small, relatively flat top; buttes are smaller landforms than mesas, plateaus, and table (landform), tablelands. The word ''butte'' comes from the French l ...
with no college degree and no hunting or fishing experience) as the new deputy director. Under Governor Schweitzer's instructions, Maurier significantly consolidated the department's divisions. Prior to 2009, the department had separate divisions for communication and education, enforcement, fisheries, and wildlife. It had no strategic planning unit; rather, each division had its own strategic planning staff. The restructuring created the single Fish and Wildlife Division with five administrative bureaus (Communication and Education, Enforcement, Fisheries, Strategic Planning and Data Services, and Wildlife) as well as consolidated Finance and Parks divisions. Instead of reporting to a number of divisions, the regional administrators now reported to the head of the Fish and Wildlife Division. The salary for the administrator of Fish and Wildlife was increased to $82,524 a year. David Risley, administrator of the wildlife management and research division of the Division of Wildlife in the
Ohio Department of Natural Resources The Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) is the Ohio government agency charged with ensuring "a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all." Functions ODNR regulates Ohio's oil and gas indus ...
, was hired to lead the Fish and Wildlife Division. Chas Van Genderen was promoted from Assistant Parks Administrator to Administrator in April 2009.


See also

* List of state and territorial fish and wildlife management agencies in the United States * List of law enforcement agencies in Montana


References


Bibliography

*"Agencies Asked for 4 Percent Cut in Personnel." ''
Associated Press The Associated Press (AP) is an American not-for-profit organization, not-for-profit news agency headquartered in New York City. Founded in 1846, it operates as a cooperative, unincorporated association, and produces news reports that are dist ...
.'' April 14, 2010. *Babcock, Michael. "FWP Launches Web Page for State Parks." '' Great Falls Tribune.'' April 10, 2008. *Babcock, Michael. "Montana Losing Wardens." ''Great Falls Tribune.'' March 12, 2009.
''FWP Annual Report 2009.'' Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 2009.
Accessed 2010-06-18. *Malone, Michael P. ''Montana Century: 100 Years in Pictures and Words.'' Helena, Mont.: Falcon Publishing, 1999. *McKee, Jennifer. "Agency Revamp Raises Concerns." '' The Missoulian.'' August 2, 2009. *Merchant, Carolyn. ''The Columbia Guide to American Environmental History.'' New York: Columbia University Press, 2002.
''Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy.'' Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. 2005.
Accessed 2010-06-20.
''Now You Know: A Collection of Facts and Figures About... Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.'' Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks. December 2007.
Accessed 2010-06-15. *Sanderson, James and Moulton, Michael. ''Wildlife Issues in a Changing World.'' 2d ed. New York: CRC Press, 1998. *Sigler, William F. and Sigler, John W. ''Recreational Fisheries: Management, Theory, and Application.'' Reno, Nev.: University of Nevada Press, 1990.


External links


Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks Web site
{{authority control Environment of Montana State agencies of Montana State law enforcement agencies of Montana State wildlife and natural resource agencies of the United States 1895 establishments in Montana Government agencies established in 1895