Where the money comes from FWP IS FUNDED PRIMARILY BY USER FEES LESS THAN 1% OF FWP'S TOTAL BUDGET COMES FROM THE STATE GENERAL FUND FEDERAL REVENUES S10, 895.143 25 8% J ' OTHER STATE REVENUES S6.471.906 15 3% HUNTING/FISHING LICENSES $24,642,796 58 3% REVENUE DEFINITIONS: GENERAL FUND Stale tan dollars FISCAL YEAR 1995 [budgeted] GENERAL FUND S275.937 0.7% / HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES This includes license sales revenue, interest earnings and other miscellaneous revenue. Non-resident license sales account I or nearly V) oi FWP's total license revenue. In FY95 nearly 90% o f FWP's lederal assistance, or approximately $9 million, was apportioned to Montana lor lish and wildlife restoration through the Pittman-Robertson (PR.) and Wallop-Breaux (W B ) programs. PR monies are derived from an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition, pistols and revolvers and certain archery equipment W.B monies are derived from an excise lax on fishing equipment and electric trolling motors, a portion of the federal fuels tax and import duties on fishing tackle and pleasure boats OTHER STATE REVENUES — Other State revenue sources include fees for state park use, a portion of the state s accommodations tax; a small percentage of the state fuel tax; interest earnings from coal severance tax receipts and other miscellaneous revenue sources FEDERAL REVENUES The department receives federal monies to: aid in fish and wildlife restoration efforts for parks development and maintenance; tor boating safety, education and regulation, and other programs The balance of federal monies comes from various federal sources and is used for other purposes, including parks programs TOTAL REVENUES: $42,285,781 Where the money goes FWP SPENDS ITS MONEY TWO MAIN WAYS; • OPERATIONS for day-to-day management of fish, wildlife & park resources. • CAPITAL for ma|Of repair & maintenance of FWP properties, for renovation & construction ol facilities and to acquire land- FISCAL YEAR 1 995 [ estimated ] Parks: Operating. Capital Total % of Total The Parks Division is responsible lot the development, maintenance and operation of all state parks and affili- ated sites with an obiective of provid- ing diverse recreational opportunities while preserving important historical & cultural resources within Montana Conservation Education: 55,695.587 Operating Si. 787.842 . 2,743,729 Capital 100,000 S8 439,31 6 Total 51,887,842 20.0% % of Total 4.5% The Conservation Education Division acts as a clearinghouse for disseminat- ing information on FWP activities and news items to the media and conducts a variety of education and recreation safety programs Wildlife: Operating. Capital Total % of Total _ S6, 901, 859 _ 3,237.750 SI 0,1 39,609 24.0% The Wildlife Division is responsible for managing all species of big game, upland game birds, waterfowl, furbearers, non- game and endangered wildlife in the state Fisheries: Operating Capital Total % of Total The Fisheries Division is responsible for the management and perpetuation of Montana's fish and other aquatic resources. 55. 445.575 _ 2.7 29,000 58.174.575 _ 1 9 3% Enforcement: Operating % of Total S4.827.293 1 1 4% The Enforcement Division is responsible for enforc- ing all the fish and game laws of Montana, FWP rules and Commission regulations Division person- nel also enforce state boating and snowmobile rules and slate park regulations as well as private property laws and regulations as they deal with hunting and fishing Field Services: Operating % of Total 52,291,707 5.4% The Field Services Division is responsible for FWP’s lands program, construction projects and landowner-sportsman s relations program Management and Finance: Operating Capital Total % of Total S6, 368.939 156.S00 $6,525,4 39 15 4% The Helena-based Director's Office staff makes major policy and administrative decisions Regional supervisors handle on-the-ground implementation of policies and programs The Administration and Finance Division is responsible (or accounting, purchasing, personnel, data processing and adminis- tration of FWP's licensing functions DEPARTMENT TOTAL: Operating $33,318,802 __ 8,966,979 printed on recycled paper Total $42,285,781 *** m i 639.9 F2ar 1994 MONT NA 3 0864 0015 6441 1 Conserving Habitat Wildlife Habitat Conservation/Enhancement Special Opportunities "CROSSING THE BARRIERS" •FWP increased its efforts to reduce barriers to individuals with disabilities by providing accessible facilities at 19 fishing access sites & 1 1 state parks. Following the review of comments from thousands of Montanans involved in a long-range planning process, the department in 1991 established several goals. A brief overview of some of the more signifi- cant accomplishments of the past year in relation to those goals follows, in this annual report for A policy called "Habitat Montana "which will guide the acquisition of lands in the future, was adopted by the FWP Commission In keeping with the intent of HB 526, a habitat acquisition initiative passed by the 1987 Legislature, the department has In- creased efforts to conserve critical habitat through acquisition of conservation easements. Conservation easements were negotiated on 49,1 78 acres at a cost of 53,659,000 Fee title was acquired to 1,280 acres at a cost of 5155,000. Private landowners, Ducks Unlimited, and •A disabled persons access planning and management program was initiat- ed at Freezout Lake Wildlife Management Area cMot\tat\a “Fisty . ‘Wildlife (SLYotKs • An accessible fishing pier was completed at Lake Elmo in Billings, dedicated to the memory of Roger Fliger, the late Region Five supervisor & to the broad spectrum of users seeking access to Montana's recreational resources. WOMEN IN THE OUTDOORS • A Becoming an Outdoorswoman workshop was hosted in August Approximately 75 women attended from 18 different states. Choosing from a variety of classes, they gained new outdoor skills or improved on their present skills. the U S. Fish and Wildlife Service cooper- ated on 109 waterfowl enhancement pro- jects, resulting in nearly 8.000 acres being improved Over 51 80,000 was expended. Some Species & Issues Demanded Special Attention As of December 1994, 200,000 acres of upland game bird habitat had been improved, the result of over 575 projects with individual land managers. Stream Habitat Improvement Construction began on a selective with- drawal system for Hungry Horse Dam The system will correct a long-standing water temjaerature problem in tne Flathead River. In cooperation with the state Dejiartment of Transportation, FWP placed boulder structures in the Marias River to provide fish habitat and mitigate effects of bridge construction FWP also worked with the Marias River Advisory Committee and U S. Bureau of Reclamation to modify outflow from Tiber Dam to produce a more natural springtime flow pattern in the Marias and to benefit fisheries and aquatic habitat Participation continued in federal licens- ing of hydropower facilities at Tiber Dam and seven Montana Power Company dams on the Missouri River Operating guide- lines to protect, maintain and enhance aquatic and recreational resources were recommended. t continued nest page / FISH OF SPECIAL CONCERN A paddlefish management plan was prepared in cooper- ation with North Dakota. The plan takes the research and information strategies obtained in both states and lays out possible manage- ment strategies and harvest quotas that will join man- agement of this interstate fisheries resource Five hun- dred native paddlefish were marked above Fort Peck Dam to study their move- ments and mortality in the Missouri Work with larval paddlefish in the Yellowstone River has pinpointed paddlc- fish spawning to an area near the Montana/North Dakota border This will allow pro- tection of critical paddlefish spawning habitat FVV PchairedthcGovern- or’s Bull Trout Restoration Team, charged with prepar- ing a bull trout recovery plan for Montana Several FWP biologists participated on the scientific group, which is providing the Restoration Team with technical exper- tise in the development of the plan In addition, stream restoration activities to help bull trout recover were undertaken in the Blackfoot, Bitterroot and Flathead drainages. An inventory was taken of streams draining the Bear- tooth and pryor Mountains to clanfy the present distrib- ution of pure-strain Yellow- stone cutthroat trout. Surveys to determine the distribution & abundance of pure, native Missouri River (Westslope) cutthroat trout were conducted in the upper Missouri River Basin WILDLIFE EFFORTS F\\ Pvompleted an envi- ronmental impact statement to guide development of a plan for future management of black bears in Montana An environmental impact statement to guide future management of mountain lions began during 1994 The EIS, to be completed in early autumn of 1995, will form the basis for develop- ing a management plan for lions. / continued ne.it page/ continued trum front page Conserving I l.ibitai Twenty-seven river restoration projects were approved When completed these pro- jects will result in improvements to instream lish cover spawning habit, fish passage, and/or riparian vegetation on 24 miles of Montana's riversand streams and four lakes. These projects w ill also improve trout sur- vival on many additional miles of the Jefferson, Blackfoot, Yellowstone, Clark Fork, Bitterroot & Missouri rivers The $363,313 authorization will be matched by an addi- tional $707,225 in funding, or in-kind ser- vices, from other sources. Water Conservation Completed the second year ot two water leases on Mill Creek of the Yellowstone and implemented a new lease on Blanchard Creek on the Blackfoot A water reservation for fisheries and recreational needs was granted on the lower Missouri River Basin Cooperative efforts with water users in the upper Big Hole Basin resulted in addi- tional water in the river These projects in- included stock tank development & modi- fied irrigation water management WHIRLING DISEASE In December of 1994. Montana Fish. Wildlife & Parks announced that whirling disease was the suspect- ed cause of a 90 percent decline in the upper Madison River's wild rainbow trout population. Whirling disease is a parasitic and potentially fatal infection of trout and salmon for which there is no known cure FWP is seeking to decipher the relationship betw een w ild trout and the w hirling disease parasite. Through intensive studs and experimentation, FWP hopes to find a mechanism or technique for curtailing the spread of the disease continued from from page Special Attention A game farm program coordinator was hired to facilitate cooperation with the Department of Livestock, Montana Game Breeders Association and conservation groups A primary goal was to dralt revi- sions to the game farm rules for public review prior to the 1995 Legislature FWP assisted by the Department of Live- stock. collected 125 free-ranging deer in an effort to evaluate the incidence of tuberculosis in wildlife and reduce the probability of the disease becoming estab- lished or spreading in the immediate vicinity of the Elk Valley Game Farm, a known source of the disease Maintaining Montana’s Recreational °p.portr- . . t unities PRIVATE LANDS/PUBLIC WILDLIFE ADVISORY COUNCIL •FWP facilitated the Governor s Private LandV Public Wildlife Advisory Council Addressed were hunter access, wildlife habitat protection; imjiacts on and inconvenience to landowners, tangible benefits to landowners who allow hunters access, and maintaining a viable outfitting industry Legislation stemming from recommendations of theCouncil was prepared for presentation to the '95 Legislature ENFORCEMENT • Montana state game wardens contacted 46,000 hunters, 52,000 anglers, 8,000 landowners, 7 50 trappers, 1 7,415 boaters, 13,100 snowmobilers & 2,700 OHV riders •Efforts in the area of license fraud investigations ol non-residents buying resident hunting and fishing licenses were increased COOPERATION WITH PRIVATE LANDOWNERS •Twenty-nine grazing leases and 17 share-cropping leases are in place on 24 of Montana's 65 wildlife man- agement areas These leases, in turn, provide approxi- mately 18,000 AUMs and 4 500 acres of cropland for members of Montana's agricultural community •FWP spent ajijiroximately $220,000 in efforts to reduce game damage/depredation problems •FWP spent approximately $1 10,000 on weed control efforts on department properties, principally wildlife management areas, fishing access sites and state parks •Payments equal to taxes paid on department lands totaled $266,800 in 1994 BLOCK MANAGEMENT •Through the Block Management Area iBMAi Program, 3 3 million acres of private land were opened to public access on 244 BMAs •Rules for BMAs were completed They should help ensure equal access, opjxjrtumty, availability of infor- mation and better public participation in the discussion of how state lands will be included in the program HUNTING •Moose sheep and goat license drawings were sepa- rated from all other drawings and conducted 60 days earlier than in previous years Tins allowed successful applicants more time tor scouting & planning their hunts • Nine Montana communities received new shooting range grants bringing the total to 37 grants that have been awarded for the improvement of safe public ranges Grants are awarded on a 1 1 matching basis- for each state dollar, local sponsors provide a match- ing dollar • A promotional manual specific to Montana's Hunting Heritage Week was developed for use by interested organiza- tions. The topics include how to orga- nize and publicize events, generate inter- est S, work with local media. FISHING •In Canyon Ferry Reservoir, a change in the management of rainbow trout contin- ues to improve fishing success. Rainbow trout numbers have increased over 400 jiercent Illegal introductions of walleye, smallmouth bass and northern pike may, however, negatively impact the future of the Canyon Ferry trout fishery •FWP completed a three-year project to rejuvenate the Marias River-Tailwater rainbow trout pojiulation by introducing wild rainbows. •Forty million eggs, a record, were taken at walleye stations on Fort Peck Reservoir Young fish raised from this effort will enhance walleye fishing throughout central and eastern Montana • Region One s kokanee egg take goal ot 4 million eggs was exceeded by over I million Five million eggs are being held for development and release in 1995 rized regarding bird hunting and fishing on lands of the Confederated Salish- • Fishing access opjjortumties were improved by adding seven new sites and initiating site protection and facility improvement at 19 others SMITH RIVER •The second year of the floater launch allocation and permitting system was completed on the Smith •A boating access i take-out site) was acquired at Eden Bridge on the Smith TRIBAL NEGOTIATIONS •The state-tribal agreement was reautho- ega ids Kootenai tribes. TRAILS •A state trails plan & Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement was initiated. This will be the first state wide look at trails in Montana WILDLIFE VIEWING •Five new brochures on wildlife view- ing were completed They are: Bald Eagles on the Move -Montana's Fall Gatherings," "A Guide to Ultimate Wildlife Viewing" "Wildlife Viewing on the Rocky Mountain Front," "Blackfoot Valley Wildlife Viewing Guide," and Watchable Wildlife Safari for the Glasgow Area " These brochures were all developed and funded in partnershiji with other state and federal agencies and private organizations BISON Fifty more bison from Yellowstone National Park were killed m Montana in 1 99-1 bringing the total killed since 1985 to nearly 1.500 The problem revolves around two conflict- ing federal policies While National Park Service policy is to allosv nature to regulate animal numbers within Yellowstone, the U S Department of Agriculture 's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service administers the National Brucellosis Program, which prohibits the presence of animals infected with brucellosis in Montana if the slate wishes to maintain its bru- cellosis-tree status. Montana is caught m the middle of these two conflicting federal policies, unable to control the source of the problem, but forced to deal with it in Montana While a long-range plan is being developed, Governor Racicot has filed a lawsuit against the federal government, resulting in an improv- ed dialogue and movement toward a long-term solution •Over 14,000 people observed bald eagles feeding on spawning kokanee salmon at Canyon Ferry Reservoir The viewing opportunities were the result of a multi-agency effort coordinated by FWP i OFFER AN ESCAPE/PRESERVE OUR HERITAGE PROTECTING CULTURAL RESOURCES • Building stabilization & archaeological preservation con- tinued at Rosebud Battlefield, Bannack. Elkhorn, Fort Owen, Chief Plenty Coups & Granite state parks • Purchase of a conservation easement at Pictograph Cave Slate Fbrk will allow FWP to address the deterioration of prehistoric putographs through control of surface water runoff. PARTNERSHIPS* Negotiations were successful lor a four-way partnership among FWP and federal agencies for the management, development & operation of Hell Creek State (hrk at Fori Peck Reservoir • At Medicine Rocks State Park near Baker, an agreement with Fallon & Carter counties has led to road improvements and maintenance by the road departments of these two counties SPECIAL EVENTS & INTERPRETATION • Special events at 26 slate parks, such as Bannack Days, hol- iday candlelight tours at Lewis & Clark Caverns and beach games at Lake Elmo were hosted. • Through a public/jirivate partnership, an educational video on Makoshika State Park was produced. NEW OPPORTUNITIES • A new visitor center was construe ted at Makoshika State F^rk in Glendive SITE IMPROVEMENTS • Major site imjirovements were completed at Black Sandy on Hauser Reser- voir north of Helena and Cooney Reservoir southwest of Billings • Additional site improvements and rehabilitation took place at parks scattered throughout Montana They included Wayfarer's, Lake Elmo, Lewis & Clark Caverns, Lone Pine, Hell Creek, Makoshika Salmon Lake, Placid Lake and Tongue River Reservoir state parks. Roads, sanitary facilities, boat ramps, docks, building rehabilitation and improved water systems were included in the projects VOLUNTEERS • in state parks donated hours equivalent to 1 0 full-time employees to the department EDUCATION & PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT YOUTH EDUCATION •Approximately 6,500 students were certified in Hunter Educa- tion, 2,143 in Bowhuntcr Education and 200 in Trapper Education •FWP conducted or participated in 42 How to Fish clinics to ensure that new anglers have knowledge, responsible attitudes and skills to appreciate fisheries resources. 6,630 youngsters attended •Through Project WILD, in part- nership with Montana's educa- tional community, FWP provid- ed training sessions, curriculum guides & resource materials on Montana's natural resources to school administrators, teachers and youth groups throughout Montana The training occurred through 37 workshops hosting 962 teachers and administrators An estimated 12,698 students were reached through these efforts •Oser 3,000 educators received information on FWP's education assistance program at the Montana Education Association & Montana Federation of Teachers joint conference in Billings •FWP provided stipends to eight Flathead Reservation teachers who participated in curriculum development and implementa- tion workshops at the Salish- Kootcnai College designed to bring water quality and environ- mental management content into their classrooms. •FW'Pprovidcd River Watch equipment and training to nine schools-Livingston.Big Timber, Laurel, Billings West High. Hardin, Forsyth, Miles City. Savage and Terry -- in the Yellowstone River watershed Fourteen teachers involved 516 students in the program and sjicnt I (XI hours \arnpling water with students and 190 hours leaching in the classroom •FWP distributed a conservation cducauon magazine -- Falcon — to fourth graders throughout Montana Eighty-seven percent of the teachers interviewed indi- cated they increased the amount of time they spent teaching about fish arid wildlife in their classes as a result Ninety-two percent of the teachers interviewed said they believe their students increased their awareness and knowledge ol lish and wildlife and the importance of habitat as a result of the magazine TELEVISION' •FWP produced 56 weekly tele- vision "Outdoor Rejjorts." which air on all Montana television sta- tions during their evening news- casts. The "Outdoor Report” reaches a potential 300,000 house- holds each week and reflects a diversity of outdoor activities involving Montanans and FWP •FWP hosted workshops on crowding and recreational con- flicts on Montana nvers, lakes & reservoirs. Participants including representatives of aquatic recre- ation groups, the outlining indus- try, resource management agen- cies and industry, developed leg- islation and educational materials to help relieve future conflicts and to protect resource quality • A Hunter Focus Group project in one FWP region yielded extensive information and sug- gestions regarding FWP's rela- tionship with hunters