Montana's comprehensive fish and wildlife conservation strategy

Abstract

Montana, like other states, is rich in fish and wildlife species but unfortunately not in the funds needed to address them all successfully. Responding to the need for funding, Congress established the State Wildlife Grants (SWG) program in 2001. The funds support conservation projects for species historically overlooked because money has been short. To ensure that funds are used efficiently and effectively, Congress charged each state to develop a comprehensive assessment of its fish, wildlife, and their associated habitats. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) committed to developing such an assessment and, after two years of development, created a document that FWP regards as an important evolution in wildlife management. It might be easiest to view Montana's comprehensive assessment as a statewide fish and wildlife census and as an analysis of the places our fish and wildlife inhabit. The assessment reads almost like a field guide and is a great source of information for anybody interested in Montana's fish and wildlife. This strategy has the potential to bring together people of diverse backgrounds and skills to achieve conservation on a grand scale. It is an opportunity to integrate existing conservation efforts, develop additional programs, and leverage the limited resources available to benefit the most species. Montana's Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy is this generation's opportunity to be part of something as significant as the efforts to pass the Pittman-Robertson and Dingell-Johnson acts, which saw hunters and anglers agreeing to fund conservation efforts through taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. FWP hopes this comprehensive assessment will enable Montana to build on past successes and broaden the agency's ability to fulfill its mission to conserve all species.