FWP wildlife division outlines multiple budget requests for staff, surveys, equipment and grizzly response

Ken McDonald, chief of the Wildlife Division at the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks, told the Legislature the division is seeking several budget changes to keep pace with growing workload and costs.

The division presented a package of decision packages (DPs) that would increase operations authority for modified positions, expand survey and non‑game work, add recurring equipment replacement authority, and fund grizzly bear conflict response and upland‑bird habitat projects. The requests also include one‑time equipment purchases to address a backlog of field needs.

The budget requests matter because the division says increased human population, litigation over wildlife rules and higher operating costs are straining its ability to monitor and manage Montana’s species. The division also said stronger survey and non‑game programs can help inform federal Endangered Species Act reviews and protect state management authority.

The Wildlife Division is responsible, McDonald said, “for conservation and management of more than 600 Montana birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians, and their habitat,” and those responsibilities are spread across species categories including game, nongame, migratory and threatened species. He described four main program areas: species management, habitat conservation, conflict management and wildlife health.

Key points from the DPs and committee discussion:

- DP502: Modified positions. The division reported it has “a little over 35 modified positions” used for critical work — chronic wasting disease (CWD) surveillance, grizzly bear conflict response, wolf and mountain lion monitoring, black bear population work and non‑game projects. Because those are modified, rather than permanent, positions, pay and benefits increases have not automatically flowed to operations budgets. McDonald said the DP would increase…