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Fisheries division requests staff for MDT stream permitting and funds for non-game monitoring
Summary
FWP told lawmakers it needs one-time support to handle anticipated permitting for the Montana Department of Transportation bridge initiative and a recurring-plus request to expand monitoring of non-game aquatic species, funded largely from marijuana-tax receipts.
Adam Strainer, fisheries division administrator, told the committee the division manages fisheries and aquatic resources, estimating roughly 3.5 million angler days annually and an annual economic impact of about $1.3 billion from fishing-related activity. He described accomplishments including a statewide fisheries management plan implemented after the 2023 session and the state hatchery system's work (about 70 million fish stocked in the last biennium).
Stream permitting and MDT bridge work: Strainer said Montana Department of Transportation has a governor's initiative to rehabilitate or replace 500 to 700 bridges over five years; fisheries requested a one-time operations resource (NP301) to handle a projected spike in stream permitting reviews related to those projects. He described the request as one-time-only (OTO) and said fisheries would return with a future OTO ask if the need continued.
Non-game monitoring: Strainer described NP302, a non-game fisheries request to inventory and monitor species of greatest conservation need, to prevent potential Endangered Species Act listings and to reduce impacts on private landowners and other users. He told the committee the primary funding source identified for that request is tax revenue from marijuana sales.
Aquatic invasive species and habitat: The fisheries presentation noted the aquatic invasive species program performed about 23,000 watercraft inspections and intercepted 47 vessels transporting invasive mussels in 2024; the division also reported awarding $2.2 million in grants under a future fisheries improvement program and securing $11.3 million in matching funds for 45 projects. Strainer said the division's habitat work averaged a $6 match for every $1 spent by FWP on these projects.
Committee follow-up: Members asked about HB520 (the interim study on private ponds) and were told the Water Policy Interim Committee reported House Bill 74 out of study; staff promised to provide additional details on pond regulation and non-game program funding in follow-up materials.
