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Fish, Wildlife & Parks budget request would increase biennium funding, add about 30 positions
Summary
FWP told the Legislative Finance Committee its executive budget would raise the department's biennial budget by about $25.4 million and add roughly 30 budgeted positions, driven largely by personal services increases and one-time appropriations.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks told the Legislative Finance Committee on the opening day of its Section C budget hearings that the agency's executive request would raise the department's biennial funding by about $25.4 million, or roughly 9.5% above the current base.
Rob (staff member) summarized the agency's numbers for the committee, saying the agency's base year shows 711.9 positions budgeted and the requested budget shows 742.26 positions budgeted — an increase of just over 30 positions. He said the request includes about $6.4 million in increased personal services (about a 5.1% rise) and that the change is driven by decision packages and statewide present-law adjustments.
Why it matters: The personal-services increase would fund both new, permanent budgeted positions and higher base pay demanded by some enforcement and supervisory roles; the package also contains several one-time items and funds that affect the biennial snapshot used to set future bases. The office's budget presentation signaled both recurring pay and nonrecurring investments that will affect future legislatures' decisions.
Details: Rob told the committee the executive request includes about $4.8 million in personal services tied to new positions (and roughly $1 million in associated operating expenses). The new-position requests listed in agency decision packages were described as seven game wardens in enforcement, about 7.35 state park staff, seven positions in education and communications, eight in administration and one position to manage the MyFWP website. Rob also noted roughly $4.0 million in operating expenses to support roughly 40 "modified positions" (temporary positions funded from authorized sources rather than permanent position budgets).
Rob also highlighted funding changes by source: the executive proposal would shift about $637,100 from federal funds to state special revenue in the department's House Bill 2 package. He said two-thirds of the department's state special revenue is concentrated in three funds: the general license account (about 53.6% of HB2 funding), hunting access (about 8.6%) and state parks miscellaneous (about 6.3%).
Agency context: Director Christy Clark told the committee the budget responds to growing outdoor recreation and infrastructure pressures and "the work of our staff warrants the budget that will support them in managing our natural resources and the associated recreational opportunities." Clark cited rising visitation, landowner concerns and staff workload as central reasons for the request.
What the committee asked: Members pressed the agency's staff about how temporary (modified) positions affect the base, and staff explained that funds booked as personal services for modified positions do not create a new permanent positions snapshot unless those positions are converted to permanent PBs. Rob gave a numeric example: if $1 million is appropriated for modified positions and $800,000 is spent as personal services, $200,000 would remain in the base for the next biennium while the $800,000 would not carry forward as permanent PB funding.
Next steps: Committee staff said the section will continue agency-level questions and return later for executive action. Multiple lawmakers and public commenters expressed support for specific decision packages during the hearing and asked for line-item detail as House Bill 2 language is drafted.
