The Joint Subcommittee on Natural Resources (Section C) heard that the governors executive budget would increase funding for agencies under its jurisdiction by $294,700,000 above the biennial base, a rise committee staff said equals an 11.2% increase over the $2.6 billion base.

Committee staff provided the figure during introductory remarks and a high-level budget briefing. "So for section c, the total proposed, is an increase of 294,700,000. That's 11.2% above the base funding of, 2,600,000,000," the staff presentation said.

Why it matters: The additional money affects transportation, natural resources, water and land management, fisheries and parks, and related regulatory programs across Montana. Most of the increase is earmarked for infrastructure and program spending administered or matched through federal programs and state special revenue accounts.

Details of the request and distribution

- The single largest portion of the proposed increase is in federal funds for the Montana Department of Transportation (MDT): committee staff said $152,800,000 of the total increase is federal, with about $152,200,000 attributable to MDT. Those funds are primarily for infrastructure grants and related matching expenditures.

- State special revenue is the second-largest source of the increase, accounting for $128,200,000 (about 43.5% of the total increase). Staff said the bulk of that will be absorbed by agencies with large fee- or license-based accounts.

- Other agency-level requested increases called out by staff: Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) $26,100,000 (largely from the general license account), Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) $5,300,000, Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) $5,200,000, Department of Livestock $1,300,000 and Department of Agriculture $1,500,000.

Agency context cited at the briefing

- DEQ director Sonja Nowakowski told the committee DEQ employs "roughly 400 employees" and has a budget of "roughly $87,000,000," and previewed more detailed budget material coming in subsequent hearings.

- DNRC director Amanda Kaster summarized DNRCs trust-land and forest responsibilities, noting the agency manages millions of surface and subsurface acres and that revenue from state trust lands recently generated more than $92,000,000 for public schools in the prior year.

Staff noted that federal grant flows explain much of MDTs increase and that the departments larger federal requests also require corresponding state authority inside House Bill 2.

What's next

Committee staff said the subcommittee will begin agency-level hearings with the Montana Department of Transportation early next week, with presentations scheduled to include MDTs motor pool, equipment and maintenance programs. The subcommittee will evaluate the executive request, present-law adjustments and new decision packages during upcoming hearings.

Ending

Members were directed to agency profiles, interactive budget tools and the legislative website for agenda and scheduling details ahead of the first formal program presentations.