Fish, Wildlife & Parks and DNRC introduce leadership, programs and data to joint legislative committee

Helena — Directors from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) and the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation (DNRC) introduced agency leaders, summarized major programs and recent accomplishments, and offered to be resources to legislators during a joint informational meeting of the House and Senate Fish, Wildlife and Parks committees.

FWP Director Christie Clark opened the session by introducing her senior staff and asking members to use the department as a resource this session. "For the record, my name is Christie Clark, and I'm the director for Fish, Wildlife and Parks," she said, noting she was appointed to the post on Dec. 9. Clark said she hopes members will "utilize Fish, Wildlife and Parks as a resource" and asked staff to come forward so legislators would know who to contact.

The nut graf: both agencies used the briefing to explain responsibilities that overlap with committee business — wildlife and recreational access for FWP, and land, water and trust-land management for DNRC — and to provide legislators, especially freshmen, with staff names and program contacts they may need during the session.

FWP staff who introduced themselves included Melissa Watson, chief of staff; Marina Yoshioka, chief of operations; Lina Havron, chief financial officer; Ron Howell, chief of law enforcement; Bill Schenk, land and water unit manager; and Emily Cooper, licensing bureau chief. Clark and staff described the department as responsible for fish, wildlife, parks and outdoor recreation and said they would answer questions and help legislators identify appropriate staff for bills and oversight. Senator Vance requested an organizational chart with position descriptions and contact information; Clark agreed to provide it.

DNRC Director Amanda Kaster then outlined the department's responsibilities for state trust lands, forestry, water, and related programs. "The department manages nearly 5,200,000 surface acres and 6,200,000 mineral acres of state trust lands," Kaster said, and noted revenue from trust-land activities funds K–12 education and other beneficiaries. She told the committee DNRC distributed 452 water and sewer grants in 2024 using American Rescue Plan Act funding, and that DNRC disbursed $12,000,000 in state funding for conservation, reclamation, development and emergency grants. Kaster also described a recent $26,000,000 loan to repair Saint Mary's Canal after a catastrophic failure affecting drinking water and irrigation.

Kaster highlighted DNRC's role in forest management, including the Basin Creek Watershed Project, and said new legislative funding has increased the pace and scale of forest treatments. She said DNRC used new tools to detect fires earlier and that in 2024 the department kept 95% of fires under its direct protection to under 10 acres. On water administration, she said DNRC completed a comprehensive water review and pointed to passage of a recent bill (referenced in testimony as "House 14") intended to reduce permitting timelines from about 360 days to 105 days.

Both agencies offered to provide staff for bill briefings and to be available throughout the session. Directors Clark and Kaster each introduced deputies and division administrators who then briefly described their portfolios and how legislators could reach them. Senator Vance reiterated the request for printed organizational charts and contact details; both directors agreed to provide the requested material.

The meeting also gave dozens of outside organizations an opportunity to introduce lobbyists and policy contacts who will appear before the committees this session, including Montana Audubon, the Montana Stockgrowers Association, Montana Farm Bureau Federation, Fishing Outfitters Association of Montana, Trout Unlimited, U.S. Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, and Montana Outfitters and Guides Association. Those representatives said they would appear as subject-matter stakeholders on relevant bills and issues.

The session was informational only; no formal committee actions or votes were taken. The chairs dismissed the joint meeting after roughly 45 minutes.