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House committee sends fee increase for upland game-bird program to the floor
Summary
The House Appropriations Committee voted to give House Bill 372 a "do pass" recommendation after proponents described the Upland Gamebird Enhancement Program as a long-running, hunter-funded habitat program; the bill would raise license fees that fund grants and contracts for habitat enhancement.
The House Appropriations Committee on Monday recommended House Bill 372 for passage after proponents said the bill would restore purchasing power to a long-running hunter-funded habitat program.
The bill, introduced by the representative for House District 99, would increase fees dedicated to the Upland GameBird Enhancement Program. The program awards grants and contracts to landowners to improve habitat for upland birds and to provide public access, committee witnesses said.
“The program is such a strong program,” the bill sponsor said, noting the fund’s statutory budget level has not changed since 2013 and that inflation has eroded buying power. The sponsor said the bill already received bipartisan support in earlier hearings and on the House floor.
Trent Kleppen, chair of the Upland GameBird Enhancement Program Advisory Council, told the committee the program “goes back to rural communities and back into the hands of working agricultural producers that are implementing these habitat access and conservation projects on their land.” Kleppen said the council is statutorily charged with advising Fish, Wildlife & Parks on implementation.
Other proponents included representatives of Montana Backcountry Hunters and Anglers, the Montana Wildlife Federation, and the Big Sky Upland Bird Association. Thomas Baumeister of Backcountry Hunters and Anglers said the fee increase is “nominal” per license but would support more habitat projects for resident and nonresident hunters. Ben Diebel of the Big Sky Upland Bird Association told the committee nonresident hunters often use upland bird areas at higher per-capita rates and should bear a portion of costs.
Lena Havron, chief financial officer at the Department of Fish, Wildlife & Parks, said the fund is a state special revenue account earmarked for upland-game-bird enhancement and that the department included requests in the executive budget (House Bill 2 and House Bill 5) to spend the fund as intended. Havron told committee members the department twice amended the bill in House Fish, Wildlife & Parks to avoid compromising federal funding assistance.
After testimony and committee questions about how the program divides funding between habitat enhancement grants and access, the committee chair moved a "do pass" recommendation. The committee recorded a voice vote; the chair reported the motion passed by those present.
If enacted, the fee increase would be added to the statutory special revenue account that FWP uses to fund grants and cooperative agreements with private landowners and public partners.
