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Committee Hears Bill to Raise Nonresident Smith River Fee to Fund Corridor Amenities
Summary
Sen. Laura Smith presented SB257, which increases a nonresident Smith River bonus-point fee and directs revenue to the Smith River Corridor enhancement account to pay for bank stabilization, put-in/take-out repairs and human-waste management; supporters including Trout Unlimited and Montana Wildlife Federation urged a due pass.
Sen. Laura Smith told the Senate Fish and Game Committee that Senate Bill 257 would modestly increase nonresident fees tied to Smith River bonus points and channel the revenue into the Smith River Corridor enhancement account to help maintain river access and protect stream banks.
"SB257 is a reasonable fee update to maintain protection of the Smith River," Smith said, explaining the bill leaves resident $5 bonus points unchanged and raises the nonresident bonus-point fee from a previously listed $50 to $125. She told the committee that money from fee sales is statutorily directed to projects that protect and enhance the Smith River's integrity.
Supporters told the committee the account is used for practical, on-the-ground maintenance. Clayton Elliott of Trout Unlimited described stream-bank stabilization at Camp Baker, latrine cleanup work and the department's move last year to a human-waste pack-out system as examples of projects paid for out of the corridor enhancement account. "All of that revenue . . . goes right back into benefiting the Smith," Elliott said, urging a due pass.
Emily Cooper, licensing bureau chief for Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP), confirmed the Smith River permit program is in high demand: about 20,000 people apply for roughly 1,100 permits for that stretch of river, she told the committee. Cooper said the department can provide fuller program-level details to the committee if requested.
FWP chief financial officer Lena Havron stood as an informational witness on the fiscal note. Proponents argued the fee increase will raise additional revenue targeted to mitigate recreation impacts and preserve access, while keeping resident bonus points at the low, existing level.
The hearing on SB257 closed without a committee vote; the sponsor encouraged members to support the bill in subsequent consideration.
What happens next: The committee received proponent testimony from conservation groups and river users and closed the hearing; a formal committee recommendation was not recorded during the hearing.
