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Bill proposes higher fees and stricter permitting for private fish ponds to cover program costs
Summary
House Bill 74 would modernize Montana's private fish‑pond permitting in Title 87, increasing the initial permit to $600 for a 10‑year term and a $250 renewal to better fund Fish, Wildlife & Parks inspections and invasive‑species responses; committee heard concerns about fee level and fish availability.
The Senate Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Committee heard House Bill 74, a measure to revise regulations for private fish ponds that are stocked with fish and to raise permitting fees to more closely match program administration costs. Representative Walsh, sponsor, said the bill responds to rising aquatic invasive species risk and a long‑unchanged permit fee set at $10 in 2005.
Clayton Elliott of Trout Unlimited told the committee the program currently costs about $70,000 a year to administer and that total revenue from the $10 fee is only about…
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