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Bill would raise nonresident Smith River bonus-point fee to fund corridor protections
Summary
Sen. Laura Smith proposed raising the nonresident bonus-point price for Smith River permits (proposed to $125) to fund bank stabilization, waste systems and other corridor needs after witnesses said about 20,000 put-ins occur annually; sponsor signaled openness to amendment.
Sen. Laura Smith, sponsor of Senate Bill 257, told the House Fish, Wildlife and Parks Committee that the Smith River receives roughly "about 20,000 put ins per year" and that SB 257 would increase the nonresident bonus-point purchase price so that the revenue would fund river-protection work in the Smith River corridor.
"This bill increases the cost of a bonus point purchase for non residents only," Smith said, adding that the increase would be placed into the Smith River Corridor account to protect "the natural and scenic beauty of the Smith River Waterway, its recreational fisheries and wildlife values." She described likely uses as bank stabilization, restoration, and systems to manage human waste and other impacts from heavy recreational use.
Trout Unlimited's Jeff Lucas testified in strong support, saying the enhancement account would fund stream-bank restoration and mitigation of recreation impacts. Tom Jacobson of the Montana Wildlife Federation offered a "me too," calling the Smith River "a treasure" and stressing the corridor's heavy seasonal traffic.
Quentin Kujala, chief of conservation policy for Fish, Wildlife and Parks, provided informational background. He explained how the bonus-point system works: a purchased bonus point acts as an additional entry in the permit lottery and accumulates year to year ("if you have 2 bonus points when you apply, you get 2 chances in the bucket"). Kujala also noted changes adopted in the 2023 legislative session, including the $50 starting price for a first bonus point and a 10% cap on successful nonresident applicants within the available permits.
Committee members pressed the sponsor on the proposed increase (from the $50 starting point to a proposed $125 for nonresidents). Representative Millett described the jump as steep; Smith said the $125 figure reflected stakeholder conversations but that she was open to amendments such as raising resident point fees modestly or reducing the nonresident increase to $100. Members also discussed commercial-trip allocations: a member identified in the hearing as Representative Steinger said there are "74 total commercial trips that are withheld from the lottery every year," explaining that commercial trips are allocated outside the public lottery and operate under contractual arrangements.
Senator Smith closed by returning to constituent concerns about resident chances in the drawing and reiterated that fee revenue would be used to preserve the Smith River corridor. The committee recorded no formal vote in the hearing; the sponsor invited amendment work in committee.
