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WILLIAMS STEPS INTO FWP CHIEF ROLE AT CRITICAL TIME FOR AGENCY
Jim Williams takes over as regional supervisor overseeing management of fish and wildlife in Northwest Montana
LEFT: Jim Williams, Region One supervisor with Montana FWP. GREG LINDSTROM | FLATHEAD BEACON
through the sale of fishing and hunt- ing licenses. Nonresidents contribute roughly 70 percent of those revenues, according to FWP. The remaining one- third comes primarily from federal taxes on hunting and fishing equip- ment. Less than one half of one percent of FWP’s budget comes from the state’s general fund.
“Whether you agree with every- thing FWP does or not, if that’s your passion — hunting, fishing, seeing wild- life — it’s pretty important that you have an agency that’s funded and can do their job,” Williams said. “Otherwise we will be cutting staff.”
The agency acknowledges several factors are contributing to the potential revenue shortfall, including inflation and additional responsibilities.
A primary — and worrisome — trend is the declining sales of hunting licens- es, which are being linked to several events, including the harsh winters of 2010 and 2011 when deer and antelope populations were dramatically im- pacted, resulting in fewer tags for sale. There is also the perception of the nega- tive impact wolves and other predators are having on hunting opportunity, ac- cording to FWP.
Nonresident licenses have not sold out for the past five years.
So far this hunting season, roughly 600 fewer hunters have been reported at check stations in Northwest Montana compared to this time last year. The 11,233 hunters checked is the second lowest total in the last five years behind 2012, when there were 11,094.
A citizen’s advisory council was tasked with considering changes to Montana’s hunting and fishing licenses and fees and the group held public meet- ings across the state and gathered in- put. According to the group, a majority of people who provided comments ex- pressed support for the recommended increases.
“The overriding message from sup- porters was that the proposed changes are reasonable given the quality of fish- ing and hunting opportunities in Mon- tana, and the importance of managing fish and wildlife to ensure there will be similar opportunities for future genera- tions of Montanans and visitors,” the ad- visory council’s summary report stated.
The report did acknowledge there was opposition to the increases, largely because of concerns that the price hikes would result in fewer people purchas- ing licenses. Also, there was concern that the trend of increasing costs could lead to “hunting becoming a rich man’s sport.”
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Jy DILLON TABISH of the Beacon
im Williams is stepping into the
supervisor role for the state’s Fish, Wildlife and Parks region- al office in Northwest Montana
at a critical time.
The agency is managing a growing
suite of animals and fish species, includ- ing sensitive populations such as bull trout and wolves.
Yet at the same time, stagnant fund- ing levels are no longer adequate to sus- tain FWP’s everyday operations and the agency faces a $5.75 million shortfall in fiscal year 2017, according to the state.
Williams, who was promoted to Region 1 chief earlier this month after serving as regional wildlife manager for the past 15 years, said he would devote himself to community outreach and building relationships in the coming months to ensure separate groups and interests can work together in dealing with a host of issues and situations.
fish and wildlife and recreation and ac- of normal price.
B
cess and parks. That’s why a lot of folks live here,” Williams said. “I think you can only move conservation programs forward if you have buy-in from the public and support from your peers. And that takes face time and one-on- one work.”
Williams is inviting local lawmakers to attend an open house event on Dec. 9 to inform them of the current situation and ensure everyone understands the agency and its array of operations.
The agency is planning for potential program reductions unless the upcom- ing Legislature approves cost increases in fishing and hunting licenses.
Following an internal review and se- ries of public meetings across the state, FWP is seeking to increase fishing li- censes by $3 and hunting licenses by $8 annually. Also, seniors would receive a discounted license at age 67 instead of the current age, 62, and the price for most free and discounted licenses
A general deer license for residents currently costs $16. An elk tag costs $20. A conservation license, which is a prerequisite for all licenses, costs $8 for residents. An annual fishing license for residents ages 15-61 costs $8.
The last fee increase for Montana’s general resident hunting and fishing li- cense was in 2005 and in 2003 for non- residents. However, the last increase did not significantly benefit revenues for FWP, likely because of the high number of discounted licenses offered to several types of hunters, including seniors and students. The agency has estimated that roughly $4 million in potential revenue is lost to discounted licenses.
“You can’t run a business without raising your prices for almost 15 years,” Williams said. “But we take it seriously because $3 and $8 is a lot of money for some folks and we know that. It’s criti- cal for the agency, though.”
The state’s fish and wildlife manage- “Everyone is super passionate about would be standardized at 50 percent ment programs are primarily funded