• House Bill 20 authorizes a Warm Water Sport Fish surcharge and a multi-species hatchery for Montana to be located at Fort Peck.
• HB 20 also creates a $5 warm water stamp, required of anglers who pursue warm water fish like walleye and bass in certain Montana waters. The stamp is the only source of income for Fort Peck hatchery daily operations and maintenance.
• HB 20 also limits the type of fish that can be raised at the hatchery to certain warm water fish and Chinook salmon.
• Montana's Congressional delegation works to get federal authorization for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to design and build a $22 million hatchery at Fort Peck.

• Warm Water Stamps sales begin and subsequently raise about $250,000 annually.

• The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers begins construction of Fort Peck Multi-Species Hatchery.

• Construction complete. FWP takes over management.
• Estimated annual operations and maintenance budget for the hatchery is more than $500,000.
• The balance from previous Warm Water Stamp sales covers today's costs, but FWP projects that by 2012 the balance will be exhausted and the hatchery will then be solely dependent on deficient annual Warm Water Stamp sales. Stretching the balance means the hatchery is operated at minimum levels.
• Personnel, utility and energy costs are of primary concern. FWP projects that the hatchery needs an additional $200,000 to $300,000 annually to operate the Fort Peck Multi-Species Hatchery into the future.

• FWP officials, local advisory groups, legislators, angling clubs and others work to establish funding options that could boost the hatchery's budget and production potential.
• For resident and nonresident anglers, the options include:
  • paying an additional $3 for a warm water stamp and retaining the restrictions on fish species raised at the hatchery. This option would raise an additional $150,000 annually for a total of about $400,000. The hatchery would continue to run below capacity.
  • paying an additional $1-2 for a general fishing license, maintaining a priority on raising warm water fish, but removing a warm water stamp requirement and the restrictions on species raised at the hatchery. This option would raise about $400,000 to $600,000 annually. The hatchery could be run at capacity.

• FWP seeks public comment on two funding options.

Return to Fort Peck Fish Hatchery Funding Options