FWP Director Hagener Thanks Landowners

Jeff Hagener, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director

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Change is everywhere and it plays a central role in many of the issues we deal with at Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

  Fortunately, a few things don’t seem to be changing and for that I am thankful. Montanan’s love and respect for the land, our fish, wildlife, cultural and historic sites are solid —as is our enthusiasm for the traditions of hunting, fishing and camping.   These things we put so much value on also seem to help us act in positive ways to benefit our natural resources and our fellow man.

In my position with FWP, I have seen Montanans’ values in action in some important ways in 2003.

Private landowners, through the Block Management Program, provide hunting access to more than 8.8 million acres of land that would not otherwise be available to hunters. Innumerable other landowners, with a handshake and a smile, open thousands of additional acres to friends and neighbors for hunting and fishing.

Willing landowners have also stepped forward to protect nearly 363,000 acres of habitat for wildlife and game birds through conservation easements placed on their lands. Most recently, in Blaine County, a new conservation easement with the Gordon Cattle Company will protect 15,157 acres of shortgrass prairie and pothole wetlands.

The state’s fishing access site program gained the 363-acre Stuart Mill Bay site at Georgetown Lake when the landowner agreed to sell for a price well below appraised value.

Over 50,000 acres of Montana’s vital wetlands are being preserved or restored by landowners working with experts in wetlands conservation through the Montana Wetlands Legacy Program.

  Watershed groups, farmers, ranchers and other landowners, challenged by the drought, have worked together to find ways to increase the flow in numerous rivers and streams where drought-weary fisheries need to be rebuilt.

The Big Hole and Jefferson Watershed Groups and the Blackfoot Challenge come easily to mind, but I know there are many other smaller or newly formed groups. For example, the Lower Tenmile and Upper Shields Watershed Groups have worked with the Future Fisheries Program to improve stream channels, making a sustainable difference for these waters and fisheries.

Generous contributions by private individuals this year also made it possible for us to preserve historic scenic views at Travelers’ Rest State Park in Lolo and Giant Springs State Park near Great Falls for the benefit of Montanans and visitors from around the country, today and into the future.

Change is a given, a challenge we face every day, so it is reassuring to know that our traditional values remain strong and active in decisions that will help sustain the lifestyle we love.

This holiday season, let us all take time to say thanks to the friends, family members, elected officials and others we know who are making good choices and important contributions to Montana’s future.