What is the Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy (CFWCS)?
Montana’s “strategy” is a technical assessment and analysis of the state’s fish, wildlife, and their habitats. It analyzes where species are doing well, where they are not, determines where survey and inventory efforts are needed, and suggests where improvements can be made. It is a broad-scale look at all of Montana’s more than 600 species, showing how all species are connected when tied to habitat, and how conserving the habitat of one species can benefit many species.
Why develop a CFWCS?
To continue receiving federal State Wildlife Grants (SWG) funds, the U.S. Congress charged each state with developing a comprehensive assessment of its fish and wildlife species. This was a way to help ensure that money received would be used efficiently and effectively. SWG’s aim is to support conservation projects for species like Arctic grayling, burrowing owls and others historically overlooked because money has been short. FWP hopes to leverage SWG funds with other public and private resources to conserve and manage the state’s species of greatest conservation need.
What are species of greatest conservation need?
Species of greatest conservation need haven’t received much or any conservation attention over the years, mostly due to a lack of funds. The result across the nation is declining species populations and an increasing number species on the threatened or endangered species lists. There are over 600 fish and wildlife species in Montana. Sufficient funding, provided by hunters and anglers, has existed to manage about 80 of those species. Currently 60 Montana species are considered to be in the greatest need of conservation.
Why did FWP take the lead on developing the CFWCS?
Primary responsibility for conserving Montana’s fish and wildlife species rests with FWP, so the agency has taken the leadership role in developing the state’s assessment. FWP developed the CFWCS in cooperation with other government agencies, conservation groups, sportsmen’s groups, and other partners. FWP is committed to fulfilling its mission to conserve and manage all of the state’s fish, wildlife and recreation resources.
What does the CFWCS mean for the management of traditionally hunted and fished species?
This assessment will lay the groundwork for conserving species in greatest need in a way that will also benefit traditionally hunted and fished species, and vice versa. FWP will not shift its focus off of traditionally hunted and fished animals, nor will this effort lead to a reduction in FWP’s sport fish and game management activities funded by the sale of hunting and fishing licenses. Instead FWP will be able to broaden its focus to include all animals without exclusively tapping into traditional funding sources.
Is the CFWCS a laundry list, drawing attention to imperiled species so they can be listed as threatened or endangered?
No. In fact, the intention is to address the needs of species in greatest conservation need to prevent them from becoming threatened or endangered and to more efficiently pursue conservation efforts. The aim in part is to attend to apparent problems, stave off more expensive listings under the federal Endangered Species Act, and keep all wildlife management decisions in Montana and made by Montanans.
Will the CFWCS, as part of a federal mandate, restrict state rights to manage wildlife?
No, the assessment provides a way to proactively address the needs of declining species in order to keep them from being listed as threatened or endangered . Keeping species off T&E lists is more cost effective, reduces the chance of conflicts with private landowners, industry, and recreationists who would otherwise be affected by regulatory restrictions. As a result, Montana will maintain state control over wildlife management decisions.
How will the CFWCS affect private landowners?
This effort is expected to affect private landowners in a positive way. FWP will continue to work cooperatively with landowners--as it has with landowners on sage grouse, black-tailed prairie dog, and cutthroat trout issues--to determine conservation concerns on their property and address them proactively, so restrictions due to the listing of species as threatened or endangered can be avoided.
How will the CFWCS affect FWP’s fish and wildlife biologists?
Montana’s biologists are as important as ever. FWP will not reduce its emphasis on Montana’s traditional fish and game management. With the help of SWG funding, however, FWP will continue to explore ways to meet the needs of species in the greatest need of conservation. As time and staffing allow, and in the course of normal data collection activities--like shocking fish and winter deer counts--biologists will be asked to be more attentive to species not typically inventoried or monitored. In some instances, there will be immediate opportunities for those interested to expand research and data collection efforts. FWP has already embarked on a number of demonstration projects using SWG dollars, including a prairie fish survey; studies on native sauger genetics and sauger movements in the Yellowstone; common loon ecology studies, and inventories of small mammals and reptiles in and near sagebrush habitats. These and other similar projects represent the first time many species and habitats have been examined, studied or surveyed by professionally trained fish and wildlife biologists.
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