• What Is "Nongame" Wildlife?
• The Nongame Funding Dilemma
• Trends In Wildlife Recreation
• Goals Of The Nongame Wildlife Program
• Projects Supported By The Nongame Wildlife Checkoff ( 873 KB)

Native Nongame Species and Trends in Wildlife Recreation

Almost half of Montana residents (44%) consider themselves birdwatchers, which is twice the national average of 22%. According to the report (PDF), " Birding in the United States: A Demographic and Economic Analysis ," no other state has a higher percentage of residents involved in wildlife viewing activities. This report analyzed information from the 2001 National Survey of Fishing, Hunting and Wildlife-Associated Recreation .

Montana has become a destination state for birdwatchers from other areas. They come to see the Lewis' woodpecker and Clark's nutcracker, as they follow in the footsteps of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They come to see prairie birds like the burrowing owl, chestnut-collared longspur and Sprague's pipit. They come to see rare mountain birds like the great gray owl and white-tailed ptarmigan. And they spend money in Montana. In 2001, wildlife viewers (the majority of which are birdwatchers) spent an estimated $350 million in Montana for bird feed, bird feeders, gas, motel rooms, books, and other items related to their sport. In 2001, fifteen million dollars were spent in Montana on bird feeding alone!

Goals of the Nongame Portion of FWP's Wildlife Program

• Keep common species common. Inventory and monitoring of all species can help us detect population declines early, before they progress to the point where drastic action is needed. Detecting and reversing population declines while species are healthy is much more effective and cheaper than waiting until they are in trouble before taking action.

• Reverse population declines for Species of Concern. This work focuses on species of special concern, which are either known to be rare or declining – or perceived to be rare or declining due to a lack of basic biological information. The Species of Concern designation imparts no special legal or regulatory status for these species. The primary purpose is to help prioritize limited resources to provide the greatest return for the time and funding invested. Conservation planning can identify strategies to protect important habitats and other actions that can be taken to reverse population declines before Federal ESA listing is needed, preventing the need for burdensome regulations and restrictions. Much of this information is being used in the development of the Comprehensive Fish and Wildlife Conservation Strategy, being developed as a requirement for receiving SWG funds.

• Foster awareness and enhance public knowledge and enjoyment of all wildlife , through outreach, technical assistance, and citizen science.

Fish, Wildlife and Parks has a mandate to manage all wildlife species, not just those that are harvested. While hunters and anglers contribute license revenue towards the management of game species and fish, no license is required for wildlife viewing, photography, or bird feeding. The new State Wildlife Grants (SWG) provide federal funding that is targeted towards species that have little or no funding under traditional wildlife programs. Nongame Wildlife Checkoff contributions provide an important source of the required nonfederal match for using these funds. Nongame Wildlife Checkoff contributions will provide an important source of funding for community-based projects such as Montana Nature and Birding Trails. Your contributions to the Nongame Wildlife Checkoff will help FWP serve Montana and its wildlife by allowing us to manage these important species for the enjoyment of all. To see a description of recent projects supported by the Nongame Wildlife Checkoff, download Projects Supported by the Nongame Wildlife Checkoff (PDF 873 KB).