The goal of the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP) is to efficiently and responsibly conserve and enhance upland game bird habitats and populations, providing quality public hunting opportunities for present and future generations.
About Habitat Enhancement
Landowners can reap the rewards of a cost-sharing program when they improve their land and make it more inviting for Montana's upland game birds.
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks can work directly with landowners-and other individuals, groups and organizations-to improve private and public lands for Montana's native sharp-tailed grouse, sage grouse, and mountain grouse, as well as the state's adopted game birds-ring-necked pheasants, Hungarian Partridge, and wild turkeys.
Landowners can apply to enroll in the updated cost-share program to develop, enhance, and conserve Montana's upland game bird habitats if the land in the project area remains open to reasonable public hunting. Generally, up to 75% of the cost of the Landowner's Upland Game Bird Habitat Enhancement project can be reimbursed.
Projects eligible for funding under the Upland Game Bird Habitat Enhancement Program should comprise at least 100 contiguous acres of land, with some exceptions. Your FWP habitat specialist or wildlife biologist will help you determine if your land can be improved to offer upland game birds better:
Winter cover
Food plots
Nesting cover
Shelterbelts
Habitat components, including range management, conservation easements—and wetland restoration, for the benefit of upland game bird populations.
Habitat Enhancement Application
After you and FWP agree on how and where improvements can be made, your FWP wildlife biologists will:
Help you prepare management plans.
Lend a hand in your efforts to establish suitable nesting cover, winter cover, or feeding areas through cost-sharing leases, or conservation easements.
FWP appointed a 12-member advisory council to lead an effort to advise FWP on a long-term strategic plan for the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program (UGBEP); monitor program activities annually; and recommend appropriate rules for FWP to consider. Council membership includes upland game bird hunters, a chamber of commerce representative, conservationists, an upland game bird biologist, landowners, one of whom is enrolled in the Block Management program, and 2 state legislators.
