Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
| Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks | |
|---|---|
| Abbreviation | MFWP |
2007 logo of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks
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| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1895 |
| Preceding agency | Territorial Fish and Game Commission |
| Employees | 693 FTEs (May 2009) |
| Annual budget | $87.080 million (2009) |
| Legal personality | Governmental: Government agency |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction* | State of Montana, United States |
| Size | 147,165 square miles (381,156 km2) |
| Population | 967,440 (2008) |
| Legal jurisdiction | State of Montana |
| General nature |
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| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | 1420 East 6th Avenue, Helena, Montana |
| Agency executives |
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| Regions | Region 1 (Kalispell), Region 2 (Missoula), Region 3 (Bozeman), Region 4 (Great Falls), Region 5 (Billings), Region 6 (Glasgow), and Region 7 (Miles City) |
| Facilities | |
| Patrol cars | Various cars, trucks, and off-road vehicles |
| Boats | Various patrol and utility craft |
| Planes | Light observation aircraft |
| Website | |
| http://fwp.mt.gov | |
| Footnotes | |
| * Divisional agency: Division of the country, over which the agency has usual operational jurisdiction. | |
The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks (MFWP) is a government agency in the executive branch state of Montana in the United States with responsibility for protecting sustainable fish, wildlife, and state-owned park resources in Montana for the purpose of providing recreational activities. The agency engages in law enforcement activities to enforce laws and regulations regarding fish, wildlife, and state parks, and encourages safe recreational use of these resources (such as safety courses for boaters, hunters, snowmobilers, and others).
The Montana Territorial Legislature enacted the first fish or wildlife law (it limited fishing methods to rods and lines) in 1854. The first game bird hunting laws were passed in 1869, and hunting seasons for antelope, buffalo, bighorn sheep, deer, elk, moose, mountain goats, and rabbits set in 1872. Fur trapping and bird hunting seasons followed in 1876.
In 1885, the territorial legislature established the Montana territorial Fish and Game Commission. The state's first state game warden was hired in 1889, the same year that Montana became a state. Under Montana state law, each county was also authorized to hire one game warden, but a lack of funds and interest led to no wardens being hired. By 1900, only four of Montana's then-24 counties had game wardens.
The Montana State Legislature established the state Fish and Game Board in 1895. Governor John E. Rickards appointed the first Fish and Game Commissioners on March 4, 1895. The Fish and Game Board hired its first state game warden, R.A. Wagner, in July 1898. Hunting and fishing licenses were imposed on out-of-state residents in 1901. The funds from sale of licenses and fines imposed on violators partially funded the state's court system, and in its first year more than 300 justices of the peace were supported by the law. The Fish and Game commissioners recommended the establishment of a Fish and Game Department, and the legislature created this agency on April 1, 1901. The game warden and his deputies were all authorized law enforcement officers. Fish and game districts were created and eight deputy game wardens authorized for each district. Hunting and fishing licenses for in-state residents were required in 1905.
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