HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 36 



A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE SENATE AND THE HOUSE OF 

 REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA REQUEST- 

 ING AN INTERIM STUDY OF WAYS OF ALLEVIATING DAMAGE 

 CAUSED BY WILD ANIMALS TO AGRICULTURAL CROPS. LAND, 

 AND FIXTURES THEREON. 



WHEREAS, the wild animals of the state are a public resource, held in 

 trust by the state for the benefit and enjoyment of all its citizens; and 



WHEREAS, good game management policy requires protecting the wild- 

 life resource as well as mitigating damage caused by wildlife through appro- 

 priate and expeditious action of the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and 

 Parks; and 



WHEREAS, landowners possess their land with the recognition that 

 wildlife may use the land and that they must tolerate a certain level of use 

 by wildlife; and 



WHEREAS, a combination of current game management techniques and 

 policy and several recent mild winters has resulted in an overpopulation of 

 big game animals in many parts of the state, with a consequent increase 

 in damage to agricultural crops and land; and 



WHEREAS, several surrounding states and Canadian provinces have 

 instituted programs to compensate landowners for damage caused by wild 

 animals; and 



WHEREAS, the wildlife resource provides a valuable source of revenue 

 for both the State of Montana and local businesses through license sales 

 and increased sales of goods and services to sportsmen; and 



WHEREAS, the practice of certain landowners of closing their land to 

 hunting directly affects the occurrence of game damage on adjoining lands. 



NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE AND THE 

 HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE STATE OF MONTANA: 



That an appropriate interim committee be assigned to study and deter- 

 mine: 



(1) the types of damage caused by wildlife to agricultural crops, land, 

 and fixtures thereon; 



(2) desirable population levels of wild animals to adequately preserve 

 the wildlife resource while at the same time minimizing damage to private 

 property; 



(3) needed changes in the wildlife management policies of the state that 

 would alleviate damage to private property caused by overpopulation of 

 wild animals; 



(4) whether current game management techniques and capabilities of 

 the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks are adequate to properly 

 assess game populations and habitat in determining hunting quotas and 

 seasons; 



(5) methods available to the Department for preventing and mitigating 

 damage, including but not limited to: 



(a) methods of dealing with landowners who do not permit hunting and 

 whose neighbors suffer damage resulting from the concentrations of wild 

 animals on such land; 



(b) cooperative agreements with neighboring states concerning joint 

 damage control measures; 



(c) development of quick -response types of action by the Department to 

 individual complaints; 



