option #10 



Provide for a state hunting/recreational fee 

 access program as a means of: (1) allowing 

 farmers to earn additional farm income by 

 providing them an alternative use for their 

 land; (2) controlling game damage on 

 agricultural lands; and (3) promoting greater 

 satisfaction of landowners for their 

 contribution to wildlife habitat."^ 



Explanation 



This option is suggested as a possible means to 

 address the critical need of many farmers for increased 

 income from their land and to meet the demand for 

 greater public access to open, private land for 

 recreational and hunting purposes. This option also 

 gives consideration to providing an alternative use for 

 farmland and to allowing increased hunting as a way to - 

 control game damage on agricultural property. 



The proposed option would improve recreational and 

 hunting access to private farmland by allowing 

 landowners to receive compensation for providing public 

 access to their land. Under this option, such 

 compensation could be provided by controlled fees or 

 through a coupon system administered by the state. In 

 any event, the state would assist in providing the 

 public with information about available recreational and 

 hunting access to private lands in Montana. 



The option contemplates that some changes in the 

 state's liability laws might have to be adopted. It is 

 sensed that liability problems could impose an 



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