ADMINISTRATION 



It has long been recognized that the title to wildlife shall be 

 vested in the people of the state and that wildlife and outdoor rec- 

 reation are inseparable, and that it is a necessary part of any over-all 

 recreation program for the general welfare of our citizens. 



To carry out a program of conservation, protection and propa- 

 gation of wildlife for such a purpose, the Montana Fish and Game 

 Commission was created. The Commission is the ruling body under 

 which the department operates in accordance with the powers and 

 duties prescribed by the legislature. All operations of the department 

 function through the office of the State Fish and Game Warden who 

 is the executive officer of the commission. 



Seasons and bag limits set by the Commission are determined 

 primarily from the best information available from field surveys 

 conducted by department personnel and from sound recommenda- 

 tions of sportsmen. This flexible authority to set seasons and bag 

 limits, open or close areas is a very necessary one for wildlife man- 

 agement. Wildlife has gradually increased to become a stable re- 

 source of great economic value to all the people under administra- 

 tion of the Fish and Game Commission and the Fish and Game Depart- 

 ment, prior to the Commission's organization as a five-man board 

 in 1921. 



Administrative duties have expanded from a strictly law enforce- 

 ment job in 1901, when the first state game department was or- 

 ganized, to an all inclusive program of conservation which now in- 

 cludes law enforcement, big game management, game bird manage- 

 ment, propagation of game birds, fish propagation, game research, 

 fisheries research, game range acquisition and a public information 

 and education program. 



The powers and duties of the commission which are vested in 

 that body by the legislature are designed for management of game 

 animals, game birds, game fish and fur-bearing animals on a sus- 

 tained yield basis. 



Finances: The State Fish and Game Fund is a special fund set 

 apart from the general fund and is exclusively made available to the 

 Commission for administration of the Fish and Game Department. 

 The Commission approves the annual operating budget based upon 

 the estimated income from license sales, federal aid, fines and confis- 

 cation sales. Because the department operates almost entirely on funds 

 derived from the sale of hunting and fishing licenses, operations of 

 the department are geared to annual license sales. It is interesting 

 to note that for the past 45 years or more in the history of the ad- 

 ministration of the Fish and Game Department, the general public 

 has contributed no state general funds towards maintenance of wild- 

 life in Montana, although the commercial benefits generated by 

 hunters and fishermen have been realized by business and the public 

 in general. Those who buy hunting and fishing licenses have fur- 



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