public health standpoint and also from an industrial standpoint. In 

 order for Montana to develop industrially and take advantage of its 

 natural resources such as are available in Montana, adequate legislation 

 is needed both by concerns interested in locating in Montana, and for 

 the protection of the fish and wildlife of the state. Industries and fish 

 and wildlife can work together with proper safeguards formulated for 

 their management. In order to protect the income to the state of the 

 traveling public and by native Montanans these things today should be 

 recognized as a must to be met by honest, sincere, unbiased thinking, 

 and should be forthcoming for the use by industry and fish and game 

 management in the interest of the people of Montana. 



Montana's sport fishing resources are looked upon as a national 

 wildlife recreational asset. Because of increased numbers of fisher- 

 men, the supply of natural or wild raised trout has dwindled. Our 

 present day management practices are to supplement natural spawn- 

 ing in streams with hatchery-raised trout. Cooperation from all 

 interested in wildlife recreation is necessary to assure success of the 

 program. 



FISH HATCHERIES 



During the biennium May 1, 1950 to April 30, 1952, the fisheries 

 program has been following the guidance and advice of previous ad- 

 ministrators in setting up a program for the State of Montana. Devia- 

 tions and corrections have been worked out with various sportsmen's 

 organizations in the interest of the people of Montana. The depart- 

 ment has maintained during the biennium, eleven trout cultural sta- 

 tions, located at the following strategic places throughout the state: 

 Anaconda, Hamilton, Arlee, Libby, Poison, Somers, Great Falls, Lewis- 

 town, Big Timber, Emigrant, and Fromberg in addition to the trout 

 stations, and a combination pike and warm water hatchery at Malta, 

 Montana. The State Department of Fish and Game also contributes 

 to the maintainence and operation of three Federal fish cultural sta- 

 tions located at Miles City, Creston and Ennis, Montana. 



The Fish Hatchery planting program in Montana today is an out- 

 standing example of fishery management and cooperation between all 

 agencies and sportsmen. At the time of its inception this program 

 was designed to curtail promiscuous planting of fishes in the entire 

 state and the overlapping of planting by state hatcheries and federal 

 fish hatcheries. Today the hatchery program is still following this 

 procedure and revisions of this program are worked out with the 

 sportsmen's groups in the various hatchery districts in Montana. Under 

 this program a hatchery foreman cannot plant fish unless they are 

 authorized by the program or permission for the planting is obtained 

 from the Helena Office. The Montana Fish and Game Commission has 

 recognized that its moneys to operate come entirely from sportsmen, 

 therefore, it is most unfair to utilize this money for the stocking of 

 private fish ponds that are not open to public fishing. 



This program has been adhered to during the biennium, and it 



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