WILDLIFE RESTORATION PROGRAM 



Introduction 



The end of this biennium marks the fourteenth year that Wildlife 

 Restoration funds have been available for use in Montana's Fish and 

 Game Department program. 



This division was organized following legislative assent to the 

 Wildlife Restoration Act (Pittman-Robertson) in 1941. The monies 

 allotted the various states for wildlife purposes under this Act are 

 obtained through an excise tax on sporting arms and ammunition. 

 The amount each state receives is dependent upon the size of the 

 state and the number of licenses sold. In using this money the 

 Montana Fish and Game Commission pays for one-fourth of the 

 cost of the program and the Federal Government the remaining 

 three-fourths. 



The program thus made possible is initiated and carried out 

 entirely by State personnel. All equipment and lands purchased be- 

 come the property of the State. The assent to this Act through the 

 years of its existence has allowed Montana to carry out an important 

 and varied program, the greater portion of which would have been 

 impossible otherwise due to the lack of funds. 



An important part of the work carried out under this Division 

 has been the gathering of necessary information needed by the Com- 

 mission in the management of big game, game birds, waterfowl and 

 fur-bearing animals. Some of the more important aspects of this 

 phase of the program consist of obtaining census figures by age and 

 sex classes, as well as reliable information on distribution, annual 

 increase, hunter harvest, range and food conditions and predation. 



During the past two years, work has continued in rounding out 

 the acquisition of several important winter big game range areas, 

 and also vitally needed marsh land for waterfowl development and 

 public hunting. In regard to this acquisition program, during the past 

 legislative session a law was enacted allowing the State Fish and 

 Game Commission to pay the various counties an amount in lieu of 

 taxes comparable to that paid by private landholders and based 

 upon routine assessment. 



The management of beaver on public lands within the State was 

 made possible two years ago by the action of the State Legislature. 

 This necessitated the gathering of a great deal of information upon 

 which this expanded program has been based. This work was carried 

 out by the personnel of the fur section of the restoration program. 



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