Chapter IV - Block Management Effectiveness 



Table 1 1 shows the location and number of acres in the 28 

 conservation easements acquired from private individuals under the 

 Habitat Montana Program as of October 1999. 



Table 11 



Conservation Easement Numbers and Acres by Region 



(As of October 1999) 



Source: Compiled by the Legislative Audit Division from department records 



Statute does not require lands/habitat acquired through Habitat 

 Montana to be open to public access. Administrative rules state 

 "The [FWP] commission intends Habitat Montana to deliver the 

 following services and benefits: . . . b) contribute to hunting and 

 fishing opportunities." Per department management, staff will not 

 select lands for the program if the landowner will not grant public 

 access. At the time of the audit the contracts for the 28 conservation 

 easements required free public hunting. 



Cooperators in Block 

 Management and Another 

 Program 



We compared the landowners enrolled in the Block Management 

 Program with those enrolled in the UGBP or in a conservation 

 easement to determine how many landowners are enrolled in more 

 than one program. We found 64 landowners were in the UGBP and 

 were enrolled in block management for the 1998 hunting season. 

 The 64 landowners received $206,466 from block management in 

 1998. They have also received $1 ,618,447 for the UGBP project 



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