CHAKfEH 1: AMIX.rKD K.NVIKONMKNT 



Table 18. Greater Yellowstone Area residents' attitudes toward issues surrounding wolf reintroduction. 

 The "'percent agreeing" includes the sum of responses for the categories "somewhat agree" and 

 "strongly agree." "Percent disagreeing" was also aggregated. Because other response categories 

 are not reported (e.g. "no opinion" and "not applicable"), data will not sum to 100%. Source: 

 Duffield et al. 1993a. 



FWP Fiscal Environment 



FWP derives a large portion of its annual operating budget from the sale of fishing and hunting licenses 

 and matching federal dollars collected through excise taxes on the purchases of hunting and fishing 

 related equipment. The choice of wolf conservation and management policies has the potential to affect 

 FWP finances directly by how a wolf program is funded and indirectly through the interaction between 

 wolves and their ungulate prey populations. For example, a substantial decrease in deer or elk numbers, 

 by whatever cause or combination of causes, could lead to a lower level of hunter participation or lower 

 license revenue. The decline may be exacerbated or prolonged in localized areas by the presence of a 

 recovered wolf population. However, new license revenue may be generated by implementing a 

 regulated harvest program for wolves as a management tool within the broader context of the overall 

 program. Table 19 shows annual trends in Montana resident deer and elk license sales and prices. The 

 number of deer licenses sold has declined slowly since 1980, while the number of elk licenses sold has 

 remained relatively stable. Table 20 summarizes license revenue for the year 2000 from the sales of the 

 major classes of deer and elk licenses and special permits. 



Despite relatively consistent hunting regulations and hunting opportunity for antlered deer and elk, 

 statewide resident elk and deer general license sales have declined since the mid-1990s. A survey of elk 

 license holders, who purchased a license in 1996 and 1997 but not in 1998, was conducted to determine 

 the reasons why these individuals did not purchase a license in 1998. The most frequently checked reason 

 was "other responsibilities a higher priority" followed by "access has become restrictive, low elk 

 population, unsuccessful at special elk permit drawings, and unable to hunt with family or friends" (FWP 

 unpubl. data). Another factor influencing elk license sales is the aging of resident hunters. A study in 



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