FWP opposed to landowners' wildlife partnership plan

By RON TSCHIDA, Chronicle Staff Writer

Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks would oppose legislation to guarantee landowners a number of elk and deer licenses in return for granting some public access, the agency's director said Monday.

Jeff Hagener said the plan from the Montana Stockgrowers Association isn't the answer to the increasing frustration landowners feel in dealing with surging wildlife populations.

"I would say, yes, we would (oppose it)," Hagener said. "We didn't really see where the plan would give us anything new or different that could help solve these issues."

The Stockgrowers Association is developing what it calls the Montana Wildlife Partnership, under which landowners would create wildlife management plans with the help of FWP.

Landowners could then sell "letters of authorization," which would guarantee issuance of a big game license and the right to hunt the land. They'd likely be snapped up by nonresidents who would otherwise have to apply for a license in a lottery.

For every three landowner-sponsored tags, one would be reserved at no cost for Montana residents, who would also get hunting access.

Stockgrowers have requested draft legislation for the plan, said Chuck Rein, chairman of the group's landowner/sportsmen recreation committee.

But the proposal has sparked vehement opposition from some sportsmen's groups and Rein said a final decision hasn't been made on whether to push for legislation in 2003.

Hagener said the issue comes down to philosophical differences.

Ranchers see it as a private property rights issue. They own the land and want control over what happens there, including more say in wildlife management.

But in the American tradition, wildlife are public property, Hagener said.

"They're not private livestock," Hagener said.

Linking issuance of hunting licenses to land ownership "goes against the grain" of that tradition, he said.

But FWP is rewriting its 10-year-old elk management plan, and it is working to involve more landowners, Hagener said.

"There's a real opportunity right now as we begin the process," he said.

Elk and deer numbers are beyond FWP target populations in many places and above what FWP calls the "landowner tolerance level."

"In a lot of cases we are getting too many head of elk," Hagener said.

Ranchers also are pushing for "harvest-based" big game hunting seasons. Instead of ending a season on a preset date, hunting would continue until a harvest quota was reached.

Hagener said FWP is considering such seasons and has done pilot projects in some areas.

FWP also may issue elk "B" tags for some areas of high elk populations. The tags would let hunters take an additional, antlerless elk.

"We understand the landowners' concerns," Hagener said. "But we also understand the sportsmen's concerns and we're hoping to come up with something in the middle."

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