Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is charged with managing the state's fish and wildlife resources and its wildlife management areas, state parks, and fishing access sites. In addition, FWP serves as consultant to other local, state, and federal agencies regarding outdoor recreation issues. FWP produces a number of important statewide reports and plans, including the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP) and the Montana State Trails Plan.
Management of people and natural resources on public and private lands helps promote safe enjoyment of the great outdoors while protecting the state's special places. Management activities include establishing seasons for hunting and fishing, regulating the means by which people can take fish and wildlife legally, implementing rules on how certain lands can be utilized, deciding how and where motorized travel should occur, and conducting field research to determine the status of wildlife and fish populations. A major part of any management plan process includes public comment.
Management plans can be important planning tools for managers of a forest, park or recreation program. A typical recreation management plan assesses recreational resources within a site, identifies opportunities for recreational use, and considers the ability of the natural resources and the land to accommodate the public use.
By including the public in all management decisions, state and federal agencies ensure that recreation management includes public comments and opinions.
