FWP “ACCESS PUBLIC LANDS” PROGRAM

MONTANA FWP “ACCESS PUBLIC LANDS” PROGRAM – JUNE 2012

Program Title: Access Public Lands (formerly called Access Montana)

Program Coordinator: Alan Charles

Program Authorizing Statute:
MCA 87-1-265 Hunter management and hunting access enhancement program created. The department may establish…programs of landowner assistance that encourage public access to private and public lands for purposes of hunting and may adopt rules to carry out program purposes.

Program Funding:
Source:

Portions of license fees funding the Hunting Access Enhancement Program

Come Home to Hunt license revenue (new in 2010 (FY11) – 4-year sunset

FY10 Program Allocation: $25,000

Access Public Lands coordinates FWP agency activities related to hunting access on public lands. The program works to negotiate and maintain legal public hunting access to public lands, resolve landowner/sportsman conflicts, assist in marking public land boundaries, and disseminate information about hunting access on public lands. Access Public Lands utilizes a cooperative inter-agency approach for the resolution of landowner/sportsman conflicts related to hunting access on public lands.

Program Goals:

• Coordinate efforts to identify public lands where public hunting access currently exists.

• Coordinate efforts to identify public lands hunting access needs and, where necessary, establish legal public hunting access to public lands either where such access does not currently exist or where current access is threatened.

• Reduce landowner/sportsman conflicts related to hunting access on public lands.

Program Objectives:

• Work with regional staff and state and federal land managers to implement boundary marking projects in targeted areas to reduce conflicts and improve hunter dispersion.
• Solicit input from landowners, sportsman, and department staff to identify areas of historic conflict and develop appropriate solutions wherever possible.
• Develop and disseminate directories, maps, and informational brochures to assist the public with information about hunting access to public lands.
• Identify/prioritize areas where public land hunting access is needed, but either not available or threatened.
• Participate in state and federal land management agency planning and decision-making processes that affect public land access.
• Work to develop partnerships with local and regional state and federal land management agency personnel responsible for implementing public land access projects.

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