Montana's Policy for Fisheries Management in Wilderness

James R. Satterfield, Jr. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Helena, MT

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) manages fisheries in 7 of the 16 designated wilderness areas within the state. This includes ongoing fish stocking in approximately 100 lakes. Fish management objectives in these waters include: 1) maintaining or reestablishing native fish species; 2) recovering threatened and endangered species; and 3) providing sport fishing opportunities. FWP's fisheries management in wilderness areas has evolved over the last 40 years from a traditional maximum sustained yield approach, involving high stocking densities, to a carefully planned program emphasizing optimum sustained yield and biodiversity. Stocking of non-native species has diminished and some established non-native populations have been eradicated. Fish management efforts are aligned with wilderness area integrity through interagency cooperation. Today, all introductions of fish species are preceded by environmental analysis as required by the Montana Environmental Policy Act (MEPA), and fishless lakes are precluded from fish introductions.

Back to Program