Mont. Admin. R. 12.1.101 - ORGANIZATION OF DEPARTMENT
(1) The Department
of Fish and Game was established under executive order by the Governor
effective July 1, 1972. Its name was changed to Department of Fish, Wildlife
and Parks effective July 1, 1979. Section
2-15-3401,
MCA, creates the department. Its functions are set forth in Title 23 and Title
87 and other MCA sections.
(2)
Director. The Governor appoints the director of the Department of Fish,
Wildlife and Parks. The director is the chief administrative officer of the
department. The director oversees the development of department policy,
planning, and management operations and has direct authority over all employees
of the department.
(3) Montana Fish
and Wildlife Commission. The Governor appoints the five members who serve for
four-year terms until their successors are appointed and qualified. The
Governor appoints the commission chairman. The commission is generally
responsible for the hunting, fishing, and trapping rules of the department,
approval of the fish and wildlife budget, and for the overall fish and wildlife
policy direction. Except as provided in
23-1-111,
MCA, the commission is responsible for the rules for recreational use of
department lands and waters and approval of land acquisitions. Though
independent of the Montana Parks and Recreation Board, the commission works
collaboratively to maintain Montana's hunting, fishing, and recreational
opportunities.
(4) Montana State
Parks and Recreation Board. The Governor appoints the five members who serve
for four-year terms until their successors are appointed and qualified. The
Governor appoints the board chairman. The board is generally responsible for
overseeing state parks, public campgrounds, and other heritage and recreational
resources. Their powers and duties include setting policy and direction,
establishing rules, approving land transactions, and reviewing budgets as
provided in
23-1-111,
MCA. Though independent of the Fish and Wildlife Commission, the board works
collaboratively to maintain Montana's hunting, fishing, and recreational
opportunities.
(5) Functions of
the department. The department has four primary programs: fish, wildlife,
parks, and agency management, which are jointly developed and implemented by
seven divisions and seven geographic regions. The basic premise of this
decentralized organizational structure is that division administrators are
responsible for policy and program development. The regional supervisors assume
responsibility for the daily activities of all regional personnel with the goal
of ensuring the proper implementation of department programs.
(6) Department Management. Department
management includes the director, deputy director, chief of staff, chief of
operations, chief legal counsel, human resources manager, and chief financial
officer. Department management provides agency leadership and direction to all
divisions and regional offices through the Director's Office. Additional
responsibilities include acting as the liaison with the Governor's office, the
legislature, Montana's Indian tribes, other state and federal agencies;
interacting with the commission and the board; and providing legal, budget and
financial management, and human resource services for the department. The
deputy director reports directly to the director. The chief of staff, chief of
operations, chief legal counsel, human resources manager, and chief financial
officer all report directly to the deputy director. The chief of staff is
responsible for supervision of the divisions. The chief of operations is
responsible for supervision of the regional offices, the responsive management
unit, and the lands unit. The chief financial officer is responsible for
supervision of the budget bureau and oversees budget and financial data. The
human resources manager is responsible for the operation of the human resources
unit. The chief legal counsel is responsible for the operations of the legal
unit.
(7) Divisions. The
Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks consists of the following divisions:
(a) Fisheries Division;
(b) Wildlife Division;
(c) Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division;
(d) Enforcement
Division;
(e) Communication and
Education Division;
(f)
Administration Division; and
(g)
Technology Services Division.
(8) Division Administrator. An administrator
heads each division. The division administrator is a staff officer who advises
the director, deputy director, and chief of staff on matters related to
resource management, administration of resource programs, or special programs
related to the division's area of expertise. Administrators are responsible for
policy and program development.
(9) Fisheries Division. The Fisheries
Division manages and perpetuates Montana's fish and other aquatic resources
and, specifically, maintains optimum fish populations in Montana waters, and
provides the diverse, quality angling opportunities that Montanans and visiting
anglers demand. The division operates nine fish hatcheries, which are not
decentralized and report directly to the hatchery bureau chief.
(10) Wildlife Division. The responsibility of
the Wildlife Division is to protect, enhance, and regulate the wise use of the
state's wildlife resources for public benefit now and in the future. The
division collects the scientific information necessary for managing all
wildlife species and their habitats and conducts wildlife research and habitat
projects.
(11) Parks and Outdoor
Recreation Division. The Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division is responsible
for conserving the scenic, historic, archaeological, scientific, natural, and
recreation resources in state parks while providing for their use and
enjoyment. The division is also responsible for agency access and recreation on
lands owned or controlled by the department including fishing access sites and
wildlife management areas. The division will also house the new maintenance
bureau while the proprietary program is built. Other programs administered by
the division include motorized and non-motorized trails and several community
grants programs. Program and daily activities at all levels are directed and
managed by the division administration.
(12) Enforcement Division. The Enforcement
Division enforces all fish, wildlife, and parks laws of Montana, department
rules, and commission and board regulations. Division personnel also enforce
state boating and snowmobile rules and regulations as well as private property
laws.
(13) Communication and
Education Division. The Communication and Education Division acts as a
clearinghouse for disseminating information on department activities and news
items to the media, serves as a contact point for the public requesting
information on department business, provides a variety of education and
recreation safety programs, and conducts a variety of public use surveys.
(14) Administration Division. The
Administration Division is the administrative branch of the department. It is
responsible for providing consistent, quality direction to the divisions and
regions throughout the agency. Unlike the other divisions, they are a
centralized function providing services for accounting, sale of licenses,
regional administrative support, purchasing and property management, federal
aid administration, and design and construction.
(15) Technology Services Division. The
Technology Services Division supports the department in achieving its mission
and goals through the application of technology. The division partners with
department programs to create innovative solutions, provide information
technology leadership, products, and services, ensures compliance of
information technology with all statutes, policies, standards and plans, and
develops and maintains the department's technology strategy and architecture
plans.
(16) Regional Offices. The
regional fish and wildlife supervisors are line officers who are the director's
representatives in each administrative region. As such, the fish and wildlife
supervisor is responsible for the direct supervision of work schedules and
personnel for regional fisheries, wildlife, parks and land management, and
communication and education. The regional fish and wildlife supervisor is
responsible for developing and maintaining an effective network of
communication between the director's office, regional personnel, other state
and federal agencies, and the general public. The regional offices are located
as follows:
(a) Region 1 - 490 North Meridian
Road, Kalispell, MT 59901
(b)
Region 2 - 3201 Spurgin Road, Missoula, MT 59801
(c) Region 3 - 1400 South 19th, Bozeman, MT
59715
(d) Region 4 - 4600 Giant
Springs Road, Great Falls, MT 59406
(e) Region 5 - 2300 Lake Elmo Drive,
Billings, MT 59105
(f) Region 6 - 1
Airport Road, Glasgow, MT 59230
(g)
Region 7 - 352 I-94 Business Loop, Miles City, MT 59301
(17) Information or submissions. General
requests for public information must be submitted in writing and sent to 1420
East 6th Avenue, Helena, Montana 59620 or fwpgeneral@mt.gov. General inquiries
regarding hunting, fishing, recreation, and specific questions involving
environmental issues may be directed to the Communication and Education
Division in Helena or the information officers in the seven regions. Specific
information regarding major policies may be addressed to the director or a
regional supervisor. Specific inquiries regarding functions of each division
may be addressed to the respective administrators.
(18) Personnel roster. The director and
division administrators can be contacted at 1420 East 6th Avenue, Helena,
Montana 59620, phone 406-444-2535, fax 406-444-4952. Information regarding the
department can also be found at www.fwp.mt.gov.
(19) Charts of agency organization. A
descriptive chart of the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks is attached to
this rule and by this reference is incorporated.
Click here to view image
Notes
2-4-201, MCA; IMP, 2-4-201, MCA
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