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Bill

HB 762

Require the department of fish, wildlife, and parks to publish a report on river usage

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Josh Seckinger

Montana requires Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to publish a river usage report documenting recreational and commercial activities to inform future resource management decisions.

(H) Veto Override Failed in Legislature
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Bill Summary · HB 762

Legislative bill overview

HB 762 requires Montana's Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks to publish a comprehensive report on river usage across the state. The report would document patterns, types, and impacts of recreational and commercial river activities to inform future management decisions.

Why is this important

Rivers are critical shared resources in Montana with competing interests—recreation, fishing, agriculture, hydropower, and ecosystem health all depend on river access and management. A usage report provides data-driven baseline information that policymakers, stakeholders, and the public need to make informed decisions about water allocation and conservation.

Potential points of contention

  • Cost and resource allocation: The reporting requirement may divert departmental resources from other priorities, or require budget increases during constrained fiscal periods
  • Data collection scope: Disagreement over what constitutes "usage" and how comprehensively to measure it (commercial vs. recreational, upstream vs. downstream, seasonal variations)
  • Regulatory implications: Concerns that usage data could later be used to restrict river access, increase fees, or justify new regulations that affect property rights or recreational freedoms

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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