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Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Wildlife Division records, 1954-1981

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Montana. Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks. Wildlife Division
Title
Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, Wildlife Division records
Dates
1954-1981 (inclusive)
Quantity
1 linear ft
Collection Number
RS 497 (Formerly RS 198)
Summary
This collection is a subgroup (Division) of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records, RS 497. Please see the primary finding aid for more Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks records. These records (1954-1981) of the Wildlife Division consist of correspondence, memoranda, reports, clippings, and miscellany extracted from weeded subject files of the Division. Subjects include wildlife habitat, federal-state coordination, and other matters.
Repository
Montana Historical Society, Library & Archives
Montana Historical Society Research Center Archives
225 North Roberts
PO Box 201201
Helena MT
59620-1201
Telephone: 4064442681
Fax: 4064445297
mhslibrary@mt.gov
Access Restrictions

Collection open for research.

Languages
English
Sponsor
Funding for encoding this finding aid was provided through a grant awarded by the National Endowment for the Humanities.
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Historical Note

On March 14, 1895, the Montana Legislature created the first state agency dealing with fish and game, the Board of Game and Fish Commissioners. It consisted of three members and was empowered to appoint a state game warden who would also serve as the Board's secretary and business agent. In 1901, the Board was abolished and replaced by a single state game and fish warden with five to eight deputies. In 1907, the Fish Commission was established to operate a state fish hatchery and to supervise the disposition of the fish raised there. The State Game and Fish Warden served as a member of this Commission. The same Legislature also created the Fish and Game Commission to regulate hunting and fishing. In 1921, the two commissions were merged and were empowered to establish fish and game districts, and to close or open seasons on all game animals, birds, and fish. The administrative arm of the Commission gradually came to be referred to as the Fish and Game Department, although the Department was not legislatively formalized until 1972.

The drought and depression conditions of the 1930s forced new approaches to the management of natural resources. In 1937, the U.S. Congress passed the Pittman-Robertson Act which provided money for states to acquire the biological information needed to establish and maintain wildlife management programs. In 1941, Montana's Legislature passed enabling legislation to bring the state under the Pittman-Robertson Act. What became the Game Management Division was established to administer this program. Funded by a combination of federal funds and hunter and fisherman user fees, the Commission was required to spend the money solely on game management and wildlife habitat enhancement, not on general operations, education, or parks. The work of the Division was divided into the general areas of surveys and inventories, land acquisition, and research. In 1977, the Game Management Division was renamed the Wildlife Division and in 1979 the agency was renamed the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks.

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Content Description

This collection consists of items separated by the Division from their numbered subject file. The collection constitutes a fragmentary record in that only portions of each file were transferred. The subject files (1954-1981) have been arranged into three groups: internal administrative files of the agency; files dealing with organizations and government agencies; and subjects. In addition to the subject file, there is a small file of general correspondence (1962-1980), a file of news releases, (1970, 1980-1981), several reports (1970-1980), and miscellany (including a list of fish and game commissioners and writings by Jim Posewitz).

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Use of the Collection

Restrictions on Use

Researchers must use collection in accordance with the policies of the Montana Historical Society. The Society does not necessarily hold copyright to all materials in the collection. In some cases permission for use may require additional authorization from the copyright owners. For more information contact an archivist.

Preferred Citation

Item description and date. Collection Title. Collection Number. Box and Folder numbers. Montana Historical Society Library & Archives, Helena, Montana.

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Administrative Information

Arrangement

The collections is arranged by series.

Location of Collection

28:8-7

Processing Note

In 2024, the various collections of the Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks were integrated under one collection identifier, RS 497, in order to help facilitate access, reduce redundancy in the Montana Historical Society Library & Archives catalog, and to follow best archival practices.

Collections from Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks' various Divisions and Commissions that were previously treated as separate entities are now integrated into this collection, RS 497. Rather than reprocessing over 17 linear feet of FWP materials, MTHS staff decided to keep the past arrangement of those collections/finding aids and provide access to them via links in the master finding aid. This decision has allowed the MTHS archival staff to maintain intellectual control over the collection, while removing the need to reprocess it. It also keeps State Agency finding aids at manageable sizes. Please read the scope and content note carefully to determine if this subgroup pertains to your research needs.

Acquisition Information

Acquisition information is available upon request.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

Detailed Description of the Collection

The following section contains a detailed listing of the materials in the collection

  • General Correspondence

    • Description: Miscellaneous (correspondents include Frank T. Cowen, Gov. John A. Love, John T. Maddux Jr., Joseph Egan, Fletcher Newby, Wynn Freeman, Alvin Pierce, Clifford Trainer, Jim Pissot, Ray Crivello, Franz L. Deininger)
      Dates: 1962-1980
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 1
      Location: General Correspondence

  • Maps

    • Description: List of maps transferred to Library Map Collection
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 2
      Location: Maps

  • Press Releases

    • Description: Miscellaneous (re environmental study of Blackfoot River, license fees, seasons, salmon and steelhead in Columbia River Basin, National Wildlife Week, hunt rosters, endrin, pheasants, road closures, air surveilance of poachers, harvest surveys)
      Dates: 1970, 1980-1981
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 3
      Location: Press Releases

  • Printed Material

    • Description: List of printed materials transferred to Library
      Dates: undated
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 4
      Location: Printed Material

  • Reports

    • Description: "Economic importance of hunting and fishing in Montana" by Richard J. McConnen
      Dates: 1970
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 5
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Environmental impact statements (re Beartooth State Recreation Area, big game season, railroad rights-of-way as habitat, migratory species)
      Dates: 1971-1979
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 6
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Game Management Division activity reports
      Dates: 1971-1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 7
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Game Management Division Research Section report
      Dates: 1972
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 8
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Game Management Division, "A Discussion of some programs, plans, philosophies and situations that may be helpful to personnel of other divisions in answering Questions on game management," by Wynn G. Freeman
      Dates: 1975
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 9
      Location: Reports
    • Description: "Mountain goat management study plan, Cabinet Mountains, Montana," by Gayle Joslin
      Dates: 1979
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 10
      Location: Reports
    • Description: "A survey of hunter attitudes on forest road access," by Bill Thomas
      Dates: 1980
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 11
      Location: Reports
    • Description: Wildlife Division activity report
      Dates: 1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 12
      Location: Reports

  • Subject Files (Fish, Wildlife & Parks internal)

  • Subject Files (organizations & government)

  • Subject Files (topics)

    • Description: Big game management
      Dates: 1976
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 54
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Canyon Ferry Dam
      Dates: 1960-1967
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 55
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Coal mine reclamation
      Dates: 1967-1968
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 56
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Federal-state relations
      Dates: 1967-1973
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 57
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Fire control
      Dates: 1963-1965
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 58
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Fisheries: Yellowstone River
      Dates: 1979
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 59
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Forest grouse habitat studies
      Dates: 1968, 1974
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 60
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Game laws
      Dates: 1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 61
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Indian affairs
      Dates: 1976-1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 62
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Pesticides, weed control, predator control, etc. (includes endrin, compound 1080)
      Dates: 1954-1971
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 63-64
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Sagebrush control (spraying)
      Dates: 1964-1972
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 65
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Upper Missouri River Basin
      Dates: 1954, 1966
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 66
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Weather modification (includes cloud seeding)
      Dates: 1968
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 67
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: "Index to Montana wildlife literature" (by region of state and type of wildlife)
      Dates: 1950-1976
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 68
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: List of Fish and Game commissioners
      Dates: 1948-1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 69
      Location: Subject Files (topics)
    • Description: Jim Posewitz writings (re wildlife management)
      Dates: 1976-1977
      Container: Box/Folder 1 / 70
      Location: Subject Files (topics)

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Conservation of natural resources--Montana
  • Fishing--Montana
  • Hunting--Montana
  • Lumber Trade--Montana
  • Pesticides--Montana
  • Weeds--Control--Montana
  • Wildlife conservation--Montana

Finding aid prepared by MTHS Staff; Updated by Lindsey Mick
2004; 2024

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This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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