Archives West Finding Aid

In March 1895, the Montana Legislature established the Board of Game and Fish Commissioners to oversee fish, game, licensing, and hunting practices in Montana. The Board was comprised of three commissioners, appointed by the Governor, and they were empowered to appoint a State Fish and Game Warden. The Warden also served as secretary and business agent of the Board. The first Warden was chosen in 1898. The Board was abolished in 1901 and replaced by a single State Game and Fish Warden with five to eight deputies. In 1907, the State Fish Commission was established to resume the Board responsibilities and 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, State Fish Commission and Fish and Game Commission, 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. It was renamed the Department of Fish, Wildlife, and Parks in 1979.

Activities of the Design and Construction Bureau include: studying land feasibility and obtain land surveys, managing various construction projects such as the construction, repair, and maintenance of facilities, and provide landscape architectural support. As of 2024, the Design and Construction Bureau operates within the Operations and Financial Services Division of Fish, Wildlife and Parks.