Montana equivalent to the Discover Pass?

[Stonedfish]

This popped up in my news feed.
SF

Conservation licenses required for fishing access, wildlife management areas in Montana - Idaho Capital Sun

People using Montana fishing access sites and wildlife management areas will need a conservation license starting Saturday.

idahocapitalsun.com

 

[Guy Gregory]

I've been buying a conservation license in conjunction with my out of state license in Montana for a long time. Is this something different?

 

[Bob N]

Looks like they are attempting to collect fees for those individuals that use wildlife areas and fishing and hunting accesses for other purposes than fishing and hunting. Pretty much like the Washington discover pass.

 

[RRSmith]

California has a similar fee schedule for "non consumptive" users of state wildlife areas.

 

[Jake Watrous]

I hope that Montana’s version gives you two passes instead of one pass with space for two license plate numbers—or an option to buy a second copy for $5 or something.

 

[Old406Kid]

I posted about this a while back.

MT Conservation License Change

Just a heads up for non anglers, hunters. https://fwp.mt.gov/homepage/news/2023/jun/0628---conservation-license-required-to-access-most-state-lands While I agree in principle I have to wonder what the compliance percentages will be? Being the cheap ass that I am, it seems a little pricey for...

pnwflyfishing.com

The difference between it and the Discover Pass is that each unlicensed individual from age 12 is required to purchase one.
That said, there's a lot of revenue in this picture alone.

 

[jact55]

I hope that Montana’s version gives you two passes instead of one pass with space for two license plate numbers—or an option to buy a second copy for $5 or something.

I forget my discover pass, or fishing license parking pass, or blm pass, or whatever other pass is needed to park in the that specific part woods all the time. Pain to move from car to truck to truck, depending on what I'm driving.

I just put a note on my window saying I do have the pass, and I give 50% of my money to taxes so I'm more than covered to park here
... with a smiley face.
It's worked so far, and I've used that note alot lol.

 

[Stonedfish]

I forgot to display mine once in a state park and received a ticket. I sent the county where the ticket was issued a note with a picture of my pass and they reduced the fine by 3/4 of the amount.
I generally use mine at state parks so I don’t mind paying for the pass as I like having clean parks, restrooms etc.
Over the course of a year I figure it costs me about $0.50 per day or less per day for my state park visits.
SF

 

[Tom Butler]

I forgot to display mine once in a state park and received a ticket. I sent the county where the ticket was issued a note with a picture of my pass and they reduced the fine by 3/4 of the amount.
I generally use mine at state parks so I don’t mind paying for the pass as I like having clean parks, restrooms etc.
Over the course of a year I figure it costs me about $0.50 per day or less per day for my state park visits.
SF

The ranger up at lewis and clark state park wrote me a "non-citation notice" because I didn't have my license plate number filled out. Really, how many times a year is my car in that lot?..... Actually, she said she just wanted to let me know so someone else didn't write me a citation.

 

[Cabezon]

The ranger up at lewis and clark state park wrote me a "non-citation notice" because I didn't have my license plate number filled out. Really, how many times a year is my car in that lot?..... Actually, she said she just wanted to let me know so someone else didn't write me a citation.

Pet peeve and rant time... I have refused to fill in my license plates on my Discover pass. I purchased the pass, not my car. The pass indicates that I paid the requisite fees to access a specific state park, not my car. My pass, sans license plate information, should be sufficient regardless of what car I happen to be in.
Steve

 

[NRC]

Pet peeve and rant time... I have refused to fill in my license plates on my Discover pass. I purchased the pass, not my car. The pass indicates that I paid the requisite fees to access a specific state park, not my car. My pass, sans license plate information, should be sufficient regardless of what car I happen to be in.
Steve

I’ve always assumed the license plate number is to prevent Netflix account style sharing of passes amongst groups of friends or family. Now how real of a concern that is, I do not know.

 

[Tom Butler]

Pet peeve and rant time... I have refused to fill in my license plates on my Discover pass. I purchased the pass, not my car. The pass indicates that I paid the requisite fees to access a specific state park, not my car. My pass, sans license plate information, should be sufficient regardless of what car I happen to be in.
Steve

Same line of thinking here, I'd never done it before.
Why should I put my MG number on it when it goes out there once or twice a year?

 

[Flymph]

How about looking at this a different way? Let's charge 5X the amount for fishing license, discovery pass, etc. In return for this windfall we receive the following:
1. Hire more enforcement to cut down on poaching
2. Raise more and plant catchables in the fall after the season has ended
3. Insure and maintain more aeration to insure against both winter and "summer" kill!
4. Plant most WA. streams "after runoff" so we don't have to make expensive trips elsewhere to satisfy our stream fishing addictions. If Steelhead and Salmon are all but gone, let's make an effort to establish a decent trout fishery!

I remember when a lot of WA streams were planted. We skipped around the state fishing various streams during the weekdays with little to no competition. It was a ton of fun catching and releasing bows, cutts, and even browns on mostly size 12 Humpies back in the day.

I'm sure most of you could add to the list above. We can continue bitching about the prices of "now" and watch a diminishing resource fade away. Or, toss in some bucks and "maybe" have much better lake fishing and some fun stream fishing.

Just a thought.

 

[RRSmith]

Back at the beginning of my career with California Fish and Wildlife (1982), everything cost a lot less and our budgets were supported entirely by hunter and angler licenses and federal excise taxes on hunting and fishing equipment. Life was simpler then, but when I retired in 2015, not so much.

As most of you are aware, the hunting and angling portion of our population has been on a steady decline since the 1980's, a growing population impacting fish and wildlife, state mandates diverting funds and staff from programs that benefit the things we all love. The cost to raise a catchable trout or manage a state wildlife area has gone up exponentially. Throw in the impacts of climate change (drought, wildfires), the homeless crisis, illegal marijuana grows, evolving timber harvest regulations, unchecked development, inflation, and ten other things I'm not thinking of, all of this puts most state fish and wildlife agencies behind the 8 ball.