Park board leaves fishing question to FWP

The Hill County Park Board at its monthly meeting Monday decided to take no action on a state agency’s request to resolve a legal problem in its stocking fish in Beaver Creek Park.

“We should just let it ride till they come back,” Board member Robbie Lucke said about the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks request to find a solution to the problem.

But board member and Hill County Commissioner Mark Peterson said the board and the county should keep talking to the agency “before we cut any strings.”

FWP representatives attended the April park board meeting and told the board that, since the county charges people to use the park, FWP cannot legally stock its waters with fish.

FWP regional manager Tom Flowers told the board that the agency only can stock waters that have free access to the public, and because Hill County charges people a daily or seasonal fee to use the park, it normally would have to stop stocking fish.

He said the state agency has stocked Beaver Creek Park’s waters since the 1920s, including the agency-maintained Bear Paw Lake

The Fish and Game Commission had the reservoir built in 1959 to provide fishing access. FWP reached an agreement with the Hill County Commission in 2004 allowing it to charge for camping, but it does not charge for fishing at the lake.

Flowers asked the board to help find some way FWP can continue to stock the waters in Beaver Creek Park including the county-maintained Beaver Creek Reservoir, built in the 1970s for flood control, irrigation water storage and recreation. He said his agency understands that charging a fee to access the park is needed to help fund its operation and maintenance.

He said that it had not been an issue in the past, but with increases in the fees — the park now charges $10 for a day-use permit and $50 to local residents and $75 for people out of the area for a year-long permit — people are questioning why they have to pay both a fishing license fee and a park fee.

The fishing license fees help fund FWP’s stocking public waters with fish.

Board members at the April meeting pointed out that many people who are at the fishing areas are using park amenities, and that it would be difficult if not impossible to police who is fishing and who is just picnicking, camping, hiking and so on.

Board chair Steve Mariani said Monday that Flowers had confirmed that even if the park reduced its fees, it still would be illegal for the agency to stock the waters.

“Even if we do the old fee we’re doing it wrong,” Mariani said.

One of the questions raised at the April meeting is what FWP is paying for its easement to manage Bear Paw Lake, and if something similar could be done with Beaver Creek Reservoir.

Aubrey Williams, administrative assistant at the park, said Monday the agreement from 1986 was for FWP to pay $10 for the easement, although she said it was unclear if that was a one-time payment or annual.

Board member Renelle Braaten said people still would be able to fish at Bear Paw Lake even if the agency stopped stocking Beaver Creek Reservoir.

Mariani agreed.

“There’s a million other places to fish if they want to rock the boat,” he said.

Lucke said he is offended by FWP’s request. The fee structure was carefully thought out by a committee appointed by the board and approved by it, not chosen “willy-nilly.”

He said the area has no state parks, adding that FWP manages only one state park north of the Missouri.

Lucke said that the board might want to do what FWP said is normal for areas that charge an access fee and stock fish in the park itself.

He said the board should wait until FWP representatives come back to discuss the issue further.

“I’d like to give them a piece of my mind,” Lucke said.