By Margaret Parodi
Effective July 1, 2023, everyone age 12 or older is required to have a Montana Conservation License to access most State Lands (not including State Parks). Since there are numerous Audubon field trips that use State lands, we encourage all Audubon members and field trip participants to get this license. Fishing access sites, wildlife management areas, wildlife habitat protection areas, and Montana state trust lands, including the Owen Sowerwine property, are examples of places where this license is needed. The Conservation license “year” runs from March 1-February 28. This license is automatically included in Montana fishing and hunting licenses, and can also be purchased separately. It is available at all places that sell Montana fishing or hunting licenses, such as any Fish, Wildlife, and Parks (FWP) office, sporting goods stores, and some gas station/convenience stores, as well as online at the FWP website (https://fwp.mt.gov/buyandapply/conservation-license). For Montana residents the cost is: Adult $8, Senior (62+) $4, Youth (12-17) $4. Non-resident cost is $10.