Do you love hiking, hunting, biking or fishing? Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks wants to hear your thoughts on what matters most for the future of outdoor recreation in our state. Over the next few months, FWP will be gathering input from the recreating public as it updates its Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP).
SCORP serves as a guide for local, state and federal agencies as they work with FWP to develop future outdoor recreation opportunities across the state. SCORP also outlines outdoor recreation goals for the state over the next five years.
“We’re going to reach out to people who love the outdoors, no matter how they choose to recreate,” stated FWP Director Dustin Temple in a press release. “We want all viewpoints and ideas incorporated in this document that will really help guide how we develop outdoor recreation opportunities over the next five years.”
SCORP must be updated every five years for the state to receive funding from the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF). The LWCF provides matching grant funds to state, tribal, and local government entities for developing outdoor recreation.
To update the Statewide Comprehensive Outdoor Recreation Plan (SCORP), the Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) will organize nine public workshops across the state in February and March. These workshops will be held in person and virtually, and their primary purpose is to provide the public with information and gather their feedback on outdoor recreation ideas from their respective communities. The feedback collected from these workshops will help shape the goals and objectives of the 2025-2029 SCORP.
The workshops are scheduled as follows:
- Kalispell, Feb. 21, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 1 Headquarters, 490 N. Meridian Road
- Great Falls, Feb. 22, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 4 Headquarters, 4600 Giant Springs Road
- Helena, March 4, 6-8 p.m., Montana WILD Auditorium, 2668 Broadwater Ave.
- Billings, March 5, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 5 Headquarters, 2300 Lake Elmo Drive
- Miles City, March 6, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 7 Headquarters, 352 I-94 Business Loop
- Glasgow, March 7, 6-8 p.m., Cottonwood Inn & Suites, 54250 US-2
- Virtual Workshop via Zoom, March 12, 6-8 p.m.
- Bozeman, March 13, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 3 Headquarters, 1400 South 19th Ave.
- Missoula, March 14, 6-8 p.m., FWP Region 2 Headquarters, 3201 Spurgin Road
To learn more about Montana’s SCORP and other ways to get involved in this planning effort, please go to fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/scorp
