* Station History *
The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Fishery Assistance Office was established November 1962 by order of President John F. Kennedy, in Kalispell, Montana. The station was established to provide fishery management services to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. Three other Montana reservations and Glacier National Park were receiving fishery assistance from the Portland, Oregon Fisheries Assistance Office. The logistical need to consolidate these Montana operations was apparent. In March of 1980, the Kalispell Fishery Assistance Office was combined with the Creston National Fish Hatchery to officially form the Creston Fish and Wildlife Center. However, this was changed again in 1989 when the assistance office and hatchery were separated, with Project Leaders being appointed for each office. In 1990, the management assistance office reorganized when funding from the Bureau of Indian Affairs was terminated and funding appropriation supported by the Montana Congressional delegation was once again returned to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This transition, which provided a substantial increase in funding, enabled the management assistance office to reorganize and accommodate the growing demands for technical services. In July 1991, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service established the Montana Fish and Wildlife Management Assistance Office in Bozeman, Montana with sub-stations at Kalispell and Lewistown, Montana. This reorganization was done primarily to expedite the biological services provided to all Montana Indian Reservations and other Federal, State, and Service programs as requested. The Native American Training and Education Center was established in conjunction with the Bozeman facility, to assist Native Americans from across the country in furthering their education and field training in several areas, including fish and wildlife management, law enforcement, endangered species, and other natural resource fields. This program has been well received by various Tribal governments and colleges along with other federal and state agencies. During 1994, the MT FWMAO was expanded to include an Assistant Project Leader. In 1995, the Kalispell and Lewistown sub-stations were consolidated in Lewistown. This move was necessary to more centrally locate our technical assistance staff closer to the six (6) central and eastern Montana Indian reservations which receive most of our attention. During 1996, the MT FWMAO was further expanded to include a native fish function. The office was reorganized into two distinct branches; 1) the Branch of Tribal Assistance (including the historic activities of the office); and 2) the Branch of Native Fish. The new Branch of Native Fish Management was the product of the closure of the Fishery Assistance Office in Yellowstone National Park.
