HELENA — On Dec. 6, Gov. Greg Gianforte announced Christy Clark would be the new director of Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks after previously serving as the director of the Montana Department of Agriculture. MTN caught up with Clark in her first week on the job to learn more about the new head of FWP and her vision for the department.
“I wanted to head this agency because I think this is such an opportunity for Montana,” Clark told MTN. “And I think that the work that the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks does is some of the most, if not the very most important work that we do in the state of Montana. And so it was a real honor when the governor asked me if I would be the director and appointed me.”
(Watch MTN's Full Interview with new FWP Director Christy Clark)
Clark has an extensive background in Agriculture, spending more than two decades ranching on the Rocky Mountain Front with her husband and their children. In addition to serving as director of the Department of Agriculture, she also served as deputy director agricultural sciences administrator, and agricultural development and marketing bureau chief.
She sees a strong connection between FWP and Montana’s farming and ranching communities.
“Agriculture and FWP are connected,” Clark noted. “And what I want to see is I want to see us collaborate more. I want to see us find more ways that we can assist and partner with landowners, ranchers, sheep producers, whoever they might be, so that we can provide them with the best structure to allow public access on their lands. I want to see that partnership strengthened even more.”
FWP has seen considerable turnover in recent years. Clark is the third FWP director in as many years, replacing Dustin Temple who retired after 20 years with the agency, serving the last year and a half as director. Former Fisheries Chief Eileen Ryce and former Enforcement Chief Dave Loewen left after expressing a lack of support from leadership and an August 2023 Performance Audit for wardens described a lack of trust in leadership.
Clark says, that although only her first week on the job, she is cognizant of the turnover in leadership and something she’s thought a lot about.
“This is day three. But what I can tell you is that every person that I have met on staff and I had an entire day with leadership yesterday,” Clark said. “Everybody has been more than professional. I've seen passion for what they do, and I'm really looking forward to leading this agency. I don't see any changes on the horizon. I'm going to be here to listen. I'm going to be here to understand, and I'm going to be here to offer, you know, empathy and compassion for this agency.“
With the upcoming legislative session, Clark said she’ll be advocating for the more than 700 employees who work for FWP. Clark is no stranger to the Legislature, serving in the Montana House of Representatives as a Republican representing House District 17 from 2011 to 2017.
“I will be advocating for the employees and the people that work here that are passionate about what they do. They're professional, and they do such a great job,” she told MTN. “I will be making sure that, that that continues, that our legacy, it continues. But most of all, I'll make sure that there's not bad ideas that will interfere with us doing the work that we need to accomplish.”
One of the top issues facing FWP is Grizzly Bear management. Grizzlies are currently federally protected but there has been a push both at the state and federal levels to delist the animal from protections under the Endangered Species Act.
Clark says Montana is more than ready to manage the animals.
“We are not only ready, we are enthusiastically ready,” she said. “We are absolutely confident that it's time that the state has the ability to manage grizzly bears. You know, ranching on the Rocky Mountain Front you can imagine I had no shortage of grizzly bear conflicts and worked closely with Fish, Wildlife and Parks and their folks. And we did a good job of managing those and mitigating those conflicts. It's time that the state take control of that management.”
Block Management has been a key part of land access in Montana, but the program has seen a decline in participation in recent years. Clark says she’s not sure anything necessarily needs to be addressed, but education and outreach are always helpful.
“I want to be able to give landowners all the tools in the toolbox because a part of managing your land responsibly is making sure that those resources are harvested. And it's all about balance,” noted Clark.
Montana has seen a consistent increase in the use of State Parks. Clark says the Parks Department should be celebrated for their work.
“I want to make sure that the folks that manage that resource have all of the tools that they need and all of the support from leadership in Fish, Wildlife and Parks to be successful,” said Clark. “As we see these pressures, you know, increase – Montana's very popular right now – I just want to make sure that we're supporting those folks that are on the front line.”
Clark will need to be confirmed by the Montana State Legislature once they are in session next year.
In his announcement of Clark heading FWP, Governor Gianforte praised Clark for her leadership.
“Christy Clark is a strong leader with the skills needed to lead the agency tasked with protecting Montana’s cherished recreational opportunities and public access to public lands,” Gov. Gianforte said. “With her record of leadership, I am confident in her as she takes on this new role at FWP. I appreciate her willingness to serve in this new capacity after her successful tenure at MDA.”
