Whether you're a hard-core angler or just like knowing that native fish have clean waters to swim in, many residents, real estate agents and outdoors shop owners place a high value on wild trout, according to the poll by the Trout Conservancy of Montana, a Missoula nonprofit group.
“These are hardly startling revelations, but it's good to quantify what would seem to be common sense,” said John Zelazny, the group's executive director.
The survey, called “Wild Trout and Missoula,” included 120 residents, real estate agents and tourism-based businesses such as fly-fishing shops, outdoors gear stores and guides.
Nine of 10 respondents said they fish or know someone who does, while the majority said the presence of wild trout are an important part of why both longtime residents and newcomers choose to live and do business in the Missoula area.
The survey estimated that about 100 people in the Missoula area are directly employed in jobs related to trout, while another 80 people work in trout management and conservation for government agencies.
Zelazny said the survey was limited because Trout Conservancy lacked the time and money for a more extensive poll. The survey took 45 days to complete and cost about $300.
Similar surveys by federal and state wildlife agencies and national nonprofit groups have shown that native fish, flora and fauna, open spaces, clean water and other natural resources are an important part of Montana's heritage and economy.
But Zelazny said the Trout Conservancy survey was the first to focus on the Missoula area, which is surrounded by millions of acres of wilderness and renowned trout streams, including the Blackfoot, Bitterroot, Clark Fork and Flathead rivers and their tributaries.
The survey results will help to improve public awareness of efforts to bolster trout populations, clean up streams, and limit development and other threats to native fisheries, Zelazny said.
The survey included economic data from Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the University of Montana's Institute for Tourism and Recreational Research, the University of Montana Bureau of Business and Economic Research, the Montana Department of Commerce and other groups.
The data show Missoula County had about 1.3 million visitors in 2006, including 27 percent who came for wildlife and fish and another 13 percent who came exclusively for fishing.
According to the Trout Conservancy, recreational fishing generates an estimated $31 million for the Missoula area's economy, not including millions of dollars spent on fishing gear and fishing licenses.
Bruce Farling, executive director of Montana Trout Unlimited, said it's not surprising that Missoula area residents support wild trout.
“But what's important is what people are willing to do to have that,” Farling said. “Are you willing to accept zoning and streamside setbacks and other measures to protect our streams and open spaces? I think more and more people are realizing we have to have limits on how much growth we can have before it affects the things that make us unique.”
Pat Saffel, Region 2 fisheries manager for FWP, said the survey results are similar to findings of a statewide poll conducted a few years ago by his agency and the U.S. Forest Service.
That poll found that most Montanans place a high value on a healthy environment, including native trout.
“These kinds of surveys validate our management of fish and wildlife in the face of a changing demographic and rising population,” Saffel said. “The paradox is that people are moving here for the natural resources, but that all these changes threaten those natural resources.”
Russell Parks, owner of the Missoulian Angler Fly Shop, agreed.
“More and more people are recognizing the importance of healthy fisheries,” he said. “Hopefully, that translates into more people respecting the resource. That's why we're all here.”
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