Montana

Director of Montana Ag Department named new FWP director

Published

1 year ago

December 7, 2024

Press Room

Director of Montana Ag Department named new FWP director

Laura Lundquist

(Missoula Current) As of Monday, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will have a new director.

On Friday, Governor Greg Gianforte announced the appointment of Christy Clark as FWP director. Clark is the director of the Montana Department of Agriculture, a position she has held since January 2022.

“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,” Gianforte said in a release. “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 (the Department of Agriculture).”

At the same time, FWP acting director Marina Yoshioka sent a message to all employees announcing that Christy Clark would take over as director as of Monday. On Nov. 15, Gianforte announced that Dustin Temple would retire as director at the end of the year. There was no mention of Temple in either Gianforte’s announcement, and the FWP email did not say whether Temple was leaving FWP of his own accord.

In the message, Yoshioka said Clark’s “strong background and dedication to public service make her an excellent fit to lead us into the upcoming Legislative Session and beyond.”

Clark is very active in Montana’s agricultural industry but has no experience with fish and wildlife. Clark has served the Department of Agriculture in various roles, including deputy director, agricultural sciences administrator and agricultural development and marketing bureau chief.

A rancher from the Choteau area, she graduated from California State University Sacramento with a degree in English, owned a construction company, and served in the Montana House of Representatives from 2011 to 2016, where she sat on the committees of agriculture and business and labor, among others.

In 2011, Clark sponsored three bills related to FWP but they didn’t favor sportsmen. The only bill that passed was House Bill 287, which allowed FWP to collect wolf hides to help finance livestock loss mitigation. A related bill, HB 470, sought to increase hunting license fees to pay for livestock mitigation but it died in committee.

Finally, HB 286 would have created a “wildlife population management account” to be funded by the sale of conservation licenses, which are a prerequisite for obtaining hunting and fishing licenses. The bill required that $110,000 from sportsmen’s dollars be transferred annually to the account.

Christy Clark

That money would be used only to manage populations of predatory animals, and “the department shall give priority to expending funds deposited under this subsection (2)(a) to manage BEARS, WOLVES, AND coyotes and shall contract with the United States department of agriculture wildlife services for this purpose,” according to the bill.

The associated Legislative fiscal note pointed out that using sportsmen’s dollars for other than wildlife management “would result in the subsequent loss of eligibility for Pittman/Robertson, Dingell/Johnson, and State Wildlife Grants funding amounting to $20,433,953 federal dollars per year.” HB 286 died in process.

With Friday’s announcement, it is anticipated that Gianforte will nominate Clark for Legislative confirmation as FWP director during the next session.

Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.

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Montana

Montana State’s Taylee Chirrick earns second straight Big Sky Conference weekly honor

Published

6 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Montana State’s Taylee Chirrick earns second straight Big Sky Conference weekly honor

BOZEMAN — For the second consecutive week, Montana State sophomore guard Taylee Chirrick has been named Big Sky Conference player of the week, the league office announced Tuesday.

The 5-foot-11 product of Roberts scored the game-winning basket with 1.7 seconds remaining to lift the Bobcats to a 71-70 upset of Big 12 member Colorado on Sunday afternoon at the CU Events Center. Chirrick finished the contest with 21 points, which included a 7-for-7 effort at the free throw line.

Chirrick once again stuffed the stat sheet, pulling down a team-best six rebounds, while adding four steals, three assists and a pair of 3-pointers in the victory.

Chirrick is currently ranked third in the nation averaging 4.5 steals per game, and her 27 total steals rank 14th overall. Her 19.8 points per game rank second in the Big Sky and 28th in the nation.

Montana State opens the Big Sky Conference/Summit League Challenge on Wednesday at North Dakota State in Fargo. Tip is slated for 6 p.m. (MT) in the Scheels Center. The game will air live on the CBS Sports Network.

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Montana

Photos: Montana State clips Illinois State to win national championship

Published

18 hours ago

January 6, 2026

Press Room

Photos: Montana State clips Illinois State to win national championship

Montana State plays Illinois State in the FCS national championship game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.Justin Hosa / MTN Sports

Montana State topped Illinois State 35-34 in overtime to claim their first National Championship since 1984.TOM WYLIE/MTN Sports

Montana State plays Illinois State in the FCS national championship game at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., on Monday, Jan. 5, 2026.Kyle Hansen / MTN Sports

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Montana

Watch: Bobcat Built – Montana State’s Championship Quest

Published

1 day ago

January 5, 2026

Press Room

Watch: Bobcat Built – Montana State’s Championship Quest

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Montana State squares off with Illinois State Monday night in the FCS national championship game at FirstBank Stadium on the campus of Vanderbilt University. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m. and the game will be broadcast on ESPN.

The Bobcats are making their third trip to the title game in the past five seasons under coach Brent Vigen. The program is seeking its first championship since 1984.

MTN Sports has been on the ground in Nashville for the past five days covering the lead-up to the game, including the pregame show “Bobcat Built: Montana State’s Championship Quest” hosted by Scott Breen and Kyle Hansen.

In it the MTN staff provides game previews, features, facts and figures and sights and sounds from the past several days in Music City in the run-up to the game. To watch, see the video reel below.

Watch: Bobcat Built – Montana State’s Championship Quest

Bobcat Built: Montana State’s Championship Quest

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