Climate change impacts pocketbooks too, study claims

A report earlier this fall commissioned by the Montana Wildlife Federation predicts wide-ranging economic impacts from climate change in the coming years, from blue ribbon trout streams not having enough cold water, to wildfires fouling the summer skies and putting a monkey wrench into recreational plans.

Last summer, for example, Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks closed several rivers to fishing during the warmest parts of the day and even asked anglers to do the same on the Flathead River system. While the restrictions on the Flathead weren’t mandatory, they came after the rivers suffered from low flows and warm waters that are rarely seen in Northwest Montana.

“Streams and rivers in Montana are projected to become warmer with much lower flows and lower water depths. Montana fish will become stressed and unable to compete as well against invasive species. A 2022 comprehensive study of Montana fishing projects a fish population decline of 35% in cold-water fishing, which includes all trout fishing, with westslope cutthroat declining by 65%,” the study noted. “When fish populations decline and rivers close, local residents will be forced to fish the few remaining cold streams, and tourists will either change their timing or stop coming to Montana to fish.”

Westslope cutthroat trout are the main species in the Flathead River drainage, with pure strains in the South Fork.

The skiing season is also expected to be curtailed significantly.

“New projections show that skiing in Montana will decrease by a little more than one month (33 days) when averaged across all of the ski areas in Montana. Since other areas of the western U.S., such as Colorado and Utah, have ski areas with significantly higher elevations and significantly higher base area elevations, Montana will have a hard time competing for non-resident skiers. Locals will have a significantly shorter ski season due to climate change,” the study found.

And then there’s wildfires, which have been burning longer and hotter over the past 20 years. It is a rare summer in Northwest Montana where there isn’t a significant wildfire burning somewhere in the region.

In the past 20 years, Glacier has seen large fire events in 2003, 2006, 2015, 2017 and 2018. The Sprague Fire of 2017 burned down the Sperry Chalet, a National Historic Landmark. The 2018 Howe Ridge Fire burned down several homes along Lake McDonald.

And there have been numerous fires just outside the park. Last summer, for example, firefighters spent weeks battling the Ridge Fire just south of Martin City, which closed the Hungry Horse Reservoir to recreational use for weeks as well as access to the Bob Marshall Wilderness from Spotted Bear.

“One of the most disruptive impacts of climate change on Montana’s recreation and tourist activities is wildfire. Wildfires are expected to be larger, more intense, and more frequent, and to burn in more months of the year than just July and August. We project the impact of a 15% decline in visitation to Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks due to wildfire and wildfire smoke. The impact of forest fires and climate change results in the loss of more than 3,800 jobs and $107 million in labor earnings,” the study predicted.

It also predicted losses in revenue due to the inability of tourists to do activities like wildlife watching from wildfires due to smoke and closures.

All told, the overall impact of climate change on the recreational economy of Montana amounts to about 8,843 jobs impacted and $263 million in labor earnings, the study found.

The study was completed by Power Consulting Incorporated of Missoula, by economists Thomas and Donovan Power.