In 2023, a state audit found a culture of retaliation among Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks’ leadership. Last week, legislators were told the agency has made progress, but there’s more work ahead.
Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks officials disagreed with a Legislative Audit Division follow-up report on its workplace culture. This began after a 2023 audit found game wardens’ expressed culture of retaliation and intimidation among leadership.
Auditor Tina Chamberlain spoke to the Legislative Audit Committee on Thursday.
“I followed up with people that I had spoken to in the first audit to ask, have things improved? And the response was no,” Chamberlain said.
Chamberlain explained the original audit offered four recommendations for changes to the department. This included improvements to disciplinary practices, HR activities, training and data management. She says since then, only two of those four recommendations have been fully implemented.
FWP’s Chief Legal Counsel Jeff Hindoien disagreed.
“The follow-up report misses the mark as far as we're concerned on providing accurate information to reflect some of the real progress we've made throughout the past two years,” Hindoien said.
Hindoien pushed back on findings that the department lacked adequate data management, and that employees still feared retaliation for filing grievances. He noted that workplace culture and trust takes time to rebuild. He said they’ve made significant changes in leadership and hiring practices.
Policymakers asked Fish Wildlife and Parks officials to return in September to provide another progress update. This will take a wider look at HR practices throughout the agency.
