The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department is beginning to develop a new plan for managing mountain lions in the state.

The current plan is about 20 years old, and officials hope to have a new plan ready by the end of this year.

FWP regional wildlife manager Mike Thompson says there has been an erosion of trust between the agency and the public as the old plan becomes more and more outdated.

The outdated plan has left the agency reacting to lion issues more than getting ahead of them.

For example, the agency has struggled to find a balance that allows more experienced hunters a chance at early-season hunts while providing enough hunter opportunities to ensure the proper number of lions are removed each year.

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