Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks recently announced Mike Hensler as the new regional fisheries manager for Region 1 in northwest Montana.

Hensler, who had managed operations at the agency’s Libby office since 1992, began the Kalispell-based job July 1.

A fisheries biologist who has worked full-time for the agency since 1990, Hensler replaces Mark Deleray, who moved to Bozeman to serve as the agency’s Region 3 supervisor, a news release states.

In his new role, Hensler’s goal is “to protect and maintain native fish species to the greatest extent possible and, where it is viable, manage recreational harvest fisheries that include many non-native species,” the news release states.

Hensler’s achievements include an American Fisheries Society Lifetime Achievement Award for his work in the Columbia Basin redband trout status and recovery planning efforts, and FWP Fisheries Division awards for contributing to the Statewide Fisheries Management Plan in 2013 and for helping to manage the winter-long detoxification of the difficult Kilbrennan Lake rehabilitation project in 2007.