HELENA, MT – According to the Billings Gazette, rising gas prices are expected to drain millions of dollars from Montana government agencies over the next two years. Most departments won't have the money to cover the skyrocketing price of fuel. More than $7.3 million was spent on gasoline and diesel fuel last year when fuel prices climbed by about 50 cents a gallon. The spending was almost 17 percent more than the previous year. Five agencies account for about 88 cents of every dollar the state spends on fuel. Those departments are Transportation, Fish, Wildlife and Parks, Justice, Natural Resources and Conservation, and Corrections. The U.S. Department of Energy says the average price for a gallon of gasoline in the Rocky Mountain region has soared by 48 cents in the last four months. By that time, state agencies had already finished preparing their budget requests for the Legislature.