Fish & Wildlife Commission meets

The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission met April 19 and made the following decisions:

• The Commission adopted the department’s Fiscal Year 2020/21 budget p priorities to work toward for the 2019 legislative session. For more information, contact Dustin Temple.

• The Commission approved the Missouri River Broadwater Bay no-wake zone.

• The Commission approved a mandatory kill and reporting for Kootenai River brown trout below Libby Dam in an effort to limit or eliminate non-native brown trout in that reach of the river in an effort to help protect native bull trout.

• The Commission approved a river safety closure rule to allow the department to close the river when necessary to allow the replacement of bridge on Interstate 90 at Bonner on the Blackfoot River.

• The Commission approved a Fishing Access Site acquisition on Beaverhead River at Selway Bridge to allow the development of an access site. The motion included allowing the department to obtain a necessary special use permit from the Montana Department of Transportation.

• The Commission approved appointments to Glendive Chamber of Commerce and Agriculture Paddlefish Grant Committee.

• The Commission approved the department’s request for Aquatic Invasive Species watercraft inspection site leases in Lincoln and Nashua.

• The Commission approved the department’s Montana Chronic Wasting Disease Management Plan update which has undergone several revisions since the draft was proposed to the Commission in November. The department took public comment on the draft plan over the winter and was reviewed by the department’s CWD citizen advisory committee.

• The Commission approved the 2018-19 all migratory bird regulations as presented by the department.

• The Commission approved the 2018-19 peregrine falcon falconry take as presented by the department.

• The Commission approved the FWP Statewide Forest Management Plan as proposed by the department. This strategic plan provides a consistent approach for managers to develop management plans on specific properties, like fishing access sites and wildlife management areas.

• The Commission approved the Mount Haggin Wildlife Management Area habitat project #4 as presented by the department.

• The Commission approved the grazing lease renewal on the Aunt Molly Wildlife Management Area grazing lease renewal as proposed by the department. Neighboring landowner has been a good partner over the years. The lease was renewed for six years.

• The Commission approved the grazing lease renewal on the Beartooth Wildlife Management Area grazing lease renewal as proposed by the department. The lease is being renewed for six years.

• The Commission approved the Birdtail conservation easement. The Birdtail Ranch is owned by the Rumney family. The ranch is high quality wildlife habitat. The easement would include a public access component.

• The Commission approved the land exchange with Cross Canyon Ranch on Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area. This exchange would exchange 450 acres of the WMA for 430 acres of the ranch. The exchange would clear up boundaries and connect some checkerboard pieces and allow access from one side of the WMA to the other.

• The Commission approved the West Valley donated public access easement and proposed Wildlife Viewing Area near Kalispell as proposed by the department.

• The Commission endorsed the department pursuing the purchase of an easement for the Little Muddy Creek Fishing Access Site on the Missouri River from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

• The Commission endorsed the department pursuing a Intake Dam Fishing Access Site with a land management agreement with Bureau of Reclamation (BOR) and BLM land transfer to FWP.

• The Commission approved the 2018-19 CSKT pheasant, partridge and waterfowl hunting regulations as proposed by the department.

• The Commission directed the department to pursue Boulder Creek Ranch access project, which assigns the management of public access to the ranch to FWP. The conservation easement on the ranch will be owned by Five Valley’s Land Trust.

• The Commission approved the Dry Cottonwood Creek access project proposal going out for public comment. This project would assign the management of public access to the two ranches that make up the project. The conservation easements are owned by the Natural Resource Damage Program and the Clark Fork Coalition.

• The Commission approved the department pursuing an addition to the Garrity Mountain Wildlife Management Area as proposed by the department. The addition protects an important corridor for bighorn sheep migration.

• The Commission approved the department pursuing an addition to the Dome Mountain Wildlife Management Area. The addition would be a 160-acre inholding.

• The Commission took a lot of public comment and had much deliberation on the proposed Madison River Recreation Plan. After deliberation of the proposal from the department and considering public comment at the meeting, the Commission voted to deny sending the proposal out for public comment, but rather send it back to the department for more consideration and work.

• The Commission approved a fishing regulation change in waterways around Red Rocks Lake National Wildlife Refuge to be consistent with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service regulations on the refuge.

• The Commission approved the 2018 mountain lion quotas as proposed by the department.