HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on several draft proposed projects, environmental assessments (EAs), conservation leases and other items. For more information, including how to submit comments, click on the links provided or visit fwp.mt.gov/public-notices.
Private Fish Pond License – Vaccaro Victor Draft EA
FWP administers private fish pond licensing. Regulations are intended to allow the stocking of private fish ponds while ensuring that public resources are not adversely affected by unwanted fish or fish diseases, that nuisance aquatic species are not planted into ponds where they can escape or be introduced into state waters, and that habitat of wild fish is not harmed.
Greg Vaccaro has applied for a private fish pond license for a pond located at 784 Fred Burr Road in Victor. The applicant is seeking to be licensed to plant rainbow trout and/or westslope cutthroat trout into the pond for personal use and enjoyment.
Comments due May 14.
Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement Phase 1 Draft EA
FWP proposes to purchase a 32,981-acre conservation easement. More specifically, the Montana Great Outdoors Conservation Easement – Phase 1. This is the first phase of a two-phased project totaling 85,792 acres of important timberland and fish and wildlife habitat currently owned by Green Diamond Resources Company in northwest Montana.
Draft EA Cree Crossing WMA Habitat Improvement Projects
FWP is seeking public comment on four proposed habitat projects on Cree Crossing Wildlife Management Area (WMA) near Saco. The proposed projects intend to restore and enhance ground nesting bird habitat, as well as improve cottonwood tree recruitment on Cree Crossing WMA over the next five years. Improving habitat on the WMA is expected to increase wildlife use of the WMA for the benefit of the recreating public.
Comments due May 15.
71 Ranch Prairie Dog Conservation Contract Draft Supplemental EA Checklist
FWP recently issued a draft EA for a proposed 10-year Prairie Dog Conservation Lease Agreement in Garfield County and Rosebud County, Montana. The proposed lease encompasses 2,975 acres near Ingomar.
We have further determined that a habitat conservation lease is not necessary for this specific agreement, and that a Conservation Contract is more appropriate. As such, we have issued a supplemental EA checklist (SEA). This SEA tiers from the original EA and specifically considers a change in the agreement type that wasn’t part of the original analysis contained in the draft checklist EA. For those parts of the Prairie Dog conservation agreement that remain unchanged, FWP considers the earlier analysis to be sufficient. All terms within the agreement will apply to the contract.
Comments due May 16.
Draft EA Wetland Restoration on North Willow Creek
FWP is seeking public comment on a draft EA for the implementation of a low-tech process-based restoration in the Musselshell River Basin. The proposed project intends to build in-stream beaver dam analogs and/or post-assisted log structures on two tributaries of North Willow Creek in the Musselshell watershed. This project aims to improve in-stream and wetland health by increasing in-stream physical complexity and channel-floodplain connectivity. The applicant anticipates the project to begin July 2024.
Comments due May 17.
Draft EA Martinsdale Land & Cattle Pond License
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock brown trout, rainbow trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. FWP is required to review the potential impacts of issuing a Private Fish Pond License. The pond was originally permitted in 2020 for rainbow trout and brown trout. A new permit is required to add Yellowstone cutthroat trout to the species allowed to be stocked in this pond. The pond is located approximately 300 feet from RM 6.1 of the North Fork Musselshell River on the abandoned Gillis (Sandeno) Ditch in HUC6-Lower North Fork Musselshell River/HUC5-North Fork Musselshell River/HUC4-Upper Musselshell River. Rainbow trout and brown trout are both present in the North Fork Musselshell River drainage.
Comments due May 21.
EA for Zeliff Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond southwest of Gallatin Gateway. Rainbow trout are not native to the drainage, but the Gallatin River already contains rainbow trout and brown trout. The 1.25-surface-acre pond is along Gateway South Road southwest of Gallatin Gateway, about 0.3 miles west of the Gallatin River.
Comments due May 22.
EA for Dykema Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock westslope cutthroat trout in an unnamed private pond near Bozeman. Westslope cutthroat trout are native to Bridger Creek. However, Bridger Creek contains brook, brown and rainbow trout. The 0.25-surface-acre pond is at 1433 Bridger Woods Road in Bozeman, about 1.3 miles east of Bridger Creek.
Comments due May 22.
EA for Belcher Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond in Bozeman. Rainbow trout are not native to the East Gallatin drainage. However, the East Gallatin River already contains brown and rainbow trout. The 1.25-surface-acre pond is at 671 Nelson Road in Bozeman, about a half mile east of the East Gallatin River.
Comments due May 22.
EA for Finkle Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond license and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond near Bozeman. Rainbow trout are not native to this area. However, Elk Creek already contains brook, brown and rainbow trout. The 0.9-surface-acre pond is off Highway 84, about 0.3 miles north of Elk Creek, west of Bozeman.
Comments due May 22.
EA for Liebman Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond near Bozeman. Rainbow trout are not native to the drainage, but Canyon Creek likely contains brook and rainbow trout. The 0.8-surface-acre pond is at 1323 Mount Ellis Lane east of Bozeman near Canyon Creek, a tributary to the East Gallatin River.
Comments due May 22.
EA for RLBH, LLC Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond near the Madison River. Rainbow trout are not native to the drainage, but the Madison River already contains rainbow and brown trout. The 1.14-surface-acre pond is near Varney Road, about 0.5 miles east of the Madison River.
Comments due May 22.
Sportsman's Bridge FAS Draft EA
FWP proposes to re-locate Sportsman’s Bridge FAS to the west side of the Flathead River to facilitate the Montana Department of Transportation’s replacement of Sportsman’s Bridge over the Flathead River on Highway 82.
Comments due May 22.
EA for Wells Private Pond License Review
A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond near Bozeman. Rainbow trout are not native to the drainage, but the Gallatin River already contains brown, brook and rainbow trout. The 0.4-surface-acre pond is off Highway 84 west of Bozeman, about 0.3 miles west of the Gallatin River.
Comments due May 22.
Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area Floodplain and Slope Wetland Restoration Draft Checklist EA
FWP in partnership with the Montana Natural Resource Damage Program and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, propose to implement an array of restoration techniques to restore degraded floodplains and slope wetlands on the Spotted Dog Wildlife Management Area (SDWMA)
The ultimate project goal is to restore and enhance the interconnected web of streams, wetlands, riparian areas and floodplains that are critical to overall ecosystem function on SDWMA and on the larger landscape of which SDWMA is a part.
Comments due May 23.
Draft EA Culbertson Bridge FAS Parking Area and Campsite Construction
Due to shoreline erosion, the Culbertson Bridge FAS currently does not have adequate parking for vehicles towing a trailer. The project proposes to reroute the current parking and turn around access trail to incorporate a parking area for vehicles towing a trailer. The project also proposes to develop designated campsites within the FAS boundary. This project would increase camping and recreational opportunities in eastern Montana.
Comments due May 24.