Public Comments Being Accepted On Proposals For October 10 Commission Meeting

The Fish and Wildlife Commission is accepting public comment on agenda items for its Oct. 10 meeting. The meeting will be held at the Montana State Capitol in Room 102 and through Zoom.

Written comments can be submitted through Sept. 19 on the FWP website or sent to 1420 E. 6th Ave., Helena, MT 59601, Attn: Erik Wickman.

The following proposals are up for public comment:

2025-26 Fishing Regulations – FWP is proposing 48 regulation changes, and the rest of the regulations as written in the current 2024 regulation book, for the 2025-26 Montana Fishing Regulations. Additionally, five public regulation proposals are included that were identified during the public scoping process earlier this spring.

Fall 2024-Winter 2025 Wolf Trapping Season Dates – These dates have not yet been set. FWP will announce these dates as they become available.

Brogan’s Landing Fishing Access Site Permanent Closure – FWP is proposing the permanent closure of Brogan’s Landing Fishing Access Site as it cannot be rebuilt and current parking poses a safety hazard. The department will continue to explore other access options in the area.

2024 Public Use Rules Deviations – FWP is proposing readoption of the existing rule deviations and adoption of the proposed rule deviations as presented. In general, the proposed deviations accommodate unique local circumstances and support consistency and clarity regarding the opportunities and rules for specific sites. These define rules for fishing access sites, wildlife management areas and other FWP-owned public use sites.

Intake Dam FAS Management Agreement – FWP is proposing to renew a no-cost Management Agreement with the Bureau of Reclamation. The agreement is for the management and operations of Intake FAS located 16 miles north of Glendive on Highway 16.

Prairie Habitat Conservation Leases – FWP is proposing three additional 40-year term conservation leases for the Prairie Habitat Conservation Lease Program. These three additional 40-year term habitat conservation leases total approximately 20,009 acres. The lease agreements would be funded from a combination of Habitat Montana, Pittman Robertson, and other state, federal, or private sources as available.

For more information on these proposals, including supporting documentation and any collected public comment, visit the Fish and Wildlife Commission page on the FWP website, https://fwp.mt.gov/aboutfwp/commission/october-2024-meeting.