Montana
FWP to repeal rule requiring liaison with nonprofits
Laura Lundquist
(Missoula Current) Partly due to an ongoing lawsuit, Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks wants to eliminate a decades-old rule requiring the department to consult with citizen organizations on its projects and responsibilities.
On Friday, FWP will take verbal comment on the elimination of a rule that requires the department to maintain liaison with citizen organizations active in wildlife and sportsmen’s issues.
Written in 1976, the rule says staff will participate formally or informally with various groups, including “Montana Wildlife Federation, Montana Wilderness Association, Audubon Society, Ducks Unlimited, Trout Unlimited, Sierra Club, Environmental Information Center, Northern Rockies Action Group, various state and local outfitter and guide organizations, local unaffiliated rod and gun clubs, or any other citizen organization.”
The Feb. 8 release announcing Friday’s meeting said FWP wants to repeal the rule, because “it is archaic and no longer reflects how the commission or the department engages with the public in decision-making processes.”
At first blush, the repeal might appear to be an attempt to reduce public participation in the department’s decisions.
Jim Vashro, a retired FWP regional fisheries manager, said FWP manages a public trust – wildlife – for all citizens, so it needs all the communication tools it can get. He sees the rule as important to maintaining the exchange of ideas with the various groups and building understanding and support for proposals from both sides.
“It’s critical that (FWP staff) engage with the people who use the resource,” Vashro said. “Communication is always key. The department would probably still do communication (if the rule is repealed), but it’s nice having that ARM rule just in case something happens.”
During the past few years, there have been several examples of proposals that the department had to walk back because it didn’t ask for input from sportsmen first. For example, the commission had to reverse a 2022 decision to put a daily limit on the number of kokanee caught in Georgetown Lake after fishermen protested.
Another example was when hunters pushed back against a December 2021 proposal to reduce by half the number of special either-sex elk permits and restrict them to public land in eight elk districts in eastern Montana that are over population objectives. During the commission meeting, more than 40 hunters from various groups spoke against the proposal, which many suspected had a connection to the United Property Owners of Montana, a small but deep-pocketed private-property-rights group.
Some concerns about limited public information and input were validated when, during an October 2023 court settlement of a lawsuit alleging that the FWP commission lacked transparency, FWP attorneys acknowledged that the commission’s secretive practices constituted constitutional violations of public participation and the public’s right to know.
The final decree required the commission to attend training on open-meeting laws, post all public comments on proposals, and use only public-issued email addresses and telephones for commission business.
“It just shows that people care about how decisions are made. Without the rule, (FWP) could merely listen to one group, just make a decision, and there’d be no recourse for the other groups,” Vashro said. “Now I agree that, more and more, they use online resources, and in many cases, that’s a good way to meet. But it doesn’t promote good conversation – it’s kind of a one-sided deal.”
But some sportsmen’s groups are not so sure that the rule is still needed. Some say that the rule doesn’t keep FWP from listening to just one group. And now, there are so many more organizations and diverse demands in Montana than what existed in 1976 that interacting with them all is almost impossible. But one group in particular has complained that FWP violated the rule because it hasn’t interacted with them: the United Property Owners of Montana.
Following the previously mentioned December 2021 meeting where resident hunters helped defeat the elk tag proposal, the United Property Owners of Montana sued FWP and the FWP commission in April 2022. They alleged that FWP has failed to keep the elk population under control and that the FWP commission made an unlawful decision in February 2022 when it voted to maintain a limit on the number of hunting permits in nine eastern Montana hunting districts, all of which surround the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.
In June 2022, a coalition of Montana hunting and conservation groups filed to intervene on behalf of Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks against the United Property Owners of Montana. The coalition includes Missoula’s Hellgate Hunters and Anglers, Helena Hunters and Anglers, Montana Backcountry Hunters & Anglers, Montana Bowhunters Association, Montana Wildlife Federation, Public Land Water Access Association and Skyline Sportsmen.
The case has moved slowly since then, although oral arguments are finally slated for the end of the month in Fergus County. One of the claims that the United Property Owners of Montana has made in the lawsuit is that FWP staff have never attended one of their meetings, therefore it violated the rule.
If the rule is repealed, that claim becomes moot. And it avoids the risk that other groups would challenge the department with similar claims. Some sportsmen see value in that and dismiss concerns about any loss of communication, saying that groups can still reach out to department staff or submit public comments, as long as FWP adheres to Montana’s public participation laws. Only time would tell if the department or Montanans would notice a difference.
FWP did not respond to requests for comment. FWP paralegal Regina Reynolds has been scheduled to conduct the online hearing on Friday at 10 a.m. FWP will accept written comments until March 25.
Contact reporter Laura Lundquist at lundquist@missoulacurrent.com.
A band of moderate snow has formed from the Cut Bank area, extending southeast across Chouteau, Fergus, and Judith Basin Counties. Be alert for low visibility and slick road conditions. Icy conditions continue in Lewis & Clark and Broadwater counties, where snow fell on top of ice after some freezing rain overnight. Up to a 1/4″ of ice has been reported on cars and sidewalks. Freezing rain may mix in again this morning as milder air begins to move back in.
Today’s Forecast:
Frigid Friday, several inches of snowfall in parts of the area-Friday, December 12
It will be a frigid today, with high temperatures in the 0s and lower 10s across central and eastern Montana, and mid to upper 30s in Helena.
The snow band will continue throughout the day, bringing several inches of snow to areas east of I-15. The band of snow will gradually push east tonight, impacting Blaine, Phillips, and Valley counties overnight. Snow showers taper off by Saturday morning.
MTN News
MTN News
Expect difficult driving conditions through Saturday morning, especially east of I-15 and into the mountains.
Arctic air slowly retreats north on Saturday. Temperatures start off in the -10s to near 0 on the Hi-Line and in the 0s for central Montana, then climb to the 0s and 10s for the Hi-Line and 10s to 20s in central Montana by Saturday evening.
Meanwhile, it will be a pleasant weekend in Helena with temperatures in the low 40s. A gusty breeze develops on Sunday, as temperatures warm nicely into the low to mid 40s in central Montana and into the 30s in northeast Montana.
Looking ahead to next week, mild and windy conditions kick off the workweek, followed by active weather returning midweek.
MTN News MTN News
MTN News
Warm temperatures and an “atmospheric river” of precipitation that flowed into northwestern Montana this week have generated a state of emergency in Montana’s northwesternmost county, Lincoln, as local waterways run unseasonably high.
Around 12 p.m. Wednesday, the National Weather Service started issuing flooding watches as area snowpack sites reported 24-hour precipitation totals that were approaching record levels. NWS meteorologist Dan Borsum told Montana Free Press Thursday that the “rain-on-snow” nature of the recent precipitation has led to widespread flooding.
Borsum called the weather pattern “unusual” for mid-December, instead likening it to a warm April.
Zach Sherbo, the public health manager for the Lincoln County Health Department, said in a Thursday afternoon phone call that additional precipitation is expected through Thursday evening, so rivers could continue rising into Friday.
The Lincoln County communities of Libby and Troy have been hit the hardest by the deluge, which prompted emergency services personnel to issue a state of emergency Thursday afternoon. Residents are cautioned against unnecessary travel and those served by the Libby city water supply are under a boil-water order as a precaution in the event of water supply contamination. School has also been canceled for students in Libby and Troy, Sherbo said.
The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department has identified a handful of bridges that have been compromised or are washed out as a result of flooding. It suggests residents looking for information on road closures and bridge conditions review an interactive map that is available online and linked in a press release posted to the Lincoln County Health Department’s Facebook page.
“It’s going to take a long time to recoup from this, just structurally, just with the bridges we’ve lost already and the condition that they’re in and going toward,” Sherbo said. “It’s a pretty big combined local effort right now.”
Justun Juelfs, the Kalispell-area maintenance chief with the Montana Department of Transportation said three stretches of state-managed roadways were closed or under monitoring status as of 4 p.m. Thursday.
An approximately 80-foot section of the Farm to Market Road south of Libby has washed out as Libby Creek carved a new channel. MDT is also monitoring erosion that is occurring along a U.S. Highway 2 bridge southeast of Libby and along a section of Highway 56 near Bull Lake. Juelfs encouraged motorists to review MDT’s road conditions report for up-to-date information on impacts to state highways.
The Army Corps of Engineers is assisting with sandbag-filling and distributing efforts and the Red Cross has set up a shelter for those in need at the Assembly of God Church in Libby, according to Sherbo.
The Montana Disaster and Emergency Services agency is also lending a hand with the flood response. In an email to MTFP, Anette Ordahl with DES wrote that a district field officer and a recovery coordinator are on the ground in Libby to offer assistance.
In a Thursday afternoon press release, Gov. Greg Gianforte noted that Sanders and Flathead counties have also recognized the flooding by issuing emergency or disaster declarations. Up to four inches of additional rainfall are expected across western and south-central Montana, according to a disaster declaration Gianforte’s office included in a 3 p.m. press release.
The National Weather Service reported Thursday morning that the Bear Mountain snowpack monitoring site, located just across the border in Idaho, received 6.5 inches of precipitation as of this morning, making it the third-wettest 24-hour period for the site in its 44-year monitoring history. The six-day precipitation total for Dec. 6-11 is 13 inches.
Borsum, with the National Weather Service, said the recent, unseasonable warm spell in western Montana combined with the “super strong” atmospheric river to melt early season snowpack and drive flooding. A similar rain-on-snow event in early June of 2022 led to widespread flooding in parts of south-central Montana that required extensive repairs to roadways and bridges.
Thursday, the Yaak River near Troy surpassed its official flood stage, running at more than 7,500 cubic feet per second. Its usual volume for this time of the year is about 200 cfs.
The Fisher River near Libby was also nearing flood stage. As of Thursday afternoon, it was running at nearly 4,000 cfs, more than 20 times its usual volume for mid-December.
Zeke Lloyd and Jacob Olness contributed to this reporting.
Montana
Nestled Next To Glacier National Park Is Montana’s Charming Town With Casinos And Ethereal Mountain Views – Islands
Montana’s Glacier National Park is full of beautiful destinations, from stunning waterfalls to a hidden mountain passage with breathtaking alpine views. But when you visit this legendary national park, don’t miss the hidden gems right outside the park’s limits — like the charming small town of Browning, located on the Blackfoot Reservation, which boasts magnificent mountain views as well as a casino to try your luck at. This delightful town also has a wealth of outdoor activities and cultural sites on offer — and that’s not to mention its prime location just 15 minutes away from the eastern edge of Glacier National Park.
To get to Browning, you’ll likely want to fly to Glacier Park International Airport in Kalispell, about 91 miles away, then rent a car and enjoy a beautiful drive the rest of the journey. Alternatively, you can grab a taxi from the airport to the nearby Whitefish Amtrak Station, before embarking on a 2.5-hour Amtrak train ride that will take you to Browning. Either way, one thing is for certain: you’ll be treated to unbeatable scenery out the window along the way.
Visiting the Glacier Peaks Casino in Browning, Montana
Who needs the overpriced games and bad vibes at Las Vegas’ Bighorn Casino when you’ve got Browning’s Glacier Peaks Casino as an option? If you’re over 18 and in the mood to take a gamble, you won’t want to miss out on visiting this entertainment hotspot. Open all hours of the day and night, this casino wonderland contains over 500 slot machines as well as table games, a bar, and a restaurant. Keep an eye on their website to see what special events are in the pipeline, from poker tournaments to the weekly “Jersey Monday” deal, where visitors wearing football jerseys get $10 of free play.
Adjacent to the casino is the Glacier Peaks Hotel, which boasts a business center, gym, indoor heated swimming pool, and other amenities, making it a modern and comfortable accommodation whether you’re in town for fun or for work. If you’re staying in the hotel — or if you simply want a break from the casino floor — the aptly-named Jackpot Restaurant onsite serves up classic American cuisine all day. Fuel yourself for more fun and games with everything from delectable biscuits and eggs to nachos to smash burgers and pizza.
Outdoor activities in Browning, Montana
A trip to this scenic locale wouldn’t be complete without making the most of the incredible natural views on offer. One particularly worthwhile lookout point from which to enjoy panoramic views of the area is Wild Goose Island Lookout. Park at the pullout and walk to the nearby overlook to get a view of Wild Goose Island. This tiny isle rises just 14 feet above St Mary Lake in a perfect postcard-worthy image, and is dwarfed by towering mountains.
Visitors eager to earn a mountain view with some movement can opt for one of the many trails in and around Browning. For a short (and handicap-accessible) walk, try Running Eagle Falls. While this out-and-back route clocks in at just 0.7 miles in total, it punches above its weight when it comes to payoff with a stunning waterfall. Experienced hikers in search of a challenge can consider tackling Triple Divide Pass, a difficult 14-mile hike that will take you through the less-heavily-trafficked Cutbank portion of Glacier National Park. After steep mountain uphills, you’ll find yourself overlooking Medicine Grizzly Lake. Note that if you choose to embark on this route, you’ll want to download offline maps, as cell signal in the park is extremely limited.
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