Fish, Wildlife Commission To Meet April 17
The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission will at the Montana WILD Education Center in Helena and virtually via Zoom on April 17 beginning at 8:30 a.m. The meeting will be streamed live on Fish, Wildlife and Parks’ website and YouTube.
Public comment will be accepted on agenda items through March 26.
Agenda items include the following: Proposed Fish Removal Project for 2025 – Elk Creek Elk Creek is a small stream in the Madison Valley in southwestern Montana and the proposed removal project aims to protect existing unaltered westslope cutthroat trout from hybridized cutthroat or brook trout.
2025–2026 Migratory Bird Regulations and 2026–2030 Federal Zones and Splits for Montana – Proposed changes include an increase in pintail bag limit, and modest increases in sandhill crane licenses; most aspects of the previous season are recommended to remain in place. The department also will propose a change to Central Flyway Zones to affect Sweet Grass and Stillwater counties, moving from Zone 1 to Zone 2, in southern Montana and corresponding dates associated with the split.
Ear Mountain WMA Grazing Lease Renewal, Region 4 – FWP proposes to renew the existing grazing lease with the Salmond Ranch where the 2,210-acre South Pasture is grazed in a rest-rotation grazing system to continue managing vegetation for wildlife cover and forage. FWP also proposes to rallow up to 391 Animal Unit Months annually for six years beginning June 1, 2026, through Dec. 31, 2031. Public hunting access on the lessee’s property would also be incorporated as part of the grazing lease agreement.
Fishing Access Site Annual Rule – The department is not proposing changes for 2025 but is continuing to identify ways to consolidate and simplify public use rules.
Commercial Use Permit Fee Rule Renewal – Fishing Access Sites, Fisheries Conservation Areas, Wildlife Management Areas and FWP Administrative Sites – The department is not proposing any changes to the rule.
Approval of Winter Closure Date Variance for Gallatin WMA – The variance would extend the opening date for the Gallatin WMA to June 15 from the standard May 15 date and add that variance (if approved) to the list of already approved variances that will remain in effect through calendar year 2025.
For the full agenda, background on the scheduled topics and to provide public comment, go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission page on the FWP website.
The commission will also take public comment on agenda items from registered commenters on Zoom. Registration will open at noon on April 2. Those who want to make a comment on Zoom during the meeting must register on FWP’s website by noon on April 16.
FWP ensures its meetings are fully accessible to those with special needs. To request arrangements, call FWP at 406-444-7826.
