[MCN] Your Comments Needed for Management of the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area and State Park Propsal

[Fred]

View this email in your browser <https://mailchi.mp/e1f3dac4b61c/your-comments-needed-for-management-of-the-fish-creek-wildlife-management-area-and-state-park-propsal?e=fcc2b7a1e4>




 Your Comments Needed for Management of the Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area and State Park

Fish Creek is Important Bull Trout Habitat and Connectivity Area for Grizzly Bears
 
The Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is taking public comment on a new management strategy for the Fish Creek area in western Montana. This land was purchased in 2010 with taxpayer dollars. 
 
The Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area and State Park is approximately 41,000 acres of taxpayer acquired fish and wildlife habitat surrounded by 140,000 acres of National Forest System lands and is adjacent to the Great Burn Proposed Wilderness and the Ninemile Demographic Connectivity Area for grizzly bears.  The Fish Creek drainage is one of the strongest bull trout spawning tributaries to the Clark Fork River and its location makes it a primary route for grizzly bears migrating from the Northern Continental Divide Ecosystem to the Bitterroot ecosystem.
 
A former Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director carved a 5600-acre State Park out of the 41,000 acres, imposing a recreation and tourism footprint on an area most people wanted managed and protected for fish and wildlife habitat. Now, under pressure from ATV and mountain bike users the State is proposing to increase recreation use and infrastructure throughout the area including expanded campgrounds, parking lots and possibly increased trails for ATVs and mountain bikes.
 
 
Please submit comments by October 20th to:
 
https://fwp.mt.gov/conservation/fish-creek-watershed-recreation-planning <https://montanaforestplan.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0db2100fabd578b19b5626fa0&id=0ce66b2cab&e=fcc2b7a1e4>
 
Use your own words but make sure to include these points:
 
•Do not expand the Big Pine and Forks Campgrounds;
 
•Do not build additional parking facilities;
 
•Do not allow any expansion in trails or areas used by ATV riders and mountain bikers;
 
•Do not allow rafting on Fish Creek;
 
•The Fish Creek Wildlife Management Area and State Park needs more protection not increased recreation and visitor use.
 
•This land was purchased for fish and wildlife management, not recreation.
 
•Focus management on fish and wildlife habitat protection and repair of resource damage done at undesignated campsites outside of the two established campgrounds.
 
 <https://montanaforestplan.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0db2100fabd578b19b5626fa0&id=286046cbfe&e=fcc2b7a1e4>
 <https://montanaforestplan.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0db2100fabd578b19b5626fa0&id=f9b5877756&e=fcc2b7a1e4>
 <https://montanaforestplan.us3.list-manage.com/track/click?u=0db2100fabd578b19b5626fa0&id=be9533b7ec&e=fcc2b7a1e4>
Copyright © 2023 Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force, All rights reserved. 
You are receiving this email because you opted in via our website. 

Our mailing address is: 
Flathead-Lolo-Bitterroot Citizen Task Force
PO Box 9254
Missoula, MT 59807-9254

Add us to your address book <https://montanaforestplan.us3.list-manage.com/vcard?u=0db2100fabd578b19b5626fa0&id=680b209cf4>

-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://bigskynet.org/pipermail/missoula-community-news_bigskynet.org/attachments/20231010/bebd007b/attachment.html>