Montana On The Ground

Independently reported news stories of Montana's people, land, water and wildlife.

Bullock promotes public-land support, tourism

July 11, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s largest economic driver – agriculture – has an entire state department dedicated to it. Now, Montana’s governor wants to add a new state office to promote part of the second largest: recreational tourism.

On Monday, in front an audience of about 40 sportsmen, outdoors enthusiasts and parents, Gov. Steve Bullock continued his statewide tour promoting the need for Montana to be more active in maintaining and improving public lands and public access. Not only does public land recreation contribute billions to the state economy but it makes Montanans happy.

Beaverhead hydropower project given new life

July 08, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

A Montana dam is one step closer to producing power after several delays and some political wrangling.

Last week, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission released yet another environmental assessment for a hydropower project on the Clark Canyon Dam on the Beaverhead River south of Dillon.

Ruby River case upholds recreational stream access

July 06, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana’s stream access laws have become a sparring point in this year’s gubernatorial race, so it’s fitting that one of the larger lawsuits in recent history appears to be settled, with Montana on the winning side.

Two weeks ago, a Madison county judge supported the cause of stream-access proponents when he ruled that the public was allowed to use a strip of land to either side of a road and bridge across the Ruby River. That was the final piece of a much larger case that the Public Land/Water Access Association filed a dozen years ago against media billionaire James Cox Kennedy after he tried to deny public access to the Ruby River, in this case via the Seylor Lane Bridge.

Livestock Board struggles with grizzly bear depredation

June 24, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Board of Livestock seemed more like the Board of Grizzly Bears on Friday as concerns about carnivores filled most of the morning’s agenda.

Livestock producers on the northern plains have had to deal with more grizzly bears this year so they don’t want to lose management tools and want more say in the bear’s management, according to Livestock Board members.

Judge: Forest must weigh grazing allotments vs. bighorn sheep

June 22, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest must level the playing field for bighorn sheep when evaluating grazing allotments in the Gravelly Mountains, according to a federal court judge.

Last week, Butte federal District Judge Brian Morris concluded that the Beaverhead Deerlodge National Forest didn't follow laws related to public process and preservation of wildlife habitat when it allowed sheep grazing to continue near bighorn sheep in the Gravelly Mountains of southwestern Montana.

FWP considers upping mule deer tags in southeastern Montana

June 10, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

If you want to hunt mule deer this fall, then southeastern Montana is the place to go, according to Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks.

Mule deer populations have been struggling throughout the West, but not so in the prairies and grasslands of southeastern Montana. FWP Region 7 Supervisor Brad Schmitz said the mule deer population is almost 50 percent above the long-term average, based upon recent counts, and production of fawns over the past three years has been good. So Schmitz wants to head off a population surge by almost doubling the number of mule deer doe tags.

FWP, Livestock board may discuss anti-predator devices

June 09, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

A petition asking for a limit on use of anti-predator poisonous devices has been denied, but it’s still got livestock groups on the alert.

At the end of a brief Fish, Wildlife & Parks commission meeting Thursday, Zach Strong of the Natural Resources Defense Council expressed frustration over the commission’s rejection in May of an NRDC petition to limit trap threats to grizzly bears and other wildlife.

Tribes devise remedy for Yellowstone bison shoot-outs

May 25, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

To stop dangerous situations that are beginning to occur during the bison hunt outside Yellowstone National Park, treaty tribes may borrow a trick from water skiers.

Four tribes that have treaty rights to hunt Yellowstone bison came together in Missoula Wednesday to find a remedy for what Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 3 Supervisor Sam Sheppard called the most unsafe hunt yet.

Sage grouse team chooses projects for mitigation bank

May 24, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

As Montana tries to preserve sage grouse habitat, agency leaders must decide which conservation projects would best help the bird in the future.

On Tuesday, the Sage Grouse Oversight Team met to review the first nine applicants for the new Sage Grouse Stewardship Fund Grant Program. The Stewardship Fund provides competitive funding for voluntary, incentive-based conservation on private lands in important sage grouse habitat.

O&G lease proposal adds threats to Teton, Milk rivers

May 23, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Bureau of Land Management is proposing a record-high number of parcels to be opened up to oil and gas leases along the Hi-Line. The problem is that many sit along important waterways.

The Montana-Dakotas BLM office just released an environmental assessment of 87 federal parcels covering almost 18,000 acres from Cut Bank to Glasgow that could be leased to oil and gas development. None of the parcels previously had leases.

FWP takes up boating-restrictions proposal

May 12, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The soothing sound of a mountain stream is hard to hear over the roar of a powerboat, and one organization wants only the former on some of Montana’s streams.

On Thursday, the Fish and Wildlife commission gave a nod to nature when it voted to initiate a rule-making process related to restricting certain types of watercraft on several state streams.

Commission denies wolf-quota increase, forwards grizzly hunt

May 12, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks tried to justify a big jump in a Gardiner area wolf quota, but after lengthy public comment, the Fish and Wildlife commission didn’t buy it.

On a 3-1 vote, the commission decided against an FWP proposal to increase the quota in management unit 313 to six wolves, even though the six would be meted out over time. The period of September 4 through November 30 would have a limit of three wolves and another three would be allowed between December 1 and March 15.

Groups argue against grizzly delisting

May 10, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

On Wednesday, some people were still trying to rally eleventh-hour opposition to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service proposal to delist the Yellowstone grizzly bear population. Wednesday marked the final day of the 60-day public-comment period for a USFWS proposal to remove the grizzly bear from the Endangered Species list,.

FWP proposes increased wolf kill north of Yellowstone Park

May 06, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing a noticeable increase in the number of wolves that can be killed outside of Yellowstone National Park, a move that wolf advocates claim is political, not scientific.

When the FWP commission meets on Thursday, dozens of people will probably once again line up to oppose each other on specifics of Montana’s wolf hunt, namely a proposal to increase the wolf quota in management unit 313 to six. Currently, hunters and trappers can kill only two wolves in the area around Gardiner.

Hot, dry April robs Montana of summer water supply

May 06, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Record warm temperatures in April when the last of winter’s snow should have been falling mean Montana’s streamflows will drop early again this year, according to the Natural Resources Conservation Service.

The May 1 Water Supply Outlook is usually the best predictor of how Montana’s snow pack looks heading into the summer, and despite hopes in early April, the outlook doesn’t look good.

Panel highlights flaws with federal land transfer attempts

May 04, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

Some people may be so fed up with the federal bureaucracy that they want the states to control public land. But that would remove more options than people think so it may be best to just keep working with what we’ve got, according to a Montana panel of experts.

On Wednesday night, about 100 people listened to a panel of five speakers representing diverse interests discuss whether it would be better to allow states manage public land. On the whole, the panel agreed state control probably wouldn’t improve much, depending on what was being measured.

Montana Forestry Division anticipates normal fire season

May 04, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

It appears that Montana may have a normal fire season, but “normal” is still nothing to take for granted, according to the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation.

On Wednesday, Mike DeGrosky, DNRC Fire Aviation and Management Bureau Chief, told the Legislative Environmental Quality Council that long-range forecasts appear to indicate that Montana will an average fire season, but that still means plenty of fires.

Delayed map pits hunters against outfitters

April 28, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The recent release of a map supposedly representing outfitted lands in Montana has created yet another sore spot between Montana hunters and outfitters.

A few weeks ago, the Montana Department of Labor and Industry released a map generated by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks showing that the amount of land potentially used by outfitters has almost tripled since a similar map was released four years ago.

Mine clean-up plan finalized but company is bankrupt

April 18, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

The Montana Department of Environmental Quality has chosen the best way to finally close a Lewistown area mine, but Montana could once again be stuck with the bill.

On Friday, the DEQ published a final environmental report detailing requirements for the protection of water and soils as part of the proposed closure of the CR Kendall Mine in the North Moccasin Mountains in Fergus County. The problem is the mining company, ATNA Resources Ltd., declared bankruptcy five months ago.

Judge tells USFWS to reconsider wolverine listing

April 04, 2016 by Laura Lundquist

A federal judge ordered the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to take its wolverine ruling back to the drawing board, and this time, apply the best-available science.

On Monday, Missoula federal district Judge Dana Christensen was stern and meticulous in his criticism of the 2014 USFWS decision not to list the wolverine as threatened. In his 85-page ruling, he said the USFWS decision was “arbitrary and capricious” because it purposely ignored the best-available science on how climate change and genetic isolation would negatively affect the elusive carnivore.