June 2016 Newsletter Now Available

June 2016 Newsletter

FWP Announces Opportunity to Cost Share CRP Seed Mixes

Wed Dec 30 11:45:00 MST 2015

Through the Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is offering a cost-share opportunity in 17 priority counties to assist agricultural producers who enroll private and state trust lands in the federal Conservation Reserve Program.

Producers may improve their CRP ranking by planting high-scoring seed mixtures—such as CP 2 and CP 25—that provide the greatest benefits to upland game birds. These seed mixes consist of a larger number of native grasses and forbs but may be more costly to the producer.

Eligible producers may enroll up to 640 acres of CRP for cost-share. The program pays up to 35 percent seed cost-share, but not more than $30 per acre. The priority counties eligible for FWP’s cost-share program are: Cascade, Chouteau, Daniels, Dawson, Fallon, Fergus, Glacier, McCone, Pondera, Prairie, Richland, Roosevelt, Sheridan, Teton, Toole, Valley, and Wibaux.

Enrolled producers agree to free public upland game bird hunting and no emergency haying or grazing of their enrolled CRP that is in addition to scheduled maintenance.

For more program information and an online application form, visit FWP’s web site at fwp.mt.gov and search “Upland Game Bird Enhancement Program.” Click on Habitat Enhancement for information and a CRP seed cost-share application.

Mail applications by March 7, 2016 to: Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks – Wildlife Division; P.O. Box 200701; Helena, MT  59620.

For more information, contact Debbie Hohler at 406-444-5674, or email to dhohler@mt.gov.

Statewide Bison Draft EIS–Comment period ends September 11th

STATEWIDE BISON DRAFT EIS – INFORMATIONAL

FWP is seeking public comment on a statewide bison conservation and management Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that evaluates opportunities for bison restoration somewhere in Montana. The EIS considers four alternatives, one of which is a no action alternative. Three alternatives evaluate broad scenarios for bison restoration on different types of land, i.e., private, public or tribal, and at different herd size scales.

Go to the FWP link below to voice your opinion and comments! http://fwp.mt.gov/fishAndWildlife/publicComments/2015/draftEisBisonConservAndMgmtInMT_draftEIS.html