Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (MDFWP) invites the public to comment on a proposal to fund the purchase of a perpetual channel migration easement on 89.5 acres in Richland County along the Yellowstone River near Sidney, MT. A channel migration easement (CME) is a conservation easement that includes land bordering a stream or river where the Landowner agrees not to riprap or otherwise stabilize the river bank, thereby allowing the river’s natural erosive processes to continue.
Montana Aquatic Resources Services (MARS), after entering into an agreement with MDFWP, located willing landowners, Gerald and Maryellen Navratil. The purpose of the Navratil CME is to preserve and protect the conservation and agricultural values of the land, particularly the habitats provided for fish and wildlife species, and to prevent armoring of the river bank within the easement area, in perpetuity. MARS sought a third party to hold the easement; Montana Land Reliance (MLR) agreed to hold the channel migration easement.
Formal public participation will begin with the availability of a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) for public review for a three-week comment period. The EA can be viewed on the MDFWP website at: http://fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/ or is available upon request from the MDFWP Region 7 office.
A public hearing will be held at the MSU Richland County Extension Building, 1499 N. Central Ave, in Sidney, MT on Jan. 27 at 7 p.m.
Public comments will be accepted until Jan. 29, 2016. Written comments can be submitted online, emailed to [email protected], Attn: Navratil Channel Migration Easement Proposal, or mailed to the address below:
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
P.O. Box 1630, Miles City, MT 59301
Attn: Navratil Channel Migration Easement Proposal
Reader Comments(0)