Fish & Wildlife - Region 6

Tue Jun 23 13:58:02 MDT 2020

Ash Coulee

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is proposing to purchase a perpetual conservation easement on approximately 3,400 deeded acres in Valley County, roughly 5 miles southeast of Hinsdale. The public is invited to comment, and a public meeting will be held at the Cottonwood Inn in Glasgow on Monday, June 29, at 6:30 p.m.

Conservation easements are partnerships between FWP and willing private landowners to conserve important native wildlife habitats and provide public recreational access. The proposed easement, called the Ash Coulee Conservation Easement, would provide protection, enhancement, and public access to prairie riparian corridors, sagebrush and shrub grasslands, and plains grasslands adjacent to the Milk River. A rest rotation grazing system will be implemented to maintain and improve wildlife habitat on the property.

A draft environmental assessment is available for review and public comment. The EA can be viewed online at fwp.mt.gov/news/publicNotices/conservationEasements/pn_0044.html or a hard copy can be obtained by calling 406-228-3700. Comments can be submitted online, emailed to wildlife biologist Drew Henry at dhenry@mt.gov, or mailed to: MT FWP, Attn. Ash Coulee Conservation Easement, 1 Airport Road, Glasgow, MT 59230.

For any additional information or questions, please contact Drew Henry at 406-228-3709.  Public comment is welcome and will be accepted until 5 p.m., Friday, July 10, 2020.  Following public comment, it will be determined if this project will go to the Fish and Wildlife Commission for a final decision.

Media contact: Marc Kloker, 406-228-3704, mkloker@mt.gov