Fish & Wildlife - Region 2
Thursday, August 13, 2020
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking input on a proposal to thin conifer trees on approximately 100 acres of land within its 120-acre Mount Jumbo Wildlife Management Area to improve wildlife habitat and decrease wildfire risks.
The WMA is a portion of the larger Mount Jumbo public lands complex that is valued for wildlife habitat, conserved open space and recreation. The proposal comes in coordination with other similar forest projects on adjacent Lolo National Forest and City of Missoula land.
The forest restoration work would complement these other projects by reducing hazardous fuels in the wildland urban interface and improving habitat for wildlife species that depend on open stand forest conditions and associated forage for grasses, forbs and shrubs. Mount Jumbo is important deer and elk winter range and home to a variety of wildlife. FWP says that improving habitat is the key reason for its proposal.
If approved by the Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission, the work could begin as early as October 2020. To review the draft EA and to comment, go to FWP’s website, fwp.mt.gov, under “News,” then “Recent Public Notices.” Or, request information and comment by contacting Region 2 FWP, 3201 Spurgin Rd., Missoula 59804; by phoning 406-542-5540; or by emailing shrose@mt.gov. Comments must be submitted by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Aug. 25, 2020.
