GLASGOW – Joining Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Gov. Greg Gianforte last week visited with a longtime partner of the Block Management Program in Valley County.

“Landowners like Leonard are absolutely essential when it comes to the success of public access programs in Montana,” said Katie Iverson, FWP access coordinator in Region 6. “Their willingness to allow the public on their private property for hunting is vital to the continuation of Montana’s hunting heritage.”

“Through block management, Montanans have access to nearly 8 million acres of private land to hunt and recreate, and even more when considering the access those acres provide to adjacent or isolated public lands,” Gov. Gianforte said. “I’m grateful for all our landowner partners in the Block Management Program who increase access and hunting opportunities for Montanans.”

FWP’s Drew Henry, Katie Iverson and Gov. Gianforte receive a tour from long time block management landowner Leonard Swenson.

The Block Management Program is a cooperative program between private landowners and FWP that provides the public with free hunting access to private land and helps landowners manage hunting activities. 

As a Block Management Program participant for nearly 25 years, Leonard Swenson is one of more than 382 cooperators in northeast Montana who provide public access to over 1.2 million acres of land. 

Visiting with Leonard Swenson on his property west of Glasgow, the governor and FWP staff heard the history of Swenson’s family homesteading the property, and his participation in the program. 

Known to hunters as the Swenson Block Management Area, the property, in combination with land deeded by the Wittmayer Grazing Association, unlocks more than 51,000 acres of public land that is frequented by over 1,000 hunters each year. 

“People love to get out and see different country, and I’m glad I can give them that opportunity,” Swenson said. “FWP is always eager to help me with anything I need, and the department has been great to work with.”

“Landowners like Leonard, and the Wittmayer Grazing Association, are critical to the success of the BMA (Block Management) and PALA (public access land agreement) programs,” said Drew Henry, an FWP wildlife biologist. “Landowners play a crucial role in supporting hunting traditions, wildlife management, and conservation efforts on both public and private lands in Region 6.”

FWP’s Katie Iverson and Drew Henry along with Gov. Gianforte talk to Leonard about his involvement in block management

During the last legislative session, the governor signed Senate Bill 58 into law. The bill doubled the payment cap for landowners participating in block management from $25,000 to $50,000.

FWP’s Public Access Land Agreement program also has 30 projects that allow Montanans access to more than 200,000 acres of inaccessible or under accessible public lands.  

“Public access is one of the department’s top priorities,” FWP Director Dustin Temple said. “We respect private property rights and work collaboratively with landowners to manage Montana’s resources and the public’s opportunity to enjoy them.”

“Without good landowner relationships, we simply can’t do our jobs effectively whether that deals with public access, habitat enhancement, or wildlife management,” Henry added. “These relationships enhance FWP‘s effectiveness in managing and conserving Montana’s resources on behalf of the public.”

Formally started in 1985, the Block Management Program is a cooperative program between private landowners and FWP that provides the public with free hunting access to private land and helps landowners manage hunting activities.

For more information on the Block Management Program, see the FWP website.

Contacts: Kaitlin Price, Office of the Governor

Greg Lemon, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks

MILES CITY – Wildfires burning near Tongue River Reservoir State Park prompted a voluntary evacuation of visitors to the park Saturday evening.

Due to fire conditions, continued hot weather and poor air quality, it is suggested that people with reservations or plans to visit do not travel to the park at this time. Several wildfires are burning in southeastern Montana, including the 3,000-acre, lightning-caused Deadman Fire and the 3,300-acre Anderson Fire, both burning about 30-plus miles southeast of Ashland and near TRR State Park.

Big Horn County officials recommended evacuation of the park Saturday evening, and the majority of campers and visitors left. Visitation is not advised at this time, as conditions could possibly deteriorate.

The park’s status will be updated as conditions allow.

For statewide updates, visit FWP's restrictions and closures page at https://fwp.mt.gov/news/current-closures-restrictions

BOZEMAN— Shortly after 10 p.m. on Thursday, July 11, Bozeman Police Department (BPD) officers responded to the intersection of N. 20th Avenue and W. Beall Street for reports of a stabbing.

Arriving officers on the scene located one juvenile victim who had been moved to an area east of the incident. They found the victim had significant injuries to the abdomen, and immediately began to provide medical aid until paramedics arrived.

With support from Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) deputies, officers quickly identified and contacted all involved parties. Officers learned several juveniles engaged in a physical altercation at Kirk Park, leading to one suspect stabbing the victim multiple times. The suspect and witnesses were placed in custody as detectives began conducting their investigation.

The incident is under active investigation. The juvenile suspect remains in custody facing charges of attempted deliberate homicide. The victim was transported to Bozeman Deaconess Hospital in critical condition but is expected to survive.

“Our team would like to thank GCSO, Bozeman Fire Department, and American Medical Response for their swift response and assistance with this event,” Chief Jim Veltkamp stated.

Witnesses or anyone with information regarding the case can contact BPD Detective Shay Stephens at (406) 582-2215 or sstephens@bozeman.net.

On July 9th, 2024, at 10:18 PM, Gallatin County 911 Dispatch received a call from a skier who had encountered an individual having trouble making their way down “The Great One” couloir near Fairy Lake. The individual had suffered a fall and was bleeding from an injury to the shin and suspected a possible broken ankle.

The reporting party and the injured subject made their way to a rocky overhang out of the elements and awaited assistance from rescuers. Volunteers from the GCSSAR Valley section and Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office Deputies responded to the trailhead near Fairy Lake. A hasty team made their way to the patient in order to conduct a medical assessment and provide first aid while a second team followed with additional equipment and a third team cleared the trail of various obstructions that had gathered during the winter. GCSSAR volunteers were able to assist the subject to the trailhead where they elected to transport themselves to follow-on medical care.

Sheriff Springer would like to thank the individual who stopped to assist a fellow skier in need and remind recreators that it is always a good idea to have the means to contact emergency responders when engaging in extreme sports. Furthermore, it is advised to be sure to carry more food and water than you expect to need because the remote nature of backcountry rescue means you may be waiting several hours for help if you find yourself unable to get out on your own.

On July 9, 2024, at approximately 5:45 pm, there was a rollover motor vehicle crash on Gallatin Road at mile marker 71 (immediately north of the mouth of Gallatin Canyon in the northbound passing zone area). The crash resulted in the death of the driver. The driver was travelling southbound in a pickup truck towing a camper trailer.

The joint investigation involving the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol has gained information that a dark sedan was travelling northbound at a high rate of speed weaving in and out of traffic and may have caused the crash. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Montana Highway Patrol are seeking the public’s assistance in identifying the dark colored sedan. If you have dash camera footage of the incident or information about the vehicle, including make, model, color, and/or license plate number, please contact Montana Highway Patrol Dispatch at 855-647-3777.

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is advising anglers that portions of the Big Hole, Beaverhead, Jefferson, Madison, Ruby and Sun rivers, as well as the Clark Fork River and Silver Bow Creek in their entirety, will be closed to all fishing daily from 2 p.m. to midnight, effective at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 10. The restrictions will stay in effect until conditions improve.

Hoot-owl restrictions are issued for:

• Big Hole River –

  • from the Saginaw Bridge on Skinner Meadows Road to the confluence with the North Fork of the Big Hole River

  • from the Tony Schoonen Fishing Access Site to the confluence with the Beaverhead River

• Beaverhead River – from Highway 41 near East Bench Road to the confluence with the Big Hole River

• Jefferson River – from the confluence of the Big Hole and Beaverhead rivers to the Missouri River

• Madison River –

  • Lower section, from the Warm Springs Fishing Access Site to the confluence with the Jefferson River

  • Above Hebgen Lake, from Hebgen lake to the Yellowstone National Park boundary

• Ruby River – from the confluence with the Beaverhead River to Duncan District Road

• Sun River – from the mouth of Muddy Creek to the Highway 287 bridge

• Clark Fork River – from the mouth of Warm Springs Creek to the mouth of Rock Creek

• Silver Bow Creek – its entirety

FWP's drought policy provides for angling restrictions when flows drop below critical levels for fish, when water quality is diminished or when maximum daily water temperatures reach at least 73 degrees for three consecutive days. Water temperatures of 77 degrees or more can be lethal to trout.

These restrictions are designed to protect fish that become more susceptible to disease and mortality when conditions like this exist. One short-term strategy to address heat-induced stress in Montana's wild trout is to reduce catch-and-release mortality by alerting anglers to fish only in the morning. 

Anglers can reduce stress on fish at all times of the year by getting fish to the net or in hand quickly, keeping them in the water and reviving them prior to releasing them back into the river.  

If high temperatures and extremely low flows persist, anglers may want to consider fishing areas with less stressful temperatures and conditions, such as larger lakes or reservoirs, or higher elevation waterbodies.

For the latest waterbody restrictions and closures, click here.

Kari Maxwell will exhibit her latest body of work at Cello Bozeman this August.  This new work is primarily inspired by the buffalo and wild horse population in Theodore Roosevelt National Park. 

Maxwell, a resident of Minneapolis, has had gallery representation in Bozeman for over 17 years. She is the featured artist at Cello (2 West Main Street) on Friday, August 9 from 6- 8pm.  

Additional appointments can be made to meet the artist on Saturday, August 10 or Sunday, August 11 at karimaxwell@mac.com

Cello’s hours of operation are Monday through Friday, 10am - 6pm, Saturdays 10am - 5pm and Sundays 11am - 5pm.

Maxwell's painting career began in 2004 with her paintings of cows (see Brown, Curt, "Painter finds grace and beauty in the eye of a cow", Star Tribune, February 15, 2014).  She has held a steady presence in the midwestern and western art communities ever since.  

In addition to her past and current animal subjects, Maxwell has exhibited her abstract paintings, watercolors, mixed media work and painted portraits.  The pull she experiences towards painting her animal subjects, however, has been like no other.

A few years ago, Maxwell read this excerpt from Robin Wall Kimmerer's book, Braiding Sweetgrass which seemed to connect many of the dots for her regarding this pull:

"...in the Native ways of knowing, human people are often referred to as 'the younger brothers of creation'. We say that humans have the least experience with how to live and thus the most to learn - we must look to our teachers among the other species for guidance.  Their wisdom is apparent in the way they live.  They teach us by example."

For more information, contact:
Kari Maxwell
campsite.bio/karimaxwell
karimaxwell@mac.com
612.695.2167

HELENA – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on several private pond applications and environmental assessments (EAs). For more information, including how to submit comments, click on the links provided or visit fwp.mt.gov/public-notices.

Willow Creek Land Company II, LLC private pond license review

A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock Yellowstone cutthroat trout in an unnamed private pond. The pond is a 2.45-surface-acre pond located at the end of Falls Creek Road in Park County. The pond is near Clyde Park approximately 0.21 mile east of an unnamed tributary to Falls Creek, which is a tributary to the Shields River. There is no documentation of fish within Falls Creek. The pond is fed by a groundwater well located at the site. The outlet consists of an Argi-Drain control structure. The discharge flows out onto a dry swale with no chance to reach state waters. Risk of escapement is minimal. Fish that do escape the pond will be stranded on dry ground with no chance of reaching state waters. Yellowstone cutthroat trout are native to the Shields River basin. Yellowstone cutthroat Trout could be removed from the pond via chemical treatments or through senescence. The project is sponsored by the private landowner and the license would be active for a period of 10 years from the year of issuance (2024). The license can be renewed for additional 10-year intervals at the end of each term and the license is transferable.

Comments due July 9.

Hull private pond license review

A private landowner is applying for a Private Fish Pond License and proposes to stock rainbow trout in an unnamed private pond. The pond is 0.34-surface acre, constructed by excavation, and located off East River Road, near the small communities of Pine Creek and Pray, in Park County. The pond is located approximately 0.1 mile (100 yards) east of Elbow Creek, which is a tributary to the Yellowstone River. Brown trout, rainbow trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, and mountain whitefish have been documented in lower Elbow Creek and in the Yellowstone River. The pond has no inlet or outlet. The pond is filled via spigot and hose, which is fed by a groundwater well located at the site. The pond is filled manually by the landowner. There is no outlet from the pond. If water were to crest the pond edges, it would flow into adjacent fields before reaching Elbow Creek. Risk of escapement is minimal. Fish that do escape the pond will be stranded on dry ground with no chance of reaching state waters. Rainbow trout have been documented in lower Elbow Creek and are present in the Yellowstone River. The rainbow trout could be removed from the pond via chemical treatments or through senescence. The project is sponsored by the private landowner and the license would be active for a period of 10 years from the year of issuance (2024). The license can be renewed for additional 10-year intervals at the end of each term and the license is transferable.

Comments due July 9.

Translocation of westslope cutthroat trout within the Thompson River drainage to Big Hole Creek draft EA

FWP is proposing to transfer non-hybridized westslope cutthroat trout to suitable fishless habitat in the headwaters of Big Hole Creek (Thompson River drainage) from multiple populations across the Thompson River drainage.

Comments due July 9.

Lox private pond application EA

A landowner is applying for a private fish pond license and proposes to stock rainbow trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The pond is an off-stream reservoir supplied by groundwater sources. The private pond is approximately 0.1 surface acre and located near (approximately 1 km) Bear and Rock creeks and Red Lodge. The risks of stocking the pond with hatchery-reared rainbow trout and Yellowstone cutthroat trout are minimal and escapement by natural means is highly unlikely. Additionally, Rock Creek has established populations of non-native rainbow trout that are managed as sport fish.

The project is sponsored by the private landowner, and the license would be active for a period of 10 years from the year of issuance (2024). The license can be renewed for additional 10-year intervals at the end of each term, and the license is transferable.

Comments due July 12.

Pyrenees Rescue Center Trust private pond application EA

A landowner is applying for a private fish pond license and proposes to stock Yellowstone cutthroat trout. The pond is located on private land near Barlow Creek, which is a tributary to West Red Lodge Creek. The pond is supplied by groundwater sources and contains a domestic groundwater water right for fishery purposes (43D 30018332). The private pond is approximately 0.3 surface acres and approximately 1.2 miles southeast of Luther, Carbon County. The outlet of the pond is a screened (approximately3/4-inch mesh) 10-inch culvert pipe with a two-foot drop. In addition, it is an earthen dam pond and fish escapement is likely during both normal operations and high flow events. Fish surveys in West Red Lodge Creek have documented both non-native sport fish (e.g., brown trout, brook trout) and native Yellowstone cutthroat trout in the east fork of West Red Lodge Creek. Although non-native salmonids are present, the fisheries management goals for this drainage include reducing the numbers of rainbow, brown, and brook trout where Yellowstone cutthroat trout could be negatively affected. The risks with stocking the pond with hatchery-reared Yellowstone cutthroat trout is minimal as escapement is likely but Barlow Creek experiences intermittent flows in drier years.

The project is sponsored by the private landowner, and the license would be active for a period of 10 years from the year of issuance (2024). The license can be renewed for additional 10-year intervals at the end of each term, and the license is transferable. Private landowner would stock pond upon approval of the private pond license application.

Comments due July 16.

Saddlehorn private pond EA

A private landowner is proposing to stock a newly constructed pond on their property on Barn Dance Trail near Bigfork. The landowner is seeking a permit to stock rainbow trout and westslope cutthroat trout into the private pond.

Comments due July 18.