Before Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks develops its tentative regulation proposals for the next two years, officials want to hear from hunters, landowners and outfitters. FWP officials are holding open houses across the state, asking for suggestions as they prepare to move forward with setting regulations for big game and upland game bird hunting. The open houses are an opportunity for hunters and landowners to speak with biologists.
The open house for Region One is scheduled for Aug. 27 at FWP’s regional office at 490 N. Meridian Road in Kalispell from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Here’s the full FWP statement:
Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is inviting hunters, landowners, outfitters and others to get involved earlier than ever before to help set hunting seasons for the next two years. This year, FWP will more formally ask hunters and landowners to list or suggest things they’d like to see changed or considered for any upcoming big game or upland game bird hunting season before FWP develops tentative regulation proposals.
A number of statewide open houses are set for Thursday, August 27. The open house for northwest Montana will be held from 6-9 p.m., August 27, at FWP’s regional office in Kalispell. There will not be a formal presentation by FWP staff. Rather, this is an opportunity for hunters to talk to biologists from across the region as they are thinking about their hunting regulation proposals.
According to Region One Wildlife Manager Jim Williams, this is an opportunity to talk to area biologists before hunting regulations are proposed. “This input will help biologists combine information from population and harvest surveys with a wide spectrum of public comment, and improve the quality of the tentative recommendations.” Williams said FWP will provide the public with opportunities to offer suggestions online at fwp.mt.gov.
Proposals that emerge for the 2010 and 2011 hunting seasons will be presented to the FWP Commission in December. As in the past, formal public comments will be recorded on the proposals at a large regional public meeting held in Kalispell in January.