Public meeting set on Circle R River Ranch acquisition

Print

BILLINGS — Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks will hold a public meeting at 7 p.m. Thursday, May 8, to answer questions, hear concerns and share information about the its proposed acquisition of the Circle R River Ranch east of Billings.

The public meeting will be at the FWP Region 5 headquarters, 2300 Lake Elmo Dr. in Billings Heights.

The Circle R River Ranch sits along the north bank of the Yellowstone River, 30 miles east of Billings and 2.5 miles west of Pompey’s Pillar National Monument. It encompasses 3,976 deeded acres and includes leases on an additional 690 acres of federal BLM and state DNRC land. The ranch provides land access to an additional 4,760 acres of state and federal land that currently are publicly accessible only by boat from the Yellowstone River.

FWP is in negotiations with the current owners for purchase of the property.

The proposed purchase is intended to protect and enhance important wildlife habitat, including nearly five miles of Yellowstone River shoreline, from subdivision or development and to provide recreational access to more than 9,400 acres of contiguous public land and habitat.

A draft environmental assessment of the proposed purchase is online at:

http://fwp.mt.gov/publicnotices/notice_1709.aspx

 

-FWP-