Draft recreation strategy for FWP lands in Fish Creek area out for public review

Review the draft and comment online through October 20

ALBERTON — Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks released a draft recreation strategy this week for its lands in the Fish Creek Watershed in Mineral County, approximately 40 miles west of Missoula. The draft strategy is a result of a year-long planning process and is open for public review and comment through October 20, 2023.

To see the draft and comment online, visit fwp.mt.gov/conservation/fish-creek-watershed-recreation-planning.

FWP launched the Fish Creek planning process in the summer of 2022, with the guidance of the University of Montana and Global Park Solutions. The planning team worked with Mineral County, the local community, and other stakeholders to take a comprehensive look at managing recreation on FWP lands in the Fish Creek area.

The draft strategy builds on previous planning efforts and is focused on FWP’s Fish Creek State Park and Wildlife Management Area and Big Pine and Forks Fishing Access Sites. Although planning is specific to FWP lands, the team worked closely with other public land managers in the area, including the Montana Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service in developing the draft.

To gather ideas, the planning team hosted stakeholder meetings in 2022 as the process began, an online public survey later in the fall, and public meetings in February and March 2023 to review initial ideas. The planning team considered this input, alongside the area’s important fish and wildlife habit, historic and cultural resources, communities, private lands, and unique recreation opportunities in developing the draft.

This Fish Creek Draft Recreation Strategy is open for public review and comment through Friday, Oct. 20, 2023.  Input gathered on the draft will inform a final recreation strategy, set to be released later this year. To review, comment, and stay connected to the project, visit the Fish Creek planning project web page at fwp.mt.gov/conservation/fish-creek-watershed-recreation-planning.

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