Harrys Pond Improvement - Community Pond Decision Notice
Apr 29, 2025 10:11 AM
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) is proposing to fund improvements at Harry's Pond, near Chinook. Harry’s Pond (Blaine County) is a 3-surface acre pond located in Chinook. It was the focus of a 2024 grant to enhance a public fishing opportunity in the town of Chinook, on private property. FWP worked with the landowner to establish a fishery at this location and had been overseeing day-to-day upkeep. This grant builds on past construction of angler amenities both by the landowner and the Community Pond Program. This grant request is for additional dredging near the dam and fishing areas to improve water depths, as well as increasing shoreline access and a kayak hand launch area through placed gravel. Recent sampling indicated that increased depth is needed for fish movement and winterkill concerns. If successful, the FWP action would be funding the project through the Community Pond Program and implementing the project. The project sponsor is the FWP Havre Area Fish Biologist The project is planned to begin in 2025.
The Draft EA was made available for public review and comment from March 31, 2025 to April 15, 2025. The Draft EA was posted on FWP’s Public Notice webpage: https://fwp.mt.gov/news/public-notices. The Draft EA was also made available for public review on the Environmental Quality Council or EQC website: https://leg.mt.gov/mepa/search/, by individual request, and through notice to identified interested parties. No comments were received during the advertised period.
Based on the environmental review provided in the Draft EA, and in accordance with all applicable laws, rules, regulations, and policies, FWP determined the proposed action (Alternative 2), will not have significant adverse impacts on the human environment associated with the proposed action and constitutes a reasonable and appropriate strategy to achieve identified objectives. Therefore, preparation of an EIS is unnecessary. FWP hereby adopts the Draft EA as final and approves the Alternative 2, the proposed action. With this DN, FWP hereby adopts the Draft EA, without modification, and approves the proposed action.
[FWP-DN-FSH-R8-2025-005]
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