The Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks Agency is working hard to address Invasive species in Montana.  One of the things they are looking at is making it easier and more efficient for local boaters to get through boater inspections.

In  a recent news release the FWP rolled out its plan and invited boaters to get registered for an upcoming local boater program.

The Joint Mussel Response Implementation Team will host an open house at Montana WILD in Helena on March 27 to discuss the upcoming watercraft inspection season, new regulations, and local boater program certification.

The event will focus on Montana’s plan to contain, detect and prevent the spread of invasive mussels and other aquatic invasive species.

The open house will run from 6-9 p.m., with a Joint Mussel Response Team presentation set for 7 p.m. Local boaters can be certified after the presentation. Preregistration is required.

Boaters who recreate primarily on Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs may be eligible to participate in a local boater program to bypass recurring at Tiber and Canyon Ferry reservoirs. Prospective local boaters can get certified by attending the open house presentation. An online local boaters training application will be available in early April.

Space is limited to about 80 people so preregistering is required for the Montana WILD open house. Call 406-444-2535 to reserve your spot.

Montana WILD is located at 2668 Broadwater Ave., west of Helena off U.S. Highway 12.

A similar open house will be held in Townsend on April 4 at the Broadwater School and Community Library. Additional open-house events are being planned for April in several other communities and will be announced when dates and locations are secured.

By getting in to the do-it-yourself “Clean, Drain and Dry” habit, Montana boaters and anglers can help prevent the risk of spreading destructive mussels and other aquatic invasive species, which are easily transported via water in boats or bait buckets.

When boaters and anglers Clean, Drain and Dry their boat and equipment after every outing on the water, they’ll guarantee they’re not transporting AIS.

For more information visit musselresponse.mt.gov or Montana Mussel Response on Facebook

The information contained in this post is from a news release by the Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks agency.