Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) is seeking public review through Jan. 15, 2019 of a draft Montana Mountain Lion Monitoring and Management Strategy. A public information session in Missoula is planned for Monday, Jan. 7, beginning at 7 p.m., at the FWP Region 2 Headquarters (3201 Spurgin Road).
FWP Biologist, Jay Kolbe, and other staff will be on hand to present background information and answer questions on the draft. FWP will collect written comments at the meeting.
To review the strategy and submit comments online at any time through Jan. 15, visit fwp.mt.gov and follow links to “submit public comments.” Additionally, request information by calling 406-444-2612, and mail/email comments to FWP Wildlife Division, PO Box 200701, Helena, MT 59620-0701; fwpwld@mt.gov.
The strategy lays out guidelines for how FWP will manage and monitor lions but does not set specific population objectives or harvest recommendations; that will be part of a later and separate phase of planning.
Over the last 25 years, FWP has made significant investments in field research that helps inform how to maintain lion populations in all suitable habitats of the state. With this and the benefit of research done in other states and provinces, FWP is proposing to use the latest science and state-of-the-art methods and tools to monitor Montana’s lion population.
(via MT FWP)
