The Flathead National Forest, in coordination with Glacier National Park, has begun the process to prepare a Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the 3-Forks of the Flathead River. Project activities will include reviewing the existing Flathead River Wild and Scenic River Recreation Management Direction and River Management Plan.
The 3-Forks of the Flathead was designated a Wild and Scenic River in 1976 and is a component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. The river and surrounding lands offer recreational opportunities and access to outstanding resources for a variety of public lands users. The CRMP will address the current status of these resources, outline goals and desired conditions, determine user capacities, and create a monitoring strategy and plan to carry forward. The public is encouraged to contribute to this planning effort that will secure the outstanding remarkable values of the 3-Forks of the Flathead River for future generations. The planning team is interested in diverse stakeholder input as we develop the CRMP.
Resource-focused public listening and learning sessions began in May and will continue through October. This upcoming meeting on Wednesday, August 29, will focus on fisheries monitoring, management, and concerns as part of the efforts to develop the CRMP. The meeting will be held in the lower level of the Arts and Technology Building at Flathead Valley Community College. A campus map can be found here: https://www.fvcc.edu/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/2017-11-Campus-Map-Large-WEB.pdf.
An introductory presentation on the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act for those new to the CRMP process will begin at 5:45pm. The main meeting will be from 6 pm to 8 pm and will include presentations on current fish and fish habitat information and some facilitated discussion on how the fishery will be addressed in the CRMP. At this meeting we will have a presenter from Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks in addition to the speakers from the Forest Service and Park Service.
Future meeting topics, links to past meeting materials, and the meeting schedule are posted on the Flathead National Forest website: https://www.fs.usda.gov/detailfull/flathead/home/?cid=fseprd573051&width=full
