The haying would be completed by the highest bidder in a sealed bid process
SACO – Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is requesting public comment on a proposed environmental assessment (EA) draft for a one-year prescriptive haying lease on the Cree Crossing Wildlife Management Area (WMA) in Phillips County. The haying lease would be awarded to the highest bidder through a sealed bid process, which would occur at a later date.
The proposal is for prescriptive haying to occur on two fields that are planted in dense nesting cover (DNC) on the WMA. These fields account for approximately 129 acres of the 398-acre WMA. The proposal calls for roughly 30-50% (39-65 acres) of the grass to be removed from the 129 acres of the DNC fields through haying in strips to help improve vigor and species composition of the vegetative community while still providing nesting, brood rearing, and thermal cover.
Local FWP staff will work with the lease holder to identify proper widths, but the proposal calls for one strip to be hayed followed by another strip of equal or greater width where the grass is left standing followed by another strip being hayed and so on.
The comment period will be until March 15, 2021. The draft EA is available for review at fwp.mt.gov under “news and public notices” and then clicking on “public notices.” Hardcopies are available by calling the FWP Region 6 Headquarters at 406 228-3700.
Please submit any comments by 5 p.m., March 15, to:
Attn: Cree Crossing 2021 Haying Lease
MT Fish, Wildlife & Parks
1 Airport Road, Glasgow, MT 59230
You can also email comments to wildlife technician Sam Tedrow at stedrow@mt.gov.
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