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Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is seeking public input as it overhauls mule deer management and works to understand what's driving down mule deer populations in eastern Montana. In a news release last week, FWP began soliciting public input on 11 guiding principles that the Mule Deer Citizen Advisory Council has developed to form the foundation of a new mule deer management plan. The principles include increasing mule deer populations, using the best available science to...
Governor Greg Gianforte recently announced that Montana's unemployment rate remained at 3.1% in June. The national unemployment rate rose to 4.1%. "With more Montanans working now than ever before, we saw another month of steady employment increases across industries," Gov. Gianforte said. "Thanks to our pro-business, pro-jobs policies, we're creating an environment where businesses can thrive, create more good-paying jobs, and increase opportunities for all Montanans." Total...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is looking for public feedback on work from a citizen advisory council tasked with developing guiding principles for developing a new Mule Deer Management Plan. "We know how concerned people are with mule deer numbers across the state," said FWP Director Dustin Temple. "Our focus is developing a new plan that will guide our efforts to manage herds well into the future. The council's work is a critical first step for our planning process." In...
Mid-Rivers accepted a new Universal Service Funding (USF) offer and a new associated build-out obligation in late 2023, providing revenue certainty for the next fifteen years and allowing the cooperative to cut the timeline nearly in half for the remaining rural fiber build-out. The new Enhanced A-CAM support program includes an historic 100 percent build-out obligation in traditional rural service areas, with an aggressive deadline of December 31, 2028. This presents a...
The Bureau of Land Management is approving seven herbicide active ingredients to control noxious weeds and invasive species on public lands. The decision published recently in the Federal Register, and BLM field and district offices can now begin considering the use of these tools in efforts to control and eradicate noxious weeds and invasive plant species on the public lands they manage. "One of BLM's highest priorities is to promote ecosystem health, and one of the greatest...
Mountain lion hunters who are applying for a Limited Mountain Lion License need to apply online no later than 11:45 p.m. MDT on July 22, or at an FWP office no later than 5 p.m. on July 22. For those hunters who apply for a Limited Mountain Lion License and are not successful in drawing that license, they are not eligible to purchase an Unlimited Mountain Lion License. Unsuccessful Limited Mountain Lion License applicants are eligible to purchase an over-the-counter Restricted Mountain Lion License, which is valid during the...
The 2024 paddlefish season for the yellow tag area of the Yellowstone and lower Missouri rivers ended June 30, short of the harvest cap of 1,000 fish. The overall harvest estimate was 782 paddlefish, and female paddlefish represented 43 percent of the total harvest. Harvest estimates for the past two seasons were 776 in 2023 and 769 fish in 2022, continuing the trend toward a more dispersed fishery since open river passage began with the new Intake Bypass Channel near Glendive. It was also an average year for tag sales, with...
Montana State University Extension’s Local Government Center will provide support to the 43 municipalities and 12 counties in Montana that are participating in the decennial local government review. The MSU Extension Local Government Center will provide training for study commissioners, including a July 24 online training, and support municipalities and counties through the process, according to MSU Extension Local Government Center Director Dan Clark. Clark said Local Government Center staff want to “take the mystery” out o...
Visit Southeast Montana announces the new Executive Board of Directors for fiscal year 2024-25. Jessica Malone, chair, represents Powder River County; Sabre Moore, past chair, represents Carter County; Morgan Belveal, vice-chair, represents Musselshell County; and Ali Baue, secretary/treasurer represents Treasure County. Michelle Williams, executive director of The Depot in Billings, joins the Board of Directors as representative for Yellowstone County. Other members of the...
Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) is pleased to announce the receipt of $200,000 from the Montana Department of Commerce under the Big Sky Economic Development Trust Fund Grant Program. This significant grant award will bring crucial support to businesses across the Eastern Plains region The funding will play a pivotal role in driving economic growth and sustainability within the 5 county region. By providing essential resources for local businesses, the...
In recent months, three local boys have caught national attention after discovering a juvenile tyrannosaurus rex while on a fossil hunting hike in the badlands near Marmarth, ND. Brothers Liam and Jessin Fisher, along with their cousin Kaiden Madsen made what they would soon learn to be a remarkable find in the summer of 2022. With the help of family friend, paleontologist, and curator of paleontology at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, Tyler Lyson, the work towards...
A pair of federal court injunctions have frozen elements of a student loan repayment plan scheduled to roll out next week, with one of the rulings arising from a lawsuit filed by Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen and Republican attorneys general in 10 other states. The injunctions, issued Monday evening by federal judges in Kansas and Missouri, temporarily block the final phase of President Joe Biden’s Saving on Valuable Education (SAVE) plan set to go into effect July 1. That final phase included lowering the cap on m...
If you type the search word "legacy" into a search engine, you'll see it defined as "the long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person's life". If you type the search words "Juvenile t-rex North Dakota" into a search engine, you'll be greeted with 6 pages of news stories covering the remarkable discovery made by Marmarth's own Fisher family. In the summer of 2022 while out on a hike, the Fisher brothers, Liam and Jessin, al...
Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks has received tentative approval to enroll 10 eastern Montana properties in a newly launched state program to conserve prairie habitat. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission on Thursday voted unanimously to authorize the Prairie Habitat Conservation Lease Program's first batch of agreements and signaled its support for the program's larger objective of putting 500,000 acres of eastern Montana prairie into 40-year conservation lease...
Monday, alongside Wildlife Manager Brett Dorak, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Director Dustin Temple held a press conference to address the status of eastern Montana's mule deer. "Our job at FWP is to manage Montana's wildlife resources by providing full contextual, transparent, accurate data with full context," Director Temple said. "Across the state, we are making the effort to ensure our management of mule deer is based on the best science and data." FWP biologists have...
Film and TV companies spent $334 million in Montana over the past two years, according to numbers released to state legislators on Monday. Television, including the filming of the "Yellowstone" franchise, was the big contributor with $275.7 million spent between July 2022 and May 2024. "Obviously very big numbers," said Gina Lavery, of Econsult Solutions, Inc., an analyst hired by the state. "These are honestly double what we saw the previous cycle, which makes sense because...
Discussing likely areas for future policy improvement in Montana's K-12 school system at a meeting in the state Capitol Monday, officials with the Office of Public Instruction highlighted teacher retention as a continued challenge across the state, noting that Montana public schools lost 2,039 educators to attrition during the 2021-22 academic year. According to the presentation, given by OPI Chief Operating Officer Julie Murgel during a meeting of key lawmakers and education...
Montana State University Extension invites community members from across Montana to attend local and county fairs this summer to see Montana 4-H program displays and events. Montana 4-H is the youth development program of MSU Extension, and for 4-H youth, the fair is a public opportunity to show what they have learned and to continue developing civil service and social skills while running events like concession stands, petting zoos or exhibits. "Time spent in 4-H allows kids...
The Montana Department of Transportation (MDT) recently announced that summer road work on a 12-mile portion of US Highway 212 (US 212) east of Lame Deer is scheduled to commence in June. The project begins just east of the junction with Montana Highway 39 (MT 39) at the roundabout in Lame Deer and extends east. The contractor selected for work on this project is Prince, Inc. The Lame Deer – East project will include new surfacing, seal and cover (chip seal) operations, centerline and shoulder rumble strips, and upgraded s...
Beginning June 19, hunters can sign up for the Surplus License List, which is a list of leftover licenses that were not distributed by the drawing. The list will be randomized, with hunters at the top of the list contacted via email with instructions to finalize their purchase within a specified time. Resident and nonresident hunters can sign up through the MyFWP portal. This process requires hunters to keep their email address current in their ALS record. Payment of the license fee is not required to sign up on the Surplus L...
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks has issued a Decision Notice to proceed with a Prairie Dog Conservation Contract in Garfield and Rosebud County, Mont., eight miles north of Ingomar. The contract will conserve, protect, and enhance approximately 2,975 acres of important prairie dog colonies and associated habitat for 10 years, beginning July 2024 and continuing through July 2034. The contract would be implemented by a one-time payment of $148,750 to the affected landowner. This...
Over the next two years, dozens of cities and counties across Montana will review their local governments as called for by a voter initiative in Tuesday's primary elections. Once a decade, Montana's Constitution offers voters the chance to study and potentially change the structure of local governments. The measure appeared on primary ballots across all counties and incorporated cities or towns in the state. Voters in 12 counties and 42 cities and towns approved local...
submitted by MFBF The Montana Farm Bureau Summer Conference is set for June 10-12 in the historic cow town of Miles City. The summer conference provides an opportunity for the organization’s advisory committees to discuss current agricultural issues and concerns, and surface ideas for policy development. Events take place at the Custer County Events Center and the MCC Ag Advancement Center. “Members from across the state are excited to attend our annual summer committee meetings and foundation fund raiser. It’s been over...
The new Food and Ag Development Center specialist with an emphasis on specialty crops is Hannah Wichmann. The Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation is enthusiastic to add Hannah onto the team to help add growth and development to the community. Her role will aim on providing support to specialty crop producers, local agriculture producers, and other value-added businesses in our region as they look to start, grow, and make valuable connections on their business...
Eastern Plains Economic Development Corporation (EPEDC) recently announced the addition of a new Community Development Specialist. Dale Welliever of Wibaux comes to EPEDC from a career in business. Dale has experience from Auto Parts to Life Insurance and everything in between! Dale grew up on a farm/ranch in Wibaux County, and graduated from Wibaux County High School, Miles Community College, and MSU-Northern. He brings with him a wealth of experience and knowledge. He has...
