NEW MONTANA WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT AREA FACES FINAL VOTE It’s time to get involved and help open more than 5,600 acres near the Big Snowy Mountains to the public. A joint project between Shodair Children’s Hospital, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) to create a new 5,677-acre wildlife management area at the base of the Big Snowy Mountains faces one final hurdle – an October 17th vote by the State Land Board. FWP plans to create the new Big Snowy Mountains Wildlife Management Area (WMA). The property is in Golden Valley County north of Ryegate between Billings and Lewistown. Not only would project approval open the door to 5,677 acres of new public access but it would improve access to more than 10,000 acres of adjacent public land in a region where access is difficult. The WMA would be a boon to wildlife managers since it would allow them to better manage the state’s elk population as well as carry out habitat improvement work. Financial contributors include hunters via Pittman-Robertson excise taxes, Habitat Montana, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela’s Outdoor Fund, and the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust. RMEF will also allocate $250,000 to help FWP with set-up and future property management improvements including fencing, invasive weed control, water developments, signage and maps. The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission gave its green light to the project on August 25. Montanans made 107 comments during the public comment part of FWP’s environmental assessment. One hundred and four of them, or 97 percent, were in favor. If you would like to send a comment to the State Land Board, email [email protected].