The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public review and comment on the Draft Programmatic Compatibility Determination for Rights‑of‑Way and Rights to Access for Temporary Disturbances and Minor Impacts on Conservation Easements in the Mountain‑Prairie Region. This draft document evaluates the compatibility of proposed activities that may cause temporary, minor disturbances while supporting necessary public infrastructure needs across conservation easements in the Mountain-Prairie Region. The draft Compatibility Determination will be available for a 30‑day public comment period from April 1 to May 1, 2026. Comments, questions, concerns, or a request for a hard copy can be sent to: MountainPrairieNWRS@fws.gov.
We are also seeking public review and comment on the Draft Compatibility Determination (CD) for Fishing at Bear River Migratory Bird Refuge. This draft document re-evaluates and replaces the 1994 CD for fishing. Fishing has occurred on the refuge since 1994. The draft Compatibility Determination will be available for a 14‑day public comment period from April 24 to May 8, 2026. Comments, questions, concerns, or a request for a hard copy can be sent to: MountainPrairieNWRS@fws.gov.
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About Us
The Bear River Watershed Conservation Area was established in 2016 through a process resulting in a Land Protection Plan (Plan). The Service completed this Plan after considering public input and potential impacts this type of program would have on the landscape and habitat.
What We Do
A conservation area conservation area
A conservation area is a type of national wildlife refuge that consists primarily or entirely of conservation easements on private lands. These conservation easements support private landowner efforts to protect important habitat for fish and wildlife and major migration corridors while helping to keep agricultural lands in production.
Learn more about conservation area is a landscape-scale unit of the National Wildlife Refuge System that helps the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) protect wildlife habitat via voluntary, private land conservation easements and in some cases, by fee title land acquisition.
Conservation easements acquire limited rights on private lands to protect habitat and migration corridors for wildlife while also allowing private landowners to keep their lands in production. Fee title land acquisition is when the Service acquires land outright, with all interests.
Our Library
Find documents relating to the Bear River Watershed Conservation Area here.
