News
PUBLIC NOTICE
For Immediate Release
July 15, 2024
Today the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (Service) announced the publication of the final supplemental Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed construction of replacement facilities to administer the Northwest Montana Wetland Management District.
In 2022, the Service published an EA for the construction of new facilities, selecting acquisition as the preferred alternative. Since that time, the Service has been unable to acquire a suitable property to construct the administrative facilities. The Service contacted realtors and property owners in the Mission Valley and ultimately reviewed 26 properties, showing interest in 15 of those. Although three offers were made, each of which had to adhere to the federal government’s strict appraisal guidelines, none of the property owners accepted the federal government’s appraised offers.
The Service has since redesigned the facilities, resulting in a smaller construction footprint. Reducing the scope of the facilities enabled the Service to consider and analyze construction potential on five additional fee title properties: Duck Haven, Johnson 80, Kickinghorse, Montgomery, and Sandsmark Waterfowl Production Areas. The Service ultimately opted to build the new facilities on Montgomery Waterfowl Production Area.
The Service is committed to minimizing the visual and social impacts of the new facilities on the surrounding communities. Based on feedback from the public comment period, the Service reduced the number of buildings and the overall construction footprint. The Service elected not to include a visitor center in the new facilities, further reducing traffic impacts to the local area. In addtion, the new facilities will emphasize a natural aesthetic, compatible with the rural setting. The Service will seek to purchase a conservation property to ensure a net gain in protected acres and habitat overall.
For more information on the Western Montana National Wildlife Refuge Complex: https://www.fws.gov/refuge/northwest-montana-wetland-management-district
