Cabin Site Sales Within the
Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge

Comments are needed on the cabin site sales within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge. Comments can be presented at one of the open houses (indicated below) or in writing by October 3, 2003 (see address
below) or by email by October 3 (michael.d.george@usace.army.mil).

In 2000, Congress passed the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge Enhancement Act to allow cabin owners within the Charles M. Russell National Wildlife Refuge (CMR) to purchase their cabin sites. The CMR,
which is managed by the USFWS, is the largest wildlife refuge in Montana. The refuge should come out ahead under the legislation, but the Corps must be encouraged to follow legislation and must be implemented so that
it benefits the refuge.

The Fort Peck Cabin Association initiated the legislation. The Corps allowed the cabins to be developed in the 1960s. The 391 cabin sites are in 4 well-established communities and the biological importance of these
areas has long been compromised.

Through our efforts to specifically benefit the wildlife purposes of CMR, legislation requires the following.

• The main purpose of the legislation is to sell the cabin sites and “acquire land with greater wildlife and other public values” for the CMR.
• The USFWS will have the ability to acquire suitable exchange lands both INSIDE and OUTSIDE the existing refuge boundary. The USFWS will have sole responsibility for determining which lands are suitable for purchase and addition to the refuge, allowing important wildlife habitat to be purchased for addition to the refuge.
• The legislation includes a permanent moratorium on any additional cabin leases within the refuge except to consolidate existing cabin sites. Additionally, the cabin sites will have permanent deed restrictions or
  conservation easements placed on them so that they remain noncommercial, single family dwellings with “the type and intensity of use of the cabin site as of the date of enactment” of the legislation. Thus, the cabin
  sites should not be developed more intensely.
• All agreements under the legislation will be required to comply with NEPA (National Environmental Policy Act) and give the public and all interested parties the opportunity to participate and comment on proposed
  activities.

Points to Make in Your Comments or Letter:

There are some key parts of the legislation that need to be accomplished in full public view to maintain the credibility and intent of the Act.

Some of these are:

• The Appraisal Process - The appraisals of all cabin sites must be done by an independent appraiser and provide a fair return to the public for creating inholdings within a National Wildlife Refuge.
• Clean Water Act Compliance - Before cabin lots can be sold, all Montana sanitation requirements must be met at the time of their sale.
• Elimination and Consolidation of Outlying Lots - Cabin site properties must be sold in a manner that avoids a checkerboard ownership pattern of public and private land. Cabin lots in the four developed areas should be blocked up as much as possible so that public land is not left between individual cabins.
• The Acquisition or Reinvestment Process - If cabin site sales get too far ahead of the purchase of wildlife habitat, then the money being slated for wildlife habitat will disappear in the process. For that reason, land
  acquisition MUST proceed concurrently with land sales.

Write your letters before October 3, 2003 to:

Mike George, Project Manager CMR
Army Corps of Engineers
106 South 15th Street,
Omaha, NE 68102-1618

or attend one or more of the following meetings: