Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
RMP Open Houses are starting next week

Dear Email Sentry:

MWF has several issues on the horizon. As always, some have been in the plans for quite some time, others are more current. This Sentrygram is a reminder to all that the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
RMP Open Houses are starting next week. Expect additional Sentrygrams in the next couple of days or so.

As you should know by now, the Draft Resource Management Plan has been released for the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument and the BLM has scheduled Open Houses so that they can brief the public, field questions and collect comments. The first one is scheduled in Lewistown at the Yogo Inn starting at 6PM next Tuesday February 21st. We have sent around numerous emails regarding this subject, it must seem never ending. However, the time is now! Please plan to attend these Open Houses, and send your own comments. Hunters and anglers value this place.

As it is, 6 airstrips are still in the Preferred Alternative for the Monument; outfitters will still be issued use permits even where the public doesn't have equivalent access, and no assurances are written into the Plan that would protect the public user of the river from being squeezed out by commercial concerns, in the event that a permit system is found to be necessary to relieve river crowding.

*Open Houses will be held in 12 Montana communities, please plan to attend one or more.

1. Tuesday, Feb. 21 - Lewistown -Yogo Inn
2. Wednesday, Feb. 22 - Winifred - Community Center
3. Thursday, Feb. 23 - Fort Benton - Ag Museum
4. Monday, Feb. 27 - Havre- Holiday Village Mall
5. Tuesday, Feb. 28 - Chinook - Chinook Motor Inn
6. Wednesday, March 1- Big Sandy - Community Hall
7. Thursday, March 2 - Hays - John Capture Center
8. Monday, March 6 - Malta - 1st State Bank
9. Tuesday, March 7 - Billings - MSU Billings (Student Union Bldg.)
10. Wednesday, March 8 - Great Falls - Townhouse Inn
11. Thursday, March 9 - Kalispell - Outlaw Inn
12. Tuesday, March 14 - Helena - Jorgenson’s

These meetings will begin at 6:00 p.m. with introductions and a brief BLM presentation.

Please get you comments in by April 26 and be sure attend the Open Houses.

Comments can be mailed to:

Monument RMP Team
BLM Lewistown Field Office
920 NE Main St.
P.O. Box 1160
Lewistown, MT 59457

or they may be e-mailed to monumentrmp@blm.gov. All letters and emails should include the first and last name of the individual commenting and a complete mailing address.

If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call me at the phone numbers below.

Larry Copenhaver
Conservation Director
Montana Wildlife Federation
Web-site: www.montanawildlife.com
Email: lcopenhaver@mtwf.org
[406] 458-0227
[800] 517-7256

Thank you for all you do for Montana's public lands, wildlife, and fair-chase hunting and fishing heritage.

Montana Wildlife Federation, with nearly 7,000 members, is the largest and oldest statewide nonprofit wildlife conservation organization of hunters and anglers who work to protect Montana's lands and waters and its hunting and fishing heritage.

To learn more about MWF, go to www.montanawildlife.com.

This message is brought to you by the Montana Wildlife Federation ... Montana's largest, statewide wildlife conservation organization with over 7,000 members.