Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is looking to hear public comment on a petition known as “Quiet Waters”, which could change the rules for boating on some local tributaries. FWP Recreation Program Manager Phil Kilbreath explains.

"'Quiet Waters' was the title of a petition that was submitted to the Fish, Wildlife and Parks commission by the Back Country Hunters and Anglers," said Kilbreath. "What the proposed changes to Region 2 would be is if the proposed rule passes all the tributaries up the Bitterroot would be basically banned from motorized boating."

FWP has already commented on the rule change and is urging the Fish and Wildlife Commission to deny the petition. Kilbreath says it won’t change any boating regulations on the main stream of the Bitterroot.

"Nothing on the Bitterroot proper is proposed to change under this proposed rule change," Kilbreath said. "The Bitterroot already has a variety of regulations on it and this is seeking to modify none of those. It would only close the tributaries to the Bitterroot to motorized boating."

The Quiet Waters petition would impact numerous tributaries all across the state, so FWP is holding listening sessions in many major cities starting with one in Missoula on January 4. FWP will be accepting public comment on the proposal for one more week, you can submit comments here, on the FWP website.

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