Possible New Rules for Bitterroot River Recreationists

The Bitterroot River Recreation Advisory Committee (BRRAC) will hold two day-long meetings next week in Hamilton and Stevensville to examine the very popular waterway.

The committee of community volunteers was put together by the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks last fall. The committee members are from a variety of interests from a public application selection, according to Vivaca Crowser of Montana FWP.

The BRRAC committee will come up with recommendations for managing recreation use of the Upper Bitterroot River and the West Fork of the Bitterroot. That includes current conditions, new acceptable recreation possibilities and a list of management actions - from least restrictive to most restrictive.

Montana's Fish, Wildlife and Parks Department has watched the river become more and more popular, and want to come up with recreation regulations to preserve its quality. Similar management questions are being addressed by the Bitterroot National Forest for Lake Como.

The committee will make its report, and Montana FWP will also use other public input, environmental analysis and survey information to come up with recreation regulations this year, Crowser wrote in a news release.

The group will meet from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. both Monday, January 30, at the Bitterroot National Forest Supervisor's Office, 1801 N. 1st in Hamilton and Tuesday, January 31, at the conference room of the Lee Metcalf National Wildlife Refuge near Stevensville.

There will be opportunities each day for public comment.

If you need more information, contact FWP Region 2 Recreation Manager Christine Oschell at 542-5562.