Quiet Waters meeting postponed

The upcoming Fish and Wildlife Commission work session and meeting to finalize proposed rules for the Quiet Waters Initiative have been postponed.

Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks spokesman Greg Lemon said Wednesday the state is hoping to finalize new meeting dates toward the end of the month. Commissioners had been scheduled at the beginning of this week to hold a work session next week, with a special meeting to receive public comments and issue a final decision on the proposals the following day.

The proposed rules have generated controversy in Northwest Montana and elsewhere in the state, centering around language restricting motorized boating on a variety of rivers and streams across the state.

Lemon said the commission meetings were postponed after one of Gov. Steve Bullock’s nominees to sit on the five-member board was rejected by the Legislature. Two vacancies still exist on the commission, meaning a quorum would not be present if any of the three seated commissioners can’t attend.

The meeting, once rescheduled, will be audio streamed live online at www.fwp.mt.gov.

Video streams will be broadcast at regional Fish, Wildlife and Parks offices, where members of the public may address the commission with comments regarding the Quiet Waters rules.

The commission initiated rulemaking last spring on the initiative, which came as a petition submitted by Backcountry Hunters and Anglers.

For the full agenda and additional information, visit FWP’s website at fwp.mt.gov. Click “For Commission Information.”