Montana river recreation focus of upcoming workshops

State wildlife officials are slated to host three public workshops this week to discuss the future of river recreation.

The workshops will happen online on Sept. 3, 5 and 9. Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks officials will hear input on river recreation issues to better inform management recommendations moving forward, according to Deb O’Neill, acting Parks and Outdoor Recreation Division Administrator at the state wildlife agency.  

“We recognize that we have accessible rivers and streams and lots of activities occur on those ... and the popularity of our rivers and streams, naturally, has led to conflicts among users,” O’Neill said. “While I think all parties agree on protecting the aquatic resources, there is debate and disagreement on how to do that, so we really want the public to be a part of developing the answers.”