EBS STAFF
Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission recently granted $240,000 in funding to eight projects seeking to improve Montana fisheries through the Future Fisheries Improvement Program.
Fishery improvements include stream restoration, stream habitat installation, streambank restoration, grazing management, keeping fish out of irrigation diversions, protecting critical habitat and improving fish passage, among others.
Both native and non-native fish populations will benefit from FFIP projects including mountain whitefish, westslope cutthroat trout, Yellowstone cutthroat trout, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, longnose and white suckers, longnose dace, channel catfish, largemouth bass and yellow perch.
Outside sources contributed an additional $950,000 toward 2022 FFIP work. A total of nine project proposals were submitted requesting funding and eight were approved across the state.
Approved 2022 FFIP projects
Bozeman Area: Wilson Creek stream and floodplain restoration (Gallatin County)
Butte Area: Bryant Creek fish barrier (Beaverhead County)
Hardin Area: Bighorn River side channel reactivation (Bighorn County)
Lewistown Area: Middle Fork Judith road decommission and rehab (Judith Basin County)
Livingston Area: Mill Creek fish barrier supplement (Park County)
Missoula Area: Miller Creek restoration MPG (Missoula County)
Scobey Area: Buer Pond fencing (Daniels County)
Whitehall Area: North Boulder fish passage (Jefferson County)
Any individual or group with a project intended to restore, enhance or conserve Montana fisheries may apply for future FFIP grant funding. Applications for the winter FFIP grant-cycle are open until Nov. 15, 2022, and can be found on the Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks website.
