Your comments are needed today to stop the commercial overcrowding of the Flathead's Wild and Scenic Rivers!
The Flathead National Forest has released its Proposed Action for revising its Wild and Scenic River Management Plan - and it wants your comments by February 7, 2025!
The Proposed Action would nearly quadruple the number of commercial rafting and fishing service days (1 client for 1 day) from the current 35,713 to 136,000 on the non-Wilderness Middle Fork alone!
Please let the Forest Service know you want the vast majority of the allocated use to be for everyday citizens, not commercial river outfitters - and that you don't want the already-excessive use levels expanded!
You can submit your comments via the portal at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=56536 . If the portal isn't working, simply email your comments to christopher.prew@usda.gov or mail them to the Flathead Forest Supervisor's Office, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901.
Here are some suggested points to make:
- Actual commercial use in the past five years on the Middle Fork has been twice the permitted level of 35,713 service days. This cannot be rewarded by quadrupling the permitted service days!
- The Wild and Scenic Rivers Act requires the FS to protect and enhance the river's Outstanding Remarkable Values, such as uncrowded recreational opportunities, which have already been degraded. Permitted commercial use must be reduced!
- Strict use and party size limits must be set, monitored and immediately enforced through management actions clearly defined in the Plan.
- Support the 60db recreation noise limit, the ban on dogs and stopping of boats near the Essex Goat Lick, and ask that drones be banned and other measures implemented to avoid displacing wildlife from the Wild and Scenic corridors.
For more ideas and details, Swan View's comment letter is here.
Thank you for taking a few minutes to help provide your Wild and Scenic Rivers the protection they deserve!
