About the council
The River Recreation Advisory Council’s purpose is to develop a set of recommendations for managing river recreation in Montana and administering the use of water-related activities. The focus area extends to department lands and water bodies that are restricted under the authority of FWP. This includes recreation use on and along the water way, including fishing access sites.
Montana boasts an abundance of publicly accessible rivers that support a wide array of recreational activities, including fishing, hunting, swimming, floating and both motorized and non-motorized boating. The popularity of these activities has led to challenges such as user conflicts and congestion at access points. Moreover, there are differing opinions on how best to manage and allocate opportunities for river recreation.
The council will meet in-person for a 3-day workshop from October 16-18. Additional virtual meetings in October may occur if necessary. A virtual meeting in early November also is planned to present the council's final recommendations. Members also are encouraged to attend virtual public scoping workshops scheduled during September 3 – September 9.
Public Comment Opportunity
The council developed a set of recommendations for managing river recreation. You can download and comment on them below.
RRAC recommends that FWP develop a statewide river recreation management plan to reflect the current situation. This would include incorporating existing rules, River Recreation Management Planning Manual, and current river management plans; providing guidance on how to manage rivers; devising a data collection framework; identifying river use and types; and hiring additional personnel to meet management needs.
The council also developed a set of questions that would help FWP decide if a particular river or stretch or river needs to go through a full-scale planning process. These questions would identify the type and severity of an issue, determine if enough data is available or still needs to be collected, and whether the river or stretch of river has ever been reviewed for recreational conditions and concerns.
Deadline: Dec. 23, 2024
