The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission approved two proposed projects – one from The Vital Ground Foundation and one from Bitter Root Land Trust – at the commission’s May 28 meeting.

     From the Missoula Current article: Fans of the West Fork of the Bitterroot are cheering the approval of the purchase of 97 acres surrounding the 1.5-acre W.W. White fishing access site along the West Fork Road, the only public fishing access on the West Fork. The W.W. White Memorial FAS proposal will need Montana Land Board approval because it is a fee title acquisition by FWP. BRLT is leading the project, a project that has been 15 years in the making.

     Vital Ground’s project is more recent: The commission approved a 50-acre easement held by FWP on land owned by Vital Ground. The Wild River project near the Kootenai River in northwest Montana represents a key wildlife connectivity area for grizzly bears and other species. Kyle Barber presented the BRLT project to the commission and Mitch Doherty presented Vital Ground’s. 

Photo: Wild River