Tag Archives: Comprehensive River Management Plan

Flathead Forest finally releases draft Comprehensive River Management Plan; public meetings Feb 17 & 18

February 16, 2026Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMPBill Walker

North Fork of the Flathead River, May 28, 2023 – W. K. Walker

After years of efforts and false starts, the Flathead National Forest has released a draft Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP). Here are the high points of immediate concern . . .

Two public information sessions will be held at Flathead Valley Community College on February 17 and 18, from 6 to 8pm at the Arts and Technology building, room 139 (AT-139). Both sessions will be open-house format, with information stations staffed by members of the project team.

The public comment period will be open for 30 days, concluding March 13, 2026. Comments and attachments may be submitted electronically at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=56536.

For more information, here is the meat of the official press release . . .

Kalispell, Mont., February 10, 2026 — The Flathead National Forest has released a draft Comprehensive River Management Plan for the three forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River and associated draft environmental assessment of the plan. Both draft documents are available for public review on the project webpage: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/projects/56536

The draft Flathead Comprehensive River Management Plan and associated draft environmental analysis outline the existing condition of the three forks of the Flathead River; identify the outstandingly remarkable values and desired conditions; and identify user capacities and articulate management actions that would be taken to protect these values into the future. The draft also contains a monitoring plan designed to gather real-time data on river use, track long-term trends and assess the effectiveness of management actions.

The draft plan incorporates changes that have occurred since the Wild and Scenic designation, including visitor use patterns, environmental conditions, Endangered Species Act species listing and other laws that affect resources within the Wild and Scenic River corridor.

“We have a high level of river recreation from all over the country and the world. All three forks are highly sought after for recreation opportunities, and this draft plan is an important step towards long-term river management and protection of this world-class resource” said Rob Davies, district ranger for the Hungry Horse and Glacier View Ranger Districts. “The 1980 plan is past due for an update, and the Flathead National Forest has been deeply engaged in this multi-agency project. We’re grateful for the involvement and collaboration from Glacier National Park, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, community members, nonprofit organizations, and our outfitter and guiding partners who have all contributed to the development of this draft plan.”

“This project has received a high level of public and stakeholder investment from the start, and the demand for protection of the outstandingly remarkable values found on these river segments has driven the development of the draft plan” said Anthony Botello, Flathead National Forest supervisor. “We are all eagerly waiting for this river plan. The passion and support that exists for the three forks of the Flathead and the protection of the Wild and Scenic River is inspiring. We are privileged to steward and protect the three forks of the Flathead.”

Wild and Scenic River management plans protect and enhance the outstandingly remarkable values identified in Wild and Scenic designations. The draft Comprehensive River Management Plan revises the existing 1980 river management plan and brings it into compliance with the statutory requirements of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. The final Comprehensive River Management Plan is expected to be released in summer of 2026, accompanied by the final environmental analysis document.

Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park will provide information on the draft Comprehensive River Management Plan and will be available to answer specific questions. The sessions will start with a brief presentation with an option for virtual attendance. Link to attend virtually will be made available under Project Documents on the project website.

Written comments may be mailed, or hand-delivered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays, to the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Station (P.O. Box 190340, 10 Hungry Horse Drive, Hungry Horse, MT, 59919) or to the Forest Supervisors Office, (650 Wolf Pack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901).
Additional information can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/projects/56536

Flathead National Forest releases draft Comprehensive River Management Plan

February 10, 2026Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMPnfpa

From the official press release . . .

Flathead River in Flathead National Forest

Public information sessions held at Flathead Valley Community College February 17 and 18

Two opportunities to join us for a project information session:
6 – 8pm on Tuesday Feb. 17
6 – 8pm on Wednesday Feb. 18
Both information sessions will be open-house format at Flathead Valley Community College, Arts and Technology building, room 139 (AT-139), with information stations staffed by members of the project team.
Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park will provide information on the draft Comprehensive River Management Plan and will be available to answer specific questions. The sessions will start with a brief presentation with an option for virtual attendance. Link to attend virtually will be made available under Project Documents on the project website.

How to submit comments on the project:
This public comment period will be open for 30 days, concluding March 13, 2026. Comments and attachments may be submitted electronically at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?project=56536.
Written comments may be mailed, or hand-delivered Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding holidays, to the Hungry Horse-Glacier View Ranger Station (P.O. Box 190340, 10 Hungry Horse Drive, Hungry Horse, MT, 59919) or to the Forest Supervisors Office, (650 Wolf Pack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901).
Additional information can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/r01/flathead/projects/56536.

NFPA submits comments to Flathead Forest regarding the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP)

February 6, 2025Action Alerts, Documents, Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMP, Three Forks of the Flathead Rivernfpa

The NFPA has submitted an extensive set of comments to the Flathead National Forest regarding the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the Flathead Wild and Scenic River (WSR) System.

Access the comments in PDF format here.

If you have not yet submitted your own views, note that the deadline for submitting comments is Friday, February 7.

Agenda posted for Flathead Forest’s Comprehensive River Management Plan informational sessions

January 16, 2025Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMPnfpa

We’re starting to see some real movement on the Comprehensive River Management Plan (not so affectionately known as the CRMP). The text of the official press release follows, but here are the highlights…

There are two informational meetings. The first is on Tuesday, January 21st, the second is on Wednesday, January 22nd. Both are being held from 6 to 8pm at the Flathead Valley Community College, Arts and Technology building, room 130 (AT-130). There is a listen-only virtual option for the presentation portions of the meeting.

From the official press release . . .

There are two opportunities to join the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park for informational sessions on developing the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP); specialists will provide background on river management, information on the development of the CRMP, and history of the three forks of the Flathead River and the Wild & Scenic designation.

Details on the agenda and options to attend are listed below. Additional information on how to join a Teams meeting, the CRMP, and the development of the plan to date can be found at our webpage.

Agenda:

5:45 PM            Doors Open
6:00 PM            Welcome, Introductions and Agenda Overview
6:10 PM            Overview of Proposed Action
6:30 PM            Open House Session – resource and fork-specific tables will be available to facilitate discussion

(There will be no virtual presentation during this time)

7:30 PM Question & Answer Session

The question & answer session is intended to facilitate public comment submission on the proposed action. Virtual attendees can view this session live, but there will be no option to submit questions. If you have a question that was not answered during the sessions, you may contact Chris Prew at 406-758-5322 or christopher.prew@usda.gov prior to the deadline of February 7, 2025. Sending a question cannot be considered as a formal comment submission. To submit a comment on the project, visit the project webpage.

7:50 PM Closing Remarks
8:00 PM Adjourn

To attend the sessions in-person:
Tuesday January 21 at 6pm – 8pm
Wednesday January 22 at 6pm – 8pm
Flathead Valley Community College, Arts and Technology building, room 130 (AT-130)

To attend the sessions virtually:
Click here to join the teams meeting

Forest reopens public engagement on long-awaited Flathead River Management Plan

January 7, 2025Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMP, Flathead Rivernfpa

Absolutely excellent write-up by the Flathead Beacon on the rebooted and long-awaited process of developing the Comprehensive River Management Plan . . .

Resource managers tasked with managing the Flathead River’s three forks under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act announced Monday they’re rebooting a public-engagement process despite falling short of a goal to have completed the draft plan and environmental assessment months ago.

The Flathead National Forest published its “proposed action” document for public review on the agency’s project website while project leaders laid plans to host a pair of open houses on Jan. 21 and Jan. 22 at 6 p.m. at the Flathead Valley Community College’s Arts and Technology Building. The public comment period will be open for 30 days, concluding on Feb. 7. Comments may be submitted electronically here.

The “proposed action” document is different than the draft river management plan, which was due out last fall but is still being developed. The document released Monday will be modified throughout the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis process, according to Kira Powell, public affairs officer for the Flathead National Forest. Another round of public input will also be considered during the environmental analysis (EA), which Powell identified as the most likely level of analysis under NEPA.

Continue reading . . .

Another proposed Comprehensive River Management Plan expected in January

January 2, 2025Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plannfpa

North Fork Flathead River at Ford Landing, May 16, 2018 - by William K. Walker — North Fork Flathead River at Ford Landing, May 16, 2018 – by William K. Walker

OK, let’s try this again . . .

A second attempt at a proposed action for the long awaited Comprehensive Management Plan is expected to be released in early January Flathead National Forest spokeswoman Kira Powell confirmed last week.

The plan is a blueprint for the management of the 219 miles of Wild and Scenic waterways of the North, Middle and South forks of the Flathead. The plan is being crafted by the Flathead National Forest in cooperation with the National Park Service.

The North and Middle Forks make up a large portion of the boundary of Glacier National Park. An initial proposed action and public scoping was released in 2019, but it never became a final plan. Since then the plan has progressed in fits and starts, marked by delays, which included a pandemic and an historic surge in summer river usage.

Continue reading . . .

Glacier Park and Flathead Forest restart management planning for Three Forks of the Flathead River — finally

May 8, 2024Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMP, Three Forks of the Flathead Rivernfpa

From the official joint press release . . .

Joint Release: New Project Leader Joins the Comprehensive River Management Planning Effort for the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River

North Fork of the Flathead River - ©Mark LaRowe — North Fork of the Flathead River – ©Mark LaRowe

Release Date: May 6, 2024

Kalispell, MT, May 6, 2024 — The Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park are working together to reengage in the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the three forks of the Flathead River. “We are bringing on a new project leader who brings a wealth of knowledge and experience in Wild and Scenic River planning” says Rob Davies, Hungry Horse-Glacier District Ranger. “Our aim is a cohesive interdisciplinary, interagency team with aligned vision, working together on a plan for all the three forks, now and going into the future”. Our new team leader has experience with river management plans from across the nation and joins us from the U.S. Forest Service Washington Office’s Wilderness, Wild and Scenic Rivers Program.

The Flathead National Forest began the planning effort in 2018 and released a proposed action in 2019, which included public scoping and a series of public meetings. While plan development experienced periods of delay in 2020 and again in 2023, the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park continued to analyze public input from the 2019 public engagement efforts and work towards drafting a plan for the next phase of public participation. Continue reading Glacier Park and Flathead Forest restart management planning for Three Forks of the Flathead River — finally →

Flathead River group launches Wild & Scenic River Webinar Series ahead of Comprehensive River Management Plan

February 10, 2022Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, Flathead Rivers Alliancenfpa

Flathead Rivers Alliance announces a two-part live webinar speaker series ahead of the anticipated spring public comment period for the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan. This is an opportunity to learn about the ins and outs of Wild and Scenic Rivers and river management plans from expert regional and local managers and advocates. Additionally, gain an understanding of how to be an active participant during the public portion of the river management plan process that only happens every fifteen to twenty years.

Flathead Wild & Scenic River Webinar Series

February 16th, 2022 7:00-8:00 PM MST| Webinar #1: The Wild & Scenic River that Connects Us
March 30th, 2022 7:00-8:00 PM MST | Webinar #2: CRMP 101- How does management of Wild and Scenic Rivers work?

Registration is required for this free webinar series. If you don’t plan on attending virtually, you can register to receive a video recording and submit your questions via email. Live transcription is available during the webinar. Learn more and register at flatheadrivers.org/events.

Did you know the Middle Fork of the Flathead River was the birthplace for the idea of a National Wild and Scenic Rivers system? Designated by Congress on October 12, 1976 (Public Law 94-486), the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River are currently managed under the 1980 Flathead River Management Plan. For the last two years, the Flathead National Forest and Glacier National Park have been drafting an updated CRMP for these rivers that they cooperatively manage, taking into account significant increase of shore and float usage and an obligation to protect the river system’s Outstanding Remarkable Values.

Join Flathead Rivers Alliance to learn about the significance of Wild and Scenic Rivers, responsibilities for managing the 219 mile Three Forks of the Flathead River as a Wild and Scenic River System, and what’s around the bend for Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) public participation and local initiatives.

More information on webinar speaker series registration, volunteer and donation opportunities, and quick reference CRMP FAQ can be found at flatheadrivers.org/comprehensive-river-management-plan.

Continue reading Flathead River group launches Wild & Scenic River Webinar Series ahead of Comprehensive River Management Plan →

Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River: Comprehensive River Management Planning Resumes

November 5, 2021Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, Flathead River, Flathead Wild and Scenic Rivernfpa

North Fork Flathead River from Ford Station - USFS — North Fork Flathead River from Ford Station – USFS

Here’s some good news! Work has resumed on the Comprehensive River Management Plan for the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River.

From the official press release . . .

Kalispell, MT, November 4, 2021– The Flathead National Forest, in coordination with Glacier National Park, is excited to announce that after a year-long delay, planning efforts will begin once again on the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River. The project will continue to be coordinated by HydroSolutions Inc, a Helena, Montana natural resource consulting firm.

In the fall/winter of 2020 the project team was working on an initial draft of the CRMP. This plan along with an environmental assessment was anticipated to be released for public comment in January of 2020, with a final decision in the summer of 2020. The CRMP project was delayed due to lack of funding for completing the contract as well as staffing and capacity issues. In January 2021, the Forest Service secured additional funding to extend the contract with HydroSolutions through August 2022.

The purpose of the project is to fulfill the requirements of Section 3(d)(1) of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act that states that “the Federal agencies charged with the administration of each component of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System shall prepare a comprehensive management plan…to provide for the protection of river values and Section 3(d) (2) that requires that river management plans for Wild and Scenic Rivers designated prior to 1986 be reviewed for conformity with the Act. Prior to developing the proposed action, six public engagement sessions were held to discuss water quality, wildlife, cultural and ethnography features, fisheries, geology and botany, and recreation and scenery. The Proposed Action was then drafted and released in late summer 2019, which included a 45-day public scoping period that generated 126 written comments and included two public meetings attended by approximately 180 people.

The purpose and need for the Flathead River CRMP Project, as stated in the proposed action is:

- To protect and enhance the outstandingly remarkable values identified in the original designation.
- To update the existing river management plan as required to maintain compliance with the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act and to reflect changes that have occurred since designation (1976) in forest and park management, special status species, and other laws that affect resources within the Wild and Scenic River corridor.

This plan will be implemented through three primary mechanisms including intergovernmental coordination, individual agency action, and partnerships with non-governmental organizations and the public. This plan provides management direction and information on the desired river conditions as well as monitoring indicators, triggers, and thresholds for the Flathead Wild and Scenic River into the future. Future projects and site-specific activities must be consistent with the regulatory guidance provided in the CRMP as well as the Flathead Forest Plan.

Because some time has passed since the release of the proposed action, we encourage interested public to review the proposed action document and project background materials. The Proposed Action document highlights the elements of the CRMP that address the current status of the outstanding remarkable values along these river segments, outlines goals and desired conditions, describes the user capacity determination process, and proposes a monitoring strategy, indicators, and management direction to carry forward. The proposed action can be accessed at the Flathead Comprehensive River Management Plan project website and the CRMP Project Background link on the Flathead NF CRMP Website includes all the materials from the 2018 Pre-scoping public engagement meetings and detailed project background.

The new project timeline anticipates that a Draft CRMP and environmental assessment will be released in the spring of 2022 for public review and comment. The project team plans to hold a public engagement session to provide more information and facilitate public input on the Draft Plan. The final decision and CRMP is expected to be released late summer 2022.

The Forest appreciates the public’s continued engagement and interest in the Flathead CRMP Project and look forward to receiving more input as we move forward. The Three Forks of the Flathead Wild and Scenic River is a nationally and locally important resource. The Forest/Team is committed to developing a CRMP that will meet the requirements of the Wild and Scenic River Act and continue to protect and enhance the rivers free flowing conditions, water quality, and the outstandingly remarkable values for current and future generations.

Scoping document released for the Comprehensive River Management Plan

July 31, 2019Environmental Issues, NewsComprehensive River Management Plan, CRMP, Flathead Wild and Scenic Rivernfpa

North Fork Flathead River, May 16, 2018 - by William K. Walker — North Fork Flathead River, May 16, 2018 – by William K. Walker

I just got this note from Rob Davies, Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger . . .

The Proposed Action for the River Plan is out today. [In the press release below,] you will see the link to the Flathead NF web page where you can locate the July 2019 Draft Proposed Action (50 pages).

Also public meetings are now set for Tue Aug 13th, and Tue August 20th, Flathead Community College, 6:00pm to 8:00pm.

If you could please pass this on to the home owners association and others in the North Fork on your email list who you know are interested. This info will also be distributed in all the next editions of the local papers.

And here is the official press release . . .

Flathead Wild and Scenic River: Scoping for the Comprehensive River Management Plan

Kalispell, MT, July 31, 2019- The Flathead National Forest, in coordination with Glacier National Park, is beginning the scoping process for the Comprehensive River Management Plan (CRMP) for the Flathead Wild and Scenic River.

The proposed action document discusses potential management direction and information on the desired conditions for the Flathead River segments. The public is asked to pay particular attention to how the desired condition statements as well as the proposed monitoring indicators, thresholds and triggers protect and preserve Outstanding Remarkable Value’s for the three forks of the Flathead River system presently and into the future. This is the foundation of the CRMP and will inform management actions and inform how the user capacity process will be done. More information on the Flathead Wild & Scenic River Comprehensive River Management Plan can be found at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/goto/flathead/crmp.

The proposed action can also be accessed at the Flathead National Forest NEPA page (Flathead Comprehensive River Management Plan): https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=56536.

Continue reading Scoping document released for the Comprehensive River Management Plan →

North Fork Preservation Association

News and information about NFPA and the North Fork of the Flathead River