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Holmgren FAS acquisition hearing

A public hearing in the Holmgren property acquisiton will be held Thursday July 24th at the Columbus City Hall (First Ave North and 4th St. ) - 7pm .   more

Public Access Cornerstone of Administration

Summer is a special time here in Montana. With the winter behind us, fishing, hiking and camping are now priorities on the minds of many Montanans.   more

NEW FISHING ACCESS SITE IN CRITICAL LOCATION

Only days after celebrating the acquisition of a large ranch east of Billings, the Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks announced Friday that it is pursuing the purchase of a 72-acre parcel of land five miles west of Columbus.

The portion of the 1,000-acre Holmgren Ranch includes a mile of Yellowstone River frontage and is bordered by State Highway 10.   more

PLUM CREEK DEAL KEEPS PUBLIC LAND OPEN

Plum Creek Timber is turning over about a quarter of its Montana holdings in a deal backed by the federal government, which is pitching in $250 million, said U.S.   more

RIVERSIDE BRIDGE FAS GETS FAST TRACK

Acquistion of 3.74 acres along the Stillwater River north of Absarokee for a Fishing Access Site (FAS).   more

16-MILE CREEK ACCESS GETS $250,000 BOOST

16-MILE CREEK ACCESS GETS $250,000 BOOST THANKS TO LOCAL LEADERS

Public access to one of Montana’s premier scenic streams moved a giant step forward recently when the Joint Board of the Montana Fish and Wildlife Conservation Trust granted $250,000 in funding to buy a parcel of old railroad bed along the creek.

With the leadership of Steve Johnson and John Leeper, two PLAAI members in the area, PLAAI has been active in advocating for the purchase.   more

State Sections Northwest of Billings

State lands are by law open to recreational public access unless very special safety issues dictate otherwise. However , State Land Sections 8 and 20 northwest of Billings have been closed by the local DNRC office .   more

ANOTHER IN-YOUR-FACE ROAD CLOSURE

Prairie County commissioners are in a quandary about what to do after a landowner erected a gate, installed a cattle guard and posted a sign across a road that leads to a popular scenic overlook north of the town of Terry. (The "Scenic View Road" .   more

Sweetheart Deal for Plum Creek Timber

Undersecretary of Agriculture , Mark Rey, is at it again trying to give private interests special deals on access to public lands in Northwest Montana . Plum Creek Timber which has extensive holdings interspersed with Forest Service lands, has convinced Mr.   more

Riverside FAS

Riverside FAS EA Legal Notice

Acquistion of 3.74 acres along the Stillwater River north of Absarokee for a Fishing Access Site (FAS)..   more

Ad for land near Weatherman Draw prompts worries

The advertised sale of more than 615 acres of land south of Bridger has recreationists and public-land managers concerned that a traditional access point to a historic site could be closed.   more

FWP LIMIT ON NON-RESIDENT ARCHERY PERMITS

Proposed new state hunting regulations that would limit the number of non-resident archery permits for elk and pronghorn received the support of PLAAI, according to President John Gibson.

The comment letter of support is unusual for PLAAI because this organization keeps a sharp focus on opening public rights of way to gain public access to the boundaries of public lands and waters.   more

Big Elk Canyon - February 2008

Two Dot area landowner / outfitter Mac White continues to try and establish control over huge section of public Forest Service land despite rebuffs by the Forest Service and the public. PLAAI beat down 2006 attempt to privatize public domain, but issues of reciprocal access persist.   more

BOADLE ROAD COURT VICTORY

The Boadle Road leading to Pishkin Reservoir , a Wildlife Management Area , and public lands beyond had been Illegally locked off by a private party claiming ownership. PLAAI brought suit based on testimony that gas tax money had been used for public maintenance of the road and that it had been used by the public continuously for many years.   more
issue
Boadle Road - 2003 -2008
Choteau county - A LONG COURT BATTLE
related articles
  BOADLE ROAD COURT VICTORY

THREAT TO SOUTH MADISON ACCESS


The Montana Department of Fish, Wildlife and Parks holds a recreational easement on the Madison River. The easement is just north of the BLM South Madison Campground.   more

Lilly Pad Lake Update

In early January of 2008 representatives of the Beartooth Backcountry Horsemen, Montana Wilderness Association and PLAAI met with representatives of the BLM, Montana State Lands and the Forest Service . Prior to this , the BLM had expressed significant reservations about the project .   more
issue
Lilly Pad and Crater Lakes
Beautiful Lakes on School Trust Land
related articles
  Lilly Pad Lake Update

Arrow Island - Unfavorable Decision

Arrow Island 'park", east of Shepherd on the Yellowstone, is an undeveloped county park . Nearby homeowners are proposing a Park Maintenance District (similar to an "RSID") for purposes of maintenance of the park under their ostensible control.   more
issue
Arrow Island Yellowstone County
UNFAVORABLE DECISION BY COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
related articles
  Arrow Island - Unfavorable Decision

Governor says strong economy, public access linked

BUTTE - No state has rivers like Montana, and if it wants to keep its
economy booming, then the public must continue to be able to access those
rivers, Gov. Brian Schweitzer told a crowd of stream access advocates
Saturday.   more


Public Land/Water Access Association Inc. or PLWA, is a citizen group organized and operated under the Montana nonprofit corporation act.

TERMS OF USE
Articles and Information on this site represent the opinion of the writer and are not intended as legal advice. Legal counsel may be needed in dealing with specific access situations and issues.
     
      PLWA.ORG   -   Public Land & Water Association