Public comment sought on four proposed sage grouse stewardship fund projects

The Montana Sage Grouse Oversight Team (MSGOT) is soliciting public comment on four proposed uses of the Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Stewardship Fund to place conservation easements on private lands in important sage grouse habitats.

The Nature Conservancy seeks to enter into a permanent conservation easement with Julie Burke to conserve 2,596 acres of core sage grouse habitat in the South Phillips County Core Area about 35 miles south of Saco, Montana.

The Montana Land Reliance seeks to enter in a permanent conservation easement with Raths Livestock to conserve 11,230 acres of core sage grouse habitat in Golden Valley County, north-east of Ryegate.

The Montana Land Reliance seeks to enter into a permanent conservation easement with Thomas Watson to conserve 2,833 acres of core sage grouse habitat in the South Phillips County Core Area, northeast of Sun Prarie.

The Montana Land Reliance seeks to enter into a permanent conservation easement with the 44 Ranch to conserve 18,033 acres of core sage grouse habitat in Petroleum and Fergus counties north of Grass Range.

A copy of each scoping notice, along with a map and more information about the proposed project, is available online athttps://sagegrouse.mt.gov/msgot.html

Public comments may be submitted through July 21, 2016, by mailing written comments to Carolyn Sime, Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program, 1625 Eleventh Avenue, Helena, MT 59620. Written comments must be postmarked on or before July 21, 2016. Comments may also be submitted electronically through the public comment web application tool at https://sagegrouse.mt.gov/msgot.html. Electronic comments and attached documents must be received by 11:59 p.m. on July 21, 2016.