PROPOSED PALMER PROPERTY ACQUISITION 

 ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 



MONTANA FISH, WILDLIFE AND PARKS 



490 N. MERIDIAN ROAD 



KALISPELL, MT 59901 



(406) 752-5501 



Public Comment Period 

 May1 -May 31, 2001 



Public Hearing: 



7:00 pm 



May 15, 2001 



Ninepipes Lodge (Allentown) 



Address Comments to: 



Jim Williams 



Wildlife Program Manager 

 490 N. Meridian Road 

 Kalispell, MT 59901 



(406) 752-5501 



John Grant 



Ninepipe WMA Manager 

 5791 Ninepipe Road 

 Charlo, MT 59824 



(406)644-2510 



INTRODUCTION 



Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) proposes to acquire approximately 116 acres of 

 land in theNW1/4 of Section 33 and NE1/4 Section 32, T20N R20W, in Lake County, 

 Montana. The acquisition will be fee title and is for the purpose of preserving habitat 

 for a variety of avian and mammalian wildlife. The acquired lands would become part 

 of the Ninepipe Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and would be managed to provide a 

 public recreation resource associated with the wildlife populations. 



Beginning in 1953, the Montana Fish and Game Department (now Fish, Wildlife & 

 Parks) began acquiring parcels in this area with important wetland complexes because 

 of the important wildlife values of the Ninepipe area. Acquisitions continued as key 

 parcels became available through 1997 when the 320 acre Herak/Myhre tracts were 

 added with state and federal funds. These acquisitions brought FWP's total land 

 holding at the Ninepipe WMA to over 3,400 acres. 



The Ninepipe WMA area includes the glaciated pothole portion of the Mission Valley 

 from Ronan to Post Creek. (See area map included as Appendix 1 ). Prairie pothole 

 habitat in the Ninepipe area is limited by the geographic extent of glaciation and 

 topography to an area of approximately 13,000 acres. 



