The Montana Fish and Wildlife Commission recently approved allowing for farming on a portion of the Ray Kuhns Wildlife Management Area as a habitat improvement project.

Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks is planning to lease 100 acres of the 1,530-acre management area under a seven-year farming lease. The commission approved allowing FWP to solicit for a farming lease that would operate on the management area that is located south of Whitefish.

Ken McDonald, Chief of Wildlife with FWP, said in recent years the ground has gone unfarmed.

“The lease would occur on land that has been cultivated until recently through what was a life-tenancy agreement that was bequeathed by Ray Kuhns who requested that the land be that way,” he said. “In recent years, the ground has been unfarmed as the life tenant has relinquished that lease and that has resulted in some noxious weed problems and a lack of management for that parcel.”

The wildlife management area serves as an important winter habitat area for whitetail deer, according to FWP.

As a pilot project in 2019, 50 acres was farmed and planted with winter wheat to ascertain whether the ground could serve as a functional farm lease.

The lessee would cultivate and plant agricultural crops, and retain up to 85% of the harvest. The lessee would leave stubble and the remaining crop standing for wildlife to use as food and cover during winter and spring, or assist with planting of crops to benefit deer and upland game birds.

They would also be responsible for weed control within the leased area.

A “no-cash” lease is expected for the agreement with the intention to improve the management options by demonstrating the sites’ agricultural potential and then FWP may be able to attract interested growers for a lease and negotiate terms that would benefit wildlife and the long-term management of the property, FWP notes.

FWP issued a draft environmental assessment for the project in 2019 and subsequently issued a decision notice recommended proceeding with the pilot project and subsequent farming lease arrangement.