The Comprehensive River Management Plan for the three forks of the Flathead River is still in the works despite Forest Service staffing cuts, Hungry Horse/Glacier View District Ranger Rob Davies told the crowd at the North Fork Interlocal last week.

Davies said the planning leader on the document, Mary Greenwood, is still working on the plan. The Flathead National Forest, like the Park Service, has seen about a 25% reduction in its force, Davies noted.

The CRMP will see a bit of a delay, however. A draft plan was due out this summer. It will likely come out in December, with the hope to have a final document by February or March of next year, he said.

The plan, which will set management direction and  limits on commercial and private floating and other river uses has started and stopped for years, but in the past year has become one of the top priorities of the Flathead National Forest, which is overseeing the planning effort in cooperation with the Park Service and other land use agencies.

A proposed action was released in January of this year.

It drew more than 1,200 comments, most of which called for significant protection of the rivers, particularly in wilderness areas, where use has surged due to the popularity of pack rafts, which people can pack into the backcountry.

There were also concerns raised about the fishery, particularly for bull trout in the South Fork, where there’s a window to fish for the endangered species legally.

The Forest Service floated the idea of a free, but mandatory permit system for some sections of the rivers. That was generally well-received by the public.