The Flathead National Forest in partnership with the National Park Service released an updated draft environmental assessment Friday and Finding of No Significant Impact for the Comprehensive River Management Plan for the three forks of the Flathead River.

The announcement starts a formal 45-day objection period. The draft largely mirrors the previous draft document, but does make some tweaks to the user capacities. The outfitter and guide allocation was reduced from 45,908 to 34,606 a season for the lower Middle Fork from West Glacier to the South Fork.

The person capacity for the same section was reduced from 1,900 people a day to 1,430 people a day. Conversely on the North Fork, the capacity from Polebridge to the Camas Bridge was boosted from 370 to 610, as the Forest Service said there was a mistake in its estimates.

The launch spacing times for outfitter and guides were also increased from 30 minutes to one hour on the Middle and North Forks.

“We are pleased to finalize the three forks of the Flathead comprehensive river management plan, this has been a long time coming, and we are excited to begin a new management era on these world class Wild and Scenic Rivers,” said Flathead National Forest Supervisor, Anthony Botello in a release. “I so appreciate the public’s long term and continued involvement in this planning effort. The public engagement has been robust and the comments we received were instrumental in informing and shaping the decision. 

Critics of the plan largely said the user capacities were too high and they claim the rivers are already overcrowded, overfished and suffer from degradation due to overuse and low water flows.

Last fall, for example, the Middle Fork reached one of its lowest flows in its history and bull trout numbers have dropped significantly in the South Fork, one of the few places in Montana where a person can still legally fish for the endangered species, albeit with stringent catch and release regulations.

But the Forest Service claims user capacities aren’t goals, and with monitoring, there will be trigger points that identify problems before what it calls “outstanding and remarkable values” of the 219-mile system are compromised.

The plan, for example, calls for a free, but unlimited permit system to track usage across the river system.

But critics are worried that with staffing cuts at the agency by the Trump Administration, monitoring will be limited.

The plan also says that a more stringent permit system in the future, such as one that actually limits use or even closes areas, will take further environmental analysis and should only be used as a last resort.

“If any river value degradation is detected, and if the Forest Service determines that management actions are needed to mitigate this degradation, action will be taken. Except for unique circumstances, managers should initially implement interventions with few, to no, use restrictions. If these initial actions do not achieve the desired results, more restrictive and intensive actions should be implemented. In general, restrictive measures such as formal area closures or a limited permit should only be considered as a last resort response. Such actions would be analyzed in subsequent, separate NEPA processes,” the plan states.

But wilderness advocates have already claimed a stringent permit system is needed to protect the wilderness and comply with the Wilderness Act of 1964. They claim that current use on the South Fork is already compromising the Bob Marshall Wilderness, which is the headwaters of the South Fork and one of the most beautiful places on the planet.

The final plan is expected to be released this summer and accompanied by the final analysis.

People can formally object to the draft only if they have previously commented on it.

Written objections may be submitted via regular mail or hand delivery to: Objections Reviewing Officer, Flathead National Forest, Attn: CRMP Project, 650 Wolfpack Way, Kalispell, MT 59901. Office hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm, excluding Federal holidays, for hand delivery.

Additional information can be obtained from Rob Davies, District Ranger, at 406-387-3801 or by email at [email protected].