The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is seeking public review and comment on the Draft Programmatic Compatibility Determination for Rights‑of‑Way and Rights to Access for Temporary Disturbances and Minor Impacts on Conservation Easements in the Mountain‑Prairie Region. This draft document evaluates the compatibility of proposed activities that may cause temporary, minor disturbances while supporting necessary public infrastructure needs across conservation easements in the Mountain-Prairie Region. The draft Compatibility Determination will be available for a 30‑day public comment period from April 1 to May 1, 2026. Comments, questions, concerns, or a request for a hard copy can be sent to: MountainPrairieNWRS@fws.gov.
Visit Us
UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge provides a rare opportunity to experience wild lands and wildlife in a natural setting and in nearly the same surroundings as encountered by the Lewis and Clark Expedition in 1805. Within the UL Bend Wilderness Area, visitors can experience undeveloped land that has kept its primeval character providing an opportunity for solitude and unconfined recreation.
Location and Contact Information
About Us
UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge is managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The refuge is one of over 560 refuges in the National Wildlife Refuge System - a system of lands set aside to conserve wildlife and habitat for people today and generations to come.
What We Do
Because UL Bend National Wildlife Refuge lies within the boundary of the Charles M. Russell Refuge, they are managed as one refuge. Many of the resource management actions that take place on CMR include UL Bend such as fire, invasive species invasive species
An invasive species is any plant or animal that has spread or been introduced into a new area where they are, or could, cause harm to the environment, economy, or human, animal, or plant health. Their unwelcome presence can destroy ecosystems and cost millions of dollars.
Learn more about invasive species management and wilderness area wilderness area
Wilderness areas are places untamed by humans. The Wilderness Act of 1964 allows Congress to designate wilderness areas for protection to ensure that America's pristine wild lands will not disappear. Wilderness areas can be part of national wildlife refuges, national parks, national forests or public lands managed by the Bureau of Land Management.
Learn more about wilderness area management. The overall management goal is to promote biological diversity and maintain the natural abundance of native plants and wildlife. Science is the foundation upon which conservation decisions are made. We use research, monitoring and the best-available science to inform our work to conserve fish, wildlife, plants, and their habitat.