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Public Comment Opportunity: Draft Rights‑of‑Way Compatibility Determination

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.

The Bowdoin Wetland Management District was established in 1973 after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began protecting small wetland areas and grasslands. The District includes nine Waterfowl Production Areas, four satellite refuges, and over 150 grassland and/or wetland easements spread over a four-county area. Lands within Bowdoin Wetland Management District were purchased with money from the sale of Federal Duck Stamps.

Location and Contact Information

      About Us

      The Bowdoin Wetland Management District was established in 1973 after the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service began protecting small wetland areas and grasslands. The District includes nine Waterfowl Production Areas, four satellite refuges, and over 150 grassland and/or wetland easements spread over a four-county area.

      What We Do

      Services
      A beautiful green grassland with white flowers in bloom under a partly cloudy sky
      Grassland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow, glacially formed wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance
      Dozens of waterfowl flying over a grassy wetland
      Wetland Easements

      In the United States, the Prairie Pothole Region is located within the northern Great Plains in parts of Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota. Characterized by thousands of shallow wetlands known as potholes, the Prairie Pothole Region provides habitat for globally...

      Service
      Consultation and Technical Assistance
      Financial Assistance
      Land Management and Conservation Assistance

      Our Species

      Large, intact native prairie communities can still be found throughout the Bowdoin Wetland Management District. Visitors to the area can experience the vastness and big sky of relatively undisturbed prairie landscapes. Native prairie within north-central Montana is classified as mixed-grass prairie. Common plants found within the area are western wheatgrass, needlegrasses, blue grama, junegrass, and forbs such as fringed sagewort, scarlet globemallow, coneflowers, and yarrow. Grassland-dependent species such as Baird's sparrow, Sprague's pipit, McCown's longspur, and mountain plover are just a couple of the more than 260 bird species found within the area.