Sage Grouse Oversight Team meets May 14

From Montana Department of Natural Resources

HELENA — The Montana Sage Grouse Oversight Team will meet Tuesday, May 14, from 1:15 to 2:30 p.m. in the Montana Room at the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation headquarters, located at 1539 11th Ave., in Helena. 

  MSGOT members will consider executive action on two items related to the proposed Mud Springs Wind Project in Carbon County. Those items include a determination on areas of the project that potentially pre-date Executive Order 12-2015, and would be “grandfathered”; and consideration of voluntary mitigation activities for the grandfathered area by the project sponsors. MSGOT will also discuss consideration of a future approach to mitigation for impacts in the remaining project area.

All meeting materials are available on MSGOT’s meeting webpage. See https://sagegrouse.mt.gov/Team/. 

Members of the public are welcome to participate and offer comment on MSGOT’s pending decisions by attending in person.

The Montana Sage Grouse Habitat Conservation Program works to sustain viable sage grouse populations and conserve habitat, enabling Montanans to maintain control of their lands, wildlife and economy by avoiding a listing of the greater sage grouse under the federal Endangered Species Act.  

AGENDA

1:15 p.m.:  Call to Order, John Tubbs, MSGOT chair and DNRC director

• Introductions

  1:20-2:20 p.m.:  Mud Spring Wind Project: Project area boundary delineation and mitigation

  • Introduction: Carolyn Sime, program manager

• Presentation: Project sponsors

• Public comment

• MSGOT discussion and potential executive action

2:20–3:30 p.m.:  Public comment on other matters 

Agenda item times are approximate. Actual times may vary by up to one hour.  Attendees who may need services or special accommodations should contact Carolyn Sime at 406-444-0554 or [email protected] at least five working days before the meeting.