The Montana Wetland Council meets up to three times per year. The purpose of our meetings are to build relationships, gain knowledge of each others work, and get timely and useful information to make sound decisions and take informed action on shared issues. It you would like to be informed of upcoming meetings or trainings join the Montana Wetland Council listserv.

The Montana Wetland Council relies upon its members to help support and organize Council Meetings. If there are topics that are of interest to you or your organization is willing to sponsor a meeting please email Stephen Carpenedo.

Current Wetland Council Meeting

The State of Montana’s Wetlands

Montana Wetland Council Meeting

March 13^th, 2024

8:30 - 3:30

Objective

The Montana Wetland Council's Spring meeting is an opportunity to learn about the current regulatory status of wetlands in Montana. Hear a national perspective on Waters of the United States post-Sackett and discuss how the State, Tribal Nations, and Local Governments can and are filling the gaps left by recent Supreme Court Rulings and Waters of the United States rulemaking.

We will also discuss current and future Wetland Council activities and learn about Trout Unlimited’s development of a framework to help understand water rights and when they may be required for wetland and stream restoration projects.

Agenda

8:30 – 8:45         Meet and Greet / Coffee

8:45 – 9:00         Welcome and Meeting Introduction (PDF) (Video)

9:00 – 9:30         Protecting Wetlands and Other Aquatic Resources (Donna Downing, Senior Legal Policy Advisor, National Association of Wetland Managers) (PDF) (Video)

9:30 – 10:00       USACE Regulatory Program in Montana (Sage L. Joyce, Chief, Montana Regulatory Offices, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers) (PDF) (Video)

10:00 – 10: 30    The State’s Perspective (Eric Sivers, Policy Analyst, Montana DEQ) (PDF) (Video)

10:30 – 10:45     Break

10:45 – 11:15     The Evolution of Wetland Conservation on the Flathead Reservation (Blair Libby, Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes) (PDF) (Video)

11:15 – 11:45     The State of Montana’s Wetlands …A Local Perspective… (John Muhlfeld, Mayor City of Whitefish) (PDF) (Video)

11:45 – 12:45     Lunch

12:45 – 1:15       Bozeman MT Wetlands Protection & Mitigation (Shawn Khotz, Director of Utilities, City of Bozeman) (PDF) (Video)

1:15 – 1:45         Montana Wetland Council Updates (Steve Carpenedo, Montana DEQ) (PDF) (Video)

1:45 – 2:15         Water Rights Implications for Stream and Wetland Restoration (Pat Byorth, TU) (PDF) (Video)

2:30 – 3:30         Partner updates (Video)

Past Wetland Council Meetings

Materials from the three most recent Wetland Council Meetings will be housed here. Archived meeting materials may be available by contacting Stephen Carpenedo.

November 6 & 7, 2019: Montana Wetland Council Strategic Planning for 2020 - 2030

March 21, 2019: Indicators of Wetland Change: Lessons from the Field

Sponsored by the Montana Natural Heritage Program

Page Openings: