Members selected for Lower Yellowstone Advisory Committee

HELENA – Twelve Montana citizens have been selected to serve on the Lower Yellowstone Advisory Committee, a new committee convened by Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks and sponsored by Gov. Greg Gianforte. The committee will advise FWP and others on how to prioritize access, habitat and infrastructure projects along the Lower Yellowstone by setting broad criteria for evaluating proposals.

Committee members are: Justin Cornelius, John Moorhouse, Lance Kalfell, Ruth Baue, Robert Lee, Noah Marion, Mike Newton, Leo Schmaus, Brenda Maas, Justin Hoffman, Joel Krautter and Mike Penfold. The committee will be chaired by Angie Grove, former chair of the Montana State Parks and Outdoor Recreation Board.

“I’m pleased with the amount of interest we’ve had in serving on this committee,” said Grove. “We’re anxious to continue the community conversations already underway on how to move forward with recreation on this amazing river corridor while maintaining the unique nature of the natural and working landscapes here and the amazing communities who call this part of Montana home.”

During the 2021 Legislative session, FWP secured $4 million in funding to invest in habitat protection, establish additional strategic public access points, and develop needed recreation infrastructure.

The committee will build on work done previously by the Lower Yellowstone River Coalition, which was established in early 2020 to look at enhancing access along the river corridor between Hysham and the North Dakota border.

The Yellowstone River is the longest, free-flowing river in the lower 48. Yet between Hysham and the North Dakota border, much of the river is relatively inaccessible for recreation, with stretches between access points of up to 50 miles.