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HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-09-25 Public Comment - D. Lindsay, MT FWP - City Of Bozeman Wetlands and Watercourse Revisions Application LetterFrom:Lindsey, Deb To:Bozeman Public Comment Cc:Smitham, Jen; Wellstone, Keith Subject:[EXTERNAL]City Of Bozeman Wetlands and Watercourse Revisions Application Letter Date:Monday, September 8, 2025 2:30:16 PM Attachments:image001.pngimage002.pngimage003.pngimage004.pngimage005.pngCity of Bozeman Wetlands and Watercourse Revisions Application 23309 final.pdf CAUTION: This email originated from outside of the organization. Do not click links or open attachments unless you recognize the sender and know the content is safe. Hello, Please see the attached City of Bozeman Wetlands and Watercourse Revisions Application letter. Thank you, Deb Lindsey | Office Manager Administrative Support Operations Bureau Operations and Fiscal Services Division, Region 3 Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Office: (406) 577-7860 | Cell: (406) 594-1782 Montana FWP | Montana Outdoors Magazine Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks Region 3 Headquarters 1400 S 19th Avenue Bozeman, MT 59718 September 8, 2025 City of Bozeman Department of Community Development P.O. Box 1230 Bozeman, MT 59771-1230 RE: Application 23309 Dear Department of Community Planning, Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) appreciates the opportunity to comment on the City of Bozeman Wetlands & Watercourse Revisions Application 23309. FWP recommends increasing the setback widths in Sec. 38.410.100. to align with scientific best practices defined in the Watercourse Commons layer of the Future Land Use Map. These recommendations were compiled using mapped FEMA flood zones A and AE, mapped channel migration zones, and a wide range of scientific literature, including Montana Fish, Wildlife, & Parks (2012): 1.Large Rivers – including the East Gallatin River below Bridger Creek: Total building setback of at least 300 feet from each side of a river, including a minimum 250-foot vegetated buffer. 2.Medium-sized and ecologically significant streams – including the East Gallatin River above Bridger Creek, Bozeman Creek, and Bridger Creek: A total building setback of at least 150 feet from each side of the stream, including a minimum 100-foot vegetated buffer. 3.Wetlands: 130-foot setback, including a minimum 30-foot vegetated buffer. Watercourse setbacks protect against human encroachment to streams that support valuable recreational fisheries while minimizing disturbances that degrade water quality through increased water temperatures and fine sediments. Encroachment on floodplains, channel migration zones, and riparian areas create hazards for human-made infrastructure, often resulting in measures to armor banks, which results in accelerated erosion downstream. Riparian and upland vegetation provide ecological buffers that may reduce the conveyance of pollutants and sedimentation into water bodies, thereby reducing alterations to water quality, stream stability, and natural stream processes. City of Bozeman Wetlands and Watercourse Revisions Application 23309 2 For further questions or concerns, please reach out to the following FWP personnel. Keith Wellstone, fisheries biologist (406-581-5568, keith.wellstone@mt.gov) Jen Smitham, Region 3 comment coordinator (406-495-3262, jsmitham@mt.gov) Thank you again for the opportunity to comment. Sincerely, Kelly Proffitt Region 3 Supervisor Reference Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks. 2012. Fish and Wildlife Recommendations for Subdivision Development in Montana: A Working Document. Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks, Helena, Montana. 174 pp.