HomeMy WebLinkAbout22_FWP Minor Subdivision Review
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks
Region 3 Headquarters
1400 S 19th Avenue
Bozeman, MT 59718
November 7, 2025
KLH Advisors
1940 West Dickerson Street, Suite 206
Bozeman, MT 59718
RE: 705 S Church Avenue First Minor Subdivision
Dear Ms. Ols,
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) appreciates the opportunity to comment on 705 S
Church Avenue First Minor Subdivision.
FWP recommends that if fences are necessary, to use wildlife-friendly construction. FWP
provides guidance in the document wildlife-friendly fences.
FWP recommends that this applicant be required to have bear-resistant garbage bins, certified
by the Interagency Grizzly Bear Committee, as a condition of the approval process. Information
on how to obtain these bins can be found here: https://igbconline.org/programs/bear-
resistant-products/. In addition to garbage, other items can attract bears, including pet food,
gardens and fruit trees, birdseed (which should be discouraged from March 1 through
December 1), barbecue grills, and compost piles (unless limited to grass, leaves, and garden
clippings). Food and garbage can also attract other wildlife such as raccoons, skunks, and red
foxes, which could become aggressive, a nuisance, and potentially spread diseases and
parasites to domestic pets. To maximize human safety, attractants should be addressed in the
subdivision’s covenants.
An important project goal should be to ensure that the completed subdivision poses no direct
or persistent environmental threat to Bozeman Creek or the adjacent wetland. FWP
anticipates that your construction plans will include actions to reduce or mitigate sediment
delivery, and to prevent discharges of petroleum products or other harmful substances into
streams or lands capable of delivering these substances to nearby waterways. FWP
recommends that stormwater management systems in the development do not convey runoff
directly into nearby streams without first having the opportunity for groundwater filtration to
occur.
FWP recommends maintaining an intact riparian zone free of disturbance along Bozeman
Creek to help protect the integrity of the existing aquatic habitats. Stream setbacks also
provide the opportunity to restore and maintain functioning riparian areas, which also help to
reduce water temperatures of surrounding aquatic habitats.
705 S Church Avenue First Minor Subdivision
2
FWP also recommends maintaining a connection to the existing sewer main rather than boring
under Bozeman Creek. However, if that approach is not feasible, plans for the proposed
horizontal directional drilling should include a frac-out contingency plan and are subject to
approval and permitting by the local conservation district under Section 75-7-101 (The Natural
Streambed and Land Preservation Act of 1975; “310 Law”).
For further questions, please contact the following FWP personnel.
Keith Wellstone, fisheries biologist (406-581-5568, keith.wellstone@mt.gov)
Julie Cunningham, wildlife biologist (406-577-7865, juliecunningham@mt.gov)
Noah Starling, wildlife technician (406-594-9986, noah.starling@mt.gov)
Jen Smitham, R3 comment coordinator (406-495-3262, jsmitham@mt.gov)
Thank you again for the opportunity to comment.
Sincerely,
Kelly Proffitt
Region 3 Supervisor
, acting