Public comment sought on updated drought management plan

Press release

HELENA — The draft outline of a new drought management plan for Montana is now available for public comment.

Ada Montague, a Department of Natural Resources and Conservation water planner who staffs the Governor’s Drought and Water Supply Advisory Committee, said a number of revisions to the plan came out of a series of public forums held in August and September in Havre, Billings, Bozeman and Missoula. Water users representing agriculture, municipalities, fish and wildlife and other interests participated, as did watershed coordination groups, local and state elected officials, climatologists and conservation organizations. 

“The new plan seeks to create a more responsive system for managing drought impacts and conditions, with an emphasis on both drought response in the emergency sense as well as long-term mitigation,” Montague said. “We heard a need to improve information sharing, and better equip local communities with the resources they need to respond to water-short times.”

The public comment period for the revised plan will run from Nov. 1 to Dec. 1, Montague said. To access the draft plan and submit comments, people can go to drought.mt.gov, or submit comments to [email protected].