The Environmental Quality Council (EQC) seeks public comment on several topics the legislative panel spent the last year studying.

The bipartisan council meets Sept. 9-10 to adopt final reports, review proposed agency legislation, and decide if the council wants to pitch any of its own legislation.

The EQC seeks comment on the topics of decommissioning and bonding for energy projects, dissemination of wildlife location data, wilderness study areas, chronic wasting disease, and trapper education.

The draft documents and instructions for commenting are here.

At its July 29 meeting, the EQC toured the Mannix Ranch near Helmville where members of the longtime family ranch talked about watershed protection, rangeland health, and forest management. The council also heard updates on grizzly bears and the governor's Climate Solutions Council. After the ranch tour, the council toured state cabin lease sites near Lincoln and heard reports on the state land banking program and the recent discovery in Montana of the fungus that causes white-nose bat syndrome.

After a Zoom meeting on July 30, some members toured the Lump Gulch area south of Helena where a recent wildfire occurred, and the state and U.S. Forest Service have an ongoing logging project.

For more information on the council's activities visit the council's website or contact Joe Kolman, council staff.

Council website: http://leg.mt.gov/eqc

Council staff: jkolman@mt.gov or 406-444-9280