The use of river ambassadors is growing across Montana. A Fish, Wildlife & Parks advisory group is eyeing a program for the Madison River. River ambassadors have already been deployed on the Clark Fork and Flathead rivers. The idea is to deploy volunteers or staff to help river users on crowded streams. Anyone who has been backed up at a summer boat ramp knows that tempers can flare. The ambassadors are an attempt to ease some of that anger. The program on the Madison is just one part of a multi-pronged approached to deal with crowding on the stream. The Fish and Wildlife Commission is proposing to repeal rules enacted by the past commission that were drafted to reduce crowding. One drawback of the proposal that wasn’t initially noted is that the repeal does not mean the regulations would revert to what they are now. Consequently, the commission will have to decide what new regs should be in place. You can learn more about these stories at https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/madison-river-ambassadors-eyed-to-ease-stress-related-to-crowding/article_889156f6-34e4-5938-8fef-901e6a6e41ed.html and https://billingsgazette.com/news/state-and-regional/madison-river-rule-repeal-could-have-unintended-consequence/article_195d710c-7c55-5c2e-89a6-713c57772ec9.html.

Written by Brett French | Outdoors Editor for the Billings Gazette