In brief
Indoor archery range opens Dec. 1
The Libby Archery Club will meet Tuesday, Dec. 1 at 6:30 p.m. at Lincoln Lanes Bowling Alley. The club will be prepping the range for winter indoor archery shooting and league. Members can sign up that night or at Libby Sports Center. Only paid archery club members are allowed to shoot at the range.
The range will be open from Dec. 1, 2015, until March 31, 2016. League begins Jan. 17 and will run for six weeks. Teams are three person teams and can be made up of any combination of ages or bow type. League shooting nights will be Tuesday and Thursday, but members are able to use the range any hours the bowling alley is open.
Fees include membership and range shooting fees and are $30 for adults 18 and older and $15 for youth ages 12 to 17. Kids 11 and under can shoot for free with a paid adult member.
The range is restricted to target arrows only, absolutely no broadheads are allowed at the range. The range is open for compound or traditional archery equipment only. Kids 15 and under must be accompanied by an adult when shooting. For more information please contact Teri at 293-2900.
FWP seeking fishing derby comments
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks is seeking public comment on fishing contests proposed for the open water season of 2016. Participants must comply with state fishing regulations, including daily and possession limits. Most contests require catch-and-release fishing and participants in these contests may not keep any fish.
Applications for contests may be approved, denied or approved with conditions. Conditions placed on contests may help to minimize fish mortality, regulate harvest, reduce user conflicts or require additional access site maintenance when needed.
Comments may be mailed to FWP Fisheries Division, P.O. Box 200701, Helena, MT, 59620-0701 or emailed to fwpfsh@mt.gov.
State considering purchase of conservation easements
Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks (FWP) proposes to purchase two conservation easements (CEs) on properties owned by the F. H. Stoltze Land and Lumber Company (Stoltze) north of the communities of Whitefish and Columbia Falls. The Haskill Basin property is 3,020 acres of forested land north of the City of Whitefish, and the Trumbull Creek property is 7,150 forested acres northwest of Columbia Falls. Both properties are at the south end of the Whitefish Mountains. The CEs would be purchased in two separate transactions: the Haskill Basin CE in early 2016 and the Trumbull Creek CE in late 2016, depending upon the final commitments of funding resources and other approval processes. The primary objectives of the CEs are to protect the municipal water supply for the community of Whitefish, maintain working forests and ensure that they will continue to be sustainably managed, conserve important fish and wildlife habitat, and maintain public recreation access.
FWP released a draft environmental assessment (EA) for public review from Oct. 27 through Nov. 22, 2015, and held a public hearing in Whitefish on November 9, 2015. There were 56 comments received, with 29 supporting and none opposing the project. The remaining 27 comments, along with 15 people who expressed support for the project, identified questions, issues, or concerns that are addressed in the decision document.
In reviewing all the public comment and other relevant information, and evaluating the environmental effects, FWP recommends that the FWP Commission approve the proposed purchase of the Haskill Basin conservation easement now, and the proposed Trumbull Creek conservation easement when the conservation easement and associated management plan are finalized and other due diligence completed. Both actions will also require the approval of the Montana Land Board at an upcoming meeting.
IRS simplifies small-business filings
The Internal Revenue Service simplified the paperwork and recordkeeping requirements for small businesses by raising from $500 to $2,500 the safe harbor threshold for deducting certain capital items.
The change affects businesses that do not maintain an applicable financial statement (audited financial statement). It applies to amounts spent to acquire, produce or improve tangible property that would normally qualify as a capital item.
The new $2,500 threshold applies to any such item substantiated by an invoice. As a result, small businesses will be able to immediately deduct many expenditures that would otherwise need to be spread over a period of years through annual depreciation deductions.
Tester introduces housing bill
Sen. Jon Tester has introduced a bipartisan proposal that cuts burdensome red tape for small public housing agencies so they can more easily provide affordable housing for low-income families.
The Senator’s Small Public Housing Agency Opportunity Act would eliminate excessive paperwork for public housing authorities that support fewer than 550 households. The bill also creates a tiered rent system for some small public housing authorities in order to keep rent more affordable for low-income families.
A Department of Housing and Urban Development study found that small housing authorities face a disproportionate level of federal oversight costing small public housing agencies time and diverting resources away from serving low-income families.
Carpenter selected as Pacific Northwest Trails Association president
The Pacific Northwest Trail Association has announced the selection of Charles H. Carpenter, as its new President. Carpenter is a lawyer based in Missoula, and has been on the Board of the Association since the beginning of the year.
“I am excited to step into this new role with the Pacific Northwest Trail Association.” says Carpenter. “The Pacific Northwest Trail travels through some of the most beautifully rugged landscapes in the Pacific Northwest, and down some of the most picturesque Main Streets. Our Trail – it belongs to all of us – is at an exciting point in its history, with the recent commencement of the Pacific Northwest National Scenic Trail Advisory Council’s process and the increased recognition of the importance of our trail on a national level.