Officials warn Choteau residents to watch out for an injured grizzly bear
Montana Public Radio | By Ellis Juhlin
Choteau residents are being warned to watch out for a grizzly bear recently wounded near Freezeout Lake. Wildlife managers have been searching the area just south of Choteau for the bear after it was shot on Tuesday.
The grizzly charged a hunter from behind a shelter belt who then shot at the bear twice, wounding it before it ran away.
Fish, Wildlife and Parks (FWP) staff and local law enforcement have searched over 4 square miles for the bear since Tuesday, but have not found it yet. FWP is warning Choteau residents to stay aware since the bear has likely left the area where it was shot and may be hiding in thick cover or near abandoned buildings.
With several bird hunting seasons underway, and more starting soon, FWP cautions all hunters to practice bear safety while outdoors.
A new cancer treatment center is being built in Lewistown, Montana
Montana Public Radio | By Aaron Bolton
A new cancer treatment center in Lewistown will fill a void for cancer patients in central Montana.
The Central Montana Medical Center broke ground on the new treatment center Wednesday.
The nearly 18,000 square-foot facility will provide radiation oncology services to patients across nine counties. According to a press release from the hospital, some patients currently drive over 200 miles to receive care.
Hospital officials said they still need to raise roughly $4 million to equip and staff the facility. It’s unclear when it will be complete.
Montana receives over $1 million in federal aid for sagebrush grassland conservation projects
Montana Public Radio | By John Hooks
Montana will receive over $1 million dollars in federal aid this year for projects aimed at conserving sagebrush grasslands across the state.
Sagebrush lands provide habitat for hundreds of species including antelope, sage-grouse and prairie dogs. A report issued last year by the Interior Department and U.S. Geological Survey found nearly half of those lands are too degraded to function as habitat.
Projects getting funding include efforts to battle encroaching conifers in southwest Montana’s sagebrush steppe and preserving culturally significant areas within the Crow Reservation.
The money comes from the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, which is using over $10 million from the 2021 Bipartisan Infrastructure Law for sagebrush conservation across the west. The service said sagebrush grasslands span over 175 million acres, comprising one-third of the land mass of the lower 48 states.
