Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument
Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument | |
---|---|
Location | Chouteau, Fergus, Blaine, and Phillips counties, Montana, U.S. |
Nearest city | Great Falls |
Coordinates | 47°47′0″N 109°1′17″W / 47.78333°N 109.02139°W |
Area | 377,000 acres (1,530 km2)[1] |
Established | January 17, 2001 |
Visitors | 63,512 (in 2002) |
Governing body | U.S. Bureau of Land Management |
Website | Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument |
The Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument is a
Created by proclamation in 2001 by President
History
The Lewis and Clark Expedition passed through the Breaks in 1805 and were the first to document the region through notes and drawings, and their sighting and documentation of bighorn sheep in the Breaks region was the first time this species was recorded in North America by white explorers. Much of the Breaks region has remained as it was when Lewis and Clark's party first saw it. The confluence of the Judith and Missouri Rivers was the setting for important peace councils in 1846 and 1855.
In 1877, the eastbound
Management and conservation
A full management plan is still under development due to various private
Under the proposed management plan from the Department of the Interior, although the resources of the monument will be given better protection, "currently permitted livestock grazing, hunting, fishing, and similar activities will generally not be affected, nor will private property (approximately 81,911 acres (128 sq mi; 331 km2)) and state land (approximately 38,722 acres (61 sq mi; 157 km2)) within the boundary of the proposed monument, as well as other valid existing rights".[6]
In 2013, the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled that the BLM's management plan violated historic site laws with their practices.[7] The National Trust for Historic Preservation cited the site as one of ten historic sites saved in 2013.[7]
The Breaks is home to at least sixty mammal species and hundreds of bird species. Willows and shrubs are found along the Missouri River banks while sagebrush and short grass prairie are dominant elsewhere.[8]
See also
- List of national monuments of the United States
- Montana Wilderness Association
- The Missouri Breaks - a 1976 western film centered around this area.
- Fred Robinson Bridge: A bridge over the Missouri within the monument boundaries
References
- ^ a b "Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument | Bureau of Land Management".
- ^ "FAQs - Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". Bureau of Land Management. Archived from the original on May 10, 2012.
- ^ "Little Big Horn College Library". Retrieved June 5, 2012.
- ^ Proclamation 7398 – Establishment of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument.(Transcript) - Weekly Compilation of Presidential Documents | HighBeam Research
- ^ "Proclamation 7398 - Establishment of the Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". The American Presidency Project. University of California, Santa Barbara. January 17, 2001. Retrieved May 18, 2016.
- ^ "Proposed Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". United States Department of the Interior. Archived from the original on February 17, 2005.
- ^ Post Crescent. Associated Press. January 5, 2014. p. F3.
- ^ Heinz, Mark (November 16, 2023). "Grizzlies Moving Eastward To North Dakota". Cowboy State Daily. Retrieved November 17, 2023.
External links
- "Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". U.S. Bureau of Land Management. Retrieved July 15, 2018.
- "Upper Missouri Breaks National Monument". The Wilderness Society. Archived from the original on July 10, 2006. Retrieved August 13, 2006.
- "Upper Missouri River Breaks National Monument". Montana Wildlife Federation. Retrieved August 11, 2011.
- Map Bureau of Land Management
- Friends of the Missouri Breaks
- G.Auble, M. Scott: Cottonwood in the Missouri Breaks National Monument. USGS publications. (PDF)