The Gallatin County Budget Meeting on June 6, 2025, focused on advancing the Gallatin County Wildlife and Transportation Assessment. The meeting began with a presentation on the completion of Phase 1 of the project, which involved analyzing 26 datasets to assess four key characteristics for each mile of road studied.

The primary agenda item was a request for funding to initiate Phase 2 of the assessment. This next phase aims to conduct field visits to the identified sites to develop actionable recommendations. The project team emphasized the importance of forming a technical advisory committee that would include county planners, representatives from Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Department of Transportation, the U.S. Forest Service, and local land trusts.

During the discussions, the committee will evaluate the sites identified in the spatial analysis and assess five additional attributes through a formal field evaluation matrix. The field visits are expected to provide valuable insights for prioritizing sites and facilitating discussions on feasible recommendations.

The meeting concluded with a call for collaboration among various stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the next phase of the assessment, highlighting the significance of both data analysis and on-site evaluations in shaping future transportation and wildlife management strategies in Gallatin County.