Missoula residents invited to weigh in on Lower Miller Creek horses

Missoula, Mont. — People in Missoula will soon have a chance to share their views on the feral horses roaming the Lower Miller Creek area.

A public engagement meeting was scheduled for June 11 at 2 p.m. at the Missoula County Courthouse. Residents could attend in person or take part online, and the hearing was expected to stay open for at least 30 days.

The discussion centered on safety, disease and how to manage the horses as they moved closer to neighborhoods. County officials had brought together representatives from livestock, ecology and law enforcement to talk through the challenges.

Those concerns included risks to domestic horses, possible disease spread and public safety. Officials also reported that state law did not clearly say which agency had authority to manage the horses because they were considered abandoned livestock rather than wildlife.

I reported from Missoula that many people in the Lower Miller Creek area had been waiting for the meeting.

"It's going to be an opportunity, a great opportunity for people around the area to go ahead and voice their thoughts or voice their opinions on what they want or what they think should be done when it comes to a lot of these feral horses," Ruiz said.

The meeting gave the city a chance to gather public input while giving residents a place to make their voices heard. More information about the Missoula County Courthouse and the public engagement process [link] may help residents who want to participate.

People who could not attend in person were told they could call 406-272-4824.