This just in from an excited Wilderness advocate friend in Montana:
We have tremendous news for lovers of Montana's wild country!!!! We have just passed a bill designating new wilderness in Montana for the first time in 31 years!!!!
The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act has just passed the U.S. Congress as part of a larger bill, and will be sent to the President for his signature.
Passage of the Heritage Act means that one of Montana’s most iconic landscapes is now permanently protected. This is a victory for all Montanans, an enormous boon to the state’s magnificent outdoor heritage, and a testament to nearly two decades of hard work and compromise by local people, businesses, and organizations who came together to craft the right bill for this special place.
The Heritage Act protects public access along the stunningly beautiful and diverse Front for hunters, anglers and outdoor enthusiasts, designates 208,000 acres as a Conservation Management Area, adds 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, supports a noxious weed management plan, and allows for continued grazing access for Montana ranchers.
Senators Tester and Walsh worked together with Rep. Steve Daines to craft a compromise package. The three of them announced their agreement on this bill and other public lands measures last week, standing shoulder to shoulder with each other. Tester said "Montanans did not send us to DC to argue and oppose each other; they sent us here to get things done."
There are certainly elements in the public lands bill that I find unfavorable, and most people can find something to dislike in this large piece of legislation, but I find it encouraging that we are finding ways to move forward and get positive things done. In the coming year there is reason to hope that we all can continue to work together and protect more of Montana's precious wild country.
Here is a link to a great video that describes and explains the Heritage Act, what lands it covers and what its significance is http://commongrounddoc.com/