Rocky Front bill OK'd by key Senate committee

A bill that would add 67,112 acres to existing wilderness along the Rocky Mountain Front recently garnered unanimous bipartisan support from a key Senate committee.

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus, got the thumbs up from the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee with a unanimous voice vote on Nov. 21. The Republican support wasn’t expected, but credit went to the work Baucus did explaining the bill.

“There are few callings more important than working together to protect our outdoor heritage for our kids and grandkids,” Baucus said in a press release. “This vote is a great signal that people on both sides of the aisle see the wisdom of this Made-in-Montana bill.”

Baucus has made passage of the act one of his top priorities as he finishes out his final term in the Senate.

“There are few places on earth like the Rocky Mountain Front, and I’m more determined than ever to bring the Heritage Act to the finish line. Keeping the Front the way it is will fuel jobs that depend on our outdoor heritage for generations to come,” he said.

The act was created from the ground up with a wide variety of Montanans working together in a cooperative effort to protect the Rocky Front, while protecting grazing opportunities for ranchers and public access for hunters, fisherman and outdoor recreationists.

In addition to the wilderness additions, the act would also designate about 208,100 acres as a Conservation Management Area that doesn’t restrict as many uses as wilderness but would keep in place protections in the Forest Service’s travel plan for the area.

The bill will need the full passage of the Senate before going to the House. Alternatively, the House could come up with a companion bill, similarly to what Rep. Steve Daines did with a bill intended to protect the North Fork from oil and gas exploration and development.

Meanwhile, Sen. Jon Tester, who supports the Rocky Front act, recently introduced a bill to expand public land access for hunters and fishermen. Co-sponsored by Sen. Kay Hagan, D-North Carolina, the Sportsmen’s and Public Outdoor Recreation Traditions (SPORT) Act would also preserve key places for hunting and fishing and strengthen states’ roles in protecting wildlife. Tester introduced a similar bipartisan bill last year that nearly passed in the Senate and was eventually blocked.

Tester is also promoting a bill to address skyrocketing fees charged by the Forest Service for long-term cabin leases. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee heard the proposed Cabin Fee Act on Nov. 20.

The Forest Service supports the Cabin Fee Act, which restructures fees charged for recreation cabins. Tester recently received an award from the National Forest Homeowners association for his work promoting the bill.