North Fork thanks

This time of year, it’s important to give thanks and show gratitude for what is most important. On Friday, Dec. 19, we gathered with Sens. Jon Tester and John Walsh to celebrate passage of the North Fork Watershed Protection Act and the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act. That afternoon, the president signed the bills into law.

As landowners who care about our public lands, backyard watersheds and Montana-made solutions, we are thankful that the delegation worked together to complete the home stretch in this crucial step towards protecting the North Fork of the Flathead River.

After over 40 years of working across the aisle locally, thousands of acres of land in the North Fork are now freed from mining and drilling. This is a wonderful accomplishment that would not be a reality without our delegation joining forces to support the bipartisan efforts here in the Flathead Valley.

To many of us who call it home, the North Fork of the Flathead is special beyond words. Some of us have owned land for generations, others have saved and scrimped to get here. But one thing is sure, we all love the North Fork and realize how important it is to be good stewards for future generations.

Celebrating passage of the North Fork bill among friends reminded us how lucky we are to live in Montana and how essential it is that our delegation keeps working together for what matters to Montanans.

Thank you Senator-elect Daines, Sen. Tester and Sen. Walsh for supporting what is locally made and what matters to us most. Thank you for setting an example for how real, lasting progress is made. Let’s keep the momentum going in 2015 and beyond for more community-driven and supported solutions for the North Fork and across Montana.

Doug Chadwick

Will Hammerquist

Donna Harrison

Randy Kenyon

Jack Potter

Rachel Potter

Karen Reeves

Bill Walker

Lois Walker