Massive spending bill helps Park Service construction budget

A $1.3 trillion government spending bill passed late last month could provide the necessary dollars to rebuild the Sperry Chalet. It also changes the way fighting massive wildfires is funded, as to not deplete the Forest Service’s budget.

Montana’s Congressional delegation split on the final vote for the bill. Republican Congressman Greg Gianforte praised parts of the bill, but ultimately did not vote for the spending measure. Senator Steve Daines followed suit.

Democrat Jon Tester voted for the spending bill.

The National Park Service received a $150 million boost in construction funding, bringing the overall funding for the Park Service’s construction budget for fiscal year 2018 at $359 million.

The Park Service could use some of the additional funds to pay for the reconstruction of Sperry Chalet, but that decision is up to the Interior Department and the National Park Service, Tester’s office noted.

“The Sperry Chalet was a destination for folks from across the globe and it is important to the economy of northwest Montana that it is rebuilt quickly. I support this funding bill because it does right by Montana, and it includes additional resources that the National Park Service can use to rebuild this iconic structure in Glacier Park,” Tester said in an email to the Hungry Horse News.

Ballpark estimates to rebuild the chalet are between $7 million and $12 million.

The bill should also free up Forest Service funding in bad fire years.

The bill caps the amount the Forest Service must spend on fighting wildfires. If costs exceed that amount, the Forest Service and Interior will have access to emergency funding used to respond to other natural disasters. This provision gives the Forest Service the certainty and resources it needs to actively manage forests, maintain roads and trails, and mitigate future fire risks, Tester noted.

Both Gianforte and Daines also supported those measures in the bill, even with their negative final votes.

“While the reforms in the omnibus are a step in the right direction, they only begin to address the issue of devastating wildfires,” Gianforte said in an email. “There’s more to do to protect our communities and livelihoods from catastrophic wildfires, including ending the practice of frivolous lawsuits from environmental extremist groups that tie up critical projects and threaten our way of life.”

Gianforte said he voted against the final bill because of its excessive spending.

“The omnibus spending bill opens further the already rushing spigot of spending. The omnibus was written to appease Chuck Schumer and Senate Democrats’ voracious appetite to grow the size and scope of the federal government while using the future of our kids and grandkids as collateral. I will continue working to protect our way of life from irresponsible federal policies, including Washington’s reckless spending that is leading us down a path of fiscal ruin and jeopardizing our future,” Gianforte said in an email.

“Too many Montanans have been harmed by mismanaged forests, excessive red tape, litigation from environmental extremists and flawed wildfire funding mechanisms,” said Daines in an email. “This package is a good step toward improving forest management. Unfortunately, left-wing groups were successful in blocking other bipartisan reforms to reduce red tape and combat litigation, but I will continue to fight for these reforms in the farm bill and other legislation.”

The bill also funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $425 million. The fund is used for a variety of public lands projects, like fishing access sites and conservation easements.

LWCF funds, in part, have been used to garner major conservation easements close to Columbia Falls, most notably on thousands of acres of F.H. Stoltze Land and Lumber timber lands just north of the city. The easements allow Stoltze to manage the lands for timber, but prevent it from being developed for housing and other uses.

Overall, the bill funds the government until Sept. 30, when the budget battles will begin anew.