The Blackfoot is one of the most beloved areas in Montana, and through it runs one of the most celebrated streams in the world - the Blackfoot River, made famous by Norman Maclean’s ‘A River Runs through It’ and Robert Redford’s film adaptation. People from around the world flock here to fly fish.
Introduced by Sen. Jon Tester, The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act will add 80,000 acres to the Bob Marshall, Scapegoat, and Mission Mountains Wilderness Areas and help keep the waters of the Blackfoot River and its most important tributaries - the North Fork, Monture Creek, Morrell Creek, and West Fork Clearwater - running cold and clean.
It will also protect vital habitat for grizzly bears, elk, mountain goats, Canada lynx, and many other species. It will, moreover, protect the economic health of nearby communities, including Seeley Lake, Ovando, and Missoula.
It’s no wonder 75% of Montanans support this bill. But Sen. Steve Daines is holding the bill hostage and putting the Blackfoot at risk. As a condition of his support for the bill, he’s demanding up to 300,000 acres of wild public lands in other parts of the state lose their protection. It’s past time for him to support the BCSA on its own merits.
27 авг 2024
