U.S. Senators Steve Daines and Tim Sheehy, along with Representative Troy Downing (MT-02), have introduced the “Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act.” The proposed legislation would return three Wilderness Study Areas (WSAs) in Montana to general management, as recommended by their respective agency land and resource management plan revisions. The bill aims to maintain certain protections for these areas while allowing more flexibility for land managers to address wildfire risk, restore wildlife habitat, and improve access for sportsmen.
Senator Daines stated, “As a lifelong sportsman, increasing access to Montana’s great outdoors is one of my top priorities. The ‘Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act’ promotes our outdoor way of life by returning restrictive WSA’s to general public land management, which will improve wildlife habitat restoration, reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires, and unlock better access to public lands. I look forward to working with Senator Sheehy, Representative Zinke, and Representative Downing to get this bill across the finish line.”
Senator Sheehy added, “Increasing access to our public lands and conserving the open spaces that we all enjoy, define our way of life, and create our shared heritage is something we can all agree on, and that’s exactly what the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act delivers. Working to combat wildfire risk, better steward our lands, improve wildlife habitat, and continue to protect our right to hunt, fish, and recreate on our public lands is Montana common sense, and I’m proud to stand with Senator Daines in this critical mission.”
Representative Downing said, “Land management must be fit for purpose, and the science shows that the Hoodoo Mountain, Wales Creek, and Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Areas would be better served without their WSA designations. I’m proud to lead the effort in the House to return these lands to general management, unlocking public access and breaking down barriers preventing effective stewardship. I look forward to working with Senators Daines and Sheehy to get this commonsense measure across the finish line.”
The three WSAs affected by this bill are Middle Fork Judith WSA, Hoodoo Mountain WSA, and Wales Creek WSA. The bill has received support from organizations such as the Montana Logging Association and Montana Snowmobiles Association.
Senator Daines represents Montana in the U.S. Senate since 2015 according to his official website. He grew up in Bozeman as a fifth-generation Montanan and attended local public schools. Before entering politics he held management roles at Procter & Gamble as well as an executive position at a software company based in Bozeman according to his biography. He earned a Bachelor of Science degree in chemical engineering from Montana State University as detailed on his official site.
Daines participates in several Senate committees including finance; foreign relations; energy and natural resources; and Indian affairs which influence policy areas such as taxation and public lands. His offices are located throughout Montana cities like Bozeman and Great Falls as well as Washington D.C., providing constituent services such as assistance with federal agencies according to his office information.
The full text of the proposed bill is available online.