Now that winter is ending, we Montanans are putting away our skis and snowshoes. We’re preparing to kayak, camp and hike in our public lands. Our summer recreation plans could change. The assault on our public lands continues.
This session, the Republican controlled Montana Legislature passed a destructive resolution. It aims to open wilderness study areas to grazing, timber harvesting and mineral development. House Joint Resolution (HJ) 9 asks the President and Congress to develop plans to manage some of our most valuable public lands for natural resource development. HJ 9 undoes decades of public land protection.
In 1977, Montanans, recognizing how important these lands are to our recreational heritage and to our clean and healthful environment, petitioned Congress to preserve them. Although these study areas were never designated wilderness, they have been managed as wilderness. We have worked hard to develop bipartisan cooperation to protect their pristine status.
Democratic Senators Lee Metcalf, John Melcher, Max Baucus and Representative Pat Williams worked hard to protect our wild public lands. Representative Steve Daines supported Senator Baucus’ Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act because of the many Montanans who expressed their unwavering support. Senator Tester has continued this legacy, proposing the Blackfoot Clearwater and Yellowstone Protection acts to preserve more natural areas. HJ 9 violates the values that define us.
More than one million acres are within designated wilderness study areas in Montana. Many of those acres are in our backyard. These areas that we hold so dear are threatened by development because of the money and people behind HJ 9. Each area contains pristine waters that feed our domestic water sources, provide swimming and boating opportunities downstream and undisturbed, prized trout fisheries within the wild areas.
Our wild, public lands create many jobs for Montanans, in the woods and in our local communities. Asked why new businesses want to locate in Montana, owners respond because of the culture of hard work and the opportunities to recreate on public lands. Opening these lands to development will destroy jobs, hurt local economies and weaken working families. Development requires roads, motorized vehicles and heavy equipment. Land now home to wildlife, wild streams and natural vegetation would be damaged to an irreparable degree.
HJ 9 proponents want to invest millions of taxpayer dollars on road and bridge development in our wild public lands. They say pristine lands are a waste of money because they are prone to fire and taxpayers have to foot the bill. The cost will be much higher if we lose the environmental and recreational value of these lands.
I voted against this resolution. Help me defend our wild lands. Contact Senators Tester and Daines and tell our candidates for the U.S. House of Representatives that our public lands are our lands and they are not for sale.
Montana Senator Sue Malek
Senate District 46 (D)
senatormalek@gmail.com
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