Senator Daines' priorities are wrong for Montana

Senator John Tester is in support of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) as are many Montanans and Missoulians. This bill is intended to expand protections to the headwaters of the Blackfoot and Clearwater Rivers, while improving and expanding outdoor recreation areas for the public.

The BCSA has already given Senator Steve Daines what he says he prioritizes jobs and investment in Montana. According to a Missoula Current article, 153 union jobs and 57 million dollars have been given to the local economy through Southwest Crown of the Continent Collaborative, an integral part of the BCSA.

The final part of the BCSA, which the Senate is considering now, intends to add around 80,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness area. Senator Daines is no supporter of wilderness area protections.

During the initial hearing this week for the BCSA, Steve Daines announced that he plans to introduce a separate bill that would revoke 300,000 acres of wilderness study area. This action would completely contradict what local Montanans are asking for when community partners in Montana wrote the BCSA.

Daines wants to eliminate wilderness study areas and wants to do this under the guise of “improving public access.” With this land unprotected from rampant development, activities such as logging and motorized vehicle transportation will further disrupt our natural ecosystems. Daines simply wants to snub his political rival’s common sense legislation for personal fulfillment. This directly goes against what conservationists have been fighting for.

This is not what Montanans are fighting for. We are fighting for a place to enjoy the outdoors, not to change the laws of the land to suit Steve Daines’ warped priorities.