BCSA investment in the future

The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act was introduced to Congress by Montana Senator Jon Tester and is a wonderful example of how legislation can unite various groups to solve local problems. The bill is the culmination of a 15-year effort by a diverse set of Montanans: environmentalists, timber producers, conservationists, recreation management, local businesses, politicians and the public. 

The bill would first serve to defend the Blackwater River and its most important tributaries, as well as secure and expand protections to the Blackfoot and Clearwater Valleys. The BCSA would broaden outdoor recreational areas and promote responsible timber production as well as forest restoration in and surrounding Seeley Lake. Furthermore, the bill would permanently expand protections to landscapes such as the Bob Marshall, Scapegoat and Mission Mountains Wilderness areas- securing clean water, recreational spaces and a biodiverse ecosystem for generations to come. 

Conservation legislation often has a connotation of economic downfall, however, tourism is especially imperative to a healthy Montana economy. $7.1 billion was generated by Montana’s outdoor economy in 2017. Furthermore, $286 million was generated by state and local tax revenues by the recreation industry that year.

To sustain a vital portion of our economy, it is necessary to sustain the diverse and unique ecosystems that bring said tourism to Montana. The BCSA is not only an investment in our local environment but also our local economies. 

Unfortunately, some of our representatives let politics get in the way of legislation that aims to benefit all Montanans. Senator Steve Daines refuses to support the BCSA without consideration of corresponding legislation that seeks to remove wilderness study status from approximately 300,000 acres of land. We are not owners of our ecosystems, we are members and stewards of them; Daines cannot and will not hold them hostage in exchange for his self-serving pursuits.

The Earth’s most effective terrestrial carbon sinks are boreal forests. A large carbon sink, such as the land potentially protected by the BSCA, being replaced with a carbon source will cause nothing but more distress to our beloved Montana ecosystems and contribute to a rapidly warming globe. Last summer’s forest fires in Gallatin Valley have served as a reminder that the climate crisis is neither tame nor fleeting. It and its effects are here to stay but so are the youth all over the world fighting for a viable future and legislation to support it. Senator Daines will be eligible for reelection in the Senate in 2022, but rest assured that his future political pursuits will be dampened by his youngest Montanan constituents, the next generation of voters, whose futures he has clearly disregarded.