Senate passes North Fork, Rocky Front bill

A major land use bill that would protect the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead River from future energy leases and land along the Rocky Mountain Front passed the Senate on an 89-11 vote Dec. 12.

Assuming President Obama signs the measure, it will be the first wilderness bill in Montana since the Lee Metcalf Wilderness was designated in 1983 — a span of 31 years.

“I am proud of this historic agreement, and I am particularly proud today to be a Montanan,” Sen. Jon Tester said on the Senate floor. “Montana is home to sky-touching mountains and beautiful plains. It’s home to hard-working men and women and to Native Americans with deep connections to the land. But it’s the last best place because we are all of these things and because we are willing to work together to preserve and strengthen them.”

Senator-elect Steve Daines supported the legislation in the House.

“The Senate passage of the National Defense Authorization Act is good news for Montana,” he said. “It secures our state’s role in maintaining a strong national defense, protects some of our greatest treasures, promotes responsible development of Montana’s energy resources and expands access to our public lands for generations to come.”

Outgoing Sen. John Walsh also supported the bill.

“Montana’s congressional delegation was able to put aside political differences by following the example set by of our fellow citizens,” he said. “Passage of the North Fork withdrawal caps 40 years of Montanans working together to protect our outdoor heritage and strengthen the economy of the Flathead.”

The big bill includes 80 land-use provisions nationwide. The North Fork Watershed Protection Act bans all future energy leases on 430,000 acres of federal land in the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead. The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act adds 67,000 acres to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex and protects 208,000 acres along the Rocky Front from further development, while preserving traditional uses like grazing.

The land use bills were all rolled into one package and placed as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act. It passed the House earlier this week. President Obama is expected to sign the bill into law.