North Fork watershed bill clears committee

A bill that bans future energy leases on federal lands in the North Fork and Middle Fork of the Flathead took another step toward law last week.

The North Fork Watershed Protection Act of 2013 passed the House Natural Resources Committee without opposition.

The bill has bipartisan support in the both the House and Senate and has passed committees in both chambers of Congress.

“The North Fork Watershed Protection Act is an important bill to Montana,” said Republican Congressman Steve Daines, who is co-sponsoring the bill with Democratic Sens. Jon Tester and Baucus. “The North Fork is widely treasured as a precious corner of our state, a place where we harvest timber, we hunt and fish, and lead trips into the adjacent Glacier National Park. The local community wants to continue using this watershed of the river to benefit their local economy — which is largely outdoor recreation based.”

The bill bans any future oil, coal or gas leases in both watersheds. It does not effect any existing leases, but most energy companies have voluntarily given up their leases in the area.

The bill is seen as a complement to a ban on energy leases in the Canadian Flathead passed by British Columbia a few years ago.

The next step would be a full vote by the House and the Senate. If it passes, the bill would be the first bipartisan land-use bill to pass both houses in more than 25 years.