Recently Senator Tester introduced a bill to insure the agreements reached by the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project (BCSP) will be achieved. This includes developing a 10-year schedule of forest restoration projects.
The really important component is the Monture Creek and Grizzly Basin additions to the Bob Marshall Wilderness, and the North Fork Blackfoot additions to the Scapegoat Wilderness. These areas are outstanding wilderness quality lands that we Montanans must protect for future generations. Having worked on trails in some of these areas many years ago, it is great to finally see action to give legislative protection to these magnificent wildlands.
The bill does leave out about 6000 acres of roadless lands on the south edge of the Wilderness additions; 2000 acres are designated for snowmobiling, and about 4000 acres for mountain biking. However, some compromise exists in all legislation. The most critical wildlands will receive full protection, with current non-conforming uses prohibited. Senator Daines should now join Senator Tester in support of Wilderness protection.
Here in Montana we are truly blessed to still have so much land as God created it. But we have to care for that creation, and we need to leave it unspoiled for our grandchildren, just as our grandparents left it to us. The BCSP legislation is a big step forward to achieve that.
Kirk Thompson
Stevensville