As timber mill owners and managers in Montana, we’re disappointed that the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, a bill to create jobs for loggers and mill workers, was prevented from passing in Congress last week. Hundreds of workers in our mills, along with hundreds of independent contractors and vendors we work with, all supporting hundreds of families and whole communities throughout Western Montana, are disappointed by congressional inaction on this bill.

I served as Regional Forester for the Forest Service here in Montana and as the Chief of the Forest Service in Washington, D.C. Over the years, I have watched how the heavy traffic of opinion about public land management has grown more and more contentious, until our management processes resemble traffic jams. As so much comes to a halt, our forests suffer.

More recently however, I've found cause for encouragement in the local community partnerships on three national forests in Montana, partnerships that laid the groundwork for Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act.

As the 112th Congress convened, Sen. Jon Tester reintroduced the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act as Senate Bill 268. The bill was first introduced in July 2009. Sen. Tester has dedicated nearly two years crafting a piece of legislation emphasizing forest restoration, job creation, enhanced recreation and wilderness designation. Through unprecedented public involvement, repeated revisions and transparency, Tester has delivered a bill to Washington that embodies Montana's traditional land values and current need for healthy forests.

Bravo to the members of the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project whose op-ed recently appeared in the Missoulian (April 28). Key to their success has been the inclusive nature of developing the agreed-upon management approach.

However, the authors encourage passage of Sen. Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation Act to build upon and complete the work they have begun. Until the iconic landscapes are permanently protected for wildlife habitat and as sources of clean water, the work isn't yet done.

As required by my provision in a recent federal law, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service this week removed Montana's wolves from the endangered species list and returned their management to state biologists. It is a bipartisan victory that recognizes Montana's wolf recovery as a success. As your senator, it's my job to find solutions that are right for Montana, no matter how controversial or tough the issue is.

Many Montanans are closely watching the ongoing debate over how
to get more timber and restoration work done on Forest Service
lands in Montana at a landscape level, while further protecting
clean water and wildlife habitat. But as that larger debate goes
on, it is important to take stock of the smaller success stories
already under way.

The Blackfoot and Clearwater watersheds are home to one of those
stories.

Sally Mauk: For new wilderness to succeed, next generation must have interest

By SALLY MAUK
for the Missoulian | Posted: Friday, July 16, 2010 9:30 pm

In another life, I was a wilderness ranger, and to this day
there's a certain trail in a certain wilderness where I am most at
peace with myself and with the world.

Although the conservation challenges facing others across
Montana vary, the fact remains that grassroots efforts have sprung
up where folks have chosen to set aside their differences and work
together. They say all politics is local and that's certainly the
level where the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act originated. The
compromises and agreements forged by the many folks involved were
done so in an open fashion, through years of hard work, lengthy
debate, and input from many different types of people.

A deal's a deal.

That's the message Montana Sen. Jon Tester has for the U.S. Senate
Energy and Natural Resources Committee. And, in reality, he has
little choice.

Tester's forest bill came out of a delicate compromise among
diverse forest user groups. It would create some 600,000 acres of
wilderness - mostly here in Southwest Montana. But it would also
set aside areas for motorized recreation and require the logging of
10,000 acres of forest in each of the next 10 years.

Recently, a committed group of conservationists came together to
passionately discuss Sen. Jon Tester's Forest Jobs and Recreation
Act. The energy and excitement surrounding this legislation is
nothing short of inspiring.