As a sportsman who spends much of my free time hunting and fishing, Sen. John Tester's new forest bill was a very welcome announcement. Fishing and hunting are important Montana traditions that need to be passed onto the next generation, but we can't do this without a lot of big wild country that is full of elk and deer or clean watersheds that are full of trout.
I believe that Tester's bill constitutes important progress for Montana's outdoor heritage because it secures some of the wildest chunks of habitat and most important headwaters in Montana. It also proposes to work with timber companies to remove trees killed by pine bark beetles in our forests, which not only reduces the chances of catastrophic fires in these areas, but also contributes to long-term forest health. Not a bad idea for those of us who look forward to getting out into the woods with our bows and fishing rods every year for weeks on end.
I'm glad that Tester has decided to champion this effort, because it's an important step towards keeping our Montana lifestyle intact. I plan to join his citizen co-sponsors to support him in his efforts to protect our way of life.
Ron Carlson
Bozeman