“The American frontier has closed.” These words echo more true than ever since Fredric Jackson Turner said them in 1893. There is no more land to be found, thus, effective management of the areas that humanity has not overwhelmingly penetrated becomes an issue of massive importance. Sen. Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, I believe, puts forth a responsible method for maintaining some level of economic dependence on our public land by local communities and balances it with the immediate need for common-sense wilderness protection.
In managing forested areas so as to help local lumber mills, this bill recognizes the fragility of local economies and the need for other such conscious efforts. With the best interests of average Montanans at heart, this bill further continues to protect those natural amenities that make Montana such an amazing place to live and visit. Wildfire mitigation in places where beetle kill has ravaged the landscape can fuel economies and protect these valuable lands for our children, when done responsibly.
Benefits of this act would positively impact Montanans from all walks of life, and I encourage everyone across the state to participate in making it a reality. There is an immediate need for us to find ways to put people back to work in our forests while simultaneously benefiting our wildlands, and Sen. Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act is a large step in the right direction.
Ben Goldstein, MSU student Bozeman