Recently Sen. Tester announced the Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, a visionary proposal aimed at preserving the economic and ecological vitality of communities and landscapes across western Montana.
The bill gives direction for managing resources and recreation across a wide swath of Forest Service and BLM land, and provides permanent habitat and watershed protection by designating 677,000 acres as wilderness.
The bill builds on years of hard collaborative work by Montanans representing large diverse groups who recognize that what they agree upon is more important than what they don’t, that responsible stewardship and protection of our landscapes ensures the well being of our state for present and future generations.
Those criticizing the bill generally benefit from a status quo that has gridlocked productive forest management for decades, or dismiss it as a “back room” betrayal of the true wilderness cause. Beware the ideologues. Paranoid and technical rhetoric suits their business as usual approach as demagogues and litigants. The legislation provides what most Montanans want; a common-sense, solution-based approach to public lands that creates jobs, improves our recreational opportunities and protects our environment. Read the bill and take the opportunity to express your support.
Michael S. Brown
227 Hauser Blvd.