BCSA receives hearing, Daines asks for more balanced approach

WASHINGTON, DC – The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act (BCSA) received its first hearing in the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Oct. 19. This was following Montana Senator Jon Tester’s reintroduction of the bill in April. Montana Senator Steve Daines, member of the committee, testified that he would like to see more balance. He proposed that along with the nearly 80,000 acres of new Wilderness proposed in the BCSA, that there would be a corresponding release of Wilderness Study Areas (WSA) that are deemed not suitable Wilderness. This redesignation would accommodate for forest stewardship, travel management and proactive wildlife habitat management to address the epidemic of tree mortality.

Tester first introduced the BCSA in February 2017. It included three components: timber, recreation and conservation.

The timber provisions were completed from 2010-2018 through the Southwest Crown Collaborative. Implementation of the BCSA would complete the recreation and Wilderness designations that were included in the original forest management agreement between the local collaborators.

Specifically, the bill would protect 79,060 acres of wildlife habitat in the Bob Marshall, Mission Mountains and Scapegoat Wilderness Areas, open 2,013 acres of currently closed land to snowmobiling, and protect 3,835 acres for mountain biking and hiking. It would also require the Forest Service to prioritize its review of future recreational trail proposals from the collaborative group, and to conduct a forest health assessment that will help identify new timber projects on the landscape.

“Those who have worked on the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project for the last two decades, including myself, have poured our hearts into this bill because our hearts belong to the wildlands, wildlife and waters this bill safeguards,” Jack Rich, owner of Rich’s Montana Guest Ranch, said in a press release. “The Blackfoot is under a tremendous amount of pressure, from escalating use of the land and waters and from more frequent droughts and hot weather. We must pass this bill as soon as possible to help ensure our home in Montana remains the beloved place it is.”

During his testimony, Daines commended the proponents of the BCSA for their collaborative effort and said he supports Wilderness designation when supported by the public. However, he continues to hear from local communities, ranchers, sportsmen, land managers and outdoor recreationists that “the bill does not adequately support access to additional public lands across our state.”

He hears great frustration that the BCSA would designate 80,000 acres of new Wilderness while over 1 million acres of Wilderness Study Areas remain “in limbo managed as defacto wilderness despite not being designated as Wilderness by Congress.” He added some have been locked for up to 40 years even though over 780,000 acres were recommended to be returned to broader use.

“I believe we can do better to put forward a more balanced product that more Montanans can get behind,” Daines said.

Daines questioned US Forest Service Deputy Chief Chris French regarding the public process for National Forest Management Plans. The 2012 planning rule that guides this process is a multi-year, collaborative public engagement process that is based on the best science. The Plans make recommendations to Congress regarding what areas should be included in the Wilderness preservation system and which are deemed unsuitable.

“We strive to get as much local public buy-in and broad buy-in as possible for a durable decision,” French said.

French confirmed that when an area designated as a WSA or Wilderness, they are managed “in a way that does not diminish Wilderness attributes and characteristics.”

If an area is not designated WSA or Wilderness, this allows the Forest Service a broader, multiple use to that landscape. French gave examples that general management allows for mountain bikes in an area and the use of mechanical treatments to supplement prescribed fire for fuel mitigation.

Based on this collaborative engagement process, Daines believes Congress should act on the recommendations in the Forest Plans. The WSA deemed not suitable for Wilderness should be returned to general management.

Daines said about 300,000 acres have been recently been prioritized to be returned to broader public use. The Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation commented that approval of the BCSA should correspond with release of certain WSA in Montana.

“The Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Act designates new Wilderness but does not make a dent on the backlog of acres designated unsuitable for wilderness decades ago,” Daines said.

In the next few weeks, Daines said he is going to introduce legislation to release Wilderness Study Areas deemed not suitable for Wilderness. Over the last four decades, 1.8 million acres of new Wilderness has been designated by Congress in Montana. Yet only 150,000 acres of public lands were returned to broader public use even though hundreds of thousands of acres have been determined unsuitable for wilderness following the Forest Planning process French described.

“I would urge the Chair and the ranking member that this bill, the Blackfoot Clearwater Stewardship Project, would only move forward as part of that larger, more balanced effort,” Daines said. “I think this imbalance and inaction is unacceptable and I’m determined to fix that here with this legislation before us…If we are going to add 80,000 acres of Wilderness, let’s have some kind of corresponding release of study areas back to general public use.”

French confirmed that while the BCSA is a good bill, the Forest Service would like to see some modifications in regards to implementability.

Despite Daines’ comments, Tester is still optimistic.

“This bill is the result of decades worth of on-the-ground collaboration among the folks who live, work and play on the Blackfoot River watershed, and is a big step towards managing that landscape in a way that works for everyone,” Tester said in a press release. “The Blackfoot-Clearwater Stewardship Act is a shining example of what can happen when Montanans work together, and I am excited to see the positive momentum this critical legislation is earning as we continue working towards creating jobs and protecting this landscape for generations to come.”

 

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