Currently, about 30% of Montana’s landmass is managed by the federal government and within that, there is 3.5 million acres of designated Wilderness. Therefore, Roughly 13% of federal land is managed with the most restrictive management designation with no motorized or mechanized use within that 13%. Outside of the 13% you still have wilderness study areas, land managed for wilderness characteristics, areas of critical environmental concern, and other layers of restrictive management. All this to say, much of the 30% of federal land within Montana is restrictive and not conducive to multiple use. The Montana senators and Montana representative Downing have introduced the Montana Sportsmen Conservation Act which would release three of those wilderness study areas. This isn’t excessive, because there are currently 44 wilderness study areas and millions of acres of wilwithin the state but it’s a great step in the right direction.
The three areas to be released include the Middle Fork Judith Wilderness Study Area 81,000 acres, which is managed by the Forest Service, and the Hoodoo Mountain, 11,380 acres and Wales Creek Wilderness Study Area 11,580 acres, which are managed by the Bureau of Land Management. All three WSA’s have been recommended for release from wilderness management obligations by the land agencies in 1982 and 2021. These released areas would be managed under general management strategies. General management would mean the land agencies would have more flexibility to address Pine Beetle issues and wildfire mitigation practices. It is far past time these lands be released as WSA’s and be managed properly to avoid devastating wildfires that will harm the landscape as well as wildlife and habitat. With so many acres already locked up under restrictive designations, it is also important for recreation users to have more lands managed for multiple use.
Timeline:
1977: Montana Wilderness Study Act set aside 973,000 acres for wilderness study.
1986: Forest Service completed studies and found 608,700 do not meet wilderness requirements, including the Middle Fork Judith WSA.
1991: The Bureau of Land Management completed their studies and found that 273,828 acres acres don’t meet wilderness requirements, including the Hoodoo Mountain and Wales Creek WSA’s.
2020: Through the Missoula Resource Management Plan the BLM again found the Hoodoo Mountain and Wales Creek WSA’s do not meet the requirements and should be released.
2021: The Forest Service finished a 6 year process to again recommend the Middle Fork Judith WSA be released.
It is clear that these lands should not be managed for wilderness. Land agencies, Congress and the public all see that restrictive management is bad for forest health, recreation and access. Tell your representative to support this bill today.
