JOHN WALSH

(U.S. SENATE) – Responding to a petition from nearly 1,000 Montanans, Sen. John Walsh today cosponsored and took the lead on the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act to protect and preserve public access to some of Montana’s best hunting, hiking, and ranching.

“In Montana, the Front has been enjoyed by sportsmen and women from around the country for generations,” said Walsh.  “This is an example of how Montanans from all walks of life can come together to work on solutions, ensuring that the Front will be around for our children and grandchildren to enjoy.”

The Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act:

• Protects public access for hunters, fishermen and outdoor enthusiasts
• Designates 208,000 acres as a Conservation Management Area, a home-grown designation which would limit road building but protect current motorized recreation and public access for hunting, biking, timber thinning and grazing
• Prioritizes noxious weed eradication and prevention on the designated public lands which in turns helps protect adjacent private working lands
• Designates 67,000 acres of the Rocky Mountain Front as additions to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex
• Allows for continued grazing access for Montana ranching families

Sportsmen and women spend in excess of $10 million annually during the hunting season on the Front, generating economic growth and sustaining jobs.

The Rocky Mountain Heritage Front Act passed through committee by voice vote and is ready to be voted on by the full Senate.

Walsh also signed on as a co-sponsor of Senator Jon Tester’s Forest Jobs and Recreation Act, another bill that is the result of a coalition of Montana’s outdoor community coming together to work in Montana’s best interests. 

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