Baucus reintroduces Rocky Mountain Heritage Act

U.S. Senator Max Baucus announced yesterday that he will be reintroducing the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act, which seeks to protect public access to ranching, hunting and recreation. Baucus originally introduced similar legislation in October of 2011.

The act covers the scenic region where the Rocky Mountains meet the Plains, stretching from the area just north of Lincoln, toward the region just south of Glacier National Park. The bill would add 67,000 acres of wilderness to the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, and designate 208,000 acres as a conservation management area that would limit road building.

"The Front is our heritage and our future. It is critical for Montana's economy. A recently released study shows 64,000 Montana jobs rely on outdoor recreation. Sportsmen spend around $10 million every year during hunting season on the Front," said Baucus.

According to the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front, the Heritage Act will retain over 300 miles of trails and roads on the Rocky Mountain Front, and will also provide flexibility to create new bike trails in the future. There would be no changes to mountain bikes from the way they are currently managed for the vast majority of public lands of the Front. The only exception is within the Deep Creek area, which would be designated as wilderness. Therefore, approximately 20 miles of trails would be closed to mountain bike use.

For more information you can visit the website for the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front.

For more information on the Bob Marshall Wilderness Complex, please click here.


Jeff
Glacier National Park Hiking