Great Falls Tribune - Front Bill Topic of Daines Meeting in Choteau

News Article

By Karl Puckett

Montana Congressman Steve Daines will be in Choteau today for a hearing on management of the Rocky Mountain Front and a bill to protect public lands in the area.

U.S. Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., reintroduced the Rocky Mountain Front Heritage Act in February. It would protect 275,000 acres managed by Lewis and Clark National Forest and the Bureau of Land Management as either "conservation management areas" or wilderness.

Daines, a Republican, says he hasn't taken a position yet on Baucus' bill.

"That's why we're having the listening session," Daines said Tuesday. "I want to make sure I have a position that reflects what the people are thinking and what they want. That's why the format will be one of listening. I won't be doing a lot of talking."

Baucus reintroduced the bill in the 213th Congress calling the Front a "unique treasure" and saying that protecting it is good for business because of the economic importance of outdoor recreation to the state. Sen. Jon Tester, D-Montana, is an original co-sponsor. The bill didn't get a vote in the 212th Congress.

"While we don't think his nonsupport would defeat the Heritage Act, it would be a great boon for the act to have his support," Stoney Burk, a member of the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front, said of Daines.

In West Glacier last week, Daines announced plans to introduce a bill in the House that would block industrial development in the North Fork of the Flathead River drainage on the western boundary of Glacier National Park. Baucus and Tester are backing similar legislation in the Senate.

Coalition members were encouraged by Daines' support for the North Fork Flathead legislation because it showed he's willing to hear all sides rather than taking a hard-line position, Burke said.

Daines has been touring the state discussing natural resources.

On Tuesday, he was near Sidney in eastern Montana where visiting a natural gas processing plant was on the schedule. He said he discussed the state's "tremendous potential for energy development." In western Montana visits, he's focused on wood products, he said.

Daines says he wants to strike a balance when it comes to decisions on developing or protecting the state's natural resources.

"Unfortunately the debate and discussion in the state has sometimes been captured by the extreme sides of either end of the spectrum," he said.

Montanans want to see more timber, oil and coal development on public lands but also want public lands protected, he said. His position is not "either or" but rather "both and," he said.

"I think Montanans want to see a balanced view because there's multiple opinions on these issues," Daines said. "I hope to bring together a consensus instead of polarizing extremes."

Baucus says the Heritage Act will keep federal public lands on the Front as they are while preserving traditional uses such as grazing. It's backed by the Coalition to Protect the Rocky Mountain Front, the Wilderness Society and Montana Wilderness Association.

Critics have argued that the bill doesn't propose enough wilderness. Others have argued that there's no need for management changes.

Daines says his great-great grandmother homesteaded land 40 miles northeast of Choteau, waking up each day with a view of the Front. She's buried at a cemetery in the area, as is his great-grandmother and great-grandfather.

"For me, there's a personal attachment to that part of the state," Daines said.

But views of the people who live there today are most important to him, he said.

"I want to make sure I'm getting input and feedback from Montanans who are closest to where the land-use decisions will be made," Daines said.

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